Tag Archives: restaurant row

Harlem’s Frederick Douglass Boulevard goes mainstreaming says NY Times

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Harlem’s restaurant row, aka Frederick Douglass Blvd between 110th and 125th Street, is back in the news again. The New York Times recently IMG_2762spoke with Leon Ellis, the owner of Moca Lounge, Chocolat Restaurant and Harlem Underground, about how this part of Harlem has gone through a complete transformation since he first opened Moca, which was back in 2003.  Ellis told the NY Times that his friends thought he was crazy for opening up a restaurant back then. Since 2003, Ellis has expanded his business presence in Harlem on FDB with Chocolat opening about two years ago and then Harlem Underground, a Harlem-themed clothing store.

The owners of bier international were also interviewed for the article and stressed that while this area is going mainstream, they emphasized “we need to find a balance and not forget what was here” in Harlem.

To read the full article, click here.

Update on The Harlem Pearl

This past weekend, HarlemGal Inc was the first blog to introduce The Harlem Pearl, a four-day to go detox plan, which will be located at the old newspaper kiosk on 112th and Frederick Douglass Blvd. There was a lecture planned for this evening, October 2, at 5 and Diamond Harlem. However, that event has been cancelled. The organizers of the event have provided additional information on the Plan in the interim, such as a complete description of the Plan along with an Aging and Reactive Foods List.

The Harlem Pearl will be opening soon. So stay tuned for more information.

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Introducing Belle, a new restaurant coming to Harlem by Chef Darryl Burnett

The restaurant scene in Central Harlem continues to grow with new places planned for this year and 2013. Recently mentioned was Vinatería, which is opening up (hopefully this year) on Frederick Douglass Blvd and 119th. Maison Harlem on 127th Street and St. Nick is getting close to opening up. That place looks practically ready. Chef Stephen Putnam, the former chef at Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar, recently announced he is planning to open up his own restaurant in Harlem in the near future.

Next up is Darryl Burnett, a former chef at Bergdorf Goodman, 5 and Diamond Harlem and a resident of Harlem. Burnett recently announced on Kickstarter that he is starting his own restaurant in Harlem, which will be called Belle. As for location, Chef Burnett says Belle will be located “in the center of Harlem’s restaurant row and within walking distance of other new and hot Harlem restaurants, bars, and lounges.”

According to Burnett, Belle Harlem will be a “casual dining restaurant focusing on Southern classics with a modern vision with touches of French, Italian, Moroccan and Asian.” Belle Harlem already has a Facebook page where friends can see some of Burnett’s delicious creations. I have experienced Chef Burnett’s delectables and it is fantastic!

Interested in helping Chef Darryl Burnett and his Belle restaurant, go here to learn more.

Old Harlem newspaper stand becomes The Harlem Pearl by 5 and Diamond and The Lyn-Genet Plan

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For those of you wondering what’s up with the old Harlem newspaper stand at 112th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd and why it was getting a makeover? HarlemGal has the answer. This old vintage newspaper shed, which is owned by the owners of 5 and Diamond Harlem, will be turned into The Harlem Pearl, which is where The Lyn-Genet Plan and 5 and Diamond Harlem are coming together to bring to our community The Plan’s 4-Day Detox to go. More info to come on The Plan.

This is good news! What a great use of this space! And it’s being used for something extremely meaningful and helpful to us all, which is our health. I love this new partnership and what it means. Way to go Lia and Selene! What do you think about this? Do you like how the space is being used?

And guess what, we are all invited to learn more about The Harlem Pearl. Hint: save the date of October 2 in the evening. Stay tuned for more…

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

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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!

Signage says Vinatería coming soon to Harlem

It’s official! Vinatería is coming soon to Harlem at 2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd. The owners have finally hung up signage on site recently for passerby’s to see and it says coming soon on their website as well! According to its Facebook page, Vinatería will be “a casual restaurant that will offer a market-driven menu with global influences and will offer the highest quality wine and food at a reasonable price, while providing friendly, attentive and knowledgeable service.” Hmmm…interesting. Wonder what the menu will look like!

If you recall, this commercial space was to be the home of the Cupcakery, but clearly that did not work out. Now this particular block from 119th Street and 120th Street on FDB will have two restaurants on the westside of the block, Chocolat at the northwest corner and Vinatería at the southwest corner. Moca and Bad Horse Pizza are on the opposite side of the block. Stay tuned for more info on Vinatería…

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Chef Stephen Putnam moves on from Lido Harlem, sought-after caterer Serena Bass steps in

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Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar in Harlem is experiencing some changes, but don’t worry. These changes are positive for everyone involved, especially the consumer. Lido Harlem, located at 117th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd., exclusively tells HarlemGal Inc. that British-born, celeb following caterer, Serena Bass has been hired by the Harlem eatery to redevelop their menu. This decision to hire Bass to redevelop Lido’s menu is right out of the oven practically. Bass will start working with the Lido team effective immediately! In her bio, it reads: Bass’ most recent venture is at Lido Harlem where she is taking the popular neighborhood restaurant to a new level. So let’s all pay attention to the menu at Lido. I am confident it will have that similar ingredient: quality food.

These changes are happening at Lido due to initial Chef Stephen Putnam giving notice last week to the management team that he was departing the Harlem dining place to start his own restaurant in Harlem, along with his wife Dera. Putnam will not comment on the exact location of his Harlem restaurant or the starting date because he is in the midst of negotiations. However, Putnam does say that he plans on serving cuisine at his new place that garnered him a 26 out of 30 rating from Zagat while at Lido.

And for those of us who like dining at Lido Harlem, like I do, the service, ambiance and quality of food will remain the same, according to its management team. Lido will continue to provide the same level of service it has been consistently offering since it opened about a year and a half ago. And be on the look out for Serena Bass in Harlem. Just so you know, her clients include Sarah Jessica Parker and Oscar de la Renta.

Il Forno Pizza and Salad in Harlem aiming to open in two weeks

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Over the Fourth of July holiday, I caught up with Henock Kejela, the owner of Zoma Ethiopian Restaurant in Harlem and the soon to be Il Forno, a new pizza and salad place, that will be located at 135 West 116th Street, between FDB and ACP Blvd. Kejela told HarlemGal Inc that he is planning on opening his second eating establishment in Harlem in about two weeks. The main product at Il Forno will be fresh pizza made in a wood burning oven.

Kejela let us come inside to take pictures of the work in progress at Il Forno in Harlem. The pizza place is going to have a clean, crisp look. The walls and floors will be predominately white with subway tile on the side walls, and black and white circle tile for the floors. The only color in the place will be on the wood burning over, which was specially made in California and shipped to Harlem.

In my view, this pizza place will be well worth checking out when it opens. The Harlem community knows Kejela can deliver. Zoma, located on the southeast corner of FDB and 113th Street, has received outstanding reviews from the media and is one of the few dining establishments in Harlem that has a Michelin rating. With those kind of credentials, I can’t wait for Il Forno in Harlem to open! Stay tuned…

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Harlem Tavern reaches one year mark, a look back in photos and blog posts

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More than 12 months ago, the northwest corner on 116th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem was an abandoned gas station locked up in jail-like bars. Does anyone remember how this corner looked back in the day? Fast forward to today, this corner in Harlem is now a bustling section, decorated with red outdoor umbrellas, filled daily with Harlemites, who are dining inside or outside, and it’s now the permanent home of Harlem Tavern, the second beer garden to open in South Harlem after bier international.

Can’t remember how Harlem Tavern came together and reached its one-year milestone? No worries. Let’s wish Harlem Tavern happy anniversary by reflecting back in photos  and with some popular blog posts. Cheers!

Harlem couple invest in where they live creating Harlem Tavern-August 20, 2010

Inside Harlem Tavern-June 12, 2011

An exclusive look at Harlem Tavern’s menu-June 12, 2011

Harlem Tavern goes unisex with you know what!-June 17, 2011

A crowd descends on Harlem Tavern opening night-July 2, 2011

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The Park Wine Bar to open in Harlem, self serve bar will join Harlem’s restaurant row

The Park Wine Bar will be making its home in Harlem at 2080 Frederick Douglass Blvd, which is on Harlem’s restaurant row. According to its website, The Park Wine Bar will be “Harlem’s first and only self-serve wine bar. Patrons can choose between a taste, a half glass, or a full glass of wine.” The Park Wine Bar in Harlem plans to “stock several bottles of each wine in WineStations so if patrons can find something they love or can even take a bottle home.” All this info is on their website, click here to learn more.

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