It's been closed for a couple of years now but Tony Merenda's Flash Inn was the other established old-school, Italian eatery in Harlem. Less famous than East Harlem's Rao's in recent decades, the Flash Inn at 107 Macombs Place sits on a hill right before the Macombs Bridge at West 155th Street. The restaurant, which opened in 1937, was apparently named after a racehorse and operated in latter years by the owner's sons. There's only a couple of low level garages in the area and the establishment faces a riverview of the Bronx skyline. We found an old article in the New York Times which reports that the place was once a major haunt for the well-to-do: LINK. The top image is an out-take from the Go Green in East Harlem cookbook which featured the space back in 2008. Read about Rao's in our past post: LINK.Interior photo courtesy of TomWhitePhotgraphy.blogspot.com
What a cool looking spot ... I always wanted to stop in here. I remember passing this coming back from Yankees games years ago. Oh well, too late now ...
ReplyDeleteOnce again, Thank You Ulysses!
ReplyDeleteThe Flash Inn use to be a hotbed of activity after the and before the Yankee Games. It also jumped before and after the Grambling Annual Game at the stadium.
ReplyDeleteThe food was fantastic the bar was fantastic and the ambience was top of the heap. I miss hanging here The jazz music was out of sight.
ReplyDeleteThe food was fantastic the bar was fantastic and the ambience was top of the heap. I miss hanging here The jazz music was out of sight.
ReplyDeleteI miss the Flash Inn, its owner Joey Merenda and most of the folks who met there most evenings for a drinks or dinner. Many have passed on but for the people still here
ReplyDeleteespecially me....I will never forget the ambiance and class that I was fortunate to be a part of after leaving my wonderful job at the end of the day.
Sara Green