This week's New York Magazine featured what restaurants the top chefs frequent in their neighborhood and Marcus Samuelsson also included his favorites. Kitchenette (at 123rd and Amsterdam) received best brunch honors for their pancakes, Settepani (Lenox and 120th) was a cafe selection along with Les Ambassades (FDB/8th Avenue and 118th Street). East Harlem's El Aguila (116th and Lexington) received a thumbs up for their pork tacos. Central Harlem's Charle's Country Pan Fried Chicken (FDB/8th and 151st) seems to always be the winner for the southern food category and Chef Samuelsson also agrees. Check out the rest of the list:
LINK. All photos by Ulysses
This week's New York Magazine featured what restaurants the top chefs frequent in their neighborhood and Marcus Samuelsson also included his favorites. Kitchenette (at 123rd and Amsterdam) received best brunch honors for their pancakes, Settepani (Lenox and 120th) was a cafe selection along with Les Ambassades (FDB/8th Avenue and 118th Street). East Harlem's El Aguila (116th and Lexington) received a thumbs up for their pork tacos. Central Harlem's Charle's Country Pan Fried Chicken (FDB/8th and 151st) seems to always be the winner for the southern food category and Chef Samuelsson also agrees. Check out the rest of the list: LINK. All photos by Ulysses
Marcus Samuelsson lost a bit of integrity when he characterized Settepani as, "A real Italian place...." LOL. Honestly, you can like Marcus, but still call Marcus out on this clearly bogus declaration. Settepani is a place that saw what a smash hit Piatto D' oro was in the nabe and around the corner (for real, real Italian) and decided to transform and jump on the bandwagon Piatto D' oro established (true family italian cuisine in Harlem) because there is more profit in italian cuisine dining than what Settepani was doing. If you know the owners of all these places and Marcus....kind of transparent to me that Marcus is just trying to throw a little shine and attention to people he likes, his friends, the owners of Settepani & Zoma. No crime in that, but think about the owners of Piatto D' oro, real Italian family that rolled the dice, took a risk, opened a tiny little boutique restaurant...built a following and a reputation...they watch others like Settepani jump on their bandwagon...and bow Marcus comes along and declares Settepani, "....a real Italian place..." In the context of real Harlem dining history, Piatto D' oro, Settepani, etc... that's just laughable, truly a statement with zero factual integrity, just a bone Marcus is throwing to a friend....
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to Marcus, Settapani has a much more laid back kind of vibe and is a great place to get a cup of tea or coffee and relax outdoors. The food when I have been has been delicious and a definite improvement on past visits (add better service to that also).
ReplyDeleteAgree, however, that Piatto D'oro would have been more worthy of a spot if 'real Italian' were the criteria. Not an exaggeration to say it is one of the best Italian restaurants in NYC (I have plenty of friends who agree).
I'm just delighted to see Harlem eateries get some positive publicity. Let's get people up town instead of vice-versa. Some great picks there.
ReplyDeleteThere is a persistent emperors-new-clothes syndrome as regards reviewing Harlem restaurants. They should be critiqued as restaurants, not as HARLEM restaurants, that is to say, as the best that can happen here. Many of the area restaurants can and should improve and this would be preferable to talking them up when in truth, the food is mediocre and the service unprofessional at best. Everyone should be very critical, letting the establishments know where the problems are.
ReplyDeleteFunny that there is so little mention of Ricardo, granted far on the east side. People do travel from downtown to visit Ricardo. If the steak house experience is your thing, Ricardo is quite good.
Anon 10:59, I totally agree. Critizing anything on this blog is considered condescending. Can we simply hold all services in this community to higher standard?!
ReplyDelete@ Anon 1:25-Do you disagree with Samuelssons' picks then?
ReplyDeleteWhat Harlem restaurants would YOU pick? Do you think there's not a single decent restaurant in Harlem? Anon 10:06 already said that Samuelssons' pick were motivated by personal bias/hooking up his friends.
That goes on DOWNtown too, you know.
Vic, I piggy-backed on Anon 10:59 comment - "everyone should be very critical, letting the establishments know where the problems are". To answer your question, there are plenty of Harlem restaurants I enjoy and frequent i.e. Les Ambassedes, Melba’s, Covo, Chez Luciene, Spoonbread 110th and Lenox. Do you have an issue with holding establishments accountable? – well that’s my point.
ReplyDeleteI was happy to learn that Settepani will be opening up a pizza place on 119th St (East corner) - something I've been missing up here.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Spoonbread was now on Lenox & 110th St. I know them over near Morningside. I'll go check this new one out.
AFineLyne, that is awesome news! The neighborhood is crying out for a decent pizza joint. East corner of 119th...what is there now?
ReplyDeleteSpoonbread has two locations: Miss Mamie's located on 110th street between Columbus and Manhattan Ave. Miss Maude's is located on Lenox between 137th st and 138th st.
ReplyDeleteTo answer Chris, the space on the corner of 119th St, South East corner, is empty & being renovated now. It appears to be just a block from Settapani restaurant.
ReplyDeleteNow all we need is a real diner!
@ Anon 3:21- I was under the impression we were all discusing Samuelssons' picks. Sorry for the confusion.
ReplyDeleteMyself I've enjoyed Chez Luciene and Settepani (but Anon 10:15 has a point-Piatto D'oro is kinda underrated).
I also liked GU but haven't been there since they changed chefs, so I don't know what the food there is like now. Has anybody here been to Frizzante yet?
Fall starts is in 70 Days. To date there's been no activity on site of any kind of where Red Rooster will be. Isn't about time we see some activity there of some kind?
ReplyDelete119 and Lenox eh? Now you can get your crack AND your pizza on the same corner. Convenient.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Frizzante, I am sorry to report that it has been absolutely mediocre the last several times I visited. There is a good shrimp and salad appetizer but I thought the main course selections were disappointing. We will probably return nonetheless, give it another try.
ReplyDeleteThe food seems bland, for want of a better way to describe it.
The service is okay. I was last there a week ago and there was a very long wait for food. The restaurant was not crowded, half full.
@Sanou's Mum, with more of these places opening, the scum will be priced out of the area. Done. Those willing to do an honest days work are welcome to stay.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 7:19, clearly you are new to Harlem as your words expose how little you indeed know. The scum will not be priced out of 119th & Lenox or Harlem. They have secured housing (on and near 119th) and are immune to the cost of housing or anything for that matter. So contrary to what you say, it is not done, or ever will be done.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that last comment was a little heated! Ok, some people will remain, but as the area improves and residents with more disposable income move in, I still firmly believe that the drug dealing brigade will be ousted. Increasing foot traffic from the new hotel and new residents will translate to more arrests. However, it will require proactive input from the local communities.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the attitude on here sometimes when people just say 'oh, that is how it is and always will be'. The east village still has it's fair share of drug dealers etc. and it has gone through an amazing transition in the past decade.
The destructive individuals in secured housing will only remain as long as people do nothing about it. Note: I mean those individuals who are in this sort of housing AND are destructive. In some buildings this is a majority but not everyone. It varies.
ReplyDeleteHaving lived my life just adjacent to the East Village before moving to Harlem ten years ago, I can tell you that the East Village is not the same situation as Harlem. That said, the residents of the East Village, say, in the '80s, spent a lot of time dealing with the precincts, landlords of buildings populated by anti-social people, and so on. They cleaned sidewalks of garbage and litter themselves. And they complained, to the very people who are being paid by taxpayer money. No offense to the poster at 9:08, but I felt that i should point out ... the East Village "went through" a transformation because for decades, not just one, the residents fought for this and participated. This was something that decades-long residents accomplished.
Here, many buildings defined in literature as "low income" or "affordable" are actually populated by "no income" residents - in far greater numbers than was ever the case in the East Village. The buildings do not look like projects, but they are. A percentage of these people engage in all sorts of distasteful, illegal, and dangerous activity. They also ruin the quality of life for the decent residents, children, etc. If and when residents are destructive, there are recourses. People should take these recourses. This will create change for the better in Harlem.
I agree with 10:20 am. Harlem needs to stand up for the care of their neighborhood. If you see someone litter call them out on it. Call the precinct to report illegal behavior and demand a better quality of life up here.
ReplyDeleteThe culture that is promoted among Harlem's youths is one of disrespect and violence. We need to change this.