One Foot in the Past
Suzanne DeChillo/The New York TimesInwood, the northernmost neighborhood in Manhattan, is a place of hills and history. Inwood Hill Park, 196 acres of tree-filled landscape, dominates the scene, and traces of Lenape Indians and Dutch settlers abound. Read more >>>
Would you like to learn more about computers, but don’t know where to start? Thanks to some dedicated volunteers, the 125th Street Library now offers FREE individual computer tutoring/computer help. If you know nothing about computers but want to learn, are curious about social networking, need help filling out an online form, or want to learn about a specific computer program, these tutors are here to help. You can sign up for a free hour-long session by calling: (212)534-5050, or stopping by the 125th Street Branch at 224 East 125th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues).
Le Meilleur du Monde is a new cafe and ice cream shop situated on 5th Avenue. It prides itself on specializing in Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. The tiny cafe offers its customers a wide selection of sumptuous sandwiches served on your choice of a freshly baked baguette or panini, croissants, waffles, porridge, salads, smoothies, cakes, and hand prepared ice cream in tasty flavors that include stout.
The owner, Millicent Clarke, runs the business with her husband Ernaldo; They make just about everything on-site so be prepare to experience the freshest of fare no matter what you order. Le Meilleur du Monde offers take out, delivery, catering, or eat in service to their customers. They hope to add sidewalk seating in the spring.
Located on the cross section that separates east and west Harlem, customers can sit on one of the stools in the front window and watch the world go bustling by.
Le Meilleur du Monde
2029 Fifth Avenue (btwn 125 and 126 St.)
212.534.4343
Hrs: M-Sat 7A-9P, Sun 9A-7P
(Credit: D. Bell for Uptownflavor.com)
Come and join us for Live Music, Christmas Caroling, Dancing, Games and Creating Gifts for our Harlem Neighbors in Need! It will be a great time for us to have fun and at the same time think of others in our community.
Hot cocoa, warm cider & baked treats will be provided!
**Suggested Donation: A brand new toy for a local NYC Fostercare agency**
Rachid Niang (r), Owner of Jacob's Restaurant in front with his brother
By: D. Bell/Uptownflavor
A red carpet spills out across the wide sidewalk along Lenox Avenue and 129th Street. Invited guests are greeted at the door with a smile, a handshake, and often a friendly hug. The greeter is smartly dressed in a dark suit, polished shoes, and a white smile.
The scene could be reminiscent of the hey day of the broad boulevard when it was known for its exclusive clubs and speakeasy jazz joints. Jacob’s is neither. It is a six month old family style buffet owned by Rachid Niang.
Niang opened the soul food salad bar this past summer and it has quickly become a neighborhood favorite. Despite being open for such a short period of time, Niang wanted to give something back to the community that was helping him realize his dream of being a restaurateur.
On Thanksgiving Day, Niang opened the doors of his restaurant to the Harlem community and invited his regular customers as well as those in Harlem who can’t afford to eat a hearty meal on a regular basis, to dine for free in his eatery. Doors opened at 9:30 AM and a steady stream of Harlemites strolled across the red carpet and entered the eatery festively decorated for the holidays, ready to enjoy a hot Thanksgiving meal on him.
It was hard to keep Niang’s attention as person after person came up to him to thank him for his kindness, offer him words of encouragement, or send him blessings. One neighbor came rushing over with tears in her eyes thanking him for what he was doing for the Harlem community. Tears trickled down their cheeks as they embraced tightly. read more…
We are officially in the holiday season and our cup runneth over with fun and festive events taking place in Harlem! If your organization will be sponsoring an event in Harlem, please share the good news with our readers. Send the information in a web-ready format – all flyers must be formatted in jpg. If you are sending an event listing please include a photo in gif or jpg along with the 5Ws: Who, when, where, why, and what. If you are sending a calendar listing, please note it in the subject of the email. Send to uptowninsiders@gmail.com.
Happy holly days!
The annual NYCgo promotion to drive visitors into Harlem kicks off tomorrow and runs through January 3, 2010. The end of the year campaign, which launched a week earlier this year, is intended to celebrate all that Harlem has to offer. A free shuttle will run every 15 minutes on Sundays from 12P-5P.
For more information visit www.nycgo.com
Appreciate the little things in life today and every day!
Four Paws & Whiskers Pet Care, LLC
Without your support UF wouldn’t have been able to survive. Thank you!
via nycgo
Princess Jenkins is the owner of the Brownstone, a New York City clothing and accessories boutique. Last fall, Ms. Jenkins surveyed the market and realized how difficult the next season could be. She met with her five top designers and urged them to produce the boldest fashions they were capable of — designs she knew would appeal to her customers’ flamboyant tastes. “I told them, it’s going to get really tight next year,” she said, “and I need the best you have to offer.” read more…
Susan L. Taylor, founder and CEO of National CARES Mentoring Movement and Editor-In-Chief Emeritus, Essence Magazine
For six weeks beginning November 27th, businesses around Harlem will display boxes labeled “Harlem CARES,” where customers can leave donations for the Harlem CARES Mentoring Movement.
These neighborhood businesses will also display boxes that shoppers can use to submit an entry for a chance to win a basket full of gifts and offers from all of the participating partners.
Susan L. Taylor, editor-in-chief emeritus of Essence magazine and founder of the National CARES Mentoring Movement, will kick off the initiative by stopping by participating Harlem businesses to shop for her holiday gift purchases with a few of her friends.
The Harlem News Group, Inc., publisher of Harlem News, launched the “Holidays in Harlem” fundraising effort on behalf of Harlem CARES to promote shopping in Harlem for the holidays.
EL MALECÓN (4141 Broadway, at 175th Street) offers sopa de pollo ($4.50).(The New York Times) The Dominican sopa de pollo ($4.50) is comfort in a bowl, with meat falling off the drumstick and thigh bones into a light-brown broth seasoned with cilantro and a bit of adobo. It’s made to order, in a way: Patrons can specify less yuca, more broth.
The late fall offers cooks and cocktail connoisseurs the full bounty of the autumn harvest, and the cocktails below feature fresh apple, pear, and hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. True foodie favorites, these spirits pack a serious flavor explosion, all sure to complement your traditional cranberry sauce, festive turkey, and mouth-watering apple pie.
Ginger Martini
1 ½ oz. Xanté
1 ½ oz. lemon juice
1 oz. sugar syrup
1 small piece of fresh ginger
Muddle the ginger
Add Xanté, freshly pressed lemon juice and sugar syrup
Shake and sift twice
Serve in a cocktail glass, garnish with fresh ginger
During economic hard times people tend to be more generous. Oftentimes when they don’t have a monetary contribution to make they will invest their time by helping those who have a little less than they have. This afternoon the East Harlem CARES coalition will be providing Thanksgiving dinners to families in East Harlem from 12 noon until 5 PM at Holy Rosary Church located at 428 East 119th Street.
If you know of a family that is struggling to make ends meet, be sure to let them know of the many resources available to lend a helping hand this holiday season. If you have a few hours on your hand, drop by and see if your local church or food pantry could use a hand with donations or distributing food to needy families.
Editor’s Note: Below is a guide to holiday dining in Harlem from our first year online. Since many of the same restaurants (with the exception of one) are still on the scene I decided to republish the post (with the necessary updates) for our new readers. Enjoy your holiday!
Let’s face it, everyone doesn’t have the time, energy , or skills in some cases to prepare a delicious holiday meal at home. Maybe your apartment is too small or you just don’t have the the time or resources to clean up before company arrives. Perhaps you didn’t take the turkey out in enough time to thaw. Maybe the supermarket ran out of turkey you wanted, or God forbid you burned the poor bird! In any event, you are in need of a viable ‘Plan B.’ What are your options? How about visiting one of the fabulous Harlem restaurants that are going to be open on Thanksgiving Day? Who’s dishing out Thanksgiving dinner this year: read more…
Our friends over at Greasy Guide have been inspired to create a cocktail in our honor: “I live in Harlem so of course I look to Uptownflavor to tell me what’s hot in my hood.” So the next time you go out to a bar or lounge in Harlem, be sure to ask the bartender for The “Uptownflavor”.
1 1/2 oz gin
3/4 oz pineapple juice
1/2 tsp maraschino liqueur
2 pineapple chunks
For an extra special twist, try the following recipe:
Recipe:
4 parts NOILLY PRAT® Original French Dry Vermouth
1.5 parts BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin
2 parts Fresh pineapple juice
1 part Grenadine or Pomegranate syrup for the holidays
Pink grapefruit twist
1 fresh Raspberry
Glassware: Champagne saucer 200 ml
Method: Pour Noilly Prat and all other ingredients into the shaker. Shake and double strain into the glass. Discard a pink grapefruit peel over the glass and on the rim.
Garnish: Top with pink grapefruit zest (the oil must be absorbed by the foam) and rim of the glass. Garnish with a fresh raspberry.
(Originally posted November 2008)
Mayor Bloomberg hid plenty from New York citizens while campaigning for third term [DN]
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Every stray bullet comes closer to you or the one you love [DN]
The price is wrong: How city stores nickel and dime us all [NYP]
Well-versed journalist Evelyn Cunningham writing piece on ‘unknown black history’ [DN]
Alicia Keys “Empire State of Mind, Part II” (live)
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