I surprised myself by accompanying my friend Susan to The Seasoned Vegan up in Harlem on the corner of St. Nicholas and 113th Street. We laughed about it because cruising a vegan restaurant is rarely my first thought. It turned out to be not only good but crowded (in a good way), energized, and really fun. Once we were out on the street, we felt invigorated, sort of like after seeing a good play.
On the inside, another group of diners was celebrating a birthday. Well, the staff - maybe 6 people - came out with a tiny candlelit cake, then launched into the Happy Birthday chorus of Stevie Wonder's homage to Martin Luther King! I was blown away! They danced. They sang. It went on and on. They found a groove. They stuck with it!
Same thing with the food. I had a Harlem Chopped Cheeseburger, it was very good, and I would order it again. A real, street version Chopped Cheese is something you can’t get in a real restaurant; you need to go into one of those joints called ‘Gourmet Deli’, or some place like that, and it will probably be way uptown, or maybe in Brooklyn or Queens.
Here's a really 'white' take on chopped cheese. By the way, a chopped cheese is a real New York sandwich. And here is a charming video about 'Love what you do", featuring the staff of the restaurant. Here is a new review in the NY Times. No reservations. Take-out is available. Menu.
Find your way with 308 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
Their prices are in keeping with the neighborhood: a plate of two eggs, two pancakes, 'home' fried potatoes and your choice of sausages or bacon, is $12.
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"Heckscher Field" in Central Park, New York, is used for softball. Here you can see games played for the Broadway Show League. Celebrity stars may be seen.
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This sun soaked park bench is a destination neighborhood residents know, spending time there in observation. It’s one of the more fabulous NYC stages.
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Among its offerings are a $10 breakfast special and its enormous $15 lunchtime hamburger, a price unobtainable anywhere else within walking distance.
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"Monumental Women" has erected this monument in Central Park, NYC to especially important figures in the United States women's equality movement...
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"Der Krung" in Hell's Kitchen in New York City is by far my favorite Thai place around. One of the best things about it is the $9.75 lunch special...
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Taco toppings include cheese (Cotijam, oaxaca and mozzarella), pineapple, jalapeños and pico de gallo. Norteñas & Cubanos sandwiches are not to be missed.
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"Dinastia" is a great Cuban-Chinese restaurant in New York City. They definitely make soul food here. Consider the squid and rice: it's always good...
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"Studio Museum in Harlem" in New York focuses on local, national and international artists of African descent and other work inspired by black culture...
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Its bright neon sign is easy to spot. Stand Up NY feels like a proper theater as it has a street-level entrance and the programming is mad extensive,
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