Cafe Largo Returns to Broadway
Police officer–turned-restaurateur Marc Calcano is planning to open a restaurant-and-takeout-shop complex this fall in Harlem, with a revival of Café Largo (3387 Broadway), which closed three years ago, as its centerpiece. It will have 120 seats, a renovated rustic interior and Mediterranean cuisine. Next door at 3385 Broadway will be two take-out spots: Vinegar Hill, a bread market and gourmet shop, and Tres Pasos, serving Mexican burritos.
Source: Zagat’s Fall Restuarant Preview
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I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 3 years and am really happy to have a sit down restaurant to go to. We’ve gotten coffee and a variety of breads from Vinegar Hill and look forward to trying their other offerings. I go in 2 or 3 times a week and I’ve always found the staff to be friendly. I also appreciated that when they first opened they had surveys you could fill out to suggest improvements – they really care about what people want.
We went to Cafe Largo on a Friday night for dinner. It was evident they are understaffed (what new restaurant isn’t?), but we felt that the staff made up for it in friendly attitude and everyone was pitching in (setting tables, pouring water, etc.) We had the crab dip for an appetizer which was really yummy with fresh bread. For entrees, we had blackened catfish with roasted vegetables and the Pollo Largo, chicken with mushrooms in a lemony sauce. The menu has a variety of prices, with entrees ranging from $12-20. They have seafood, chicken, beef and pasta with a variety of sides (vegetables, sweet potato fries, etc). At the moment, it’s BYOB.
The place was full at the time, with a really diverse crowd – families with kids, couples, groups of friends. Was nice to see so many different people enjoying themselves. We definitely plan on eating there weekly!
Dear JD -
Sorry about your experience. I can’t imagine what bread you were given as we don’t sell any white bread other than a baguette and sourdough, interesting…
As for student discounts, we do offer a 25% discount to college students (regardless of school attended). Spread the word…
We are working on training our staff to be quicker and more on the ball. Unfortunately finding incredible, competent employees has been much harder than we anticipated.
If you know someone looking for work, please send them our way.
Thanks to all that have taken the time to offer your view. I come here often to read your comments and affect change where I can.
Stacey Calcano
I was soooo happy a few months ago to see the sign go up stating that Cafe Largo was coming back (with friends at that). I often enjoyed lunches there a few years ago and was sad to see it close. I took my mother there for her birthday and till this day she mentions that dinner and how great the food and environment was. Like my mother, I enjoy dinner and good conversation with out the LOUD music blasting in the background.
I just wanted to say that I am excited to see that someone cared enough to invest in building something worth while in a community that for so long has been overlooked. My co-worker and I had the pleasure of meeting Marc a few years ago during our lunch breaks and I always found him to be pleasant, involved in the community and the service was always great. I wish him and his family many blessings with every endeavor. I’ll make it a point to stop in this weekend!
God Bless!
Cafe Largo represents to me much more than just a restaurant. It is as some of you mentioned, a catalyst of brand(s) entering Harlem, but more importantly, it defines the new culture:
I met Mark about 9 years ago as the first Cafe Largo opened, and I was intrigued by the restaurant, but more intrigued by the family that supported its’ efforts. Most of you that visited the restaurant before remember seeing a family working hard at fulfilling a service that most could not fulfill, but this family like the family-businesses of the past, were trying (desperately) to succeed…
I ate there twice a week, and I got to know Mark very well. Unfortunatly, I often argued with Mark about random topics, but throughout those discussions, I discovered a good man, and someone I would later consider a great friend.
I realize my comments may be deemed or viewed as personal, but most of our invested time and money is personal and our investments require us to invest into products or ideas that we believe in: I found this discussion through a search engine that I believe in; I am very heavily invested in this engine (Google, and I’ve made a lot of money in it)…
Frequent this restaurant, get to know the people, enjoy the food and invest in what you believe in… and to the gentlemen that was offended by something Mark said, I would encourage you to go contact the restaurant and have him clarify.
To the rest of you (Brad, Hugo, JD, JL, Julian, Sara and Claudia), you are the new culture; you found this page!
God Bless!
I am excited to see places like Vinegar Hill in the neighborhood, so I went in today to grab some lunch.
The services was slllooooowww. I mean, I stood there for a good five minutes before anybody standing behind the counter even turned aound to look at me (this is 12-2pm during the week, which I expect to be busy but I was one of two people when I ordered). Finally, I ordered a sandwich and had to listen while the two guys, one wearing some odd sunglasses, discussed how they were mad about not getting a break. They continued to have an inappropriate conversation while one of the guys slowly prepared my sandwich. The menu suggested I got a choice of bread, but I was never asked.
The girl at the register was very nice, though, and I will probably eat here again but would appreciate more courteous service. I believe Hugo mentioned the same above.
When Largo first came on the scene I remember thinking what’s something this nice doing uptown?Today that question seems out of place as Harlem has had its share of new restaurants, bars, and chain stores pop up over the last couple years. But when Largo opened its doors four years ago…it was an oasis amidst a desert. Truth is when Largo opened it was a perfect conduit for us neighborhood folks, city college students, and columbia students who at that point had just begun exploring places north of 124th street in visible numbers. For reasons not too clear to me, Largo closed after a relativelly short time.
Up until about a year a half ago all that was left of Cafe Largo’s memory was a white piece cardboard paper plastered on the front door that read “returnoflargo@aol.com”. I walked by that sign year after year saying, “Doesn’t seem likely.” Then last year almost like a mirage in the desert, planks of plywood started to envelope the space of the former restaurant. Another oddity was that the plywood also covered two otherwise defunct, empty retail spaces to the left of Largo. As if answering my plea for more info, mock-up signs were propped up at marquee level announcing that two new businesses were going to materialize in those other spaces. Namely, Vinegar Hill and Tres Pasos. As the year went by I would see some workers and would ask questions about when the businesses were opening. Vinegar Hill and Tres Pasos made their debut this year with great reviews online and through word of mouth on the street. But as good as that was, I was obsessed with the opening of Cafe Largo. I remember inquiring in January and being told it was opening sometime in March. That brings us to the present.
Last week I emailed Stacey Calcano, one of the owners, and asked her when the big day was. She emailed me within minutes that opening day was March 30th, but that there was a pre-opening cocktail party to which I was invited. You cannot imagine how ecstatic I was! I honestly had never been to such an event. I brought along my brother and a friend. We showed up round 7PM and there were a host of important looking people all over. I was a bit intimidated at first but was then quickly reassured by the fact that…this is my backyard! I live just two blocks away.lol. A major plus was meeting our very own D.Bell from uptownflavor! It was cool being picked off the food line by her…lol. So I started to make a visual survey of the new digs. The place looked sexy as hell! They expanded all the way to the back of the building with a partial view of the sky as well as the back allleys that run in between residential buildings. I know what you’re thinking…not much of a view. Perhaps, but for someone who grew up on those streets it was a journey down memory lane. I remember as a kid running through those back alleys. It was an entirely other world down there. As far as decor goes the exposed brick walls looked awesome and did not seemed forced. Candles were were dispersed all over the walls quite tastefully. The chilled vibe was definitely in effect.
Ok…so how about the food? They had set up a small food line where you would get your plate and select from the different items. I am personally of the “one-of-each” school of thought so I helped myself to all of it. They had personal-sized pizzas which were delicious. There was a scrumptuous, juicy roast whose perfection was only rivaled by Brazilian steakhouses! The chicken (i think it’s marsailles) was divine! There were also pastelitos whose flaky texture and perfect seasoning made me go for seconds, thirds, fourths even! There was plenty of alcohol to keep everyone happy until the wee hours. Everything was perfect that night. I was greeted by Marc and Stacey Calcano who were the driving forces behind Largo’s inception. Despite the fanfare of a “grand opening” they seemed quite comfortable behaving like a normal family. Stacey performed an improptu macarena dance duo with her daughter as the night wound down.
Fast forward to the next day…opening night! My brother and I made our way to Largo (officially this time..lol). They had set up their tables to cover just the the first portion of the restaurant. I’m assuming this was done because either the rest of the tables had not arrived yet or to gauge how many people were going to show up. When I walked in, all the tables were full! Everyone seemed to be enjoying their meals. As good as this was for business, it meant there were no tables for me or for a group of five who had gotten there before my brother and me.lol. The wait wasn’t bad…about 15-18 minutes. One thing took me by surprise.There only seemed to be one waitress for what looked like 40-50 people (may have been more). I even noticed Stacey C. running around picking up plates. It seemed when my brother and I arrived the load was too much for the one waiter. Plus, the table we were seated at was wedged in a corner and making eye contact with the waitress proved a bit difficult. After waiting a while, the waitress finally made it our way and and quite apologetically took our order. Shortly after, Stacey, and then her husband came by to apologize for the wait which i was very grateful for given how busy the night was. Apparently several staff who were scheduled to show up (including their headlining chef) had either cancelled or not shown up. No stranger to setbacks, Stacey got busy making rounds to different tables distributing desert menus and making sure everyone’s meal was ok. In addition to those kinks, the restaurant had not yet gotten their liquor license but (in a rare move) they offered the patrons the option of bringing their own alcohol from the outside to have with their food. They even offered to open the bottles for them which I thought was classy.
I ordered Chicharrones de Pollo (“fried, lightly breaded boneless chicken” is my best translation) with roasted vegetables. Having grown up in a spanish household I must say the chicharrones were amazingly juicy and flawlessly seasoned , which sad to say, is something my own mother couldn’t pull off! Sorry, mom! The roasted vegetables were awesome. It included eggplant, yellow peppers, and mushrooms. All in all it was quite a pleasant night. When it was time to receive the check, the waitress told me the meal was on the house. I was stunned. Even though we had waited to get seated and have our order taken, I knew that given the circumstances this was to be expected and hence I took it in stride. But to have them perform such a gesture just further confirmed why I fell in love with Largo in the first place.They handled what would normally amount to be a debilitating situation with an impressive amount of grace and class. I’m sure that over the next month or two everything will fall into place better. However, this should not deter anyone from coming and having a great time.This is definitely my new Friday night spot!
While I have not been to Cafe Large yet, I am planning on eating there very soon.
As for Vinegar Hill, I absolutely love their food and the prices are very fair which is important for this neighborhood which is filled with lower economic families and LOTS of students. The Pizza, muffins, breads, cinnamon rolls, side dishes (like Pesto mashed potatoes), and entrees (such as BBQ chicken, fried catfish fillets, salmon) have all been delicious. Keep up the good work!
I would highly recommend that that owner offer a student discount and advertise at Manhattan School of Music, Jewish Theological Seminary, COLUMBIA, Barnard, and any other colleges in that area around 110-122nd street. I would even try to advertise at any college along the 1 train line. The area is especially filled with musicians, so I would look ato Juilliard and Mannes to distribute menu’s or coupons. A lot of people not living in dormitory housing live on the West Side from 135-145, or at least end up passing through to visit friends.
AS for Tres Pasos, I am not thrilled with their food. Between 139 and 140 there is a restaurant on the West side of Broadway that has superior food for almost half the price, they also have burritos that are almost double in size. Also, their menu is MUCH greater than Tres Pasos.
The restaurant I am speaking of is not the only good place to get a Burrito or other similar item, there are LOTS of good places like that in the area, thus I think Tres Pasos will be the weak link in this trio of places to eat.
The storefront is beautiful, and I am sure it is helping to attract people; however, I have to agree with previous posts about the service. Sometimes people are a bit crude. Without the customer, these people don’t have jobs, and they should show their appreciation by being courteous and respectful. Also, they are not very knowledgeable. I went in for a loaf of sourdough, I made sure to ask the gentleman behind the counter twice if he was sure that it was a sourdough loaf and not just white bread, he didn’t seem to be 100% sure, but I decided to trust that he knew what kind of bread he was selling. It was not sourdough… and this happened to me a second time. I no longer buy bread at Vinegar Hill, I instead give my business to Fairway Markets who have an excellent selection of artisan breads from NYC baking establishments. While I would like to support the local business, I can’t trust them for bread and have told my friends in the area not to trust them either.
I have been to Vinegar Hill numerous times and am continually impressed by the friendly service. I have rarely been this pleased by both the quality of the food and customer service anywhere in NYC. I’m serious that the people there are just SO NICE. I love it.
Julian,
My apologies for your experience. Please write me at vinegarhill3385@aol.com with the exact night you’re referring to and I’ll speak with the employees. Also, I hope you called about your pizza and received a credit.
Actually the big problem with Vinegar Hill may just be as the former reviewer stated that they are employing locally and not training their staff correctly.
I live down the block and was very happy to see Vinegar Hill open however the staff are really in need of some serious training.
The other night when I went in the male employees were having a very loud and crude conversation that would have scared off anyone interested in a Veggie Grill specialty sandwich.
Then I went home and ordered one of their Meatlovers brick oven pizzas only to have it delivered upside down, what a mess!!!
Vinegar Hill has great eats but it just isn’t going to work if you have the wrong technique or employees for that matter…
I have 3 words for Vinegar Hill, Tres Pasos and Cafe Largo: Delicious, Delectible and Divine! This is the trinity of gourmet delights, each bringing a unique and delicious dining experience. The tacos at Tres Pasos are amazing; the culinary selection at Vinegar Hill is thoughtful and very well prepared. Importantly, the prices are affordable and much less than comparable quality foods from other eateries. I particularly liked the macaroni and cheese triangles which were pure heaven-a delicate golden crisp on the outside with a tender and cheesy inside. The home baked hot cross cinnamon buns are also amazing with their sweet explosion of delicious pastry, icing and cinnamon. There are so many delicious choices…I can’t wait to go back and try them all.
I had the good fortune to walk into the inviting and beautiful new Vinegar Hill Restaurant. Not being familiar with the neighborhood, this storefront was the most appealing on the entire strip for blocks in either direction. It was amazing…the food is superb; fresh and delicious and beautifully displayed. THe pizzas were outstanding…crispy crust with all sorts of savory toppings. The chocolate fudge cookies are rich, chocolatey and chewy and delicious. My son went crazy for them. THe staff is very friendly, helpful and knowledgable. VInegar Hill is an oasis of tempting and delightful foods. I am a very discerning coffee drinker and their cafe con leche is superb. Thank goodness this outpost has opened in our neighborhood!
Vingar Hill is part of a trio of new businesses opening up on 137th Street and Broadway. A couple years ago a former cop turned restaurant owner opened up a restaurant/bar/lounge named Cafe Largo. It was actually one of the few pioneer businesses to open up in Harlem before the advent of all the new chic lounges and restaurants that have made their way uptown. It was a success all around. It was always full and everyone had great things to say about it. About 2-3 years ago, Cafe Largo closed for renovations. They were held up in disputes with the landlord about certain modifications to the space. Then last year the renovation process went into full gear. I live just 2 blocks down so I always took a peek into the process. Along with the reopening of Largo, two new business were added right next door to it. One is Tres Pasos, a tex-mex takeout place and Vinegar Hill which is a bread market and gourmet eatery. Tres Pasos and Vinegar Hill made their debut this Monday. Cafe Largo itself will reopen in April according to the owner. That’s just a little background on everything.
So I decided to visit Vinegar Hill as I have a certain loyalty to Jesus Taco (read my review) for tex-mex. One cool thing I noticed when I walked in was that I actually recognized one of the employees. She grew up in my neighborhood. That kind of made things a bit more personal and showed to me that the owner did not overlook employing locally.
Then I started making a visual survey of the grounds. First, they have a huge ass kitchen. It literally takes up half the space. I later learned that this kitchen is shared by tVinegar Hill and the tres pasos place next door. It still was incredibly large. This isn’t a sit-in type place. It’s all takeout. I helped myself to a couple samples of one of their gourmet pizzas. It was delicious. I ended up buying a piece and scarfing it down while I looked at their sweets
I ended buying this quite soft and chewable oatmeal brownie (if that makes any sense). It seemed to be fused together by some kind of fruit like guava but not quite. I was in bliss after I ate it! It was so chewy…so sweet! I definitely had never tasted anything quite like it. Top points for sweet stuff.
There was a lady that seemed like the manager and she was very interested in knowing how I liked it everything. I licked my fingers in front of her. She got the message! The employees there seemed quite nice. I picked up a copy of the menu. The menu said they will be delivering in March. I know that it is in its infantile stages but I liked what I saw and most importantly loved what I was tasting. The prices on the menu also seem very comfortable which will bode well with the folks living there locally. This place gets a thumbs up so far. I’m definitely returning there to get the full expereince and buy some bread, some pizza, and a host of treats for all my friends to taste test. For now…this place rocks. Between this place and the upcoming Cafe Largo I couldn’t be happier.
Tres Pesos and Vinegar Hill Gourmet are now open. Great news for the neighborhood!!!
I wanted to take this opportunity to let everyone know Cafe Largo’s reopening is nearer than ever. Tres pasos and Vinegar Hill should be opening some time this week. The revamped Largo is slated to reopen beginning of April. I am fortunate enough to live just 2 blocks away so i have been following up the rebuilding process quite closely. I for one was extremely grateful when Largo first opened its doors a couple years ago.
How could you say such a thing about Marc. I have know him for years, reaching before his time with NYPD and have never heard him utter such a word or behave in any sort of abusive manner to anyone. To state another fact he has received many citations and awards for cummunity service throughout Manhattan and has an impecible police record which you would find if you actually search the real and existing police records.
CAFE LARGO — 3387 Broadway, near 137th Street; (212) 862-8142.
I thought that the geographical boundaries of Harlem was/is 110th to 155th street, from the East river to the Hudson River. Now it appears that Harlem now runs from East 96th street north to 181st street, east river to the Hudson.
Lets stop using the Newspapers boundaries and start using the original boundaries.