Tag Archives: dining out

Vinateria Harlem opens today April 17, take a look inside

Posted on April 17, 2013 | Leave a comment

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HarlemGal Inc has confirmation from the owners of Vinateria Harlem that they are in fact opening to the public today, April 17. If you’re interested in checking out this new place located on Harlem’s restaurant row, i.e. 119th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd., stop on by. They will be serving new American cuisine by Chef Gustavo Lopez.

20130417-073546.jpgI had the opportunity to take a look inside recently via invitation from the owners to view the decor. Vinateria is very lovely and has a comfortable setting. What’s interesting about Vinateria Harlem is that they practically went green with the entire place. Almost every item inside is recycled, such as the dinner chairs & tables, the corner church pews, vintage decanters, and the bodega doors are the original from the prior place. The decorator had cut out aluminum placed over the entry doors to give it a cast iron look.

What I liked the best in decor was the spacious corner seating with the church pews, which you can see to the left when you walk in. It fits a large group and you can look out on to FDB and people watch.

Overall, the place looks fantastic. So stop by Vinateria this evening or over the weekend and tell us what you think of the place. The staff and owners are anxiously awaiting to meet you and be at your service.

Vinateria Harlem
2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd
New York, New York 10026
No public phone number yet

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Posted in Bars, business, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Harlem blogs, Harlem businesses, Harlem Restaurant Row, Harlem restaurants, restaurant row, restaurants, Vinatería

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Vinateria Harlem not open yet, but it will soon

Posted on April 15, 2013 | 4 comments

If you’re wondering like I am when Vinateria Harlem, located at 118th 119th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd., is opening, it’s not tonight or tomorrow night. I have heard from a very good source that Vinateria will not open to the public more than likely until later in the week. But stay tuned here. As soon as this blog receives confirmation of the exact opening day, we will pass along.

And if you see people inside Vinateria Harlem tonight or tomorrow night or you saw  people inside over the weekend, those are private events happening or also known as practice events. Generally, restaurants do practice runs with friends and family first before they open their doors to the public.

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Posted in Bars, business, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Harlem blogs, Harlem businesses, Harlem Restaurant Row, Harlem restaurants, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants, Vinatería

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Tweet of the Week: Have you dined at Harvist Harlem?

Posted on February 28, 2013 | 2 comments

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In this weeks Tweet of the Week, I’m singling out followers @leagoldman, @nikkimmascali and @iamjcrack who recently asked: have you dined at Harvist Harlem? If so, how was it?

Answer: yes, I have dined at Harvist Harlem located inside My Image Studios Harlem (MIST Harlem) on West 116th Street between Fifth Avenue and Lenox Avenue.

I shared the Grilled Cheese with Gruyère on sourdough bread. This item was extremely tasty and very heavy. I recommend it! I tried the Kale Salad with endive and pears. This salad is extremely healthy. I ordered the Kale Salad because I knew was I was going to have the Berebere Rubbed Filet Mignon as my main dish, which was delicious! The Filet Mignon was juicy, tender and seasoned to perfection! I ended my meal with the Red Velvet Soufflé! It was fancy! I liked it, but I’m more of a cheesecake kind of gal, so I’ll probably try the apple crisp the next time I return to Harvist Harlem.

As for price point, small plates range from $10 to $14 and large plates start at $18 and up to $25.

And an interesting feature about Harvist Harlem is that it is extremely spacious. When dining there it won’t feel crowded or small. Plus it’s easy to get to by taking the 2/3 subway to 116th Street. Check it out and enjoy!

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Posted in 116th Street, Bars, business, drinks, food, Harlem, restaurants

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Is Indian cuisine coming to Harlem’s restaurant row?

Posted on February 26, 2013 | 1 comment

Frederick Douglass Blvd., aka Harlem’s restaurant row, will soon have a Turkish restaurant through Savann. 2280 FDB will be the address. Then FDB will soon have a dining place that will offer Israeli food at Silvana on 116th Street. Now comes word that Harlem’s restaurant row will be getting a restaurant that serves Indian cuisine at the corner of 114th Street and FDB. Remember where Questan’s was located? That’s were a new restaurant is opening that will serve Indian cuisine. Two reliable sources have come forward to HarlemGal Inc. Plus workers were seen on site tonight and all the permits on the doors outline work is being done for a restaurant. Yippee! I love Indian food! Stay tune…

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Posted in business, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants

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Harvist Restaurant in Harlem featured in NY Mag, set to open this week

Posted on January 28, 2013 | 2 comments

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Who is going to go check out Harlem’s latest restaurant called Harvist? We are! According to New York Magazine, its opening this week inside My Image Studios Harlem at 46 West 116th Street. MIST tells us via Twitter that they’re opening this Thursday for dinner. Cassandra Quinlan-Ashford will be the chef. She plans on serving dishes, such as shrimp and grits, red-velvet soufflé, berbere filet mignon, osso buco and a raw-kale salad. Yummy!

Harvist is located at 46 West 116th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenue. Call 646-738-3050 for reservations.

And to learn more about Harvist Restaurant, go here.

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Posted in 116th Street, art and culture, Bars, business, drinks, entertainment, food, Harlem, Harvist Restaurant Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurants, review

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First look at rendering of upcoming Harlem restaurant, Vinateria

Posted on December 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

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A few months ago we told you about the upcoming Harlem restaurant, Vinateria, which will be located at 2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd. and 119th Street. This Harlem blog has an update with a FIRST look at the rendering of Vinateria! Take a look above! This is how Vinateria will eventually look. Pretty cool…huh? I have seen the inside of Vinateria Harlem and what I can tell you is that this new restaurant will have a nice big chocolatety/brown bar to the right when you walk in with gold-plated hanging sconces over it. The rest of the place is in full construction, but it is coming along.

HG photo 20121220-202621.jpgYvette, the owner and another Harlem resident who is investing in where they live, tells this blog she is aiming to open in the first business quarter of 2013. The owner also notes that her dining establishment will not just be a wine bar. They are building a full service kitchen inside as you read this blog post. So no more thinking of this place as a wine bar. It will be a complete restaurant with indoor seating for 57 people. Yvette described her new upcoming Harlem eatery as more of a ‘Vino y Cocina’ (Wine and Kitchen) that will serve “inspired seasonal cuisine centered on the marriage of wine and food in its most complementary expression.”

“We will offer a wine list hand-tailored by our in-house wine connoisseur and designed to complement our skillfully prepared menu. The food will be every bit as interesting as the wine and will tantalize with more than a few twists and turns on comfort food favorites that range from appetizers available at our bar to main courses and deserts,” says Yvette.

Their website is coming soon as well. Here is their landing page.

So there you have it.The first look at Vinateria in Harlem! Mark your calendars! Vinateria is coming to Harlem’s restaurant row soon!

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Posted in Bars, business, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants

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Looking for a new Harlem restaurant recommendation? Try Maison Harlem

Posted on November 12, 2012 | 3 comments

If you’re looking for a new dining option in Harlem, here is a recommendation! Try Maison Harlem, located on the northwest corner of 127th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue. The French bistro opened in Harlem three weeks ago and it already has received a shot out in The New York Times.

We went by Maison Harlem this past weekend for dinner and was pleasantly surprised by the place. First, Maison Harlem is very easy to get to. Take the AC BD Subway line to 125th. Get out of the 127th Street exit and you’re right there. Second, the decor of the place is very lovely. The place is filled with dark wood every where and has lots of windows that look out making it spacious. It appears it can seat up to 75 people or more. And last, the ambiance was incredible for only being open three weeks. Maison Harlem was packed with a diverse group of patrons and we went early to dine, say 7ish. I couldn’t believe how many people were there dining and drinking at the bar.

As for the food, it was delicious, but be prepared to eat meat. If that’s not your thing, you may want to hang out at the bar for drinks. The dishes I devoured were very rich and creamy, but that’s what you get with French cuisine. I had the Frisee Salad with crispy bacon and a poached egg. If you like fancy bacon, this is the place for you. The Frisee Salad had big cubed pieces of bacon on it making the dish slightly salty and tasty. For an entrée, I tried the Tagliatelle Carbonara. This dish has a creamy sauce, more bacon, and a raw egg left in a half shell. The pasta dish was fun and different to eat because you had to take the raw egg out of its shell, whisk it up and mix in the pasta. And for desert, I had the Pina Colada Parfait. This was a light tasting desert and much-needed after I O.D. on fancy bacon. The service was fair, but a tad off. I chalk this up to the place being brand new and the staff working on their groove. I am confident the service will improve.

Overall, I am definitely going back to Maison Harlem. This place is going to have the same people watching/ambiance crowd that Red Rooster Harlem and Corner Social have. Maison Harlem is positioned to offer up a good time and a delicious meal. It has location, good food and ambiance. Can’t ask for more than that. Check it out soon!

Maison Harlem
341 St. Nicholas Avenue (127th Street)
212-222-9224/212-222-9220

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Posted in Bars, Cafe, drinks, food, Harlem, Maison Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurants, spending

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Savann Turkish Restaurant coming to Harlem, joining restaurant row

Posted on November 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

The restaurant scene on Harlem’s restaurant row is about to get more diverse. A very reliable source and long time reader passed along some juicy info! Apparently, the sponsor of 2280 Frederick Douglass Condominium, you know the place that was rumored to be in discussion with Busboys and Poets, but passed on sealing the deal with the DC-based chain, has recently signed a lease with the owners of Savann, a turkish restaurant that use to be located on the upper west side. This new Harlem restaurant will keep the same name and the menu will be similar, according to a source on the restaurant side familiar with the lease. Savann will rent part, not all, of the retail/commercial space that is near Harlem Flo.

If you are not unfamiliar with the former Savann, read here for more info.

And stay tune, Savann Turkish Restaurant plans to open in late 2013!

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Posted in Bars, business, Community, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants

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Celebrity-filled weekend at Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem, Ashton Kutcher spotted

Posted on September 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

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It was hopping at Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem this past weekend (well, it always is from what I witness)! But according to Melba’s Facebook page, she had some celebrities over for brunch at 114th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd., which is where Melba’s is located. The celebs that stopped by were Ashton Kutcher, and Tamar and Vince.

This past Saturday, the TV and film actor Ashton Kutcher was in Harlem dining at Melba’s. It must have been for brunch because another website reports he was in the West Village at night for dinner. There is no word from Melba’s Facebook page on whether his new girlfriend, Mila Kunis, was with him? Hmmm…

Then on Sunday, Tamar Braxton and Vincent Herbert from the new TV show Tamar & Vince paid a visit to Melba’s Restaurant. This married couple is currently out and about all over New York City promoting their new television show, according to online reports. However, Tamar and Vince must know good food cause no matter how busy their schedule was this past weekend, they made time to dine at Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem.

If I was a celeb (or not), I would be hanging at Melba’s too! Us Harlemites know, the food there is delicious!

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Posted in Bars, entertainment, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Melba's Restaurant Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants

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Attend Savor The Season-Uptown in Harlem September 18

Posted on September 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Chef Marcus Samuelsson of Harlem’s Red Rooster and Maritza Wellington Owens, Chief Executive Officer, of Harvest Home Farmer’s Market have come together to create Savor The Season-Uptown. Savor The Season will showcase the ‘best of the best’ chefs who work north of 110th Street. Guests will enjoy tastings from eight different restaurateurs, bakeries, wines curated by The Winery and beers and spirits curated by the up and coming Harlem Public. The event will take place the evening of September 18 at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que banquet hall, located on 125th Street and 12th Avenue.

Participating restaurants will be Red Rooster Harlem, Creole, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Jin Ramen, Le Monde, Moby Catering, Melba’s, 5 and Diamond, Levain Bakery, and Tonnie’s Minis.

To learn more about the event and order tickets, click here.

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Posted in 125th Street, 5 and Diamond Harlem, business, entertainment, Events, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Lenox Avenue, Melba's Restaurant Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants

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