Every trip I take into town to Harlem starts at the corner of 126 and Lenox, where one of the coolest restaurants is dishing out its new summer treat. Opened 4 years ago, this Historic Hot Spot in Upper Manhattan has no doubt succeeded serving up some of the better of American Comfort Cuisine. From what was once a center of African culture with a historic black roots, Harlem is now seeing an inflow of diversified customers all keen to experience the eclectic Uptown vibe. With restaurants popping up all over the city, competition to stay ahead of the market and attract the new crowd that’s emerging is critical. In essence, Harlem has become one of the fastest changing neighborhoods in NYC and The Corner Social has been at the forefront of its restaurant boom. With a mixture of old and new, it attracts visitors from all over the world.
We stepped into the kitchen with Executive chef Elpidio Escamilla showing us how to prepare some of their most popular dishes. The first menu is an appetizing drink Argentinian empanadas. Stuffed with angus beef and served with baby arugula, apple salad and lightly spiced chimichuri sauce. Hands down, the best empanadas we have had in ages. The next menu is seafood. Elpidio insisted we try their popular one blue dot oyster. Baked in butter and topped with bits of bacon and parmesan cheese, this is certainly not your typical dish.
After that, he prepared white wine with tomato sauce for us Chilean sea bass which is seared to perfection and served over garlic spinach with caramelized onions and mushrooms.
While we were enjoying their incredible dishes, we were a bit surprised when she prepared for us something that just debuted on their menu in such a bold way. A Steak Tomahawk 36 oz served with mushrooms, sautéed french beans, and red potato wedges. They are the only restaurant in Harlem that serves steaks of this enormous proportion. Whether it is for a casual brunch on a Sunday afternoon or a weekend dance spot, one thing’s for sure, at The Corner Social, there’s something for everybody. And If you are trying to find a little fun on a Saturday night, make sure to stop by Americana Tuesday, where the sound of live music mixing to the hottest beats is bound to get you dancing the summer. For more information about The Corner Social or its hours of operation, log on to thecornersocialnyc.com
