Essence USA – August 2019

The NYC Edition

These gifted Black chefs and restaurateurs are leaving their imprint on the

food scene. Welcome to the new wave of grubbing in New York City

ESSENCE EATS

BY DWIGHT BROWN

Negril BK

negrilbk.com

Caribbean food lovers

flock to Park Slope,

Brooklyn, for Negril

BK’s superb island cui-

sine and amiable vibe.

The “One Love” man-

tra is fostered by own-

ers and siblings Malissa

Browne and Peter

Best and longtime

friend and chief mixol-

ogist André Honoré.

Sip on the Iron Man

Cocktail at the bar or

chow down in the vast

main dining room,

with its banana tree

mural. “Our guests

have become family to

us,” Browne says.

Our picks: Sample

the Ackee & Saltfish

Spring Roll, then

indulge in the Crispy

Snapper stuffed

with creole shrimp.

For dessert, go with

the truly decadent

Banana Bread

Pudding.

MEET 4

DRINKS

Not hungry? Sip

and mingle at these

trendy spots

Furniture Fete

Fashionistas mob the

RH Rooftop Restaurant

(restorationhardware.com)

in the Meatpacking

District. Hang out at the

Wine Terrace.

Going Public

Ian Schrager’s chic Public

Hotel (publichotels.com) in

the Nolita neighborhood

attracts models and

designers to its Diego bar.

Witches Brew

At the Black-owned

Harlem Hops (harlemhops

.com), throw back unique

craft beers or the Langston’s

Choice cocktail seen above.

Pawn Shop

The Lower East Side’s

Beauty & Essex (beauty

andessex.com) is a faux

pawn shop. Head there for a

cocktail and the free cham-

pagne in the ladies’ room.

Brooklyn

Chop House

brooklynchophouse

.com

Brooklyn in the house!

Former record execu-

tive Robert “Don Pooh”

Cummins broke out of

the music biz and into

the upscale dining

scene. Brooklyn Chop

House (BCH) in Man-

hattan’s Financial Dis-

trict serves Asian and

steak house fusion cui-

sine, attracting celebs

like Mary J. Blige. Pop-

ularity among Wall

Streeters, millennials

and a diverse crowd

means there will

be more BCHs soon.

Our picks: Opt for

the Summer

Watermelon Cooler

cocktail, Chicken

Satay and Crispy

Steamed Pork

Dumplings. Then get

the Steamed

Montauk Black Bass.

Belle

Harlem

belleharlem.com

This Central Harlem

eatery is one of the

most exquisite

restaurants in New

York City. Chef

Darryl Burnette and

his wife, Melissa,

who’s the manager,

have cooked up tasty

flavors for an unfor-

gettable 12-seat

dining experience.

“It’s an extension of

our home,” says

Darryl. “It’s like a

floating dinner party,”

adds Melissa.

Our picks: First up,

the Mac & Cheese

Spring Rolls or Chick-

en & Waffles, then try

the Black Sea Bass

over homemade pas-

ta. The Peanut Butter

Pie (with Bordeaux

blueberry jam, truffle

honey and bacon) is a

must.

Desert

Hideaway

deserthideaway

bk.com

Smart chefs start out

with pop-ups or food

trucks. Executive chef

Natalie Mitchell is

doing both. In the

courtyard of the hip-

ster bar The Springs,

in Brooklyn’s Green-

point neighborhood,

she’s established an

innovative outpost. In

her navy blue food

truck kitchen, Mitchell

works wonders,

whipping up delecta-

bles for happy

hour and dinner.

Our picks: Begin with

the Fried Pimento

Cheese, Baja Shrimp

Tacos or Fried Chick-

en drizzled with date

syrup. Then order the

flavorful Housemade

Sausage sandwich; it

looks like a New

Orleans Po’boy.

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ESSENCE.COM I 160 I SEPTEMBER 2019