Holy Smithereens!

Travel Ideas for the Luxurious Adventurer

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Destinations
  • PR / Media
  • Contact

Soul Food in Harlem, New York

September 14, 2013 by Jean Holy Smithereens Leave a Comment

Who knew that New York City would be freezing in MAY? I didn’t.  So on that day I was free to explore New York, I didn’t exactly have a good start to the day.

My nose always turns me down when I travel. I have a stomach of steel, I accidentally drank tap water in Mexico, and it was just a matter of gut grumbling and that’s it. No tales of being bed-ridden, diarrhoea, and the like.

My blasted nose, however, is a different story. If I as much as forget to wear a scarf  in cold weather (not even winter), that’s it. A gush of unexpected wind? That’s it. Endless sneezing, nose throbbing..my day is completely ruined.

27052011
cranky, sneezy, and grumpy. That would be me in NYC.

So I wasn’t really in my element that morning. Especially when we took the Staten Island Ferry Tour. It was grey, cold and raining. I was seasick, cold, and nauseous.

More so when we had to compete with this:

IMG_1275To get a shot of this:

IMG_1283-001I have to say, the shot I took was worth it. It was a blessing in disguise that the mad tourist crowd only sort of dispersed when we’ve gone past the Statue of Liberty. So the angle of my shot gave it that dramatic, peaceful effect.

—-

I only came alive at lunchtime, when we decided to head over to Harlem for some good old…. SOUL FOOD! 🙂

suddenly Alive, Alert, Awake and Enthusiastic

suddenly Alive, Alert, Awake and Enthusiastic

You see it’s always been a great big dream of mine to explore the Southern states of America. No, more precisely, do a Southern Food Trip in that area.  No chance to do it on this trip so I got the next best thing in NYC. Soul Food in Harlem

IMG_1337
colourful, mismatched, and happy. Why, that’s me in Harlem!

WHAT IS SOUL FOOD?

Wikipedia explains it perfectly– Soul food is a variety of cuisine popular in African-American culture. It is closely related to the cuisine of the Southern United States. The descriptive terminology may have originated in the mid-1960s, when soul was a common definer used to describe African-American culture (for example, soul music).

I explain in simply – Rich, buttery food that will most likely bring you closer to the grave, but Sweet Jesus, it is OH-SO-HEAVENLY YUMMY.

IMG_1336
Malcolm X Blvd in Harlem

Soon as we hit Malcolm X Blvd, (one of the main roads in Harlem), I can feel my nose getting better. Soul food is in the air! I loved the vibe immediately. Less skyscrapers (actually almost none), and a warmer vibe.

My best friend, who is a New Yorker herself, recommended we hit Amy Ruth’s- rated number 1 Soul Food restaurant in Harlem by Examiner.com

amy-ruth's_v1_460x285
image from nycgo.com

I got a whiff of butter, grease, and deep-fried terrific things when we opened the door. I knew it was going to be a good grub.

Without further adieu, I present to you what I had.

IMG_1340
Deep Fried Chicken Smothered in Honey, Collard Greens, and Buttered Corn.
did I tell you how much Soul Food makes me happy?
did I tell you how much Soul Food makes me happy?

What Zombie had:

IMG_1342
deep fried chicken, sweet pumpkin, fries and gravy

What Charleen had:

IMG_1341
breaded pork chops smothered in gravy, with buttered sweet cornIMG_6023 IMG_1343

I honestly find myself at a loss now to describe to you how glorious this food is. I mean, there really aren’t any adjectives needed to describe SIMPLE FOOD that’s very, VERY richly done. You’ve had fried chicken, pork chops and corn, Im 100% sure. You probably have them regularly every week.

But there’s something magical about these everyday food done with such richness that I can only describe as black velvet sin.

While I won’t suggest having this kind of food regularly, I really urge you to try soul food in harlem. You will never look at a corn kernel the same way again.

Amy Ruth's is reason enough to visit Harlem
Amy Ruth’s is reason enough to visit Harlem

While this short food trip in Harlem definitely satisfied my gut, I am still dreaming of making that Southern US food trip. One day!

—

Do you like Soul/Southern Food? What’s your favourite?

 

«
»

Filed Under: New York, USA

About Jean Holy Smithereens

Jean is a lover of luxury travel and adventure, always looking for that "Holy Smithereens"-inducing moment on her travels. Follow the blog and other social media pages of Holy Smithereens to get the ultimate travel ideas for the luxurious adventurer!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

LET’S GET SOCIAL

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

INSTAGRAM

--
[instagram-feed]
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Destinations
  • PR / Media
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Web Design by Fancy Girl Design Studio