Tag Archives: marcus samuelsson

Need another excuse to go to Red Rooster Harlem, try The Nook

Marcus Samuelsson’s PR folks were busy today alerting all the traditional and mainstream press about how The Nook at Red Rooster Harlem is now open. We received notice early in the day (October 15), but no time to distribute until now. Apparently, The Nook, located inside Red Rooster at 310 Lenox Avenue, is open seven days a week, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; and from 10:00 a.m. to 5: 30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays.

According to the release, “The Nook sells specialty savory items and sweets created by Red Rooster Harlem’s pastry chef, Deborah Racicot.”

Interested to learn more, check out the menu below.

Harvist in Harlem makes NY Times Fall Restaurant Preview List

Around this time every year, The New York Times publishes a list of all the new restaurants opening up in the Fall and one Harlem establishment made the cut: Harvist. Harvist will be located at 40 West 116th Street in the My Image Studios and “will serve Cassandra Quinlan-Ashford’s rustic fare with Southern and Latin-American influences, including skirt steak with salsa verde, chicken and dumplings, and red velvet cake.” To date it is the only restaurant planned in this commercial space in Harlem, which is also home to the Kalahari Condominium.

Marcus Samuelsson also received a mention about another restaurant he is opening up in the City, but in the Lincoln Center area of Manhattan.

Check out the complete list here.

Marcus Samuelsson to host Harlem Community Day June 25

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I am convinced that someone has cloned Marcus Samuelsson, celebrity chef/owner of Red Rooster Harlem and Ginny’s Supper Club. He is everywhere! I recently saw him at the New York City Coalition Against Hunger Spring Gala, where he was honored for his work on hunger issues, and then we all saw him and his wife Maya in the June issue of Vogue,the glamorous fashion magazine. Next up for Marcus is community day in Harlem. The Harlem resident will host a Harlem Community Day on Monday, June 25, in support of his forthcoming memoir, Yes, Chef.

The neighborhood-focused day will be held from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Marcus Garvey Park at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater (123rdStreet and Mount Morris Park West) and is free to the public.

Yes, Chef, is due out on June 26. It describes Marcus’ love for Harlem and his gratitude towards the Harlem community. In continuing to put the spot light on Harlem, Marcus has chosen to launch Yes, Chef at Marcus Garvey Park a day before the book’s national release. He will introduce the book with a fun-filled roster of activities and offerings that celebrate the residents, organizations and businesses of the neighborhood. Events will include cooking demonstrations, dance and musical performances, a greenmarket showcase, a yoga class, food and beverages, and a special Q and A with Marcus about Yes, Chef.

Marcus Samuelsson and Maya Gate Haile of Harlem featured in June issue of Vogue magazine

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I was flipping through my digital copy of Vogue-June 2012 edition and came across a sharp-looking photo of Marcus Samuelsson and his wife Maya, who reside in Harlem. They are in the most recent issue of Vogue because the mag is featuring Marcus’ latest book titled Yes, Chef, a memoir. (I didn’t even know Marcus had a memoir out until now. I guess he does not want to do an autobiography?) The Vogue writer characterizes the book as “moving and sometimes harrowing.”

To read an excerpt of Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson, purchase the June edition of Vogue magazine or to read the entire book, pre-order online. It is coming out next month!

New York City Coalition Against Hunger to honor Harlem’s Marcus Samuelsson

In full disclosure, I am so happy to report that one of the organizations I have supported for many years will be honoring one of Harlem’s own and an anti hunger advocate at its Spring Into Action Annual Benefit, May 17th at the Solo Event Space. The New York City Coalition Against Hunger, led by Executive Director Joel Berg, will be honoring celebrity chef and Red Rooster Harlem owner, Marcus Samuelsson, for his commitment to help end hunger. Samuelsson, along with State Senator Liz Krueger, Kathy Goldman and Agnes Molnar of Community Food Advocates, and Rachel V. Stevens Esq. with the law firm DLA Piper, will also be recognized during NYC Coalition Against Hunger’s Spring Benefit.

I plan on attending NYCCAH’s Annual Benefit where Samuelsson will receive his award. I hope that you will join me in supporting this dedicated organization that “represents and is the voice for the more than 1,100 nonprofit soup kitchens and food pantries in New York City and the 1.5 million low-income New Yorker’s who live in households that can’t afford enough food.”  If you would like to attend the Spring Into Action Annual Benefit on May 17 from 5-8 PM, you can purchase tickets here. To learn more about NYCCAH and their mission, click here.

And congrats to our Harlem neighbor, Marcus Samuelsson on receiving this special accolade! Let’s raise our glass!

The inaugural TEDx Harlem happens March 27

UPDATE: TEDx Harlem will now be held at Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, Harlem, NY, not the Apollo Theater.

According to Harlem NYC, a 31,000-strong Harlem constituency on Facebook, we are all invited and encouraged to support the first ever TEDx Harlem. On March 27, a day-long conference, taking place at Harlem’s famous Apollo Theater, will “seek to understand, celebrate and empower the informal methods of social innovation that grow organically in Harlem and throughout communities around the world.” A high-caliber of speakers-some from Harlem-have signed on to participate in the TEDx Harlem, such as Thelma Golden from the Studio Museum in Harlem and Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster Harlem.

The event will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. The cost to attend is $100. Click here to learn more.

Watch Savoring Harlem on the Food Network Friday, February 24


This coming Friday (Feb. 24) at 8 pm our very own celebrity chef, Red Rooster owner, and Harlem local, Marcus Samuelsson, will give Food Network viewers a closer look at Harlem’s food revolution through a special TV program called Savoring Harlem.  In the TV special, Savoring Harlem will showcase the food culture of  several Harlem restaurants, such as Red Rooster Harlem, Melba’s, restaurant pioneer Sylvia’s and more.

Yum! This will be fun to watch and then go out to eat in Harlem afterwards. Turn your tube on at 8 pm to the Food Network!

More tickets available to see President Obama at Harlem’s famous Apollo Theater, January 19

I just checked out the Facebook page of Harlem4Obama and its says there are more $100 tickets available to the January 19 event, which is The Obama Victory Fund Concert. Go to this link here and get your $100, $300 or $5000 tickets. They just added more this evening.

I am going with another fellow Harlemite. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I don’t want to miss it! Hope you will join me in seeing President Obama at the Apollo!

Harlem attracts cool crowds of NYC downtown says Guest of a Guest



Guest of a Guest, the website co-founded by one of the Winklevoss twins whose been battling Mark Zuckerberg for what seems like ages now, has a feature on Harlem this week. It is quite complimentary, however, it doesn’t say anything new that we Harlemites know already. The article names a list of places to check out and most of them mentioned I agree are great places to visit. However, a true Harlem native writing about Harlem would have dug a bit deeper.

For example, Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar gives Red Rooster a run for its money, not only in food, but in ambiance as well. The same goes for Cedric French Bistro and Bar in Harlem! What about mentioning a place in East Harlem? Milk Burger has been endorsed by Anthony Bourdain and his lovely Mrs! Also, when you visit Shrine one can’t miss Yatenga, which is a fun place to hang.

Again, as most of us Harlemites know, there are a ton of cool places to hang in Harlem. Guest of a Guest apparently is just coming around (a bit late) and finding out, but hey, let’s welcome it!

To read the full article, click here.

Harlem In the News: Dining Establishments and Real Estate receive high praise


Recently, the Village of Harlem received high praise mainly on two fronts, real estate and dining establishments.

In the eating out area, both DNA Info and The New York Daily News raved about how there are several great places to dine uptown and some of those dining establishments have received positive reviews in Zagats.

In the NY Daily News, they mentioned Red Rooster and Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar in one sentence, specifically stating that Zagats says these dining establishments are “the new stars to watch.” The article also mentions “Covo Trattoria & Pizzeria, where happy hours go until midnight, most dishes are less than $15, and the outdoor dining is a Zagat top pick.”

In a separate article, The New York Daily News raved about how Levain Bakery has the best chocolate chip cookies in the City. No surprise there. Their hot and cold coffee is not bad either. Try it.

DNA Info spoke to our favorite Harlem Gal and the women behind Eat In Harlem, Sakita Holley, about how Harlem now has several restaurants “to suit any mood.” Holley endorsed several eating out places starting from East Harlem all the way West. Milk Burger, 67 Orange, Hudson River Cafe and more received a thumbs up from Holley.

Of course, what’s driving all these great new and interesting restaurants in Harlem is real estate or is it the other way around? The Wall Street Journal reported recently that “the number of Harlem apartment sales rose to the highest level since September 2008, according to analysis of city records. But they were only slightly above sales reported in the same quarter in 2010.” The article goes on to say that Harlem is not only performing well in the real estate area, it’s even attracting buyers who are from the second largest economy in the world-China!

Check out all the articles in their entirety below! And that’s Harlem In the News!
Harlem Restaurants to Suit Any Mood
Harlem’s Culinary Treasures
Best of New York
Harlem Attracts Post-Slump Buyers