501356 Fri Mar 21 09:27:14 -0700 2008 16 18 Manhattan 0 3514422 My special lady just moved to Harlem, so I'll be spending lots of my time there. Fri Mar 21 09:27:14 -0700 2008 51367 Yaqo Homo 1 3514994 Lots of good soul food options --- Miss Mamie's Spoonbread on 110th and Columbus, Melba's at 114th and Fredrick Douglass, Amy Ruth's on 116th between Fredrick Douglass and Adam Clayton Powell... Zoma at 113th and Fredrick Douglass is great Ethiopian food There's a good Italian place at 118th and 5th called Piatto D'Oro Community Food and Juice at 113th and Broadway Kitchenette at 123rd and Amsterdam Max Soha at 123rd and Amsterdam Really amazing French-Caribbean place called A on the east side of Columbus just below 108th. Best bagels in the city at 108th and Broadway (Absolute Bagels) Dinosaur BBQ at 125th and 12th Ave. (best bbq in the city, about a 20 minute walk from where she's living) new Italian restaurant north of Dinosaur on 12th Ave. Thai Market at 108th and Amsterdam (fast delivery) Taqueria y Fonda La Mexicana at 108th and Amsterdam (they'll deliver too) Mill Korean at 113th and Broadway Fri Mar 21 12:12:09 -0700 2008 3514422 176746 anna_harlem 1 3515133 We really like Pisticci on LaSalle just west of Broadway. Good food (Italian), cozy neighborhood-y environment. Fri Mar 21 13:01:13 -0700 2008 3514422 104084 LNG212 1 3515907 Oh I love that subway stop cause it's the stop for West Africa! Lots of Senegalese and a few Guinean restaurants on the broad boulevard of 116 between Lenox and 8th Ave. My favorite is not on 116 and not Senegalese. It's Florence's, it's Ghanain, and it's a few blocks south of the subway station. I haven't been there this year so I don't know if it's still open. Florence's thread: www.chowhound.com/topics/322376 A thread about Harlem: www.chowhound.com/topics/418737 Fri Mar 21 17:35:59 -0700 2008 3514422 11362 Brian S 2 3516943 Florence's is still open. and anna harlem has a great list--could you tell me more about Piatto D'Oro? Would add Antionette's, across 113th from Zoma, which I haven't yet tried, and Les Ambassades (Frederick Douglass between 118th and 119th) with pastries that are not earth shattering, but a solid local option. Also a good spot for sitting around and people watching. Pastries are better than the lunch/dinner fare. Service is s..l..o..w... Other good cafes to spend time in (without much in the way of deliciousness, unfortunately) are Society (8th/114th), Tribal Spears (8th/117th) and Saurin Park (which may've recently changed its name; 110th btwn Frederick Douglass and Columbus). Going across town at 116th takes you past Ginger (overpriced uninspired Asian fusion) into Spanish Harlem, where you have Taco Mix and other great options. The original Patsy's on 1st Ave is great (and needless to say, far better than Pizzeria 123, on Frederick Douglass and 123rd, the closest pizza option which, though uninspired, has a surprisingly passable salad). Sat Mar 22 08:28:18 -0700 2008 3515907 15695 rose water 3 3517340 Good additions, rose water. I was really disappointed with brunch at Les Ambassades but their pastries are good. Society and Saurin Park are pleasant places to sit, but for a coffee shop with better food (and pastries!) head to Settepani (http://www.settepani.com/ on Lenox around 120th. To answer your question about Piatto D'Oro, it is actually Piatto D'Oro II (the original is further east) and they have really great italian food! I haven't eaten in yet, but I hear the dining room is quite pleasant, and the delivery is fast. They recently raised their pizza prices, but it's still worth it as it's way better than any other pizza in the area (Patsy's doesn't offer delivery and is further). Everything I've had on their menu so far has been great, in fact, and mostly very reasonably priced. Sat Mar 22 11:05:45 -0700 2008 3516943 176746 anna_harlem 4 3518129 Piatto D'Oro: very charming, small interior. Good service and food. An intimiate oasis that I think you and your lady friend would enjoy. Antoinette's: not particularly impressed although I've read good things about it, so was disappointed. Settepanni: a cafe on Lenox Ave. and around 119th St. that serves pasta, soup, and salad in addition to pastries. A nice, comfortable place to chat. Ginger's: like someone wrote, avoid. Good Indian restaurant further East: Polash (3rd Ave. bet. 118th-119th Sts.). Quick delivery! Sat Mar 22 16:32:23 -0700 2008 3517340 12045 gloriousfood 5 3518601 I read your post in a very lazy and hungry moment when good local Indian with quick delivery seemed very tantalizing. My appetizer, the naan, and my entree were all disappointing. What do you like there? Sat Mar 22 20:28:33 -0700 2008 3518129 15695 rose water 6 3519741 Hi, rose water. I'm sorry to hear about your meal! In general, I've had good luck with their vegetable entrees (mixed veg curry, aloo saag, aloo chana, aloo mutter gobi, anything where mushrooms are the main ingredient) and soup. Also, samosa and pakora. Getting bread delivered from most Indian places have been disappointing for me. It's one of those things that inevitably end up somewhat soggy and noncrisp when they need to be crisp. If you're up for it, try eating in. They have an AYCE afternoon buffet 7 days/week (I think), and while I've never tried it, it's one of those things I've been meaning to try. Have you tried Zoma? Would you recommend it? Sun Mar 23 11:48:25 -0700 2008 3518601 12045 gloriousfood 7 3519968 Yes, the naan (soggy and cold) was the biggest disappointment. I did like the lentil soup that was thrown in--garlicky and flavorful. The samosa chaat appetizer was promising--nice crispy fried bits, decent chick pea and potato filling, but overwhelmed by too much overly sweet tamarind chutney. The entree, the chicken dopiaza was also lackluster--spicing was one dimensional, it was too greasy, and the onions were large chunks thrown into the sauce, and would've been much tastier and better integrated fried. I wish I had ordered a veg entree instead, and will check those out. Thanks for the recommendations. I have indeed tried Zoma, a number of times, think it's delicious and would certainly recommend it. Eat in is better than take out, because you can ask for more injera; I don't think they do delivery. I summarized my favorite dishes here a while ago: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/391194#2477935 (those are still my favorites). For the OP, another option is Billy's Black, on 119th St at St Nicholas. It seems to be popular with large groups, and there are often events in there. I've seen little about it on Chowhound, and had a terrible brunch there once, but the dinner may redeem the place, and it might be worth checking out. And Native is another local place--cozy space, slow service, eclectic (and somewhat unfocused) menu. Best thing is the bowl with greens, rice, beans and other stuff. Sun Mar 23 13:56:10 -0700 2008 3519741 15695 rose water 8 3521871 I also had a terrible brunch at Billie's Black once, after hearing about how great their brunch was. I want to like it, though, because it's one of the only known gay businesses in the neighborhood. Mon Mar 24 08:55:02 -0700 2008 3519968 176746 anna_harlem 8 3523111 Yes, I forgot about Native--thanks for the reminder. I must say that my husband had an unfortunate experience the last time we were there. He ordered the fish (tilapia?) and it tasted rancid. He could not eat another bite. I tried it too--ooh, bad. They were very apologetic and offered us a free cheesecake, but it left a bad taste in our mouth (literally and figuratively). I think it will be a while before we go back, but since we've been there many times and this is the first negative experience we've had, we will go back. I've had that dish you recommended--agree it's one of Native's best. Regarding Zoma, thanks, I'll have to try it. I think I've been held back from going b/c of the less-than-stellar word I've heard about its service. Have you found that to be an issue? How I wish for the following in our nabe: 1) a decent diner and 2) a pizzeria! Mon Mar 24 13:47:15 -0700 2008 3519968 12045 gloriousfood 9 3524204 Ate at Zoma tonight after getting take out more often there recently. Service has always been slow, but not excruciating, and though not warm per se, it's never been unfriendly. The service tonight was much slower than I remember it. Only one woman was responsible for the entire place, and the place was pretty full. Though I love my local CSA, my wish for the neighborhood is a better farmer's market. The one at Morningside Park doesn't cut it. Shoot, just having local options for groceries would be great. C town has ghastly produce, and C town, the place at 116th and Lenox (Fine Fare?) and the place on 110th across from Saurin Park all have outrageous prices for lackluster fare. Mon Mar 24 19:12:53 -0700 2008 3523111 15695 rose water 10 3525347 I feel your pain! I usually trek it over to the West Side Market near Columbia for produce or, if time permits, Chinatown. The CSA is just too much food for me, and I'm afraid a lot of it will go to waste. Btw, you might be interested to know that there is a health food store opening up on the same side as the Kalahari building on 116th bet. Lenox and 5th. It's not opened yet. Who knows how it'll compare to the ones that already exist in our part of Harlem, but it's a positive trend. Tue Mar 25 08:02:37 -0700 2008 3524204 12045 gloriousfood 11 3537097 Do you have any more information on the health food store? Is it going to be any bigger than the others? Opening date? How exciting! Fri Mar 28 10:03:52 -0700 2008 3525347 176746 anna_harlem 12 3576908 Watkins has not opened yet. And it has those rolling gates down, so I can't say about its dimensions, although I recall the store front being long and narrow. A friend mentioned that there is also a Watkins health food store on 125th. Not sure if this is so and if it's the same people. Wed Apr 09 09:21:29 -0700 2008 3537097 12045 gloriousfood 13 3583052 Yes, there is one on 125th (whether or not it's related). It's right next door to Uptown Juice Bar. Thu Apr 10 20:08:08 -0700 2008 3576908 15695 rose water