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After the play "The Winter View," a friend and I decided to have a bite to eat and a cocktail before calling it a night.  We knew that we were a little underdressed for the Harlem Grill so we headed over to The Den.  After seeing the gathering of people waiting for tables outside The Den we continued walking down Fifth Avenue to 125th Street.  We would try either MoBay or Bayou (more about Bayou in the next post) as a last chance effort to cop a cocktail and appetizer. 

As it turned out, the wait wasn’t too long at MoBay so we waited until seats at the bar became available and ordered our cocktails.  My friend and I decided to have appetizers instead of entrees so we stayed at the bar which was lively and energetic.  The band played a long R&B set and people seemed to be enjoying themselves on the warm pre-summer night.

I ordered their special rum punch and my friend ordered a "Change of Attitude" cocktail. Both of us enjoyed our selections. The bar has seating on both sides so it made it easy for us to converse with other patrons.  We compared food items and everyone around us enjoyed what they had ordered. 

A young lady sitting across from us ordered jerk chicken wings that were a bit too spicy for her palate, but she said they were very good and ate them all in spite of her scorched taste buds.  Another young lady ordered cod fish cakes and her friend the catfish strips. My friend and I ordered crab cakes.  The wait was reasonable and the crab cakes were quite good. The outside crust was perfectly browned and crunchy while the inside was full of tasty, well-seasoned crab meat.

Sitting next to us was an Aussie turned Harlemite jazz musician who was listening in on the set of a fellow musician. The vibe was loose, light and less pretentious than expected. I still felt a little underdressed but soon forgot about it amid the conversation and good libations.

Would I go back?  The answer is a resounding yes!  I found MoBay to be a nice hang out spot great for listening to live music and enjoying well mixed (though pricey) cocktails before or after another event.  How would I rate my first visit to MoBay?  I give them three stars out of four for their service, food and ambiance.  How was your experience at MoBay?

Related: Bar Buzz :: Menu :: JC and the Jazz Hoppers

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 

Where is the best coffee house in Harlem?  Here is a list of the ten best places to get a cup o’ joe or a spot of  tea:

10 Best Harlem Cafes [article] Editor’s Note:Broken link is now fixed

 
Harlem Fur has been on the prowl of the grand re-opening of the legendary jazz club and noted home of be-bop, Minton’s Playhouse! 

Harlem Fur [blog]

Curbed [website]

• Do you have a favorite restaurant?  Zagat wants to know about it.  Cast your vote in the Zagat Survey through May 14th in order to receive a free 2007 Zagat’s Guide.
  
• Help keep our neighborhood clean. Hate litter? Request a litter basket for your corner submit a request.
  
• Harlemite, plus size model and former beauty contestant Sharon Quinn gives a nice review of Melba’s Restaurant and brief mention of Earl Monroe’s on her blog.
• Only a week away from springing your clocks forward for daylight-saving time.  Thank goodness for automatic updates on cell phones, cable boxes and computers.
• E.R. Shipp clears the confusion about the Harlem Empowerment Zone and the million dollar business loans that magically appeared out of the blue.  Her Op-Ed piece in the Daily News states, "So it doesn’t bother me that a bowling alley received $350,000 while smaller companies were turned down. Or that the legendary Earl (The Pearl) Monroe, who is black, partnered with a white businessman and then pulled out, leaving the partner as sole proprietor with a loan of $380,000."