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Amy Ruths in Harlem, New York
Malcom X Boulevard in Harlem, New York City, New York
9/29/11 - Funny. Growing up in the paradise of the islands, I never thought I'd be walking the mean streets of Harlem one day, if even for a couple of hours. I mean, like no other, this particular neighborhood has, at least in the past, invoked the quintissential caricature of bad stereotypes, racial divisions, and the uglier sides of American life. The very name spoke of poverty, crime, despair, graffiti-ridden streets, of no-man's lands where even the cops didn't dare tread, and yes, lest I be accused of political correctness, of a struggling African American community very much in need. It was the stuff of legends, of things I've seen and heard all my life, albeit perhaps in a mass-produced, public consumption way that was almost never flattering.
I hate to admit, though, that in all my glorious ignorance, I still kinda thought of the entirety of New York City as a whole in some sort of infamous, gangster-plagued, Hollywood 70's or 80's kind of way - a dirty, dangerous place where you never looked at anyone, never trusted anyone, and never walked around at night! Of course, the last time I'd been here was almost 20 years ago, before the Rudy came along to clean house, and I remember a whole lotta decrepit conditions and bums calling for me to follow them into dark alleys. No joke.
This time, however, after walking the streets of SoHo, Tribeca, Greenwich Village, Central Park, Wall Street, the Financial District, Times Square, Chinatown, Little Italy, Flatiron, and yes, Harlem, it was easy to see that this was no longer the place I once visited many moons ago. Now, there seems to be a deep sense of pride inside every New Yorker as they continue to re-vitalize their city, kinda like how Downtown Honolulu has partially been taken back from its past depravity, only on a much grander scale. All I can say is, it's a beautiful thing to behold! And that beautiful thing has reached all throughout the city, including up north, in Harlem, where the crime rate is now no greater than the rest of Manhattan. In other words, it's safe enough for me to bring the wifey here on foot!
Jumping-off our bus on West 106th, we cut through the top of Central Park, made our way up Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard, crossed East on 116th (where Amy Ruth's is located), and left the Harlem Area on Malcom X Boulevard. Here's a few shots along the way:
My owner's comin' back soon!
Typical street on Malcom X Boulevard
Canaan Baptist Church
Corner of 116th and Malcom X Boulevard
If that's not the cutest little smile you've ever seen in your life....! I wanted to bring her back to Hawaii with us!
But the real reason for our little adventure was in getting a real taste of authentic soul food, in the form of a cozy little diner called Amy Ruth's. Now, I've kinda gathered from Yelp and the other sites that Sylvia's has traditionally been the place to be, but it seems, at least from what people are saying on the net, that they've become a bit too gentrifed and tourist-laden, and Amy Ruth's has now taken its place as the new real thing. Who's to say, though? Not me, for sure.
Arriving just before noon and half-expecting a line outside, we were instead glad to find several seats available. I'm also glad that it was a no-frills kind of place, not all spruced-up and upscale like so many other ethnic restaurants here in Manhattan. Soul food is supposed to be a casual affair, right? I didn't want a place where you had to pay double or triple the amount for shiny silverware, stuffy service, and farm-fresh haricot vers (that's green beans, confonnit!). Gimme the genuine goods, the stuff locals here in Harlem can and do enjoy on a regular basis, and as close to mom's recipes as possible!
And oh, how I wish we were a group of four or five, as the two of us could only order so many dishes without wasting good food. All the things that could have been - cheesy grits, honey-dipped fried chicken, pork chops, a quasi-gumbo dish, catfish or whiting sandwiches, peach cobbler, jerk shrimp, chicken 'n dumplings (last two daily specials) - in the end, we had to settle for two entrees and two sides, more than enough to fill the both of us:
The signature and most popular dish here, by far, is their chicken and waffles. Call me a fool, but I've never even heard of such a dish! I don't know if it's a traditional thing or a relatively new concept, but it's right at the top of the menu and all over the message boards! With dishes named Barack Obama (fried, smothered, baked, or bbq chicken), Ludicris (fried chicken wings), Sister Karriemah Muhammed (sweet beer-braised oxtail soup), and more, I'm not sure whether they are honorary titles or their actual favorite dishes. Whatever the case, the nickname for their specialty chicken and waffles is none other than the Reverend Al Sharpton:
And what say me about this new dish? Say me - y'all need to come down here and taste this bad boy for yourselves! I mean, this was an absolutely fantastic dish! The chicken itself was so moist, so tender, so perfectly done that I'd be taking buckets home if only I lived close by. Of course, it was smothered in a delicious brown gravy, so I couldn't really tell how crispy-good the outer shell was. By the time we dug-in, there was no crispness whatsoever in the skin, not that that was necessarily a bad thing - the always-decadent taste of deep-fried chicken skin soaked in all those delicious gravy flavors, remotely reminding me of a katsu or Zippy's chicken with gravy, only much, much better, I must say!
Initially, I thought a presentation of chicken and brown gravy would be much better when actually plated over the bed of waffles, but on second thought, that probably wouldn't be a very good idea, as the waffles would no doubt turn soggy after a while. Instead, they remained light, fluffy, and with a chewy integrity that held-up well to the rich, heavenly, very tasty gravy. I also found it pretty darn amazing how the sweet waffles, which were infused with genuine 100 percent maple syrup, somehow matched with the chicken and gravy in a way that was simply genius! It was part-sweet, part-savory, part-rich, and all of total deliciousness!
The Reverand Al Sharpton comes either with or without gravy (with called smothered), and is also presented in your choice of white or dark meat chicken. We went dark, in the form of a single leg:
You'd think that cornbread would also go well with chicken and gravy, and that it did, but it didn't hold a candle to the waffles! I still don't know what it was, but it's a unique and original combination that can't be beat by anything else, probably not even by a fresh dinner roll!
But speaking of cornbread, I must say, this was the best cornbread I've ever had in my life. It was crispy on the outside, crumbly on the inside, and came with a balance of sweetness, butter, and body that was so good, I didn't see a need for any extra slather of butter whatsoever! And that's saying a lot!
As for sides, our macaroni and cheese was, for lack of a better explanation, all that you would think of from, on the one hand, macaroni, and on the other, cheese. I mean, it was as simple as that - no milky or creamy sauce, no chunks of lobster, and no dose of truffle oil - it was just straight macaroni along with straight cheese, nothing more! Or at least that's what it tasted like. Can't say it was my favorite dish, though, unfortunately.
Much better were the collared greens. Soft, simple, and with no signs of bacon, ham hock, or other smoky meats, it was strictly greens in a salty, warm brine that we couldn't get enough of. Here's both side dishes in the foreground:
And of course, when going soul, we gotta try the ribs, right? Three giant, sqared slabs of spare ribs contained at least as much pure meat as a a decent steak, with a sweet, sticky sauce also tart with vinegar. Though still delicious, these particular ribs didn't really knock me out like the Reverand Al Sharpton, who layed me flat with a quick round-house right. There was no smoke flavor whatsoever (not that smoke is always called for), and though parts of the meat around the inner cartilage areas and rib bone were very soft, a few outer sections were a bit dry and not as tender as I expected:
I was really hoping to try some of their home-made cakes, but who was I foolin? Not a chance, bubka. We ended-up leaving with a bit of a hole in our hearts - I mean, there were so many more items we wanted to try! I mean, just by virtue of the hearty flavors, the use of ingredients, and the home-made tastes we did get to try, we knew everything else would also not fail to impress! Still, we were both more than satisfied and content that we got to experience real soul food deep in the heart of a major soul food area. Doesn't get more real than Harlem, right?
I'm sure some of you will be enjoying our little treks through these famous New York eateries, yet I'm also equally sure others will glass-over and get bored without something from Hawaii. Who knows what I should really be posting? I just follow my heart. If it feels good, I post. The way I see it, as long as I'm having fun while broadening my culinary and life experiences, some of that spirit must be translating over in a positive way. New York is definitely one of the food capitals of the world, and Kumi and I are both wide-eyed and bushy-tailed experimenting on all that can fit into our eager bellies!
Next time, we'll be checking out one of the most iconic New York eateries ever, a sandwich place that, trust me when I say, is unlike anything you can ever find in the islands!
Hope you're having a great and wonderful week!
Take care, and Aloha till next time!
Aku
