Tag Archives: restaurants

Sylvia Woods, who founded famous Harlem restaurant, passes

This evening, Harlem lost a legend. Sylvia Woods, who earned the grand title: the Queen of Soul Food, has gone on to a better place.  The Wood’s Family announced on Facebook tonight that the women who founded and created one of the most famous soul food restaurants in Harlem and in New York City, Sylvia’s Restaurant, succumbed to Alzheimer’s. In their statement, the Wood’s Family said before she left, Sylvia was surrounded by the same environment she created at her Lenox Avenue restaurant: “a host of family and loved ones.”

As one person said on Twitter this evening, “they’re eating collards, fried chicken, and cornbread in heaven tonight…” Amen. 😦

Melba’s Restaurant returns to The View July 24

The ladies from ABC’s The View will be in the kitchen soon with Harlem’s Melba Wilson, the owner of Melba’s Restaurant on 114th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd! On July 24, Melba returns to the morning talk show where she “will cook it up” with the ladies on The View. Way to go Melba! Details are below!

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Celebrate Bastille Day at Cedric French Bistro in Harlem

It’s a national holiday this coming Saturday, July 14 or its Independence Day all over again! Well, not exactly here in the U.S., but in France it is. It’s Bastille Day this coming Saturday and Cedric French Bistro and Bar, located at 185 St. Nicholas Avenue (at the corner of 119th Street) is celebrating the French holiday with a Brunch Party right here in Harlem. The festivities start at 11 am and Cedric’s is taking reservations for this soiree. See all the details below!

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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Independence Day Brunch at Lido Harlem

Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar in Harlem will be open for July 4.  They are offering a special 4th of July Brunch from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm featuring their famous Bottomless Mimosas up until 3:30pm. If you’re in the City for the 4th, here is one option to help celebrate the day!

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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Lunch is ready at Harlem Food Bar, brunch starts this weekend

Harlem Food Bar is now offering lunch! HFB opened for lunch yesterday, June 26! No signs of the lunch menu yet on this end. If anyone gets their grubby little hands on it, feel free to post it here!

Also, Harlem Food Bar will start offering brunch this coming weekend. From 11 am to 3 pm, brunch will offer carrot cake pancakes, red-velvet waffles, liters of mixed drinks (for the table) and more. So check out HFB’s brunch this weekend or try them out for lunch as well!

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Frederick Cafe Bistro takes credit cards

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I went by Frederick Cafe Bistro this morning (June 22) to get an iced latte and a blueberry muffin, and found out they take credit cards as another form of payment. I assumed the cafe only took cash because it is under the same ownership as bier international, which I believe they only take cash, so this was a nice surprise this morning to find out I can use my credit card at Frederick Cafe Bistro!

If you haven’t stopped by Frederick Cafe Bistro, it’s on the southeast corner of FDB and 114th Street! They offer delicious coffee, pastries and pressed sandwiches!

Harlem Food Bar adds sidewalk seating

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If you were walking along Frederick Douglass Blvd. in Harlem this past weekend, you may have noticed that Harlem’s newest eatery, Harlem Food Bar, located on FDB between 113th and 114th Street, opened up its outdoor seating space. Both Saturday and Sunday, patron’s gladly filled those seats from what I witnessed. Probably because the weather was descent and the food is good and reasonably priced.

Also from the photo above, it looks like HFB seating space could come out on the sidewalk a little farther. See the white chalk mark to the left? It appears that HFB was a bit modest with setting out their seats.

By the way, have you dined at HFB yet? If so, tell us what you think. To read more about Harlem Food Bar, click here or check out their Facebook page.
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