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It seems that another Harlem restauranteer possibly couldn’t stand the heat and (may have) hauled it up out of the kitchen.  Bayou, the inconspicious second floor establishment specializing in Louisiana Creole cuisine seems to be in questionable status is closed.  Each time I pass that way it seemed to be closed.  I tried logging onto their website earlier today and it was down but as of a few minutes ago it was active again. Their phone is definitely disconnected with no forwarding number.  I emailed the owner to see if they are open or closed, so if any knowledgeable tipsters have the inside scoop email us at uptownflavor[at]gmail.com.

Update: It seems that the kitchen was too hot for Bayou as evidenced by the commentary in this thread on Curbed.com.

 
Our favorite foodie website Eater is notorious for their surprisingly accurate deathwatches of New York restaurants. Although we don’t want to step on anyone’s toes the recent closings we have reported lead us to present our own exclusively uptown predictions. A tipster is anticipating the next closing to be Native.  As a matter of fact, their website is already down. Due to the fact that I haven’t heard a lot of good reports about this restaurant he could be onto something. What would be even more interesting is the fact that they were recently mentioned in the New York Times article "Where to Eat" back in April. Has this 4 year old restaurant succumb to the tough audiences in Harlem or is it a false alarm? As usual, readers are welcome to chime in on their dining experiences at Native.

*Edit: An intrepid tipster simply known as Flip has informed us that indeed, Native is the next uptown restaurant on the deathwatch.  He found a real estate listing that includes the following information, "Currently operating as the French Moroccan bistro Harlem Native, this restaurant sits at the corner of 116th and Lenox Avenue in the Heart of Harlem…an art gallery is reportedly opening on the block, as is a bakery. Sorry, no nightclubs or bars." Thanks for the great detective work Flip! (see comments section for the rest of Flip’s tip.)

**Edit: In a strange twist of fate, Harlem Fur reports that a tipster informed him the new owner of Native happens to be none other than Melba Wilson of Melba’s!  As if that connection isn’t close enough Melba also happens to be the niece of Sylvia Woods of Sylvia’s.   

A newcomer that soon may be added to the deathwatch is Baton Rouge on 145th Street. It is co-owned by the same people who own Mo Bay and is located in the brownstone formerly known as the Sugar Hill Bistro.  Nothing good has been said about this restaurant on sites like Chowhound and today I noticed that they placed fliers under the windshield wipers of cars in the neighborhood - to drum up business???  Even if the food isn’t any good the drinks sound lovely (see their website). Anyone who has tried Baton Rouge please add your thoughts. Do you think that it can survive the unforgiving palates of Harlemites?

Back in April Harlem Fur wrote a lovely review of a little known restaurant called Elle & Lui near 119th Street.  A tipster on his site recently delivered the sad news that Elle & Lui are no more. June 22nd is the scheduled opening of a new "gourmet soul food restaurant."  Oh boy!  Just what we need in Harlem! As a lover of soul food and one who grew up with the savory goodness of homecooked greens and spicy red beans, I am not a huge fan of "gourmet" soul food cuisine. As a writer and a general optimist,  here’s hoping for the best. No name has been given to the new restaurant as of yet.  Naturally, we at UPTOWN flavor will keep you posted.

*update: the new owners kept the old phone number and have a message stating that the new name of the restaurant is Billie’s Black.  Their website is: Billie’s Black.com [website]

Also in April we wrote about a new restaurant called Butterfly Blue but it has pretty much under the rader since then. If any readers have been to B.B. please let us know about your experience.  We found the following from February:

"A cute little cozy restaurant just opened called " Butterfly Blue,"

Located at 1813 Amsterdam Avenue (Near 150th Street) on
Thursday’s, Live Jazz …real Jazz …Great Food! Great Drinks! GREAT
MUSIC! Friendly Atmosphere! You never know who you will see in this spot! 7:00pm - 10:00pm on Thursday’s"

Butterfly Blue Caribbean Style Restaurant
1813 Amsterdam Ave. (Corner 150th Street)
(212) 234 - 5334
No Cover Charge!

It seems that Harlem has joined the flux of the typical Manhattan restaurant business game of now you see it, now you don’t.  First the news about Earl Monroe pulling out of his restaurant deal and now the news that Chocolat has shuttered it’s windows and bolted the doors for good after only a year.  I’d just read a Gawker piece from February ‘05 about Toccara from America’s Next Top Model being spotted in the formerly trendy lounge for their opening festivities.  Then today, Mike Street of the Greasy Guide informed me that they had closed.  The phone number has been disconnected with no referring number but the website is still live.  If there are any readers who happen to know the back story send an email to  uptownflavor[at]gmail.com.

I dropped by Nubian Heritage this afternoon and was surprised to see the many changes they have made to the store’s layout.  Most of the merchandise has been cleared out and Boma cafe had taken over half of the store.  Boma has expanded their menu items to include a selection of South African wines.  A couple of months back Reef had mentioned a wine tasting but I thought it was just a one time event.  Apparently not.  In addition they have a small selection of beers, as well as their African inspired blends of coffees and teas.  Boma will also be the headquarters for the upcoming Harlem Public Art Fest later this summer.

Boma is located at 2037 Fifth Avenue.  Call (212)427-8668 

A few blocks over on West 124th Street and Lenox Avenue I finally got the chance to investigate the mysterious South Beach Cafe.  Regular readers know that the brightly colored, island exterior caught the eye of our editor back in April. As it turns out they are presently closed but plan to open sometime later this month.  They didn’t have a menu yet but did have an attractive menu of smoothies and juices.  Fresh squeezed juices will come in two sizes, small for $2.75 and a large for $3.25 in flavors like AM Lift, Detox, Green Goodness and Purple Passion. They will also offer organic coffees and teas at reasonable prices and a selection of smoothies ranging from from $3.00 to $4.00.

South Beach Cafe is located at 100 West 124th Street and Lenox Avenue (212)222-1995/222-7290.  The hours will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and they will offer delivery with an $8 minimum.