Neighborhood TrEats: Harlem’s Red Rooster

Posted on March 18, 2011August 4, 2013 by Marcia Mayne

Whenever my friend, Anneli, comes to town, we always meet for lunch at a different restaurant. This time, I told her to come uptown to Harlem so we could try Red Rooster, one of the newest additions to my neighborhood.

One of award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson‘s restaurants, Red Rooster, features American cuisine with a nod to the rest of the world.

Facade, Red Rooster — Red Rooster, Harlem

I knew dinner would have been impossible without a reservation but I didn’t realize lunch would be so popular. At 12:15 when we arrived, most of the tables were already taken. But we only had to wait about 5 minutes at the bar until one opened up.

Crab claw on a bed of greens from Red Rooster — Crab Salad

Both Anneli and I had the lobster salad which had juicy claw and bite-sized chunks of lobster on a bed of greens. I’m not normally a salad person but this one was delicious and filling. I could have stopped there but a Pulled Pork sandwich was on its way.

Open Faced Pulled Pork Sandwich, Red Rooster — Pulled Pork Sandwich

The pork almost melted in my mouth.

Grilled Salmon on a bed of spinach, Red Rooster — Grilled Salmon

After finishing the Grilled Salmon, Anneli told our waiter that she was “in heaven.”

Slice of Apple Pie, Red Rooster — Apple Pie

I liked that the waiter didn’t rush the courses and once they served us, left us alone to enjoy our meal and catch up. We hadn’t seen each other in a while and had lots to talk about.

Red Rooster has an extensive menu. I’m curious about the Yard Bird and a few other dishes I noticed other people eating so I’ll be going back.

All in all, Red Rooster was a delicious way to spend the first 70+ degree day in 2011.

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You: Restaurant Review: United at Tables in Harlem (nytimes.com)
Harlem Restaurant To Get The Obama Boost (huffingtonpost.com)

Why Do We Need All Those Lights?

Posted on March 16, 2011July 19, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

Why do we need all those lights, my 12 year old niece asked as we walked towards Times Square. Frankly, I didn’t have a ready answer.

Like most people who live in New York City and have family and friends everywhere, I’ve come to accept that from time to time, someone will be asking to use my fouton.

This past weekend, it was my sister. Her 12 year old, Justin Bieber-crazed only child told her that she wanted to spend part of her spring break in the city. Most of her friends had gone away for spring break as well.

I took the morning off yesterday to shepherd them from Grand Central to Times Square and parts in between.

It was eye opening to see how excited she got at things that I have become inured to.

Like when she screamed, Rachel Ray! I thought she had seen the television host. She hadn’t. All she had seen was the awning over the back entrance to Rachel Ray’s studios. I’d noticed people standing on line but I’d completely missed the glaring orange RR logo and had forgotten that her studio was there. Just seeing the name had made my niece so excited, she was smiling from ear to ear. Of course we had to take a picture for her.

I should have halted the tour there and head for one of the television studios. She did ask where Good Morning America was taped but we had a few more places to go and reservations to keep.

Klieg lights, dollys, booms poles and rolls of wires seemed to sprout out of the sidewalk near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 28th Street, leaving a path just wide enough for us to pass single file. When I mentioned, casually, that they had probably just finished filming, she came alive again, There must be a celebrity around! she gushed, eyes bulging with excitement. There was, indeed, a limo, and crew near one of its doors. But with no trailers or food trucks, I wasn’t sure. Auntie, can we go see who it is, pleease?

When did my niece become so label savvy and celebrity obsessed, I wondered. But I probably should have expected it. This is the same niece who speaks with me via Skype and has had a page on Facebook since she was about 10. Well, it’s actually my sister’s page but she’s the one who updates it and most of the friends are hers. My sister monitors the page and her usage.

Was I this crazy about anyone or anything when I was 12? Music, maybe. But I had no opportunity to get up close to any of the musicians I liked, so their music and my imagination were all I had.

As the lights in Times Square came into view, I was surprised, no, shocked when instead of saying how beautiful they were, she asked, with the innocence of a 4 year old, Why do we need all those lights?

It was so totally unexpected, I began laughing, partly because I couldn’t find a plausible answer at that moment and partly out of relief. There’s hope for her, I thought. Maybe this is just a phase that she’ll grow out of. Eventually.

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FarmVille English Countryside hits Times Square, nowhere near a farm (games.com)
Guy Hacks Times Square Video Screens with iPhone and Transmitter (VIDEO) (blippitt.com)

And the Oscar Goes to New York City!

Posted on February 27, 2011June 12, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

For the location (outside of Los Angeles) with largest number of shooting days, tonight, the Oscar

should go to New York City.

It’s about time that New York is recognized as a major player in the movie making business. After all, we New Yorkers have to put up with actors and celebrities who call New York home and movie trailers that clog our streets so we can’t park our cars on about 30,000 location days every year.

New York City has acted as the backdrop for movies such as The Adjustment Bureau (2011), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), Eat Pray Love (2010), Sex and the City (2008), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), Inside Man (2006), The Interpreter (2005) and scores more.

And according to the Mayor’s Office of Film and Television, the following films are currently in production in the city:

Another Night
Black Parables
Don Peyote
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Goat
I Don’t Know How She Does It
A Late Quartet
Men in Black 3
Paradox
Shame
Untitled David Chase Project
Welcome to Harlem

Yes, it’s definitely time for Oscar to recognize New York City for all she does to make his movies real.

Let me know if you agree.

The Yes List: Who Will Cash in After Oscar Night? (thedailybeast.com)

Exit Zero Escape: Cape May NJ

Posted on February 13, 2011August 8, 2013 by Marcia Mayne

Living in New York City, summer means looking for places to recharge. One place I’ve come to love is Cape May, New Jersey.

Cape May is a picturesque seaside resort town on the southern tip – the last exit on the Garden State Parkway – of New Jersey that comes alive in the summer, swelling ten fold to about 40,000 residents.

Friends talked glowingly of the Victorian houses, the beach, the restaurants. They kept saying it was a place I’d like. It took me a while but when I finally visited, I fell in love.

156. Get the point. Roof View Cape May — Beautiful Victorian

With stunning Victorian homes, some converted to Bed and Breakfasts, and vistas such as this, it isn’t difficult to see why this little New Jersey destination is such a draw.

Antique fire truck at Cape May Fire station — Antique fire truck

Our visit coincided with the weekend of the Classic Car show.

1950s Ford, Cape May — 1950s Ford at the Classic Car show

Cape May Classic Car Show — Classic Car Show – They sure don’t make them like this anymore

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Travel Rules: What Not to do When You Visit New York City

Posted on February 11, 2011June 11, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

New York City boasts an impressive array of attractions and activities – from Central Park to Broadway – that draw about 40 million American and international visitors annually.

And we love that you come, because last year alone, you pumped $39 million into our economy.

But for people like me who work in the middle of some of the City’s most popular tourist areas – Times Square, Broadway, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central, etc., it feels like all 49 million of you descend on those areas right at rush hour.

So, if you happen to find yourself in any of these areas during rush hour, here’s what not to do:

Don’t Hold up Traffic: Between 7-9 a.m., New Yorkers rush to get to work and between 4-6 p.m., they will almost run you over to catch the bus or train or subway that will take them home. Since you’re on vacation, you stroll. So if you’re caught during rush hour, rather than have us swearing, “Tourists!” under our breaths (or sometimes, at you), move to the side and let us rush past so we can get home to pick up the kids, send the nanny home, feed the cat, walk the dog, etc.
Don’t Walk More than Two Abreast: A lot of sidewalks in the areas mentioned are wider than normal but it’s not an invitation for you and your entourage to spread out. Be mindful of us trying to get home, so walk don’t walk more than two abreast.
Pay Attention: With some of the most interesting buildings in the world, like New York Public Library, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, etc., we understand that you will want to stop, look up and take photographs. But during rush hour, don’t stroll and look up at the same time or turn around quickly. We wouldn’t want to run into you.