The "It's All Relative" Cast Brunch at City Crab

Sooooo…..After spending all day Friday getting my nephew settled in at college, I had oh like….a 4 hour catnap and then I had to be back up at 6am to make the drive back to Newport Centre Mall to return my rental truck by 8am.  I got out of the house at about 6:45am and drove down the West Side Highway to go through the Holland Tunnel to get to Jersey.  I pulled up to the rental place at about 7:30am and all was well.  I got a credit (which is always nice) because I paid for an E-Z pass reader and then got to the GWB and realized that they forgot to put it in my car.  I walked back through the empty mall and sleepily made my way to the PATH train.  I picked up what looked to be a very delicious breakfast creation fresh out of the oven and a cup of coffee and settled in for the train ride back to NYC.  I excitedly opened my breakfast creation and took a bite only to find it was dry and tasteless as hell.  I took a second bite just make sure I wasn’t dreaming (I wasn’t) and put it away to dispose of when I got back to NYC.  Is it me or do the PATH stations deliberately not have trash receptacles because eating is prohibited? (Um…I found this out when I saw the sign posted at the 33^rd Street station).  Anywhoo…my coffee was delicious.  I took an uptown bound D train and was truly dreaming of the EPIC NAP I was going to take when I got back home.  I got in around 9am, set my alarm for 12 noon and quickly fell asleep.

My alarm went off and I got up and jumped in the shower to try to wake myself up for the cast brunch that playwright Kimberly “Q” was hosting for the cast of her new play “It’s All Relative”.  The Brunch was being held at City Crab, one of my favorite NYC seafood spots downtown on Park Avenue South. 

I took the back of the A Train to 14^th Street, took the 16^th Street exit and was immediately jolted back into time by the memory of all of the fantastic birthday parties I had for myself at Rebar Lounge back in the day.  That whole block of old buildings was razed and I barely recognized it now.  But the memories still came anyway.  I took a brief taxi ride across town and when I arrived, Q was waiting at the bar for me.  She informed me that most of the cast had canceled due to prior commitments, so it was just going to be me, her & my cast mate (and fellow Pisces) Gha’il.  We decided to take the booth in the back on the main level and Q ordered a carafe of Grapefruit Mimosas

while we waited for Gha’il & surprise guest WRKS-FM Quiet Storm Host Lenny Green who was coming through for a few late birthday cocktails. Gha’il arrived shortly after we were seated and we just drank, feasted on Lobster Mac & Cheese (SO GOOD) and talked until Lenny arrived.  Q hit me over the head with the news that my beloved City Crab was closing on Sunday (WHAT???) and The Bubble Lounge downtown had already gone out of business a few months earlier.  We both agreed that NYC was (is) steadily losing its “flavor” and for the first in my life I have actually contemplated living somewhere else.

Lenny finally arrived and joined us at our booth.  I think we may have been working on our second carafe of Mimosa’s when he sat down.  I watched him as he greeted Gha’il for the first time and I just KNEW he was going to extend his hand to me like we had never met before (because he NEVER recognizes me without my makeup and when I am wearing my glasses) I gave him the evil eye and smacked his hand away and gave him a hug.  When he sat down I quickly brought him up to speed on how many times he’s met me and how many mutual friends we have….lol.  

The four of us had a lively discussion over more Lobster Mac & Cheese, Seared Ahi Tuna (You KNOW that was mine right?) Calamari and a Lobster (or crab…I can’t remember) Burger (Gha’il) and a Lobster Omelet (which ol Bougie azz Q ordered…lol).

It was a really wonderful afternoon….so wonderful that we didn’t want to leave and tried to order a FOURTH carafe of mimosas AFTER we had already paid our bill.  The Manager bribed us by offering to buy us another round of mimosas if we gave up our booth and moved to the bar (which we did).  Lenny had already left us by the time we got to the bar. 

Gha' fell in love with the bracelet I was wearing and I fell in love with this beautiful butterfly ring that she was wearing.  She suggested that we switch accessories and we could switch back the next time we were together.  I agreed and the ring quickly became my new favorite piece of jewelry!  Gha’il left after that last mimosa at the bar and Q and I sat at the bar making new friends with the ladies seated to our right.  One of them gifted me with a drink that had Gin, Lemonade & Prosecco in it (it was yummy!) when I looked up it was 7:00pm and I knew I had to get out of there to get home, get changed and make my way back downtown for the final event of the evening….Gwen DeVoe’s Private Birthday Celebration at Studio Arte. 

Q and I took a taxi uptown and I dropped her off….and I won’t deny it….I was LIT!!! I haven’t hung out with Q in a very long time and I am going to make sure that it won’t happen again (as in taking years to get together).

Thanks Q for a wonderful afternoon mama, I really enjoyed hanging out with you again!  PISCES RULE!!! Love you!

CHANGING FACE OF HARLEM....A DOCUMENTARY FILM BY SHAWN BATEY

Yesterday, I decided to ring up my mom and see if she was interested in attending a screening of a documentary film about Harlem with me.  The film is called "Changing Face of Harlem" and it was directed and produced by my neighbor (and friend) Shawn Batey.

Mom said yes and we decided that we would meet at the venue, which was All Souls Episcopalian Church on St. Nicholas Avenue.  I selected a cute pair of summer slacks in a black/white/yellow print that I had recently copped from an Ashley Stewart Sample Sale and I paired that with a yellow v-neck tee shirt and my old reliable pewter sandals.  Mom arrived via taxi all done up in pale pink and white.  

We made our way to the basement (mom rode the lift and I walked down carrying her walker) and took our seats.  The film which I think was a little over an hour long covered the early beginnings of Harlem and her heyday, the white flight, the heroin years and eventually the black flight during the crack cocaine years.  It brought us all the way up to 2012 when the film ended with the battle to keep the culture and the color in Harlem and the eventual gentrification that's happening currently.

After the film there was a lively discussion about what we watched and how folks felt about what they viewed and what is happening today.  There was quite a bit of diversity in the group that viewed the film with us and the Q&A segment was most enjoyable for both me and my mom.  It's a really great film and if you get a moment, please try to get out and see it, I guarantee you will enjoy it.  Check out their website for info on upcoming screenings and dvd information here: http://changingfaceofharlem.com/  

Nice work Shawn!  Thanks for inviting us, i'm glad I could finally make it!

Here is the trailer for the film:

Mom was getting antsy because she was hungry so we decided to make our way outside to look for a place to eat.  We narrowed our choices down to Amy Ruth's and Billie's Black.  My mom had never been to Billie's Black before so I suggested she try something new because I have been frequently and I always enjoy myself there.

The owner Adriane Ferguson was outside when our taxi pulled up and she greeted us with a smile and a hug once we got seated.  My mom remembered her instantly from us all being seated at the same table at Eda Francois & Crystal Smith's wedding reception last September.  We also passed on our condolences as we had learned just before arriving that she (Adriane) had recently lost her father.
We chatted for a few moments and then she had to leave.  We decided to go with the Sampler Platter with a side of mac & cheese and collard greens and the Ox Tails.  I am really funny about potato salad (not everyone makes it in a manner that I find to be edible) so I asked our server if I could have a spoonful to taste....(I have done this many times in the past when potato salad is on the menu and I NEVER have a problem with the chef allowing me to taste it first rather wasting a whole order by sending it back because I don't like it).  This did not happen on this particular occasion and I will only say that this particular chef/cook absolutely ruined our dining experience with her horrible attitude and I will leave it at that.  

After we paid our bill, we caught a taxi to the Bronx where we chatted for a bit, I made sure mom was comfortable and resting then I made my way back to Manhattan via the bus (I LOVE the bus y'all....don't ask me why....I just do!) as I was waiting for the connecting bus to take me home, I got a text from my friend Tonya alerting me that she was in my hood and I should come by and get a plate of food and birthday cake from Make My Cake to take home.  So I took a taxi over to 136th Street and met Tonya at the most FABU townhouse near the Schomburg Museum.  I met her family, had a nightcap and hung out for bit..... all the while salivating over of all things....their refrigerator (don't ask).  Tonya dropped me off at home where I had a glass of Sweet Red and wound up watching James Bond movies until about 2am....when I finally made myself go to sleep.

It was a great Saturday afternoon and I love hanging out with my mama!


"My mother's wonderful. To me she's perfection." - Michael Jackson

My beloved Hudson River Cafe has closed.....

This news comes via the Harlem + Bespoke Blog

Word on the street has it that The Hudson River Cafe (located behind the Fairway Market) has closed.  This is most unfortunate as I loved the brunches & the live bands that played there....I even sang there once (courtesy of Petawane & Bill Foster pulling a fast one on me...lol).  There was always a really cool vibe there.  The last time I was there I was with Marco Mays & Morris Grey....we had a blast.

Perhaps another restaurant will open there....it was (is) a really cool location....sigh....

For the full deets go here:  http://harlembespoke.blogspot.com/

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.    ~Anatole France

Tavern on the Green to close on Dec. 31st...

Tavern on the Green, a restaurant located in Central Park on the Upper West Side of New York City, is counting its last days of operation as the 1934 restaurant will serve its last meals on the 31st of December....(Uh..yeah...that would be TOMORROW!)

click here to get the rest of the dirt!

Not for anything....when I was a kid growing up in East Harlem...EVERYBODY in the hood dreamed of having their "fairy tale" wedding (complete with horse drawn carriage) at Tavern on the Green!!! I mean we saw enough about it in the movies and of course if you had your wedding reception there...it definitely made the NY Times social pages!! Of course back in it's heyday, their admittance policy was VERY exclusive...so you KNOW that dream wasn't HARDLY happening for too many folks that looked like me...lol

Quiet as it's kept "we" did manage to infiltrate the red ropes on many occasions after the sun went down...(Encore Models to the floor please...lol)..back in the early 90's for some kick azz parties...and because it WAS Tavern on the Green...you HAD to be dressed your absolute best! It was a marvelous time to be young, black & vibrant in New York City and I will miss the institution itself dearly....For my generation it was THE epicenter of high society (white or black) and if you hadn't been there, you hadn't arrived.

I recently attended a party at Tavern on the Green over the summer and the evidence of it's decline was everywhere including the caliber of guests and the obvious lack of any real dress code. I knew it was over for them the minute I walked through the doors, gone were the days of high glamour and elegance; the sheer excitement of pulling up to the brightly lit up driveway was no longer there. The once familiar scent of money being in the air was non existent. The hallways that held memories of beautiful delicately colored ball gowns, tuxedos & dinner jackets were now cluttered with scantily clad women, young (and not-so-young), young men dressed like pimps with no sense of decorum on the dance floor. The dark, hot and sweaty party rooms reminded me of house parties from back in the day. The staff was polite but generally bristled if they actually had to talk to you. The garden area was still beautiful that summer evening and the chairs and tables were filled with couples who had come outside to get some air. From the outside it reminded me of a great big black people greenhouse with the windows all steamed up...lol.

Like I said...I knew it was the end of an era that night.

The Pink Teacup Restaurant to close on Jan 3, 2010

Word on the street is that famed The Pink Tea Cup Restaurant in Greenwich Village will serve it's last soul food meals on January 3, 2010. Dang! You won't be able to get a decent plate of Soul Food anywhere in NYC if we keep this ish up......

Check out the full story here

Real Men Who Cook comes to Mount Carmel Baptist Church

Do YOU know a brother who can THROW DOWN in the kitchen?? Have them call 646-620-2214 to sign up today!

NYC's Mice LOVE Junior's Cheesecake Too!!!! YUCK!

Did y'all see this mess on the news today? I KNEW there was a good reason I never liked those damn cheesecakes at Junior's...Lol...that crunchy black stuff they put on the bottom has ALWAYS reminded me of cat litter droppings....YUCK YUCK YUCK!!

A mouse at the Brooklyn Juniors Cheesecake Restaurant.

Forget cheese- these mice want cheesecake.

Fans of Junior's cheesecake got an unwelcome surprise over the weekend when photos that appear to show a mouse in the cake display at its flagship downtown Brooklyn location began multiplying across the Internet.

The eek-inducing images of the tiny vermin peering from between two cheesecakes and another of a mouse lounging between two trays were posted to the Web site Brooklynian.com Saturday afternoon by someone using the pseudonym "Rachel Rae."

"Rae" said a friend took them and posted on Facebook.

By Tuesday, the photos were picked up far and wide - sparking an outpouring of posts from Junior's cheesecake lovers.

Wanna read more? Go HERE

Ruby Foo's on 77th & Broadway now closed?

Morning fam!

Do my eyes deceive me? I just passed Ruby Foo's on 77th St & Broadway and saw that it is now closed. I am both shocked and saddened to hear of this but I'm pretty sure it's another sign of the dismal economic market.


This was one of my favorite spots....me & my homegirl Toccara usually stopped by here for cocktails and appetizers whenever she was in town.

I will miss it.....fortunately, the Times Square location appears to still be open & thriving!

Radio Perfecto on Amsterdam Ave CLOSED????

What Up Fam!

I just rode past Radio Perfecto restaurant on 118th St & Amsterdamn and saw from the bus that it is now closed. I held my "Return to The Annual Birthday Event" party there a few years ago and I had a blast! I was saddened to see it no longer there....the food was actually quite GOOD!

Wait! After a little bit of snooping I have found that there was some sort of MAJOR shooting in front of Radio Perfection last December and that incident ultimately led to their downfall....

To read the article about the shooting click HERE:

Wanna Come To My Birthday Party???

Hey Everybody!!!

My annual birthday party will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 (the day before my actual birthday) and I would love it if you'd all join me at Katra Lounge in Soho (217 Bowery btwn Prince & Rivington Sts) for a few hours after work to celebrate.

(Non-ya business how old I am...lol)

The party begins at 6pm and there are 2 for 1 drink specials until 7pm.

(I would get there early if I were YOU!!!)

Anyway, admission is free BUT there is a guest list and to get in you MUST BE ON IT....so save the date now and email your RSVP's to:

EMAIL YOUR RSVPS TO: BKLYNGURL@GMAIL.COM

OR FABWEDNESDAYS@DSEVENTSINC.COM

I hope to see you all there!

Gifts are not necessary (but...lol...I DO like them!)...but in case you want to know what I like (and don't)....take a look below:

Likes: Funky Hats in funky colors (love kangols), Silver Jewelry, perfume, funky bags and lip gloss (from MAC), books and dark chocolate, champagne & white wine (riesling is my fave).....

Dislikes: Lillies (those flowers with the pollen stems) VERY ALLERGIC!! they make my whole face go numb. Picture frames (don't dislike them...I just have enough at this time..)


So tell your friends and come on down and have a drink with me & my curvy divas for my birthday!

See you all on February 18th!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

The Rainbow Grill to close temporarily......

NEW YORK (AP) — The recession has reached the ritzy Rainbow Room, the special-occasion spot that overlooks midtown Manhattan from high above the tourist-attracting Rockefeller Center skating rink.

With business slowing and an ongoing lease dispute, the venue's Italian-themed Rainbow Grill restaurant plans to shutter as of Jan. 12, a spokesman said Saturday. Its bar, banquet space and the weekend dinner-dancing sessions that reflect its glamorous history will continue on the 65th floor.

"It's a very difficult decision to make, given the sort of status of the Rainbow Room as one of these quote-unquote New York City icons," said Ben Branham, a spokesman for the operators, the Cipriani restaurant empire. "The move is made, definitely, as one of protecting the venue."

He said it was unclear how long the restaurant would be closed. During the downturn after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the eatery — where a recent dinner menu ranged from a $28 rice pilaf to a $53 rib-eye steak — shifted to lighter fare for several months.

About 30 to 40 of the Rainbow Room's 120 workers would lose their jobs, said Branham. He didn't have figures on the extent of the slowdown but said there was still demand for the storied establishment.

"People still very much think of the Rainbow Room as a destination for special events and one that evokes a certain New York City charm," he said.

The Rainbow Room has symbolized cosmopolitan elegance since it opened in 1934, during the Great Depression. It is located above NBC's studios at Rockefeller Center, offering Art Deco ambiance and glittering vistas of the city skyline.

Generations of celebrities have performed and partied there. Frank Sinatra once showed up on the same night as Bob Dylan. Famously unruly Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards even donned a tie to see a Marianne Faithfull show there.

The venue's periodic dinner and dancing nights still call for suits and dresses — if not tuxedos and evening gowns — and feature a big-band orchestra.

The Cipriani family, which runs a roster of swank spots including Harry's Bar in Venice, has managed the Rainbow Room since 1998. The Ciprianis asked the city Landmarks Preservation Commission in August to give the Rainbow Room landmark status, amid negotiations over its lease.

The Ciprianis said landlord Tishman Speyer has had the venue appraised as office space worth $8.7 million a year in rent, more than twice the current rate.

A Tishman spokeswoman didn't immediately return a telephone call Saturday, but WNBC-TV reported Friday that a spokesman said the landlord had no plans to convert the space.

"As the rich consume more and more, they are clearly not going to want to downgrade their own status. " -Susan George

Restaurants continue to close in Harlem...

November 12, 2008, 1:55 pm

Stick a Fork in Harlem Soul Food? It Seems Done

By Timothy Williams

M&G Diner, famed for its fried chicken, has been closed since the summer.

(Photo: Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times)

As recently as 15 years ago, there were few dining options available in Harlem aside from soul food.

But the neighborhoods’ collection of soul food restaurants has long been dwindling — as tastes change, health concerns intensify and costs rise — and recent weeks have yielded yet more bad news.

M&G Diner, opened in 1968 and famed for its fried chicken — and a neon sign that reads, “Old Fashion’ But Good!” — closed for its annual July sabbatical this summer and has not reopened.
Louise’s Family Restaurant, opened in 1964, has been shuttered since it was ordered closed by the city health department in late summer. Charles’ Southern Style Kitchen, in business since 1977, also failed a city health inspection. It has been closed since last month.

The owner of Mobay, a popular spot on 125th Street near Fifth Avenue that serves healthy soul food-inspired dishes, declared bankruptcy last month, although it remains open. Sheron Barnes, the owner, has blamed layoffs among Harlem’s Wall Street employees for the slowdown at the restaurant, and has vowed to introduce lower-priced items to the menu, which has several entrees that cost more than $20.

Other survivors include Edmonds’ Cafe, Margie’s Red Rose Diner, Billie’s Black, Londel’s Supper Club, Sylvia’s and various branches of Manna’s.

The current economic downturn seems to be hitting Harlem businesses particularly hard. On some blocks of Frederick Douglass Boulevard, closed storefronts outnumber businesses that remain open.

On a nostalgic note: Am I the only one that remembers that the "Southern Fried Chicken - Old Fashioned But Good" neon sign was left behind when the old Southern Fried Chicken Restaurant (with the nasty pink RAW chicken!) was on that corner? M&G used to be a real tiny "greasy spoon" hole in the wall located across the street next door to LaGree Baptist Church. My mama used to bring their takeout home - even back then they had the best potato salad ever!

“We cook the kind of foods you eat at home. They're not fancy or complicated. Besides, you can't trust a skinny cook.”

Mo' Bay's Files For Chapter 11

Morning Family....

I just picked up this news from one of my favorite Harlem Blogs, UPTOWN Flavor (http://www.uptownflavor.com/) regarding the financial troubles over at Mo'Bay's...


MoBay Files for Chapter 11
Posted on October 29, 2008 by D. Bell

Last week we wrote about the closing of Baton Rouge, the sister restaurant to MoBay. Today, Crain’s has reported that MoBay could also be in danger of shuttering their doors. The beloved 125th Street destination has filed for Chapter 11 with the hope of reorganizing the business.


MoBay has always done brisk business and received rave reviews. The liability seemed to be with Baton Rouge. The location of Baton Rouge didn’t receive the same foot traffic as MoBay and the food was inconsistent at best. Perhaps filing Chapter 11 will give them a chance to regroup and hold on during the impending recession. The business is currently deep in the red with “$15,000 in assets and about $700,000 in liabilities.”


The owners noticed a major slowdown in August and blame the “young folks in Harlem.” They saw the biggest drop off in business in September when the Wall Streeters got laid off. Sheron Barnes, the co-owner of MoBay is making a number of changes:

She has shortened her labor hours, cutting staff wherever possible. For example, MoBay’s bartender only comes in for dinner service now. Ms. Barnes also plans to launch a new take-out menu that will feature “recession specials,” such as $2 chicken and other cafeteria-style dinners. She is even scolding staffers for leaving too many lights on or eating expensive food for family meals. “I’m running this place like a boot camp,” she said.

Sigh....I was never really a fan of Baton Rouge (I thought they were trying to do way too much in that oddly laid out space) but I would stop through occasionally to check out my boy Jimi Mitchell's band "Everyday People". I've never eaten there but the space was just too claustrophobic for me.

However, I dined at Mo'Bay's earlier this summer with author Relentless Aaron and I thought the food was delicious and the vibe was wonderful....although the restaurant itself is kind of tight (space wise) as well....it just had a "more happening" aura for me..ya know?

I met Sheron Barnes last year when we shared a table at the gala reception for the 50th Anniversary of Ebony Fashion Fair, she was (is) quite the little firecracker and I truly hope she can come out of this situation on her feet.

"Soul food is our personal passport to the past. It is much more about heritage than it is about hominy."

Atomic Wings in Harlem Opening Date Changed

What's up fam!

Just a short note to let you know that the opening date of the new Atomic Wings on 113th St & 8th Ave, has been pushed back to November 15th.
I'm told the date was pushed back due to construction delays.....

Sigh....I had my lips perked for some hot wings this weekend.

'Jessica, you want some buffalo wings?' 'Sorry I don't eat buffalo'.

Archway Cookies to go Out of Business??

Horror of Horrors Family!!
I just got word that the Archway Cookie Company has filed for Chapter 11 and has already closed.....See story below:

Archway Cookies Files For BankruptcyManufacturing.Net - October 07, 2008

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) -- The maker of Archway and Mother's cookies has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the wake of rising food and fuel costs and plans to end its U.S. operations.

Archway & Mother's Cookie Co. Inc. on Monday announced the filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware for its Mother's Cake & Cookie Co. and Archway Cookies LLC subsidiaries.

The Battle Creek Enquirer reports the announcement came three days after the company sent notices to the cities of Battle Creek and Ashland, Ohio, stating that operations in those cities would close.

Archway had its headquarters in Battle Creek and a plant in Ashland.

Spokeswoman Meaghan Repko says the company's Kitchener, Ontario, manufacturing plant was not part of the bankruptcy filing.

Let me ask you this family...

HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN ARCHWAY OATMEAL, FUDGE, LEMON OR COCONUT COOKIE?????

Okay if you are not reaching for a tissue to wipe away the tears at this news - then it's safe to say you haven't had one yet!!! They are hella good!!!

These were truly some of the best cookies I have ever eaten! I am a soft cookie fan and the oatmeal cookies are absolutely TO DIE FOR!!!

They're so good they make me yearn for a glass of milk to dunk one in (and I HATE milk ya'll!) but yeah....they are THAT good.

None of that awful chemical after taste that you get with most commercially produced cookies nowadays.

Dang! I'mma miss them....

I think I'll run out to the supermarket right now to stock up on what's left.....lol

Ciao Familia!!

"Today, certain people file for bankruptcy, businesses and individuals, and it no longer has the stigma it once had. Now it's almost considered wise, a way to regroup and come back again."

Emperor's Roe Caviar & Fine Foods - CLOSED

And the "hits" just keep on coming family......

Emperor's Roe Caviar & Fine Foods - CLOSED
200 Lenox Avenue
New York, NY 10027
212-866-3700 phone

The gourmet Champagne & Caviar Bar on Lenox Avenue has closed too! This doesn't surprise me because I used to live right around the corner on Mount Morris Park West....lol....

I was walking around the area with my girl Eda when we came across this place a few summers ago. We KNEW immediately when we saw it that it wasn't "for" us....So I gotta believe that there weren't enough "new settlers" in the area yet to keep that place open.

Now as much as I love caviar (with a little chopped onion & egg on a toast round...yummy!) & champagne...you gotta KNOW that the brothers & sisters in that neighborhood wasn't trying to mess with no fish eggs!!! We will eat fish heads (or at least I did when I was a kid) and even pig intestines but we draw the line at caviar....ROFLMAO.

You can still purchase the caviar online though...(www.emperorsroe.com)

“Some people wanted champagne and caviar when they should have had beer and hot dogs”

Ginger Express on 116th Street - CLOSED!!!! WHAT????

Okay Family!!!!

I am truly about to lose my doggone mind here....after blogging about the Harlem Tea Room closing....I glanced at another column and saw this:

Ginger Express (CLOSED)

$13-$20

"Ginger" would like to thank all of our patrons for supporting us since our opening.

Unfortunately, Ginger has closed it's doors.

THANK YOU

Ginger is a quick service concept restaurant that focuses on healthy, full-flavored, fast affordable Chinese food, delivered though a modern and comfortable dining environment.

Our Philosophy
"To provide healthy, fresh, low-fat and calories full-flavored Chinese food in a comfortable modern setting."

The ginger root has been an Eastern food ingredient with documented beneficial remedies, of which the Western world increasingly has become aware as Eastern ideas about health and wellness have become more accepted and understood. Ginger Restaurant will explore its usage for flavor and for health in cooking and it will be an ingredient carried through many of dishes.

Sunday Brunch with musical vocalist. No cover charge. 1PM - 3PM. Call to confirm artist.

Now you all know that I absolutely LOVED this restaurant....I wrote a big ol' blog about it last year! The food was absolutely delicious...the pterodactyl (lol) bbq ribs in hoisin sauce were a MUST HAVE!!!!

I met Titus C. Bankuti at a benefit last year and we exchanged info....I was wondering why his emails kept coming back undeliverable.....

Dang! I really thought this restaurant would be around for a while....I'mma go ahead and take a guess that the rental fee on the space was absolutely killing them.

What's going on in Harlem people????

I am starting to believe that NYC is truly becoming an enclave for the rich.

Damn shame.

"Bear in mind, if you are going to amount to anything, that your success does not depend upon the brilliance and the impetuosity with which you take hold, but upon the ever lasting and sanctified bull doggedness with which you hang on after you have taken hold."

My Beloved M&G's Has Closed For Good?

Dang Family!

It appears that my beloved M&G's diner, located on the corner of 125th Street & Morningside Avenue has finally closed for good. The doors have been shuttered for a few months now and they are showing no signs of reopening. I got a head's up a month or so ago when someone responded to one of my earlier posts. I didn't want to believe it but it's pretty obvious now.
This breaks my heart because this restaurant has been a virtual institution in my neighborhood for years (my mom used to eat there when they were located across the street). Me and my friends ate many a late night and early morning breakfast there (best pancakes, fried chicken & potato salad in the city...the smothered pork chops were off the chain too!!! I kid you not!).

I remember sitting in one of the window booths, years ago, having breakfast with my sister when Sylvia Rhone walked through the doors and took a seat at the counter to order some breakfast. I thought I was gonna die...I was absolutely floored!

Damn. I was hoping that the widow of Mr. Gadsden could/would hold on to this place. I will most definitely miss this spot.

I reluctantly bid you adieu M&G's....Thanks for the memories.

"People do not lack strength; they lack will."

The Harlem Tea Room To Close on Sept 28th

I just read this notice in an "Uptown Highlights" weekly newsletter:

Harlem Tea Room
Last Month, Closing Sept. 28th!

Friday, August 22 through Sunday, September 28

Dear Friends,

It is with sadness and excitement that I announce that The Harlem Tea Room will be closing its doors at the end of September. The official close date is September 28th.I would like to thank you all for your encouragement and support over these last 4 years. Whether you came as a regular patron, hosted an event, or told your friends and family, I appreciate it.

Please stay tuned for updates as to what is to become of The Harlem Tea Room and what will occupy its current space in the future.

If you are seeking to join us for one last Afternoon Tea which includes tea, scones, tea sandwiches, and dessert pri-fixed at $20pp plus tax plus 20% gratuity, please call to make a reservation at 212-348-3471. We offer seatings weekdays at 3:30pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm and 3:30pm.

Our business hours during the month of August are as follows:

Mondays- Closed

Tuesday thru Thursday- 10am-7pm

Friday- 10am-8pm

Saturday & Sunday- 10am-7pm

Also please join us for one of the following events beginning at 7pm:

• Sunset Over Harlem Gospel Soul Music
  Friday, Aug. 22nd

• Flowing Vibrations in Harlem Poetry Set
  Friday, Sept. 12th

• Sunset Over Harlem Gospel Soul Music
  Friday, Sept. 19th

• Ascension Open Mic Set
  Sunday, Sept. 28th

Sincerely,

Patrice Clayton
The Harlem Tea Room

Dates:

• Friday, August 22, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
• Friday, September 12, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
• Friday, September 19, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
• Sunday, September 28, 2008 @ 7:00 pm

Wow family! I knew this place was here because I walked past it a few times and I made a mental note to try and check it out. I am saddened to hear that it will be closing.

I gotta check it out before Sept 28th to let you all know what we have missed.

Harlem Tea Room
1793A Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10035
212-348-3471 phone

"A man is not finished when he's defeated; he's finished when he quits."

Brunch With Lawrence Axmith

Hey Family!

I had brunch with my old friend Lawrence Axmith a few days ago. Lawrence was my old theater director during my New York Youth Theater days. He lived in NY during out theater days but he moved back to his hometown of Toronto, Canada a few years ago. Occasionally he comes to NY to visit and lol...mostly shop. We always try to hook up when he's here and this time was no different.

We decided to have brunch in his old stomping grounds in Chelsea and we met at a restaurant called The Dish on 20th Street & 8th Avenue. It was ridiculously hot this morning but beautiful nonetheless. As I walked down 8th Avenue I couldn't help but notice how much the area has changed in the last few years....gone are all the eclectic little restaurants with the great food and the little shops that added so much character to the area. Of course the rainbow flags are still proudly hanging everywhere but that was one of the few things that were still familiar to me.

Anywhoo....The dish is this cute little restaurant with a diner sort of feel to it and I was a little early arriving so I took advantage of the lovely little bench they had right in front of the place. The awning was down as I read the paper but it didn't matter.....lol...I still felt like a roast goose by the time Lawrence arrived.

I was so engrossed in the paper I was reading that I didn't even see him approach me. When I looked up and I saw him standing there a big ol' smile crossed my face....I hadn't seen him since out last shopping trip a few summers ago. He looks good and more importantly he looks happy to me. We quickly got out of the sun and took a booth in the back of the restaurant, I immediately ordered a cup of coffee for myself as we both took a look at the long and varied menu.

We both decided to have The Dish's version of a "Grand Slam Breakfast"...Eggs, Pancakes, Bacon, Ham & Sausage (yeah..I KNEW I shouldn't have been eating all of that damn pork...but I did it anyway..lol). As we waited for the orders to come, we sipped out coffees and got caught up on each other's lives. Lawrence has a new girlfriend and she's a cutie!!! He also showed me photos of his nephews who are absolutely gorgeous and growing so quickly.....

By the time our food arrived I had brought him up to speed about the Daytime Emmy Nomination for Made and all of the other happenings in my life. The plates were loaded with steaming hot food and I realized immediately that my "eyes were bigger than my stomach" but I gave it the old college try anyway.....lol....I DID however, eat all the damn meat that came on my plate!! After having 12 cups of coffee (lol...just kidding) and taking a bunch of photos, Lawrence called for the check and after bidding good bye to the ENTIRE STAFF...lol...ya'll know how I do fam.....we decided to walk over to the East side so Lawrence could stop at a few stores.

By the way family...you DO know that all that pork made me sick as hell right?? Yup. It did.

We hit Steve Madden, Calvin Klein, Aldo, Banana Republic and a few other stores before I bid him adieu near the Empire State Building. He bought some great slacks and a white jacket that I thought was FUNKY AS HELL!!!! I love being the style critic when I shop with him!!

He also gave me copies of some of the shows we had performed together at NYYT and I promised him he'd have them back before he left town on Monday....so you KNOW I rushed home and burned copies of every last one!!! (yeah...I know...I'm a collector) and then I burned him some copies of some of my work that I knew he hadn't seen yet.

Thanks for the Brunch and the "Walk & Talk" my love!!! You know that I always enjoy your company and I truly miss the input you had in my "theatrical life"...lol...I cannot wait to get the opportunity to work with you again.

I will see you soon....maybe next time...I will come to YOU!!

**MUAH!!!** Love you Pookie!! Continued Success in ALL that you do!!!

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."