Harlem is changing so much! I have always liked it up there; but it’s getting more interesting by the month! The food scene is developing quite nicely, with tried-and-trues continuing to feed the people, and new places starting to pop up here and there. I don’t usually see that many blogs or instagram posts about the delightful restaurants uptown, so I want to make sure they get their moment in the sun! Below read about some of the places I recently dined at, I loved them all for different reasons. …
Cove Lounge
Happy Hour? Ladies Night? Yes please. These time withstanding concepts are still key here, and I love it. I stopped by on a Tuesday evening, and right around 7pm a DJ showed up and started playing R & B tunes I haven’t heard in a while, I found myself singing along, and feeling instant relief from the weekday stress.
Food? A long list of traditional plates, reimagined with a twist is looking just right, ready to accompany the armada of delicious cocktails. Items off the menu I have tried are: the New England Style Lobster Roll, Roasted Broccoli with Garlic Butter and Cove Spice, the (amazing) Crispy Cove Wings with Honey Hoisin Sauce, Truffled Romano Fries (delicious), and my favorite were the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with Mango Salsa and a most amazing Creole Remoulade. I had a blast here, and the food was super delicious!
For more info on the Cove Lounge click here
Lolo’s Seafood Shack
If you know me, then you have heard me complaining about the lack of seafood in New York City. There’s a lot of it, but being that we’re as close to the ocean as New England, Baltimore and other East Coast cities with famous seafood, I always think we can do better. Lolo’s Seafood Shack does better. It’s a “Hole in the Wall” kind of places, which can have the best of the best available for insiders and foodies. You order your food right as you walk in, take a number, and have a seat in the back. In the warmer summer months you get to sit in the backyard on colorful wooden benches. It’s truly a hidden gem.
Not too long ago I visited with my daughter, on a warm afternoon, and we had some pretty sweet food! We had Crabby Dip with Plantain Chips, a Fish Fry Basket with the most delectable tartar sauce, and 1 pound of Snow Crab Legs from the Seafood Boils menu. This place is super casual with some seriously good food.
For more info on Lolo’s Seafood Shack click here
R.O.K.C.
When a new friend recommended a Ramen restaurant up in Harlem, I was immediately game. She is a chef, and I trust a chef’s judgment. R.O.K.C. is another “Hole in the Wall”, and I expected good food, but I was happily surprised that it exceeded all my expectations. First off, the cocktails are out of control. Yes, delicious, but holy smokes, I’ve never seen anything that creative. They come in frozen red peppers, light bulbs, they smoke like a chimney, smell like church. Totally awesome. Our appetizer was a plate of mussels with, get ready, beer and cotton candy. I was hesitant, but I love new things, so I tried it, and it was unbelievably good. Our ramen were Kyoto with pork belly and egg, and Sapporo with Chicken Chashu, corn and bean sprouts. Everything here was extraordinary, and guess what? I’ll be back!
For more info on R.O.K.C. click here
