The space for the original Red Rooster at 2354 ACP/7th Avenue was up for lease early last year and a new proprietor had stepped in to start on installing an eatery sometimes back in September of 2010. That was the last permit filed but it doesn't seem like much has happened in the past six months (above photo from last week) since the modest storefront appears to be stuck in limbo. This is the original location of the speakeasy that Marcus Samuelsson has named his popular Harlem restaurant after and it would be interesting to see the first shop on the corner 138th Street debut as something else. Any tips out there?
The "Original Red Rooster" was some place to meet big time harlem community folk and at the same time have a great meal. We use to meet at Red Rooster late in the evening after going to parties all over NYC to get that "hungry meal" from doing what we did back in the day. It's amazing that "all" of the famous eateries that Harlem Had just pasted into failure. Black folk stopped supporting the great food and friendly conversations We had in those establishments. I remember Eddie's Soul Food on about 127th and 7th avenue; I remember Obies on some avenue I can't remember right now; I remember Wilson's Restaurant & Bakery on 158th street and Amsterdam; I remember Mike's Restaurant on 7th avenue and about 143rd street that served Spaghetti with all kinds of meats; I remember a place that used to be next to Small's Paradise that served some great food; I remember the Fish and Chips joints that were all over Harlem;I remember you could get a great meal in Harlem on any day, evening, and at any time. I remember the Muslim Restaurant at 116th Street and Lenox Avenue that served some of the best food in Harlem. All of these place are gone! It's amazing that WE, Black Folk, let these great Restaurants that served our Neighborhoods go out of business. We started eating at McDonalds and Bergen King. How about that. I can't forget about Copland's Restaurant because it was very close to my apartment. I ate out of Copeland's for over forty years because that was my spot to take my out of town friends. The food was always fresh and you got plenty for your money. Last,but not least, I have to mention the Queen of Soul Food in New York City, Ms. Sylvia's. Sylvia's Restaurant stood tall through all of the changes and is going even stronger right now than back in the day. Sylvia's children changed the Restaurant to meet all the new challenges of the Restaurant Business. They expanded and have Sylvia's products in Super Markets. Yes, Sylvia's is the Queen because She and her business stood the test of time and we can go there right now and get one great meal! I salute Ms. Sylvia and her family for doing the culinary business and doing it well!! This is just my commentary on the restaurants I remember from back in the day! I didn't say anything about those in Churches, but we must say something about the great food in the House of Prayer for All People located on 124th Street and 8th Avenue. The Church now has a brand new headquarters and like Sylvia's, The House of Prayer for All People never stopped changing to meet the needs of it's members as well as the general public that still eats at the church today! In the interest of helping each other as much as we can, Brother Zachary C. Husser, Community Organizer
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