EAT: SUMMER BARBECUE IN HARLEM 2020

Harlem Bespoke: Old time barbecue spots in Harlem such as Sherman's are disappearing but a new set of establishments have become local favorites in the past few years.  Below is the Summer 2018 best bets for the holiday weekend:

Dinosuar Bar-B-Que, 700 West 125th Street and 12th Avenue, Manhattanville.  The Syracuse roadhouse chain is the king of BBQ in the city and folks should plan to book ahead because waits are usually an hour for a great table in the main room.  Walkin-ins can just get a drink at the large side saloon and sometimes a first-come-first-serve table opens up sooner by the said bar area.  Dinosaur has been around in Manhattanville since 2004 but had to move six years later down the block because of Columbia University's new construction in the area.  Check out more on Dino BBQ in our past post when they opened in 2010: LINK

Harlem Bar-B-Q, 2367 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, by 127th Street, Central Harlem. Yelp reviews are mixed on this one but the menu prices seem to be the most pocket friendly in the neighborhood.  More details on Yelp: LINK

Sylvia's, 328 Lenox Avenue by 126th Street, Central Harlem.  Sylvia's opened back in 1962 and has been the most iconic spot to dine in Harlem.  The barbecue is more homestyle with a sweet tang to the sauce and a little bit of a kick to it.   More details on Sylvia's can be found on the official website: LINK


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DWELL: 452 WEST 142ND STREET BACK ON MARKET

Harlem Bespoke:  Number 452 West 142nd Street had an asking set at $3.1 million before being removed from the market mid December of 2019 and now has returned to market for $2.95 million.  As previously mentioned, this 2-family home has pretty much a majority of original details intact including intricate ceiling plasterwork that is usually hard to find and is located on one of the most impressive row of limestone townhouses in Hamilton Heights.  The historic district with record-selling brownstones is just around the corner along with lots of restaurants nearby and express trains at 145th Street are also a short, scenic walk aways.  This 18-foot-wide beauty is definitely one of the uptown standouts but the timing appears not to be right at the moment. More details can be found on the broker site: LINK

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☞ JOIN: HARLEM BESPOKE ON FACEBOOK

Join our growing community of over 14,100 followers on the Harlem Bespoke Facebook site and receive daily to your account by liking our page: LINK

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BESPOKE: STREET SEATS 2020

Harlem Bespoke:   Closing off the street to make way for open air dining might be the social distancing standard for the summer.  Street Seats will enable restaurants to serve customers safely in a less crowded environment with the outside air being a more spacious alternative than staying inside during the warmer months. Hamilton Place by 143rd Street was closed off last year and this outdoor situation is even more ideal because of the planters that are placed along the corridor to beautify the block.  Manhattan borough president Gale Brewer has now backed the expansion of Street Seats and hopefully the city council will be swift in making things happen for small local businesses everywhere.  More details can be found on EaterNY: LINK

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READ: LOST BUSINESS AT CHARLE'S PAN FRIED

Harlem Bespoke:  Charle's Pan Fried Chicken on 8th Avenue by 132nd Street was just written up in Gothamist and the beloved local business has suffered a daily loss of over half the usual business.  Charle's Gabriel has been in Harlem for decades and originally started up cooking for the legendary Copeland's before branching out on his own way before trendy soul food spots would arrive in the neighborhood.  The modest restaurant was actually shortlisted for the James Beard Foundation Award back in 2018 but is currently having a hard time staying open.  Those who want to show support should order takeout or delivery or make one of those larger donations to help feed the needy during the shutdown.   More on Charle's Pan Fried can be found on Gothamist: LINK


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