We've only eaten at 5 & Diamond once since quality food comes at a price that our pockets can't handle on a regular basis. New York magazine now reports that the Harlem restaurant with a celebrity chef will be offering a $5 a la carte menu. Seeing that most folks are on a budget these days, this plan makes absolute sense for any better restaurant to fare well in Harlem. The $5 menu will include, "tempura asparagus, grilled piri piri shrimp, and lamb-belly sliders." Okay, there is one slight catch since it's sort of an early bird special: Tuesday through Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m only. This is some good stuff so it's worth making the early dinner plans. 5 & Diamond is at 2072 FDB/8th Avenue, between 112th and 113th Street, and the nearest subway is the B,C at 116th Street. Read more on the NY magazine site: LINK. See our past post on Ryan Skeen's Harlem restaurant: LINK. Photo by Ulysses
This place is quite pricey so I think this $5 menu is great idea and that the hours should be extended beyond 7p to perhaps 8p to get more of the after-work crowd. -Oni
ReplyDeleteSticker shock is why I've never been. Grilled Salmon $26???? Whereas a place like Acqua on the UES has the essentially the same dish @ $15.50? The other night I took a client to the very established and posh Novita in Gramercy Park, the self described "smart and sophisticated 60-seat trattoria" where their version of grilled salmon was less expensive ($24) than this place in Harlem.
ReplyDeleteBaffling on how Harlem restaurant's prices exceed those of Novita in Gramercy Park. Sure, they can serve and charge whatever they want, it just strikes with me that they would not have prices exceeding what you could expect to pay on the UES at upscale tony places in that area, and they do, across the board.
I sure hope Red Rooster does not make this same mistake.
I'm also glad to see some lower prices or promotions because I live around the corner and have not gone because of the expense. When I go out I like to not have to think about how much the bill will be at the end of the meal and at 5 and Diamond I would certainly we debating whether to have a second glass of wine, or cut costs by not having an appetizer, etc. - more stressful than enjoyable. Now I can go - at least before 7pm. Still, I'm glad they are there and they seem to do brisk business. I hope they succeed in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI kind of agree with the comments above.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are so few good restaurants in Harlem, if any, that this one (the food here can be pretty good), can likely get away with it...
Its always been packed when I've been. The food is good, the service decent. Yes its expensive, but there are so few options they can charge this.
I hope they succeed. If they do, then Economics 101 will ensure that another good restaurant opens, slightly cheaper, and we will all benefit from some quality competition.
The trouble with Harlem is that there are so few dining options, that most of those that exist (and which I support) can exist while being sub-standard, supported only because there is no choice... Chez Lucienne, Settepani are two obvious ones to note.... poor to average food, terrible service, yet the best options in town...
Agree fully with 10:11 above -- a range of options is important, from top to bottom. And the greatest need is for a critical mass of strong options at the top end of the range. It's encouraging to see some pretty significant recent progress on that front.
ReplyDeleteKudos to 5 & Diamond -- I hope they will continue to innovate, compete, and do brisk business at whatever price points work for their market. That is how they will remain a firmly established culinary destination and neighborhood highlight over the long haul.