Dine Where the Pros Eat: 5 Top Black-Owned Restaurants
Red Rooster, 310 Lenox Ave., New York, N.Y., 212-792-9001
“Because of my work schedule, I don’t often get to go out to restaurants. But I will see which of my favorite chefs are in town and try to catch them wherever they are. Marcus Samuelsson is the man! He has an incredible palette. His creativity and style are over the top.†---Chef Cary Neff
When we were putting together our November 2011 cover story, Feast on This, we were focused on professional and entrepreneurial success African Americans were experiencing in the food industry. But you can’t have some of the biggest foodies in the country on the line and not ask them, “So where’s a good place to eat?†While some hardly ever made it out for dinner, others were nostalgic for the local food joints from their childhood. “I miss my Nashville and Memphis food,†says Marja Vongerichten, host of PBS’ Kimchi Chronicles. “They’re always a hole in the wall, and those are the best places.â€
But the one name that came up the most wasSylvia’s---the Harlem institution owned by the iconic “Queen of Soul Food.†Here are four more black-owned restaurants that come highly recommended. ---Alisa Gumbsmore
Amy Ruth’s, 113 W. 116th St., New York, NY, 212-280-8779
“I love the food so much that they put me on the menu. They changed it up a little bit but it’s like chicken and greens. It’s definitely off the chain.†---Restaurateur Chris “Ludacris†Bridgesmore
Melba’s300 W. 114th St., New York, N.Y., 212-864-7777
“You should always be able to look at the past and have a nod at the future. A place like Melba’s is inspired by the past but it’s contemporary. I love Melba’s because of what she stands for. She brought a bridge, Upper West Side with Harlem, and she opened it when it wasn’t as chic to have a restaurant in Harlem.†---Chef Marcus Samuelssonmore
Red Rooster, 310 Lenox Ave., New York, N.Y., 212-792-9001
“Because of my work schedule, I don’t often get to go out to restaurants. But I will see which of my favorite chefs are in town and try to catch them wherever they are. Marcus Samuelsson is the man! He has an incredible palette. His creativity and style are over the top.†---Chef Cary Neff more
farmerbrown, 25 Mason St., San Francisco, 415-409-FARM
“I always suggest that if people make their way to San Francisco, they check out farmerbrown, owned by a friend of mine, Jay Foster. He’s from South Carolina but moved out to the Bay area. And it infuses this older, country cooking African American cuisine with this ethos in California of fresh, seasonal, organic. It’s just beautifully done. The food is amazing.†---Chef Bryant Terry more