Barbecue ribs? Yep, the folks at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que do that. But what about turkey? In this video, our own Carey Jones drops by Dinosaur's Harlem kitchen, where founder John Stage shows her how to smoke a turkey. 'Tis the season, after all.
Editor's note: We write about restaurants all over the city. But sometimes, you don't want to travel for food; you want the best eats right in your neighborhood. So we're having the Serious Eats staff share where they eat around their own 'hoods. Today? Serious Eats Managing Editor J. Kenji Lopez-Alt!
View Kenji's Morningside Heights and Lower Harlem in a larger map
I grew up on 125th and Riverside Drive and spent most of my eating-out-time in the Morningside Heights neighborhood around Columbia University. Back in the day, food options were pretty limited. There was the old Mama Joys' Deli, which made great pastrami sandwiches and Pizza Town II which had a decent slice for lunch. For a couple years in the mid to late 90's, there was a fast food Japanese restaurant that had piss-poor but tasty-nonetheless udon and robot-made sushi.
For dinner, we had Ollie's Chinese noodle shop (it's still there, and still just as mediocre), or my birthday restaurant of choice, Fiesta Mexicana, a decent Americanized Mexican restaurant that had great tacos al carbon, enchiladas suizas, and best of all, neon blue fizzy sweet tequila shots that they'd bring to my parents at the end of the meal (I was allowed to taste my dad's). It burned down sometime in the mid 90's.
At one point the best bagels in the city could be found on the corner of 110th and Broadway at Columbia Hot Bagels, right across the street from the Morningside Heights branch of Gray's Papaya (back then, a recession special of two dogs and a drink was a measly $1.45). Both have been swallowed up by Columbia University's expansion.
While I'm nostalgic for those old hangouts, I must admit that the average quality of food in the neighborhood has improved in spades in the last decade or so. Here's where you should be eating.
[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
137 East 116th Street # 1, New York, NY 10029 (at Lexington Avenue; map); 212-410-2450
#2: Las Delicias Mexicanas2109 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10029 (between 115th and 116th; map); 212-828-3659
#3: Taco Mix234 East 116th Street # 1, New York, NY 10029 (map); 646-370-6769
You could say we've been on a taco binge here at Serious Eats. After biking through Brooklyn and Queens last Sunday eating tacos along the way (wait for the video coming next week), I decided that Monday should be devoted to East Harlem, another hotbed of Mexican tortilla-wrapping activity (and yes, we'll be getting out of New York for Project Taco. West Coast, Midwest, South, get your tacos ready!)
The short strip between Lexington and 2nd Avenue in the El Barrio neighborhood of East Harlem has dozens of restaurants, mostly of the Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Mexican variety, not to mention a few grocers who serve tacos cooked on portable flattops and the occasional truck. I decided to drag along a few friends to taste every taco we could find on the strip.
Tucked into a narrow stretch of Park Avenue, where the Metro North Railroad disappears underground, is where you'll find Earl's Beer & Cheese. The menu at Earl's changes seasonally, and currently features dishes like Mac and Cheese, Asian Gnocchi topped with cheese fries, and Earl's Eggo, a gourmet waffle with cheddar. You can wash down your food with any of the craft brews on tap or in cans; Earl's Beer & Cheese takes its name seriously. But the Mac & Cheese features shredded chicken, the gnocchi has ground beef, and that waffle is topped with foie gras and bacon along with those cheese fries. What is there for vegetarians?
Photos: Aya Tanaka
1575 Lexington Avenue, New York NY 10029 (at 101th Street; map); 212-423-0255; itzocanbistro.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs
Best Dishes for Kids: Ravioli
Cost: Appetizer $7-11, Entrees $17-22, Prix Fixe $22. Cash only
There is a two-block stretch of Lexington Avenue in the low 100s that's filled with charming little dining establishments; one of them is Itzocán Bistro, which promises and delivers Franco-Mexican fare. True to its name, Itzocán is more of a bistro than a Mexican restaurant, and you won't find chips and salsa here. Rather, bread and butter are brought to the table. Mexican ingredients and flavors impart a lively, subtly assertive twist to a traditional French bistro repertoire of dishes, putting Itzocán Bistro in a class of its own.
On a recent weekday evening my daughter and I were rapidly accommodated by the maître/waiter/busboy at a comfortable table.
[Photos: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
Was anyone else a fan of the Beef Rydberg on the bar menu at Aquavit? Marcus Samuelsson's take on the classic Swedish dish made with diced beef tenderloin and potatoes was tender, crisp and well-seasoned, like a really good beef hash. With the Lamb and Sweet Potato Hash ($15) on the new brunch menu at Red Rooster (review here), he riffs on the dish, replacing the beef with tender marinated chunks of spiced lamb, supplementing the potatoes with cubes of sweet potato and earthy beets. The whole thing is cooked down with plenty of rosemary and served in a hot cast iron skillet smothered in creamy, lemony hollandaise.
If there's one complaint to be made, it's that it runs a tad on the greasy side. You can expect a little pool of flavorful-but-greasy lamb-scented oil in the bottom of your dish. But sometimes, on a Sunday morning, that's exactly what you need.
310 Lenox Avenue, New York NY 10037 (b/n 125th and 126th Streets; map)
212-792-9001
redroosterharlem.com
[Photos: Aya Tanaka]
308 Lenox Avenue, New York NY 10027 (at 125th Street; map); 212-289-5555; chezlucienne.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs, stroller storage
Best Dishes for Kids: Saucisson en croûte, mussels, hamburgers, fries
Cost: Appetizers $6.95-8.95, entrees $15.95-21.95, desserts $5.95-8.95
Walk out of the 2 and 3 subway lines' 125th Street stop and even before you reach the Red Rooster in Harlem, you will find Chez Lucienne, a delightful French bistro serving classic dishes in an elegant yet casual space filled with warm and joyful service. Chez Lucienne's food and experience is in one (French) word, correcte—they basically do everything right. The menu is full of typical bistro, comfort food, the dishes are well executed, the portions have some "American sensibility" to them, and the staff is beyond nice.
In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.
[Photo: Garrett Ziegler]
About the size of a catcher's mitt and packed with enough ingredients to stock a small bodega, the juancho cemita ($10) at Café Ollin in East Harlem is closer to a meal than a grab-and-go sandwich. Cactus, potatoes, beans, avocados, onions, tomatoes, Oaxacan cheese, chipotle, lettuce, jalapenos, pungent pápalo, and your choice of meat vie for space in the slightly crunchy sesame seed bun. We went with chorizo, nicely spiced and crumbly; but breaded beef, goat, chicken, and a vegetarian version topped with epazote, an herb similar to fennel, are available. Two people can easily split one, although after a few bites of all those different flavors and textures, you may not want to share.
339 East 108th Street, New York NY 10029 (map)
212-828-3644
http://www.cafeollin.com/
About the authors:Jessica Allen and Garrett Ziegler have been eating out together since 2002 and writing We Heart New York since 2006.
A rudimentary knowledge of Spanish will come in handy for anyone eating at El Tapatio, nestled into a dark, narrow space on a busy street in Spanish Harlem. There's a bit of English on the menu, but the waitstaff doesn't speak much. Somehow between my high school Spanish, our server's patience, and some pointing at the menu, we were able to put together a nice little vegetarian feast for lunch.
[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
310 Lenox Avenue, New York NY 10037 (b/n 125th and 126th Streets; map); 212-792-9001; redroosterharlem.com
Service: Extremely friendly but still getting its bearings
Setting: Comfortable but stylish
Must-Haves: Shrimp and red Grits, Helga's Meatballs, Chicken & Egg
Cost: Appetizers $9-15, Entrees $14-32
Grade: B+. Exceptional menu design with spotty execution.
Here's the truth: as a Harlem native, I really, really want Red Rooster, Marcus Samuelsson's new 125th Street soul-food-with-a-twist spot to succeed. Despite the busloads of tourists scarfing down mediocre ribs and fried chicken from nearby Sylvia's, the dining landscape in my neck of the woods is pretty grim, devoted mostly to fast food and steam tables. I'm really excited at the prospect of a hangout that doesn't require a late-night subway ride home.
The 39-year old Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised, current Harlem resident planned the restaurant as an homage to the original shuttered Red Rooster on 138th Street, a Harlem institution where locals would commingle over drinks with the likes of Willie Mays and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. The brand-new 3,400 square foot space is beautifully designed. A large bar with a few communal tables occupies the front half of the restaurant, divided from the dining area by shelves housing jugs of spice-infused bourbon. The bourbon is for their killer drinks program which plays a large role in fueling the convivial atmosphere of the space. The large basement is slated to be opened as a multi-purpose lounge/speakeasy/art space.
He's brought along Executive Chef Andrea Bergquist, a New York restaurant vet with a resume that covers Gramercy Tavern, Craft Steak, and Tabla (her stint at Samuelsson's fizzled Merkato 55 is conspicuously left off the list). She runs the day to day kitchen operations and mans the downstairs commissary while Samuelsson gives face time at the open upstairs kitchen during service.
310 Lenox Avenue, New York NY 10037 (b/n 125th and 126th Streets; map); 212-792-9001; redroosterharlem.com
"Welcome to Harlem," was the greeting diners got from a smiling Marcus Samuelsson at the Friday night opening of Red Rooster, his eagerly anticipated Harlem restaurant and lounge. A six-year resident of the neighborhood, he's banking his reputation and payroll on Harlem being able to support a moderately high-end restaurant. It's a bold move in a neighborhood whose main dining draw is Sylvia's, a restaurant known more for its history and longevity than its cuisine, which is fine, but not particularly distinguished.
The food at Red Rooster reveals itself slowly, deftly weaving soul food classics with Samuelsson's signature Scandinavian and African hits. If first impressions count for anything, the anticipation has been worth it.
In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.
[Photo: Robyn Lee]
The Norvegienne ($7.50) at Patisserie d'Ambassades in Harlem is not your whole grain-arugula-pesto type of wrap. It's more of a Monday-night-football type of wrap, or as Carey says, "Satisfying in a hangover-cure way." This Norvegienne contains one sliced all-beef hot dog, one fried egg, a substantial if slightly soggy bundle of fries, and some orange special sauce. Erin offered her personal theory: "Any wrap can be improved by a hot dog and fries," and I couldn't agree more. If Norway is built on these little bundles of instant pleasure, get me to Oslo, stat!
2200 8th Avenue, New York NY 10026 (map)
212-666-0078
www.patisseriedesambassades.com
There are all sorts of fantastic bakeries in New York where you can pick up pie for your Thanksgiving table. (See this summer's pie finds, my pie honor roll, and our favorite pumpkin pies in NYC, just to start.)
But many of them require advance orders for Thanksgiving—and sometimes that just doesn't happen. Maybe you've been too busy brining your turkey to place a pie order. Maybe the person hosting the meal you're going to has only just asked you to bring dessert. Or maybe your own pie crust went horribly, horribly wrong.
Whatever the case, there are some times you just need a last minute pie. And luckily, these fine bakeries are here to help you out. So in lieu of a review this week (we know you're just thinking about Thanksgiving dessert, anyway), here's our guide to bakeries that have last-minute pies, available for walk-in purchase on Wednesday or Thursday. We've tasted them all, and every one is Serious Eats approved. Consider it our Thanksgiving gift to you.
Neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown, interactive map, and all the info—after the jump.
Editor's note: With "In the Midnight Hour," Zachary Feldman will take you to a different late-night eatery every week. How can you say no to 24-hour soul food?
[Photos: Zachary Feldman]
For some, the aroma of fried chicken is preferable to even the finest perfume. Nearly a week after visiting Amy Ruth's in Harlem, and my outfit (yes, I wear outfits) still smells like sizzled bird. I wear it like a badge, proudly flaunting my avian bouquet—and along with the judiciously prepared soul food classics, it is one of the restaurant's most defining features. Think of it as a rite of nasal passage.
It was almost a full house when we walked in at three in the morning, and there were costumed revelers waiting for tables in the vestibule outside (it was, after all, Halloween weekend). Two men patrolled the entrance: the bulkier "muscle" and the host. Neither said much, but the host's Pepé Le Pew sweatshirt—featuring the striped lothario floating on what can only be described as a cloud of love—belied our own hypnotized journey to this piece of the South in northern Manhattan.
[Photos: Sara Markel-Gonzalez]
East Harlem is one of Manhattan's better taco neighborhoods, so for this week's Taco Thrusday, I explored two taco stops on East 116th Street—Taco Mix and the Tacos de Arroz Grocery Cart.
Taco Mix is a tiny shop—just one table and a counter for standing, but that counter's packed with anything you could want with your taco. Lime wedges, radish slices, cucumber slices, green and red salsas, fried chiles de arbol, and two types of marinated jalapeños. All this in addition to what the taqueros add to the taco when you order one con todo—chopped onions, cilantro, and salsa roja.
