Mitchel S.
Yelp
I've always been a big fan of Harlem, even when it was not chi chi or popular to do so. I felt a kindred spirit with this neighborhood because for the most part it has always gotten a bum wrap. It's same way with the Bronx. Whenever I tell people I grew up in the Bronx the eyebrows are immediately raised as if I lived in a jungle fearing for my life. Just like Harlem, it was a neighborhood filled with families doing their best each day to provide for their loved ones and get ahead in life .When I was growing up, I was warned by the media and those in my neighborhood that the last place I would want to be caught in was Harlem. And yet, I remember as a young boy back in the 60s, my Mom and I went to a funeral in Harlem to honor our cleaning lady's daughter who died from a drug overdose. Yes, we were the only white ones in the congregation, and yes ,the service was filled with emotion with lots of singing and clapping and crying and wailing. I had never experienced anything like that before but I felt very welcome and I loved being part of that experience.
My next visit to Harlem was when my theatre friend Leonard was performing his club act at a bar in Harlem. This was in the 1980's and many neighborhoods in Harlem were still a bit sketchy. My ex-wife Susan and I wanted to show Leonard support and do it in a big way so she wore her fox coat and I wore my raccoon coat. I remember parking the car and in the very short distanced walk from the car to the entrance of the bar nightclub we were approached by about a dozen people. Nobody hurt us or meant any harm, but when you see two people in a fur coat and you're trying to figure out how to get some cash for dinner, why wouldn't you ask?
I remember when my grandfather passed in the late seventies and left me $10,000 to buy a home. I ended up buying a cute little place in Jersey City for $35,000 but I had heard about brownstones for sale in Harlem at a really good price. I remember touring an absolutely exquisite three-story brownstone with all the original detail for $100,000. Out of fear from all I had been told about Harlem, I did not buy that house. God knows what it is worth today.
So when the kids and I went up to New York last week to see a childhood friend star in Funny Girl on Broadway, we rented an Airbnb on West 140th Street in Harlem. We were definitely the only white people in the neighborhood but not only was everybody very friendly and welcoming to us, but I even thought people went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. If we were walking up the street and a group of friends were in a knock-down drag-out fight, they would politely stop as we approached them and continued tearing each other up after we left! And then there was the lady who purchased some groceries with a charge card and wanted to return them and get the cash. Of course, the store could not do that and you should have seen the scene going on. She advised us to go to another register and we gladly obliged. We appreciated her sensitivity!
When we stepped inside The Row Harlem, we were warmly greeted and it had a really cool vibe to it. Looks like a restaurant and bar that has been in the neighborhood forever. We were quickly escorted to a table and one of the women at the bar offered us a free drink. See what I'm saying? So cool!
The meal was absolutely scrumptious. We were hungry and it was our first meal in New York this trip, and I dare say my first meal in Harlem in decades and it was an absolute delight. The pictures will show you how lovely and delicious everything looked but the taste was even more incredible. I had never tried truffle fries before. it. What a unique flavor. Everything we ordered was really tops. Hearty portions, made with lots of TLC, nicely presented and a reasonable price for New York, It's not always easy to find the real deal and The Row Harlem delivered it tenfold!
I got the feeling that most of the people in that place lived in the neighborhood. Lots of laughter and friendship at the bar and there seemed to be some kind of backroom where there was a private party or gathering going on. Everybody was so friendly that I almost had the nerve to go back there and see the festivities for myself. The service was impeccable and we never felt rushed or anything, Very casual but very professional I felt like they wanted us to stay. On the way out, the same lady who offered us a free drink when we arrived, at the end offered me to come back anytime I wanted for that free drink. Turns out she's the brother of the owner who I got introduced to and I made sure to compliment him on the meal. Next time you are in New York, don't do the typical tourist stuff. You can have Olive Garden and Tony Roma's when you get back home. Instead, take the IRT #2 or #3 to 135th Street and walk over to The Row Harlem for a wonderful taste of Harlem and a wonderful taste of an unusual meal!