The long awaited Harlem Shake restaurant is finally open to the public today, offering a tasty menu that includes griddled burgers, New York-style hot dogs, and hand-spun shakes.  Located on the corner of Lenox Avenue and 124^th street, Harlem Shake gets its inspiration from Harlem’s rich culture and energy, as well as the iconic “original” Harlem Shake dance. The idea for the restaurant was in fact developed before the recent Harlem Shake viral video craze, but all of that free publicity and awareness doesn’t hurt.

I was welcomed for a preview of Harlem Shake the other day by co-owner Jelena Pasic, who was very excited to show the interior which features a retro design by Dennis Decker. It definitely gave off an old school diner vibe, which will be unique to the area. I got a kick out of the eye-catching “Wall of Fame” which featured an impressive collection photographs signed by a bunch of well known stars,  as well as Harlem Shake’s restroom with walls that showcase vintage covers of JET magazine.

After scoping out the joint, I was ready to taste the goods. I went with the spicey “Hot Mess Burger” with hand-cut fries and a “Red Velvet Shake” which had bits of Red Velvet cake in it, and yes it was as delicious as it sounds. I sat in one of the comfortable booths right next to “Miss Harlem Shake,”  a life-sized lenticular photo of Harlem resident and fashion model Shannon Thornton. Harlem Shake is a great place to take a date, or eat with friends, but at about $8.00 a burger (without fries) it is a bit expensive to take the family and kids out to eat after a movie.

According to Harlem Shake, other delights on the menu include the signature Harlem Classic – two 2-ounce custom blend Pat la Frieda beef patties ground fresh daily and griddled smashed-style for crisp browning and served on a toasted Martin’s Potato Roll with house-made condiments. Specialties also include the Pigskin Classic topped with crisp fried pork rinds and the Jerk Fry Burger topped with jerk-seasoned, triple-cooked fries and smoked jerk mayo, as well as juicy turkey burgers and house-made vegan burgers. Let’s not forget the New York-style all-beef hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheeses/melts, kale and legume salads, and fries hand cut from Kennebec or sweet potatoes.

Old-school, handcrafted milkshakes are said to be made with whole, all-natural ingredients, and local products like ice cream from Blue Marble, organic milk from New York Fresh Milk, and peanut butter from Peanut Butter & Co., as well as seasonal fruit and hand-spun additions like house-made salted caramel sauce and malt. Sticking with a vintage diner theme, Harlem Shake also has a nice selection of vintage real sugar sodas and regional specialty sodas including Cheerwine Cherry Soda, Vernor’s Detroit Ginger, Foxson Park Birch Beer, along with a selection of draft beers and house wines.

Harlem Shake’s Jelena Pasic also mentioned that they expect to open an outdoor seating area in the near future, which will make this a nice new spot in Harlem this summer.

 “Our aim is to celebrate the soul of the neighborhood and reinvigorate modern Harlem with a bit of nostalgia and a nod to pop culture,” explains Pasic. “Not to mention, bring residents and visitors high-quality, affordable offerings in a welcoming environment.”

Welcome to the neighborhood Harlem Shake!

It’s time for the 2nd annual Harlem FOOD & DRINK BOULEVARD evening of events on Frederick Douglass Boulevard, this year set to take place on Thursday, May 2nd at participating restaurants along FDB from 111^th to 123^rd streets, from 6pm-10pm.  Cost is $5 in advance and $10 at the door.

Frederick Douglas Boulevard Alliance Food & Drink Boulevard Event details:

The Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance Invites You To:

FOOD & DRINK BOULEVARD

Summer Kick-Off and Evening of Food, Cocktails, Music & Entertainment on Harlem’s Restaurant Row

Thursday, May 2, 2013

6:00PM-10:00PM

Frederick Douglass Blvd

From 111^th –  123rd Streets

Tickets:

Drink, appetizer & special promotions

$10.00 at the door

2-for-1 in advance

A portion of each purchase benefits the Food Bank of New York.

Featuring:

1.     Savann Restaurant 

2280 Frederick Douglass Blvd

b/t 123^rd – 122^nd Sts

2.     Chocolat

2217-23 Frederick Douglass Blvdat 120^th St

3.     Bad Horse Pizza

2224 Frederick Douglass Blvd at 120^th St

4.     Vinateria

2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd at 119^th St

5.     Cédric

185 St. Nicholas Ave at 119^th St

6.     Lido

2168 Frederick Douglass Blvd at 117^th St

7.     Levain Bakery

2167 Frederick Douglass Blvd b/t 117^th & 116^th Sts

8.     Harlem Tavern

2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd at 116^th St

(Bracelet pick up)

9.     Melba’s

300 W 114^th St at 114^th St

10.  Harlem Food Bar

2131 Frederick Douglass Blvd b/t 114^th & 113^th Sts

11.  Bier International

2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd b/t 114^th & 113^th Sts

12.  67 Orange Street

2082 Frederick Douglass Blvd b/t 112^th & 113^h Sts

13.  5 & Diamond

2072 Frederick Douglass Blvd b/t 112^th & 113^h Sts

Spring Bank

2049 Frederick Douglass Blvd at 111^th St

(Bracelet pick up)

Harlem Flo flower boutique

Make My Cake

Katrina Parris Flowers

Chocolat Restaurant Lounge

Chez Lucienne

The Corner Social

Harlem Tavern

Cove Lounge

Ginny’s Supper Club

We look forward the the 2013 East Harlem Harvest Festival!

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Location – 2217-13 Frederick Douglas Blvd at 120th Street.

Harlem Harvest Festival Schedule is as follows:

ON STAGE PROGRAMMING

Check-out this video presentation of Belle Harlem, and get ready for a new casual dining restaurant that will focus on “southern classics with a modern vision with touches of French, Italian, Moroccan and Asian.”

Related articles

• 6th annual Harlem Arts Advocacy Week
• “Harlem in the City” Festival runs October 1 – 7

Chef Marcus Samuelsson of The Red Rooster restaurant is bringing the taste of Harlem to Food Network viewers this Friday February 24th, at 8 pm ET/PT. The TV special, called Savoring Harlem, will focus on Harlem’s new restaurants and food culture, as well as culinary institutions like Sylvia’s restaurant,  and neighborhood green markets. Expect a diverse mix of cuisine to be represented in the show, including Ethiopian, Italian, French, Spanish and of course a healthy dose of soul food. It’s no wonder that Harlem has become a vibrant food destination, and Marcus Samuelsson has played a huge role in promoting the new food revolution in Harlem. The video below should whet your appetite:

Related articles

• Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster Harlem restaurant featured on 1st Look (harlemtrends.com)
• Harlem Restaurants get noticed in the Wall Street Journal (harlemtrends.com)
• Melba of Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem on THE VIEW and Food Network’s FAT CHEF TV shows today (harlemtrends.com)