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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.

There is no waffling about it, Harlem Wing & Waffle is quickly becoming a favorite neighborhood take out spot.  Since April when we first spotted this independently owned restaurant, we have stopped in to taste their offerings twice. The first time I ordered the snack pack.  You get 2 wings and 2 waffles for $2.99.  The chicken was well seasoned and fried to perfection. The waffles were small and nothing to write home about but then again it was called the snack pack.  The portions were just enough to curb my hunger without leaving me stuffed. They also offer a larger version called the "meal" for $5.99.  The meal has 4 wings and waffles.

The next time I stopped into Harlem Wing & Waffle I wasn’t in the mood for waffles so I ordered the 6 piece wingette for $3.99.  Although the plain wingettes I ordered were not as well seasoned as the wings I had with the wings and waffles, they were again fried crispy and quite good.  There were a few baby carrots and celery sticks to accompany the chicken.  The wingettes come in 6, 12, 24 and 50 piece options and can be ordered with a choice of sauces.

Other menu items were chicken fingers in a large and small size and waffle fries.  They also have their own brand of bottled sodas that come in cream, black cherry, root beer, and uptown orange. I happened to notice on my second visit that they mix their waffles fresh on the premises. In my opinion, this business is ripe for growth as a chain of franchises over time.  They already have the branding and they offer products that are unique to their company.

Harlem Wing & Waffle is located on Seventh Avenue and 140th Street. They close at 10 pm during the week and earlier on Sundays.  212-281-1477.

Editor’s Note:

Website: Harlem Wing & Waffle 

• The Resident Gamer (via the Greasy Guide) gives us an insider’s look at the V.S. Harlem gaming lounge previously mentioned.

• Checked out T&J Bakery and Cafe the other week.  Didn’t get a chance to try their baked goods but I did take a good look around. The establishment is spacious and inviting with plenty of gallery space where they will be featuring the work of local artists. The location is perfect since there are no other businesses of that kind in their area and there is plenty of foot traffic from the nearby subway, school and Met supermarket.  The owners boast that they "prepare on-site gourmet breads, cheese cakes, fruit tarts assorted butter cookies, danish as well the traditional southern style cakes and pies." Their signature dessert is "the Carnegie Torte, [a] creamy marble cheesecake with a layer of chocolate mousse, smothered in chocolate."  T&J is located at 2541 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. (7th Ave.) at 147th Street.  (212)234-5662.

• Tried Harlem Wing and Waffle.  Review to follow.

• Tried R&D Grill.  A family run restaurant where there seemed to be more hanging out then serving of food. Unfortunately the day I dropped in their refrigerator went out so it was a little chaotic.  Not sure if they will be getting a second chance.
  

• Insider’s guide to juice bars in Harlem is forthcoming. Please submit your favorites to uptownflavor[at]gmail.com

• If you attended any of the weekend events send a link to your write up  to uptownflavor[at]gmail.com 
  

• Still working on the site redesign.  You will love the new look!

• Who knew that Earl Monroe’s is now called the River Room? I’d heard that there was a disagreement with the partners but wasn’t aware that he had completely separated from the company, including taking back his name.  As of today the old website refers users to The River Room however the new site is not live.*

A local neighborhood cafe is facing eviction due to a strange odor that could be smelled for blocks.

The Sweet Harlem Cafe  is not smelling so sweet these days after a basement full of raw sewage began to stave off customers forcing them to close their doors during the messy clean up.

Now that things seem to be back on track, the landlord is refusing to renew the cafe’s lease. 

To read the details go to the Epoch Times [website] 

 
"Nothing is ever new in New York" an exasperated Samantha sighed on an episode of "Sex and the City."  That is probably because Samantha never made her way past the upper East side into Harlem where everything old is new again.

Quiznos Subs is moving into the neighborhood and serving an area that has traditionally been neglected by chain restaurants. Temporary signage has appeared in a vacant store front on 8th Avenue and 135th Street across from Strivers Gardens.  The location is flanked by The Wright Bar and Barbara’s Flowers while a new Duane Reade and Chase bank face them on the opposite side of the street.

Quiznos website claims that the chain is the #1 restaurant chain according to Nation’s Restaurant News and the #2 overall franchaise according to Entrepreneur Magazine.  Despite the rapid growth of the chain, everything hasn’t been all toasty for the company.  There have been reports of problems with the franchaise by owners resulting in excessive turnover. Considering the fact that Quiznos is venturing into unchartered territory on 8th Avenue, in an area with no other franchaises within 10 blocks north to south, is a cause for concern regarding their longetivity and success in the area. 

Perhaps the new owners of the 8th Avenue location opted to rent the smaller space next to local businesses as opposed to the larger, newer space across the street on the ground floor of Strivers Gardens or even the space formerly occupied by A Slice of Harlem on the corner of 135th Street because they are fully aware of the possible risk factors. In any event, the store should anticipate initial success since they will have the distinction of being the only Quiznos in Harlem and they are situated in a location that has the potential for plenty of foot traffic.

The closest restaurants in the area include, Home Sweet Harlem Cafe (facing a possible eviction),  Bamboo Village Chinese Take-out and Yvonne Yvonne Caribbean Take-out.  Quiznos menu includes subs, soups and salads. The lighter fare is a healthier alternative to what is currently available along that portion of 8th Avenue. Located near thriving businesses, a high school, and the B/C subway station, Quiznos should find that Harlem is hungry for the wide variety of tasty, toasted sandwiches.

When one thinks of the West 140s they might imagine a vast desert when it comes to places to eat, but a few take-out restaurants in the area seem to be trying to fill the culinary gap.

Queen Sheeba Restaurant
317 W 141st Street
New York, New York 10030
212-862-6149

This Middle Eastern restaurant is located in the most unlikely of places — on 141st Street between 8th and Edgecombe. It is quietly tucked in the middle of the block relatively unseen from either cross street in the former location of the very short lived A Dash of Soul.

Polanco Restaurant & Barbecue
2421 7th Ave (141st Street)
New York, New York 10030
212-862-1090

Although the customer service leaves something to be desired in this always busy restaurant, the food is some of the best in the immediate area.  Polanco offers a variety of standard Spanish fare at reasonable prices and the portions are big enough to share. Neighborhood favorites include grilled chicken salads, cuban sandwiches and the batidas y jugo naturales.

Peoples Choice Kitchen
2733 8th Avenue (145th Street)
New York, New York 10039
212-281-3830 

There will typically be a line of customers from the plexiglass window to the door in this Caribbean take-out restaurant that offers ox tails that melt in your mouth, stew chicken and curry goat.  Just don’t ask for beef patties because believe it or not they don’t sell them.

 
While rushing down 7th Avenue the other day I happened to spot two new eateries that I hadn’t noticed before. The first was The Harlem   Wing & Waffle. They specialize in, what else, wings and waffles.  This contemporary eatery is located between 139th and 140th Streets, across McDonald’s and a couple of doors down from Make My Cake.  It has an orange interior with stainless steel accents.  They already seem to be a hit in the neighborhood. Once we find out more about Wings & Waffles you know it will be featured here on UPTOWN flavor.

The other place was the R&D Grill on the opposite side of the boulevard, not to be mistaken with the Harlem Grill.  The R&D Grill is a typical take-out spot where you step down off of Seventh Avenue into the narrow diner to order breakfast all day (including waffles), lunch specials or dinner from the "hot open flame grill."  Some of the items from the grill include steak (T-bone or Sirloin), chicken, turkey wings, ribs and grilled salmon with sides.  The prices are reasonable ranging from $2.50 for a burger to $12.50 for a flame grilled steak with sides.

On the take out menu they inform us that the restaurant was formed by "two gentlemen who love good food with a heavy hand on the portions, even down to the hearty sandwiches."  Be forewarned, they also set the tone for the type of restaurant they run  "music, television or light conversation on the topic of the day in a clean comfortable, no hurry environment."  Keep your credit cards at home because they are only accepting cash at this time but they plan to be equipped for credit and debit cards in the future.

The Grill is located at 2311 Seventh Avenue and their hours are 8-8 seven days a week. They also offer free delivery. Call for more information 212-234-2334.

Related: Got a Belgian Waffle jones but you don’t want to trek downtown to a diner?  IHOP can take care of that craving on the corner of 135th Street and 7th Avenue. Their hours are Sunday through Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday to 12:00 midnight.

Links: Chicken and Waffles [website] :: Gladys and Ron’s :: Roscoe’s ::

I saw this new restaurant on 145th Between Amsterdam and Broadway (closer to Amsterdam and across from the library.)  The sign says that they specialize in seafood and they deliver!  If anyone has tried them out, please offer your review.  I wonder how their presence will affect the business of the late night taco truck down the block.

El Puerto Seafood Steak House & Grill
500 West 145th Street (bet. Broadway & Amsterdam)
Phone: 212-926-93340

Open from Mon. to Thurs. 7am - 12 midnight
Fri, Sat, Sun 24 hours.
Catering available for all occasion. Free Delivery. Breakfast, lunch and dinner menu.

Related:Hamilton Heights Restaurants  

The Den will be bringing a different sound (and look) on Monday, March 20th with an exclusive live showcase performance by the alternative rock band Mother Tongue (think Lenny Kravitz). This special event is open only to List Members and Friends of the Band. Mother Tongue is an acoustic rock band formerly known as Blue Funk, and they have a soulful sound that’s all their own.  

Reunited and performing together for the first time in more than a year, these CBGB regulars will take centerstage at The DEN for an exclusive showcase to preview new material.

Doors open at 7 pm. Admission is Free, but seating is limited.

Click the link in the sidebar for the address and directions to The Den. –> –> –>

Amy Ruth’s

Amy Ruth’s Home-Style Southern CuisineCritic’s Pick

113 W. 116th St., New York, NY 10026
between Lenox Ave. and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.
212-280-8779
Price Range

$$ Moderate
Cuisine

Southern/Soul
Profile

Amy Ruth’s feels as if it has always existed. It’s confident and comfortable—just as we imagine Carl Redding’s grandmother, the restaurant’s namesake, must have been. Redding opened his soul-food kitchen in 1998, a year after Amy Ruth passed away, and what a tribute it is to her, to her cooking and to a number of noteworthy African Americans. Order the "Rev. Al Sharpton" (fried or smothered chicken and waffles), the "Sheila Thomas" (BBQ spare ribs), the "Don King" (braised smothered chitlins), or any other soul-food staple: fried chicken, catfish, collard greens, ham hocks. If you aren’t so lucky to have a southern grandmother of your own to cook for you regularly, visit Carl Redding’s instead. — Chloe Osborne
Extra

Live Music: On the 4th Friday of every month, Amy Ruth’s hosts "Jammin on the Mic," a live music show.
Recommended Dishes

Collard greens, $3.50; chicken wings and waffles, $8.50; glazed Virgina ham, $5.95; BBQ spare ribs, $12.95
Hours

Sun-Thu, 7:30am-11pm; Fri-Sat, 24 hours
Nearby Subway Stops

2, 3 at 116th St.
Prices

$10.95-$18.95
Payment Methods Accepted

American Express, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
Reservations

Recommended
Restaurant Special Features

* Late-Night Dining
* Breakfast
* Delivery

* Live Music
* Lunch
* Take-Out

Alcohol

* No Alcohol

Delivery Area

96th St. to 155th St., First Ave. to Riverside Dr.

M&G Diner

Greens in Black and White

By WARREN ST. JOHN

O most Southerners, few things are as pleasing as plopping down before a heaping plate of simple, home-style cooking  dishes like collard or turnip greens, fried chicken, black-eyed peas, corn bread, sweet potato casserole. This type of food is so evocative of the easygoing contentment of home that Southerners and even much of the rest of America  refer to it simply as comfort food.

But there’s a potentially uncomfortable conversation to be had about Southern comfort food, one that has simmered like creamy gravy on a stove top for perhaps 20 years and may now reach a very public boil: how much of what is called Southern cooking can be traced to black culture, and how much to white?

That discussion is the centerpiece of a conference that begins tomorrow at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, the fifth annual gathering of the Southern Foodways Alliance. With this year’s conference, "Southern Food in Black & White," organizers and participants plan to take head-on the task of trying to sort out who gets credit for what’s on the Southern table.

It will not be easy or neat. At past Southern Foodways conferences, discussions on the origin of fried chicken, barbecue and Southern baked goods like biscuits have led to shouting matches. Participants at this year’s discussion, particularly chefs and food historians who say they are fighting for what they believe is the proper recognition for their ancestors’ role in the creation of Southern cuisine, expect it to be similarly heated.

"It’s not about, `Sit there quiet in the corner and wait to get credit,’ because that’s not going to happen," said Joe Randall, an African-American chef from Savannah, Ga., who says blacks haven’t been given proper credit for their contribution to Southern food. "You have to go forth and claim the contribution that our forefathers have made."

In some ways the debate over the African-American influence on Southern food is a more opaque version of the debate over black contributions to rock ‘n’ roll. It’s accepted that because blacks long served as cooks to Southern whites, first as slaves and then as domestics, they had a profound influence on the cuisine. But because whites wrote and published most of the early cookbooks on Southern food, there are few culinary equivalents of early Robert Johnson recordings to establish the provenance of particular dishes.

"Who did the original, and who did the cover?" asked Jessica B. Harris, an African-American food historian and cookbook author. "It’s about acknowledging the unacknowledged."

But many white Southerners, particularly the poor and descendants of impoverished Appalachian yeomen who never had slaves and who could not have afforded domestic help, argue that Southern food must have been theirs. "If you talk to rural white people, they feel that that’s their food," said Nathalie Dupree, the writer, whose books include the influential "New Southern Cooking," just released in paperback by the University of Georgia Press. "When you say maybe this came from Africa, they look at you like you’re crazy."

And there’s even a debate about whether there should be a debate. Some chefs argue that because of the influence of American Indians, Asians and intermarriage on local cuisine, attempting to sort out who contributed what is an impossible and ultimately pointless task.

"Food belongs to everybody," said Leah Chase, a New Orleans chef widely recognized as the doyenne of Creole cooking and a member of Southern Foodways who has long criticized the debate over the origin of Southern food. "If I take a mess of greens and cook them and serve them to you, are they my greens, or your greens? Of course not. They’re everybody’s greens."

Sorting out white from black is difficult in part because in the South white and black cuisines are remarkably similar. Consider the lunch menus at two restaurants across town from each other in Tuscaloosa, Ala. At the Waysider, which has a mostly white clientele, customers can dine on fried chicken, green beans, black-eyed peas and corn bread, delivered to the table in small plastic bowls and washed down with sweet tea.

Across town at KSV, which serves a mostly black clientele, the lunchtime menu includes country fried steak, collard greens, candied yams, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, green beans and corn bread. Joe Taylor, the owner of KSV, said there are only a couple of dishes on the menu that are pretty much exclusively ordered by his black customers: neck bones, and hog maws, or the lining of a pig’s stomach.

"It’s no different, really," he said. "It just depends on who buys it."

Even the most basic generalizations about what foods are black in origin and which white are fraught. Hot peppers, melons, okra, rice and sesame seeds are thought to have been introduced to the South from Africa, along with techniques like slow-cooking greens with fat flavoring, a style of cooking similar to the one used to make leafy African stews. Creamy sauces and gravies, along with biscuits, white-flour pastries, puddings and trifles, are usually credited to the European influence. But John T. Edge, the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, said any such sweeping statements are bound to spark arguments.

"When you say black folks eat more chitlins, you start to get in trouble, because a food like that is totemic to white and black Southerners," he said. "Both see it as reaching back to the tough times they survived. Both see it as food imbued with meaning, and that doesn’t go away."

For years African-Americans were given credit for comfort food, though in a complicated way. Adrian Miller, a former special assistant to President Bill Clinton and the program director of the symposium, said that in surveys he had done of old Southern cookbooks from the late 1800’s and the first half of the 20th century, white authors were comfortable crediting black cooks for the cuisine, so long as that acknowledgment was tied up in nostalgia for the old South and its racial hierarchy.

Mr. Randall, the African-American chef from Savannah, said there was a kind of perverse compliment to blacks in advertising symbols from those days, like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben.

"Madison Avenue had it right in the 1930’s," he said. "A big healthy black woman in the kitchen cooking was synonymous with good food."

The willingness of whites to acknowledge black contributions to Southern food diminished during the civil rights movement, Mr. Miller said, when African-Americans began to assert their claim on Southern cuisine. The term soul food, for example, gained currency in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s as part of that effort. Some black chefs and food historians now say the term is limiting because it marginalizes the black version of Southern food, which, they argue, is mostly black food to begin with.

"I think it’s an intricate part of food in America, but it’s not the totality of the contribution African-Americans have made," Mr. Randall said. "If you limit it to the food in Harlem and mom and pop soul food places in the South, then you devalue it."

The Southern Foodways symposium in Oxford will try to balance serious academic discourse with good eating. The conference will begin with a whole pig roast, and over three days and meals of fried catfish, Coca-Cola brisket, grillades and deviled eggs  attendees will hear lectures with titles like "Possum ‘n’ Taters Where Have You Gone?" and "Methods and Ethnographics of Watermelon Pickles."

In the past talk in these sessions has inevitably turned to race, whether that was the primary aim or not, and frequently the conversations resulted in hurt feelings. A speaker who claimed that fried chicken had European origins, for instance, caused "a collective hissy fit," Mr. Edge said.

Discussions of barbecue were similarly charged; white attendees pointed out that poor whites in the mountains were long known to have barbecued meat, while black participants countered that in the old South, the task of keeping a hickory fire burning through the night would have fallen to African-Americans.

"We’ve had shouting matches," Ms. Dupree said. "I’ve been infuriated, because people have called me racist, just because I would say something was white. It’s taught me how emotional an issue this is."

Mr. Edge said the hope of the conference was that by dealing directly with the issue of race and Southern food, something like an understanding could be achieved.

"I think we fussed with each other more than we do now," he said. "There’s the same passion in discussion, but there’s an ethic that spans the conversation. We may not be of like minds, but we like this food. We love to eat well, and we’re going to stay up late and party, but we hope the discussion naturally gravitates toward issues of racial reconciliation."

Originally published in NY Times - October 6, 2004

Juelz to "Rip 125th Up" With Soda Shop

By: Alyssa Rashbaum

February 2, 2006

With all the press the Diplomats have been getting due to Cam and Jay-Z’s beef, Juelz Santana has channeled his energy into a more wholesome outlet.

Santana has joined forces with H3Enterprises, Inc. to become a financial partner in their flagship HipHopSodaShop on 125th street in his hometown of Harlem. The building sits less than a block from the legendary Apollo Theater.

"We’re gonna rip 125th up," Santana said in a statement. "It’s great to be able to enjoy all this in my own backyard with my own people. I’ve hung out with my boy ‘A Butta’ here since we were little punks and now we’re gonna get a chance to actually work together for the good of our own hood."

Each branch in the chain of HipHopSodaShops feature a quick-service menu, memorabilia, plasma screens and an area devoted to competitive CyberSports.

In January, H3 also teamed up with pop-star-maker Lou Pearlman who planned to help the company develop HipHopSodaShops throughout Orlando and Tampa.

Santana will also host the company’s first CyberSports One-on-One Challenge at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston.

"It’s great to add another home-grown Harlem hero to the team," Brian "H3" Peters, President and founder of HTRE, the first publicly traded Hip Hop Company said. "Juelz is a true Harlem treasure and we hope to utilize all of his talents to the full benefit of our shareholders and our communities."

"I respect everything H3 has already accomplished and respect everything he’s trying to get done," said Juelz. "We’re building a real HOME for the Hip Hop generation complete with all the things we love to do. But it’s really about creating educational opportunity and good jobs and that’s where Team H3 will prove to be unbeatable."

Who has the best fried fish in all of NYC?

There is nothing that I love more then a good ole piece of fried fish. Recently a co-worker took me to a spot in harlem and the fish was soooo good. Harlem is holding it down with: Famous Seafood on 132 and St. Nick, Taste of Seafood on 125th and 5th, The underground fish spot at 145 and St. Nick right by the D/B train, and Devin’s Fish on St Nicholas and 147th.

The only real place to get a good piece of fish in Manhattan is at The Pink Tea Cup in The Village.  Or you can check out The Soul Cafe on 34th and 9th ave. They have some REALLY good fish there as well.

Source: Da Greasy Guide NYC

Editorial note: Pan Pan was closed due to a fire in 2004.

photo: Michael Berman

As 125th Street clogs with franchises like Starbucks, Old Navy, and the Disney Store which make this sainted precinct feel like any other commercial strip on the East Coast—the heart of Harlem has drifted elsewhere. My favorite backward-leaning locale is the corner of 135th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard, where the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture gazes disdainfully down on street action that could have been scripted from a Chester Himes novel. Newspapers are hawked from a wooden shipping flat as if they’d just fallen off a truck, while enterprising street vendors hustle everything from phone cards to pomade to hats of Niger River mud cloth. Bandaged patients emerge from Harlem Hospital rubbing their eyes in the bright winter sunlight, while the serpentine orange counter at Pan Pan is just beginning to feel the brunt of the lunch rush.

Every second diner is chowing down on waffles, which issue from a quartet of irons fuming in the corner. These chestnut-colored beauties are simultaneously crunchy and spongy, with deep wells that trap plenty of syrup, and a mellow, toasty flavor. Have them naked ($3.35 each), or paired with fried chicken in the manner that Harlem made famous, or sided with beef sausage that has a mule-kick of hot pepper. Known affectionately as Georgia sausage, these thick red links reflect the great African American migration from the Carolinas and Georgia 80 years ago, which made Harlem the city’s most rollicking and literary neighborhood. They’re still produced in Tifton, Georgia, and you can also get them at Umoja Meats (543 Malcolm X Boulevard, 212-491-9413). Other Southern vestiges persist at Pan Pan, such as the easy grace and lilting accent of the waitresses, and their habit of calling customers "darling" and "baby."

Out of curiosity, I chose the waffle sandwich ($4.89), not knowing what to expect. Like other faux sandwiches of the Deep South—fried chicken and barbecued ribs come to mind—this creation is not a conventional sandwich at all. The waffle comes on one plate, while another holds a scrambled egg, folded like a napkin and snuggling a round of sage breakfast sausage. A yellow blob spreads over the waffle, confirming a sign that proclaims, "We Serve Oleo."

Many of soul food’s greatest hits are superbly rendered, including one of Harlem’s best fried chicken platters ($7.35), the crisp skin perfectly intact and only lightly dusted with flour, as they still do it at places like Son’s and Thelma’s in Atlanta. The pork sandwich ($6.39) is as fine an example of Carolina cue as you’re likely to find in these parts, though, like its model, the chopped meat is tasty without being particularly smoky. The thick barbecue sauce furnishes the oomph. While abundant and carrot-dotted, the oxtails need a brisk shake of salt.

But sometimes it’s more fun to opt for culinary oddities. Which drove me one afternoon to order the bologna hamburger ($2.59). Would it be a burger topped with a slice of luncheon meat? Bologna ground up into a burger? Neither. What materialized was a thick slice of grilled luncheon meat, clipped in four places so it fanned out into an iron cross, and planted on a seeded bun with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. This proletarian gutbomb may not be for everyone. But at least you won’t find it at Starbucks.

Asian restaurant gets funds to open in Harlem
by Catherine Tymkiw

Harlem’s first health-conscious Asian restaurant will open on Oct. 21 with the help of a $350,000 loan from the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone.

The 90-seat eatery, called Ginger, is the brainchild of Haitian restaurateur Michelle Jean, who helped launch East Village restaurant Butter, and Guatemalan small business lending officer Jorge Sun.

The loan funds start-up costs such as funishings, stock and fixtures, said Aaron Donovan, an UMEZ spokesman. The organization has helped fund 23 other restaurants in Upper Manhattan since its inception in 1995.

Ginger will fill a niche in an area known for less healthy options, according to its owners. Nothing on the menu will be fried and every item has been analyzed by nutritionists at Columbia University. Executive Chef James Marshall, whose resume includes China Grill and Tribeca Grill, will serve items like steamed striped bass with black mushroom sauce and ginger shrimp soup.

The owners said they chose to open in Harlem to get ahead of a trend toward healthier food choices. “If anyone was deserving of good food in a heart-health-conscious way, it is Harlem,” said Ms. Jones. Over the past three-to-six months, a juice bar, a vegan eatery and a health food store have cropped up in the area.

Ginger is located at 116th St. and 5th Ave. in a building that’s billed as the largest "green" affordable multi-family building in the nation. The building includes 129 condos and several retail tenants, and was developed by Harlem-based Full Spectrum of NY with more than 70% of recycled or renewable materials.

©2006 Crain Communications Inc.