New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [182]
SPOTLIGHT ON THE UPPER WEST SIDE/HARLEM
Anchoring the dining experience in this section of town are the high-end restaurants at the Time Warner Center, which some call a “fine-dining food court.” Head farther uptown for cheaper eats, but also a burgeoning gourmet dining scene.
With Lincoln Center theatergoers, hungry shoppers, and visitors to Central Park nearby, chefs are finally waking up to the captive built-in audience of tourists and locals alike. The main avenues are indeed lined with restaurants, but until recently many of them have been mediocre. Now the better-known destination-dining spots beyond the Time Warner Center—among them Jean Georges, Picholine, Telepan, and Dovetail—have been joined by newcomers like Salumeria Rossi, Fatty Crab, and Ed’s Chowder, all second or third restaurants from well-known chefs. Brunch is still a good bet, too. The flaky scones and fluffy omelets at Sarabeth’s, not to mention blintzes and bagels at Barney Greengrass, are worth seeking out. For more adventurous eating, head up to Harlem for the city’s best southern cooking.
HIDDEN GEM
Fairway Supermarket is a neighborhood institution, living up to its reputation for great prices on gourmet products—and shopping-cart jockeying down the narrow aisles. Upstairs, though, is the respite of Fairway Café (2127 Broadway, between 74th and 75th Sts. | 212/944–9555), a large, brick-walled room with windows overlooking Broadway. Up front you can grab a pastry and coffee to go, but there’s a full menu of fairly priced entrées as well. The place is run by Mitchell London, who’s known for his juicy, well-marbled steaks—try the rib eye and you may never go back to Brooklyn’s Peter Luger steak house again.
WHAT’S HOT IN HARLEM
Visitors in decades past may remember Harlem as an area scarred by crime and poverty. But times have changed: the Harlem of today is a vibrant community with excellent restaurants of all stripes. The bottom line? Harlem’s ethnic eats are worth the trip.
Here are our top picks for savoring the multicultural flavor of the neighborhood:
Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too (366 W. 110th St., near Manhattan Ave. | 212/865–6744) is a much-loved southern spot that’s known for its friendly staff as well as its fried chicken, grits, and cornbread. Local politicians are sometimes seen rubbing elbows with the Columbia University students who gather here.
Native (161 Lenox Ave., at 118th St. | 212/665–2525) is a mildly Caribbean restaurant serving flavorful rice bowls and entrées that span a broad range of cuisines. Boasting a curry chicken, smoked salmon linguine, and Moroccan fried chicken with collard greens and mashed potatoes, this eatery manages to be all over the map and still find its way.
Sylvia’s (328 Lenox Ave., near 127th St. | 212/996–0660): This Harlem mainstay has been serving soul-food favorites like smothered chicken, barbecue ribs, collard greens, and mashed potatoes to a dedicated crowd of locals, tourists, and college students since 1962. The food is so popular that owner Sylvia Woods bottles her signature sauces and spices for the masses, available for purchase at the restaurant and online.
AND FOR DESSERT …
A big cookie for the big city. Completely unpretentious and utterly delicious, Levain Bakery’s (167 W. 74th St., near Amsterdam Ave. | 212/874–6080) cookies are rich and hefty. In fact, they clock in at 6 ounces each! Choose from the chocolate-chip walnut, dark-chocolate chocolate chip, dark-chocolate peanut-butter chip, or oatmeal raisin. Batches are baked fresh daily, and they taste best when they’re warm and melty right out