Tag Archives: eating out

Harlem’s Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar moves over one avenue

From the picture below, looks like one of our reader’s comment on a May 13th blog post is absolutely true that Cantina on Adam Clayton Powell Blvd is moving over one avenue to Frederick Douglass Blvd! Congrats to Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar.

While I’m sure they are (and were) doing good business on ACP, as well as Lenox Avenue, moving to Harlem’s restaurant row will more than likely take their biz up a notch or two! There’s a lot of foot traffic on FDB. Plus their presence adds to the variety of food choices on this busy avenue.

Looking forward to visiting soon and ordering some tacos from Cantina at 2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd!

Cantina takes over Harlem space previously held by Bier International

Dragon Sushi Harlem opens

Recently, this blog mentioned a sushi place is coming to Frederick Douglass Blvd. Dragon Sushi is open as of November 16. We walked by and the sign said “open.” Stop by Dragon Sushi! They are at the near corner of 112th and FDB!

Photo by Harlemgal
Photo by Harlemgal
Photos by Harlemgal

Dragon Sushi rolling into a familiar Harlem space

Remember 5 and Diamond or RDV restaurants and where they were located in Harlem? That commercial space will now be used for a place called Dragon Sushi!

Dragon Sushi, located at 2072 Frederick Douglass Blvd., plans to offer a full menu of sushi and sashimi! Hopefully this month according to the owner! Signage is almost up ! So the opening could be on track!

Dragon Sushi will be the second sushi place to open on Harlem’s restaurant row! The first attempt was by Jade Sushi, two blocks north, which is now Bean and Barley.

Signage going up November 4 for new Dragon Sushi restaurant. Photo by Harlemgal
Photo by Harlemgal

Bixi, new Harlem restaurant opening next to Lido

New York City is officially open! I’ve been waiting to share this picture for quite some time due to covid19 and the recent Black Lives Matter movement. Apparently, there is going to be a new restaurant opening on Harlem‘s restaurant row called Bixi. It’s going to be Asian cuisine I believe and it will be managed and operated by the same individuals who run Lido Italian Restaurant on the corner of 117th and Frederick Douglass Boulevard. That’s all the info I have right now. I’m sure more details will arise soon!

New restaurant opening next to Lido.
Photo by Harlemgal

Vinatería Harlem named one of the Best Italian Restaurants in NYC by The Financial Times

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Congrats goes out to Vinatería in Harlem! They were recently named one of the Best Italian Restaurants in New York City by The Financial Times, an international London-based publication. The FT says Vinatería in Harlem “is a spot you can as easily drop into for a flatbread pizza or charcuterie as for a full meal of grilled octopus with rocket and a confit of pimento potatoes or the wonderful tagliatelle with pork ragù and black cabbage.”

Vinatería is located at 2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd at 119th Street. For reservations, call 212-662-8462.

See full article here.

Savann Turkish Restaurant to open June 17, new Harlem restaurant is at 2280 Frederick Douglass Blvd

At the end of 2012, HarlemGal Inc first told you about a new Turkish restaurant coming to Harlem called Savann at 2280 Frederick Douglass Blvd between 122nd and 123rd Street. A reader, who is a very reliable source, has given us the heads up, along with photos to prove that Savann will be opening this Monday, June 17 to the public. Savann is holding a soft launch over the weekend, we hear for the residents of 2280 FDB, however as usual, one has to be invited to attend.

After this weekend, Harlemites will have another new restaurant to check out. Stop by Savann Turkish Restaurant in Harlem starting June 17. Take a look at the menu below!

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Vinateria Harlem opens today April 17, take a look inside

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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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Vinateria Harlem not open yet, but it will soon

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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First look at rendering of upcoming Harlem restaurant, Vinateria

Vinateria for HG photo
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!

Looking for a new Harlem restaurant recommendation? Try Maison Harlem

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