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It's almost time for the first Harlem Eatup! food festival, where the spotlight will be on the historic nabe's rich dining culture. Many of the area's chefs and restaurants—including Red Rooster, Streetbird Rotisserie and Sylvia's Restaurant—are participating in dinners, tastings, talks and cooking demos. Act fast on these special events happening this weekend—tickets are selling out.
Mark Henegan, chef of Madiba, joins forces with Toro chef Ken Oringer, for a one-of-a kind dining experience combining their disparate styles. Host restaurant Madiba Harlem is named after Nelson Mandela's clan name, and serves rich and spicy South African delicacies like stews and Peri Peri chicken while Oringer's Chelsea hotspot offers Spanish-style tapas. The menu for the night includes Prawns Peri Peri with yellow rice, which is sure to be the perfect fusion of Spanish and South African cultures. May 15, 7pm; $85
For those who like their meat barbecued to perfection with plenty of Southern-style sides, this is the dinner for you. Dinosaur BBQ, which has been incredibly popular in Harlem since it opened in 2004, hosts as its chef John Stage pairs with L.A. Chef, and a mentor on ABC's The Taste, Ludo Lefebve for a five-course meal that includes fried chicken and cornbread. Yum. May 15, 7pm; $85
Harlem Talks: Citymeals-on-Wheel's presents the Masters: Then and Now
Gain an inside look on what it's really takes to create a successful restaurant at this talk hosted by influential food critic, and co-founder of the non-profic Citymeals-on-Wheels, Gael Green. Green is joined in conversation with chefs Paul Qui (the Cecil), Alex Smalls (Minton's), and famed chef Daniel Boulud (his seven restaurants in New York include DBGB Kitchen & Bar and Boulud Sud). The chefs will speak on the changing culture of food and dining and their experiences within the industry. May 16, noon; $35
The Stroll a Grand Tasting Experience
On Saturday, Morning Side Park gets taken over with not only the tastes of Harlem, but also its sounds and sights. Spend your afternoon, free of charge, walking along the avenue past specialty food vendors and chefs doing live demonstrations. For $75 gain access to three tents full of tastings, beer and wine samples as well as music, dance and art by local artists representing the styles made famous by the northern Manhattan neighborhood. May 16, noon