Celebrity chefs embrace International Taste of Harlem
Harlem culinary celebrities, who regularly serve up large portions of love for Harlem, are excited to participate in the International Taste of Harlem (ITOH) and celebrate the world-famous neighborhood’s global array of restaurants, eateries, and bakeries.
Presented by the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the ITOH is highlighting 30 internationally themed uptown establishments now through November 26, encouraging Harlemites to support local businesses while urging neighborhood residents to circulate more of their disposable income in Harlem.
The celebrity owners—Kenneth Woods of Sylvia’s Restaurant; chef Marcus Samuelsson, Red Rooster of Harlem; chef and baker Aliyyah Baylor, the Make My Cake bakery; Melba Wilson, Melba’s; Norma Jean Darden, Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too; baker Alvin Lee Smalls, Lee Lee’s Baked Goods; chef Elhadji Cisse, Ponty Bistro; and Betty Park, Manna’s Renowned Asian and Soul Foods—are excited about ITOH, and ready to share their wares with customers.
Tim Zagat, co-founder of the Zagat Survey restaurant guide, is thrilled about the ITOH. “As a Jewish kid who grew up on W. 117th Street, I’m proud of my family being Harlemites. I acquired my taste for eating in the Harlem community. There are great restaurants in the neighborhood, and it’s ever-growing,” Zagat said. “I’m proud to promote Sylvia’s, Patsy’s, Melba’s, and all the other restaurants in the International Taste of Harlem.”
Woods is president and CEO of Sylvia’s Restaurant, which has been serving “Southern comfort food” for decades. In addition to running the family-owned restaurant, Woods manages the establishment’s catering hall and the Sylvia Food Products line. The Harlem restaurant was founded in 1962 by his mother, South Carolina-born Sylvia Woods, who earned the “Queen of Soul Food” moniker.
Red Rooster Harlem was a dream come true, said Ethiopian-born Samuelsson, who co-founded the popular establishment that’s a proud ITOH restaurant.
“It was my lifelong dream to own a restaurant in Harlem. I’ve accomplished that dream, and I’m happy to say I now live in Harlem with my wife and son,” he said.
During the ITOH, the celebrity chef, restaurateur, and television personality will be showcasing Red Rooster’s “creative comfort food,” and its Ginny’s Supper Club event space. In addition to his businesses, Samuelsson made a personal commitment to Harlem by moving into the neighborhood.
Harlem-born Baylor is a longtime Harlem resident who’s looking forward to sharing her specialty cakes, cheesecakes, cupcakes, and pies with dessert-seeking ITOH patrons.
“My family are bakers, and I learned baking from my mother and grandmother in our Harlem apartment,” said Baylor. “I’m proud that my mother and I now have bakeries in Harlem to keep the family tradition and recipes alive.”
Wilson is another ITOH participant with neighborhood roots. “Sylvia Woods, the Queen of Soul Food, was my aunt. I come from the Woods family tree, and I’m proud to have my own restaurant in Harlem,” said Wilson, who proudly boasts that she was “born, bred, and buttered in Harlem.”
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