A number of new residents to Harlem seem to be under the impression that they can’t get food delivered past 110th Street.  That is an urban legend and UPTOWN flavor is here to dispel it.  Below is an abbreviated list of restaurants that deliver.  The best way to find out what restaurants deliver in your area?  Walk around and ask.  You might be surprised.

 

The Den [website]
2150 Fifth Avenue (131st/132nd St.)
212-234-3045
Hrs: 6PM-11PM T-Sn (Closed Mondays)
Delivery $15 Min. from 116th -140/Lexington - 8th Avenues 

Editor recommendation: "The Diva"

 

Cafe on Park
90 East 116th Street (Park Ave.)
212-831-1900
Hrs: 6AM-9PM M-F; 6AM-5PM S/Sn.
Free delivery $7 min.

Cuisine: Greek & Italian specialties, char-broiled burgers 

 

MoBay [website]
17 W. 125th St.
212-828-3400 take out
Hrs: M-W 11AM-11PM; Th-S 11AM-12M; Sn 11AM-10PM
Serving Breakfast 8A-11P seven days a week. 

 

Piatto D’Oro II
1 East 118th Street (5th Ave/Madison)
212-722-7220
Hrs: 11AM-11PM Daily
Delivery $15 minimum

Cuisine: Italian 

 

The Food Hut
1709 Amsterdam Ave. (144th-145th St.)
212-491-4492
Hrs: 8AM-11PM M-S; Sn 9AM-10PM
Free Delivery

Cuisine: Caribbean 

 

Hong Garden
2515 Seventh Avenue (145-146th St.)
212-283-3939
Hrs: M-Th 11AM-12M; S 11AM-1AM; Sn 12N-12M
Free Delivery

Cuisine: Chinese and Tex-Mex

 

Empire
4041 Broadway (170th St.)
212-568-1600/1611/1616
Hrs. 10AM-12M Daily
Free delivery 

Cuisine: Asian (Malaysian, Thai, Japanese)


Related: Top Delivery :: Best Delivery in Harlem :: Best Delivery in Morningside Heights :: Uptown Flavor Guide 1 :: Uptown Flavor Guide 2 ::

This is an excerpt from an article that originally appeared in Essence Magazine 3 years ago.  Some of the restaurants featured in the original article have closed their doors for one reason or another. It seems as if restaurants in Harlem stand about the same chance of success as contestants at the Apollo.  Amateurs need not bother opening up an establishment in Harlem unless they are going to come correct with the taste factor and the general atmosphere.

Harlem is home to great places to eat. Most are modest, with reasonable prices and hearty portions. No matter which eatery you choose, you’re bound to have a dining experience with local color and character. In addition to traditional and contemporary takes on southern cooking, you’ll find places specializing in African, Caribbean. Latin and East Indian fare. Follow this guide for uptown restaurants to match your every dining mood.

We polled locals for their favorite spots, and these are the enthusiastic recommendations:

POWER LUNCH

Starting around noon, deals are the order of the day at Londel’s Supper Club. Politicians, business leaders and other pacesetters gather to talk and enjoy lunchtime dishes like savory carrot soup, fried whiting sandwiches and grilled chicken salads. And most know to save room for the warm bread pudding with caramel sauce. 2620 Frederick Douglass Blvd.; (212) 234-6114.

GOSPEL BRUNCH

Copeland’s is one of many restaurants that can make your taste buds sing and your toes tap on a Sunday afternoon. There’s a live show and a buffet laden with jambalaya, fried apple rings, warm biscuits and other Southern classics. 549 W. 145th St.; (212) 234-2356. Sylvia’s also features uplifting, after-church meals and music.

COZY CORNERS

Bayou, just off bustling 125th Street, has a mellow vibe. Creole and Cajun specialties, like the spinach salad with fried crawfish tails, practically transport you to the Big Easy. 308 Lenox Ave. (aka Malcolm X Blvd.); (212) 426-3800.

CLASSIC SOUL

Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too feels like a country kitchen with its full menu of sentimental favorites. Can’t make up your mind? Try the generous sampler plate. 366 W. 110th St.; (212) 865-6744. Sister restaurant Miss Maude’s Spoonbread Too is at 547 Lenox Ave.; (212) 690-3100.

THE LEGENDARY

Sylvia’s–Sylvia Woods, known as the Queen of Soul Food, opened her restaurant in 1962, and it has become known around the world. 328 Lenox Ave.; (212) 996-0660.

Perk’s Fine Cuisine–This long-running establishment, serving soul and standard American fare, sits in a row of timeless brownstones. 553 Manhattan Ave.; (212) 666-8500.

Amy Ruth’s–Famed for generous portions of well-prepared dishes as well as celebrity patrons, it quickly became a dining landmark. 113 W. 116th St.; (212) 280-8779.

Africa–Its Senegalese fish and vegetable stew, thiebu djen, draws a dedicated following. 247 W. 116th St.; (212) 666-9400.

HOT NEWCOMERS

Home Sweet Harlem Cafe, with easy chairs and a homey setting, offers soups, sandwiches and salads made with natural and organic ingredients. 270 W. 135th St.; (212) 926-9616.

Revival--Soulful cooking in an artsy environment. 2367 Frederick Douglass Blvd.; (212) 222-8338.

 

March 2, 2005

Top Dishes in Harlem

By MATT LEE and TED LEE

arlem has fewer restaurants per block than most neighborhoods, so the places tend to accept a more expansive notion of delivery distance: usually 20 blocks up — and downtown and four or five blocks crosstown.

Caffé Swish (2953-55 Broadway, at 115th Street 212-222-3568), earns laurels for heroic delivery distance, blinding speed (36 blocks in 21 minutes) and decent sushi. The sushi and sashimi combination ($20.95) included lively slabs of fluke, yellowtail and salmon, but sushi rice was occasionally on the dry side. Thai curry with chicken ($9.50) arrived piping hot and moderately seasoned. Peach black bubble tea ($2.50) was ingeniously heat-sealed with plastic film, ensuring no leaks along the way.

El Toro Partido (3431 Broadway, at 140th Street; 212-281-1587), consistently delivered the best Mexican food of any Harlem restaurant in the shortest time. English is understood here but rarely spoken, so it is advisable to get a menu before ordering unless you know the Mexican culinary canon by heart. Pudding-thick red mole ($8.75) was complex and exemplary for the price; likewise the sweet and hot enchiladas verdes ($7.95). Generous helpings of queso fresco and avocado adorn expertly layered tortas (sandwiches, $5) and huaraches (open-faced salads built on a long, thick corn tortilla, $4 to 5.50). Tacos ($2), wrapped tightly in foil, arrived warm and still soft.

Devin’s Fish and Chips (747 St. Nicholas Avenue, at 147th Street; 212-491-5518), does one thing well: it delivers a shore-shack experience in as little as 30 minutes. The skin-on chips and fried whiting fillets ($5) arrived hot in gingham-print paper baskets wrapped with waxed paper; the fish was consistently crisp, nicely salty and cleanly fried. Two sides are included; among the choices are tart and greasy plantains and nicely steamed okra, with a dusting of shrimp boil seasonings, were irresistible.

Copeland’s Reliable Cafeteria (549 West 145th Street, near Broadway; 212-234-4110), lived up to its name, with a courteous operator and a speedy uniformed delivery person (though once the food was more warm than hot). Good Southern dinners like fried chicken ($10.35) and oxtail ($13.28) come with a choice of two sides, including lusty collard greens and indifferent macaroni and cheese. Nothing was oversalted or oversweetened save the cornbread and the iced tea.

BEST BETS

The herolike tortas ($5) and huaraches ($4 to $5.50) from El Toro Partido.

Beefy melt-in-your-mouth Oxtails ($13.28) from Copeland’s Reliable Cafeteria.

Flaky-crisp fish and hand-cut chips ($5) from Devin’s Fish and Chips.

Source:  NY Times

Harlem and Spanish Harlem

Nearby: Upper East Side and Morningside Heights

BY RAVEN SNOOK

Harlem   El Paso Taqueria 1642 Lexington Ave., between 103rd and 104th Sts. 212-831-9831 Smack-dab in the center of El Barrio, El Paso boasts authentic Mexican cuisine prepared by authentic Mexican cooks who know how to stuff a tortilla with rice, beans and taste. • Minimum: $10 • Delivery area: 94th St. to 114th St, between First and Fifth Aves. • Hours of delivery: 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. • Credit cards: no • Keeps address on file: no Amy Ruth’s 113 W. 116th St., between Lenox Ave and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. 212-280-8779 Southern/Soul Harlem’s answer to Sardi’s, Amy Ruth’s serves up Southern specialties named after well-known (and not-so-well-known) African-Americans. Keep it real with the Councilman Bill Perkins, honey-dipped fried chicken ($11.95). The Foxy Brown, pan-seared jumbo shrimp ($16.95), seduces with its ocean-fresh aroma. Unnamed sides like cheesy grits, black-eyed peas and pan-fried apples, all $3.50, provide the perfect complement to larger-than-life dishes like the Rev. Al Sharpton: chicken and waffles, fried or smothered ($8.50). Minimum: $20 Delivery area: 96th St. to 155th Sts. between East River and Hudson River. Hours of delivery: 2 p.m. - 10 p.m. (Wed. - Sun.), no delivery Mon. or Tue. Credit cards: yes Keeps address on file: yes Native 161 Lenox Ave., at 118th St. 212-665-2525 French Moroccan/Caribbean Eschewing the fatty and fried foods served in most of the district’s restaurants, Native brings healthy grilled pleasures to Harlem like a spicy Atlantic salmon in soy ginger sauce ($13) and light grilled lemon chicken salad ($12). The Bahamian seafood cobbler bursts with underwater delicacies like clams, prawns and squid blanketed in crust pastry and a white sauce ($16). Mediterranean-flavored entrées like linguini with chicken in chipotle cream ($11) and steak au poivre ($19) round out the eclectic menu, where "lightly fried" calamari ($8) constitutes the greasiest dish. Minimum: $10 Delivery area: 114th St. to 124th St., Madison Ave. to Frederick Douglass Blvd. Hours of delivery: 4 p.m. - 11 p.m. Credit cards: yes Keeps address on file: yes Spanish Harlem La Hacienda 219 E. 116th St., between Second and Third Aves. 212-987-1617 Mexican Staples like fajitas, burritos and tacos are available, but we recommend trying something more exotic like house specialties Bisteac Azteca a la Parrilla con Nopal (grilled steak with cactus, jalapeno, baked potato and guacamole; $11) or the Gringa (pork chop, bacon, pineapple and melted cheese; $9). If you must stick to more common dishes, how about a quesadillas stuffed with unusual fillings like pumpkin flower or corn fungus ($10)? Wash it all down with sweet, freshly squeezed $2 juices like mango, papaya and banana. Minimum: $10 Delivery area: 106th St. to 125th St., First Ave. to Fifth Ave. Hours of delivery: noon - 9 p.m. Credit cards: yes Keeps address on file: yes Orbit 2257 First Ave., at 116th St. 212-348-7818 New American/Fusion There aren’t many places above E. 96th Street that proffer haute cuisine. In fact, Orbit remains the area’s fine dining pioneer. Its dinner menu offers an eclectic selection of well-priced panini, pastas and salads, as well as classier entrees at costlier prices. The inventive parmigiana encrusted cod with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette and black olive mash potatoes runs $17; the spicy filet mignon au poivre is $21; and at $27, the luscious 22-once porterhouse steak boasts a taste and price tag worthy of a ritzier district. Minimum: $10 Delivery area: 106th St. to 125th St., Pleasant Ave. to Park Ave. Hours of delivery: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. Credit cards: yes Keeps address on file: no Piatto d’Oro 349 E. 109th St., at First Ave.. 212-828-2929 Italian Throw out that Papa John’s menu. Directly across the street from that corporate chain’s East Harlem outpost lies this charming, old-world "cucina con amore" and pizza isn’t the only thing on their menu. The 50 different dishes include homemade pastas topped with a variety of sauces as well as multiple chicken, veal and seafood platters. But the risottos ($10.95) are true standouts. The Risotto ai Funghi Porcini is heavy, creamy and overflowing with mushrooms while an artichoke white sauce makes the Risotto ai Carciofi a lighter choice. Those who love breasts should try the Sophia Loren: a voluptuous chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto and mozzarella in a shiitake mushroom sauce ($14.95). Minimum: $15 Delivery area: 100th St. to 120th St., Pleasant Ave. to Fifth Ave. Hours of delivery: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Credit cards: yes Keeps address on file: yes

Morningside Heights

Nearby: Upper West Side and Harlem

BY RAVEN SNOOK

V&T Pizzeria and Restaurant 1024 Amsterdam Ave., between 110th and 111th Sts. 212-663-1708 The folks at V & T have been supplementing Columbia students’ meal plans since 1945 with their thin-crust, made-to-order pies. • Minimum: $7.50 • Delivery area: 96th St. to 110th St, CPW to Riverside Dr. • Hours of delivery: 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. (Sun. - Mon.), midnight (Tue. - Sat.) • Credit cards: yes • Keeps address on file: yes • Delivers alcohol: no Kitchenette Uptown See main listing for info Home-baked coconut, carrot and German chocolate cakes; apple, peach and blueberry pies; a variety of cupcakes, brownies, cookies, eclairs and cream puffs… why aren’t you dialing? Bistro Ten 18 1018 Amsterdam Ave., at 110th St. 212-662-7600 Sandwiched in between highfalutin selections like seared duck breast and blackened catfish is a thick, juicy, cheddar-topped 10-ounce sirloin burger that reminds you how good it tastes to be a carnivore. • Minimum: none • Delivery area: 103rd St. to 116th St., Manhattan Ave. to Riverside Dr. • Hours of delivery: 5 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. (Mon. - Sat.), 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. (Sun.) • Credit cards: yes • Keeps address on file: no • Delivers alcohol: no Bengal Cafe 1028 Amsterdam Ave., between 110th and 111th Sts. 212-662-7191 Indian Serving the best cheap, standard Indian food you’ll find north of Curry Hill, Bengal Café offers all the traditional favorites. The Chicken Tikka Masala is cut into tiny, tender chucks and drowned in the creamy, red sauce ($9.75). The Vegetable Vindaloo ($6.75) is particularly piquant, and is well complemented by a sweet mango shake ($2.35). The assorted appetizer plate is your best bet if you like to nosh: For just $4.25, nibble on a samosa (meat or vegetarian), two sugary banana fritters, two bhujia (delicious vegetable fritters) and papadam. Minimum: $10 Delivery area: 99th St. to 125th St., CPW to Riverside Dr. Hours of delivery: noon - 10 p.m. (Mon. - Sat.), no delivery Sun. Credit cards: yes Keeps address on file: yes Caffe Swish 2953-55 Broadway, between 115th and 116th Sts. 212-222-3568 Pan-Asian Although Asian eateries are as plentiful as undergrads in this area, Caffe Swish distinguishes itself with its wide-ranging Japanese and Thai fusion cuisine, and a delivery staff willing to go to the ends of the Earth… or at least to the northern edge of Manhattan. Sushi and sashimi are available a la carte or in combinations. Boxes like the Bento ($12.95) let you mix teriyaki dishes with California roll, tempura and rice. Those wanting to Thai one on can opt for entrees like the curry seafood casserole ($14.95), which overflows with shrimp, scallop, fish and snow crab, or the grilled chicken scallion pancake sandwich ($7.95) served with a tangy mango mesculin salad and wasabi jalapeno coulis. Minimum: $7 Delivery area: 96th St. to 200th St., Madison Ave. to Riverside Dr. Hours of delivery: 11 a.m. - midnight Credit cards: yes Keeps address on file: yes Flor de Mayo 2651 Broadway, near 101 St. 212-663-5520 Chinese-Latin Several cuts above the typical Chinese-Latin dinner; the calling card here is pollo à la brasa, which is Peruvian rotisserie chicken, savory and juicy, seasoned with "secret spices," and, at $9.50 for the whole bird and $6.75 for a half bird, a good value. — Updated from the 2001 Take-Out Issue Minimum: $7 Delivery area: 30 block radius ($2 fee for outer edges) Hours of delivery: noon - midnight Credit cards: yes Keeps address on file: yes Kitchenette Uptown 1272 Amsterdam Ave., between 122nd and 123rd Sts. 212-531-7600 Comfort food Craving the comfort only a crunchy BLT on challah toast ($6) or sugary slice of coconut cake ($4.75) can bring? Kitchenette delivers indulgent country cooking to uptown urbanites for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Calorie-laden entrees like four-cheese baked macaroni ($9.50) and honey fried chicken marinated in buttermilk and honey ($15) seem positively dietetic next to the desserts. Kitchenette’s award-winning bakery churns out daily home-baked delights ($3 and up) like cookies, cupcakes, brownies, pies and a variety of cakes, all topped with melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese icing. Minimum: $10 Delivery area: 97th St. to 140th St., CPW (Frederick Douglass Blvd.) to Riverside Dr. Hours of delivery: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. (Mon. - Fri.), 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. (Sat and Sun.) Credit cards: yes Keeps address on file: yes La Rosita 2809 Broadway, near 108th St. 212-663-7804 Latin You can get the heady garlic shrimp appetizer ($7.50 ), garlic chicken ($7.50 appetizer, $10 entree), or ropa vieja (shredded beef, $8.50), and reliable specials like roast pork ($9.25), and better flan than you can get at most fancy Mexican restaurants in New York— all at bargain-basement prices. — Updated from the 2001 Take-Out Issue Minimum: $10 Delivery area: 96th St. to 120th St., CPW. to Riverside Dr. Hours of delivery: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Credit cards: yes Keeps address on file: yes Max Soha 1274 Amsterdam Ave., at 123rd Sts. 212-531-2221 Italian This uptown spin-off of the trendy East Village haunt offers the same solid Italian staples at starving student prices. The Lasagna Fatta in Casa is a thick, three-tiered treat ($9.95) and the huge slab of O’polpettone "e Mamma" (mom’s meatloaf, $12.95) should last for multiple meals. Lunch sandwiches like the Caprese (mozzarella, tomatoes and basil) and the Tamarro (sausages and broccoli rabe) are both $7.95 and come on a crispy baguette with a small side salad and provide the perfect antidote to midday studying blues. Minimum: none Delivery area: 114th St. to 125th St., Frederick Douglas Blvd. to Riverside Dr. Hours of delivery: noon - 11 p.m. Credit cards: no Keeps address on file: yes Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too 366 W. 110th St., at Columbus Ave. 212-865-6744 Southern/Soul Owner Norma Jean Darden manages to infuse all the food at her two uptown eateries with home-cooked goodness. So much so, you can order it in and pass it off as your own, assuming you can convince your guests that you know how to prepare buttery collard greens ($2.50) or sinfully delicious sweet potato pie ($3.50). The sampler for $15.95 is definitely the way to go if you like diversity: Chow down on petit portions of fried shrimp, juicy ribs, smothered chicken and creamy "vegetable" sides (warning: macaroni and cheese is listed as a vegetable.) Even though you’ll be too stuffed to move, order dessert: You can always save your banana pudding ($3.95) for a midnight snack. Minimum: Two entrees Delivery area: 100th St. to 120th St., Madison Ave. to Riverside Dr. Hours of delivery: 6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. (Mon. - Sat.), 8:30 p.m. (Sun.) Credit cards: yes Keeps address on file: yes Website: spoonbreadinc.com The Symposium Restaurant 544 W. 113th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave. 212-865-1011 Greek In a neighborhood where most restaurants only last as long as it takes one Columbia freshman class to graduate, Symposium, which opened back in 1969, is a true survivor. Its traditional Greek dishes are chock-full of feta cheese and spices. You can make a meal from the appetizers alone: The Tzatziki, eggplant and Taramosalata (fish roe) dips, all $4.95, are creamy and filling. At $14.95, the Potpourri of Greek Foods sampler provides a cornucopia of traditional Hellenic favorites including Mousaka, spinach pie, roast lamb, Pastichio and meatballs. Minimum: $15 Delivery area: 106th St. to 120th St., Amsterdam Ave. to Riverside Dr. Hours of delivery: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Credit cards: yes Keeps address on file: yes

Morningside Heights/Amsterdam Ave.

Morningside Heights: Appetizing on Amsterdam

Morningside Heights, home to Columbia University and other educational institutions, has a large and diverse population of students. These affordable and equally diverse restaurants along Amsterdam Avenue serve the population well.

AWASH

(212) 961-1416; 947 Amsterdam Avenue (106th Street); $; Article: 2/28/01.

Awash, a small but crowded Ethiopian spot, excels at vegetarian dishes like shiro, spiced chickpeas with chopped onions, peppers and herbs; and at kitfo, a raw beef delicacy.

BISTRO TEN 18

(212) 662-7600; 1018 Amsterdam Avenue (110th Street); $; $25 and Under: 9/19/01.

With a welcoming staff and a stone fireplace, this neighborhood restaurant often succeeds. The menu of American regional and Continental dishes offers some fine renditions of familiar dishes, like meaty crab cakes just crisp enough to hold together, and a good Cobb salad with peppers, avocado and blue cheese.

MAX SOHA

(212) 531-2221; 1274 Amsterdam Avenue (123rd Street); $; $25 and Under: 10/17/01.

This small, boxy restaurant is always crowded. The draw is exactly what has always attracted people to neighborhood restaurants: well-prepared food served with warmth. Max’s fresh buffalo mozzarella is superb, soft and slightly granular, tasting of nuts and salt. It goes beautifully with thin slices of prosciutto or in a classic Caprese, with sweet fresh tomatoes and basil.

NOCHE MEXICANA

(212) 662-6900; 852 Amsterdam Avenue (102nd Street); $; $25 and Under: 1/16/02.

Noche Mexicana offers a full range of tacos and other antijitos, or street snacks. The tacos are made the authentic way, with two soft corn tortillas providing a gripping surface for the fillings like pork chunks and pineapple, augmented by lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cilantro.

PANINO SPORTIVO ROMA

(212) 662-2066; 1231 Amsterdam Avenue (120th Street); $; Article: 3/31/04.

In Italy, panini and soccer go together like hot dogs and baseball. This soccer cafe, with walls painted the burgundy and orange of the Roma team, offers 58 first-rate sandwiches layered with imported cheeses and meats like prosciutto and mortadella, on lightly toasted oval rolls, often garnished with arugula, hot peppers and tomato.

TURQUOISE GRILL

(212) 865-4745; 1270 Amsterdam Avenue (122nd Street); $; Article: 2/23/05.

This Middle Eastern cafe and takeout is a branch of the takeout restaurant Turquoise on the Upper East Side. The chef, Sharif And, offers appetizers like falafel and piyaz. Entrees include shish kebabs, lamb or chicken shwarma with red rice, and hunkar begendi, grilled eggplant with ground lamb and garlic butter.

Compiled by Kris Ensminger

E-mail: eating@nytimes.com

Source: NY Times

Become a member of the Central Park Conservancy and get discounts on uptown eateries.

With your membership, the Central Park Conservancy will continue to preserve everything you enjoy about Central Park. Whether you join our membership program (gift options below) or wish to make a larger gift and become a Conservator, your contribution is vital to keeping the Park beautiful.

All members receive a color map of the Park, and newsletter with a calendar of events. Additional benefits are provided at higher levels.

Do your part for Central Park today. Join the Central Park Conservancy!

Sunday, February 12, 2006

A Taste of Harlem

November 6, 2005

Good Eating
Harlem: The A Train’s Dining Car

Not long ago, dining in Harlem or East Harlem meant soul food or a neighborhood Latin place. These days, diners can find everything from Mexican-French to healthy Chinese.

BAYOU
(212) 426-3800; 308 Lenox Avenue (125th Street); $; $25 and Under: 5/31/00.
This handsome Creole restaurant would do any New Orleans native proud. Bayou looks like countless other neighborhood bars and grills, but its big picture windows and second-floor setting offer an unusual New York panorama. The short menu includes crawfish étouffée, shrimp Creole and deep-fried catfish.

EARL MONROE’S RESTAURANT
(212) 491-1500; Riverside Drive (145th Street); $$; Article: 10/26/05.
Views of the Hudson distinguish this spacious restaurant with a terrace. Christopher Faulkner, formerly the sous-chef at Town, combines cuisines that are typical of Harlem and are long on seafood in dishes like Charleston crab and lobster cakes with shaved cucumber, red onion and fresh cilantro salad, and guacamole tartar sauce. The dining room becomes the Pearl Club for late-night jazz.

GINGER
(212) 423-1111; 1400 Fifth Avenue (116th Street); $; Article: 9/7/05.
Michelle Jean, who set Butter in NoLIta in motion, just opened this Chinese restaurant, emphasizing healthful recipes by James Marshall, formerly at China Grill. The current menu includes entree selections like grilled marinated spicy tofu; ginger sizzling beef with bok choy; and shrimp with garlic sauce and Chinese eggplant.

HARLEM TEA ROOM
(212) 348-3471; 1793A Madison Avenue (118th Street); $; Article: 12/8/04.
This cozy room is done in warm wood and tile and has a copper bar. Tea and light food are served, including a classic afternoon tea on Saturday with sandwiches and pastries. Wine and beer are also served.

LA FONDA BORICUA
(212) 410-7292; 169 East 106th Street (Lexington Avenue); $; $25 and Under: 11/14/01.
Everything seems to move to a beat at this convivial Puerto Rican restaurant where the food is hearty and satisfying, particularly the beef stew, tender meat teamed with peppers and onions; and arroz con pollo, smoky baked chicken with a mass of yellow rice.

ITZOCAN BISTRO
(212) 423-0255; 1575 Lexington Avenue (101st Street); $; $25 and Under: 4/19/04.
Anselmo Bello’s Mexican-French bistro cooking is quiet and engaging. He takes the bistro repertory and adds Mexican touches that tweak the dishes in unexpected directions but do not overwhelm them. Typical of Mr. Bello’s gentle approach is an appetizer of steamed mussels, subtly different in their spicy broth of tequila, lime juice and serrano chilies.

Compiled by Kris Ensminger
E-mail: eating@nytimes.com

Source: NY Times

SEPTEMBER 20, 2004

PERSONAL BUSINESS

Harlem On My Mind

Black America’s cultural capital is thriving again

You’ve already visited the Metropolitan Museum, seen a Broadway show, and caught a game at Yankee Stadium. But New York’s truest glory is the breathtaking diversity of its people and their communities. So on your next business trip to the Big Apple, spend some of your down time in one of its most storied neighborhoods: Harlem. In the past decade, the historic capital of Black America has blossomed. As gentrification has taken hold, the crime rate has plummeted, brownstone homes now sport million-dollar price tags, and the streets and avenues are filling with new shops and restaurants.

The heart of the community is the bustling section of 125th Street between Eighth Avenue, also known as Frederick Douglass Boulevard, and Fifth Avenue. Make your first stop The Studio Museum in Harlem at 144 W. 125th St., a jewel box of a showcase for works by artists of African descent. Some of them are in the museum’s artist-in-residence program, so you’ll get first crack at viewing original pieces. But with its public seminars and programs, the museum’s offerings regularly go beyond the visual arts. This summer, for example, you could have taken a walking architectural tour of Harlem, listened to a program of new orchestral music by composers under the age of 30, or explored the history and culture of tap dancing. Check out the museum’s Web site, studiomuseum.org, for a complete schedule of programs.

No one who visits Harlem should miss the Apollo Theater at 253 W. 125th St., which helped launch stars such as Ella Fitzgerald and Lauryn Hill. On Amateur Night every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., new hopefuls try to wow the Apollo’s legendarily tough audiences — who make American Idol’s Simon Cowell look downright demure. A single admission is $18 to $39 depending on the performance. Or you can see the theater by calling ahead for a backstage tour (212 531-5337). They’re offered only for groups, but you can easily join one already scheduled.

UPTOWN LOOK 
After a theater tour, stroll east on 125th Street through street vendor territory with table after table of books, posters, incense, and CDs. You’ll pass the building at No. 55 West where former President Bill Clinton has his office. On the same block you can stop and grab a quick snack from Wimps Southern Style Bakery at No. 29 West. Its peach cobbler, banana pudding, and sweet potato pies, among other favorites, will smite whatever carb-cutting impulses you have.

Your sweet tooth satisfied, meander over for some shopping at one of Harlem’s most interesting boutiques, The Brownstone, at 2032 Fifth Ave., just north of 125th Street. Operating from three floors in one of the typical narrow city dwellings that line so many streets in New York, The Brownstone is a stylish emporium of delights. You can order custom-made dresses and wedding gowns, but moderately priced ready-to-wear women’s apparel is also for sale. Some men’s shirts and pants are available as well. The owner describes the offerings as contemporary Afro-ethnic. You can complete that uptown look from a selection of jewelry, accessories, and cosmetics. One floor here also offers a hair salon and manicure services, and in mid-September, a café is slated to begin serving. The Brownstone is open Wednesdays through Sundays.

Eating in Harlem is an experience unto itself. At Malcolm X Boulevard (also called Lenox Avenue) and 127th Street is the venerable Sylvia’s, perhaps the city’s best-known soul food restaurant. Twenty years ago it was a sliver of a place where locals munched on ribs and greens at its long narrow counter and listened to the juke box, while peddlers wandered in selling everything from new shoes to floor-waxing machines. Today the joint has expanded and the peddlers are gone, but the Southern menu has mostly remained the same. A gospel brunch on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. is also a big draw. Get there early: No reservations are taken.

A bit further south, at 113 W. 116th St., is Amy Ruth’s Home Style Southern Cuisine, which some think is giving Sylvia’s a serious run for the money. For something different, try the honey-fried chicken. What makes it unique is that the honey doesn’t come from a jar but from beehives on the restaurant’s roof. Many of the dishes are named after local African-American notables. Chicken and waffles, for instance, is called the Reverend Al Sharpton because that specialty is a favorite of the well-known activist. Amy Ruth’s is also open all night on Fridays and Saturdays. There is a nonculinary attraction here too: The photos, paintings, and sculptures displayed in the two-story eatery are for sale at prices generally ranging from $200 to $3,000.

After dark catch some jazz at one of the classiest Art Deco locales in Manhattan, the Lenox Lounge on Malcolm X Boulevard between 124th and 125th. First opened at the tail end of the Depression, it once showcased the likes of Billie Holiday and Miles Davis. The much-photographed classic interior has been restored, and the scene in the Zebra Room in the back, with its animal-print walls, still swings. Check lenoxlounge.com for a list of who’s playing. On weekends, when bigger names perform, there is a $15 per person cover charge with a one-drink minimum. Altogether, it’s a great place to wind down after your uptown foray.


By Robert McNatt

Source: Business Week