New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [227]
HARLEM
For more adventurous eating, head up to Harlem for the city’s best southern cooking. This is a neighborhood that takes pride in its cooking, and in addition to plates of collard greens, mac ’n cheese and smothered chicken, an infusion of wine bars, restaurants, and lounges is changing the landscape. This is where renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson now lives and recently opened his high-profile restaurant, Red Rooster, helping to encourage the beginning of a new Harlem dining renaissance.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.
$ | BARBECUE | New York’s reputation for inferior barbecue improved instantly when John Stage opened the third outpost of his Syracuse-based joint in 2004, installing it in a riverside meatpacking warehouse in Harlem. Now Dinosaur has moved a block away to a larger location with capacious bar seating perfect for downing a plate of knockout wings and a tall beer. Here the city’s friendliest waitstaff serves piled-high plates of pulled pork, ribs, chicken, and brisket. A well-stocked bar corrals the Columbia students and worn-out shoppers from the nearby Fairway supermarket. | 646 W. 131st St., at 12th Ave., Harlem | 10027-7948 | 212/694–1777 | www.dinosaurbarbque.com | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Subway: 1 to 125th St.
Red Rooster Harlem.
$$ | AMERICAN | Chef Marcus Samuelsson has fulfilled a longtime dream of opening an uptown restaurant—and hopes to spark a foodie’s Harlem Renaissance. Red Rooster is an homage to Samuelsson’s polyglot history—he’s of Ethiopian descent, was raised by Swedish parents, and earned his culinary stripes in New York City—and a welcome addition to the Harlem dining scene. Try to get seated in the light-filled upstairs room, with its distinctive round bar bustling open kitchen in back, and works from local artists on the wall. The food is a love letter to Saumelsson’s birthplace and adoptive homes—the nut mix on the bar includes crisped bits of Ethiopian injera bread, fennel-laced, house-cured gravlax that would make any Swedish mother proud, and a fried “yardbird” features enough crunch to please regulars at soul-food classic Sylvia’s next door. Expect a wait for Sunday brunch, which features gospel music and boozy, strong cocktails, and modern takes on dishes like chicken and waffles. | 310 Lenox Ave., between 125th and 126th Sts., Harlem | 10027 | 212/92-9001 | www.redroosterharlem.com | AE, MC, V | Subway: 2,3 to 125th St.
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Main Table of Contents
THE SCENE
Where Should I Stay?
Hotel Hot Spots
Romantic Retreats
Kids in Tow
Lodging Alternatives
Planner
HOTELS BY NEIGHBORHOOD
Financial District
TriBeCa
SoHo
East Village
Lower East Side
Chelsea
Greenwich Village
Meatpacking District
Flatiron District
Gramercy Park
Murray Hill
Union Square
Midtown West
Midtown East
Upper East Side
Upper West Side
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Table of Contents
Where Should I Stay? | Hotel Hot Spots | Romantic Retreats | Kids in Tow | Lodging Alternatives | Planner
Updated by Adeena Sussman
It’s still a buyer’s market for hotels here in New York. But does that mean that New York is cheap? Not exactly. Deals are plentiful if you’re not set on a specific property. With occupancy down across the city, hotels are slashing rates—especially if you’re willing to wait until the last minute. That said, if you want to stay in a specific place and the rate seems reasonable, book it—it’s just as likely to go up, especially during peak seasons (spring and fall).
And how to choose? Well, the first thing to consider is location. Many New York City visitors insist on staying in the hectic Midtown area—and options are improving here—but other neighborhoods are often just as convenient. Less touristy areas, such as Gramercy, the Lower East Side, the Upper West Side—even