My dear friend Dell Long, public relations guru, recently introduced me to Angie. Now a week later I’m sitting here at Mr. Lee Lee’s bakery in Harlem, which incidentally has the best rugallah in the world.
Ask a New Yorker: Hello Angie. What do you do?
Angie: I run a company called Experience Harlem. Experience Harlem was founded exactly two years ago. It was founded to connect businesses in Harlem with folks who work, live, and play in upper Manhattan. I’m actually a native of Chicago. I moved to Harlem five years ago. I was very quickly amazed that all these interesting businesses are opening in Harlem and no one knew about them. After a while I saw that I was always the one asking people, “hey have you checked out that new restaurant on 8th Ave or the new boutique on 116th street?” After awhile it occurred to me that one thing all these business have in common were that they were all very interesting. The owners were all very timed starved and resources starved, and didn’t have the expertise or the human bodies to help them do some basic marketing. So I thought wouldn’t it be cool if somebody pulled all their resources together to help them reach not only the people that have been here all their lives and have been hungry for things to do in the community, but also the huge influx of people who have been coming in as well who don’t know the basic services that are available to them in Harlem.
Ask a New Yorker: That’s very cool. Have you run into Bill Clinton?
Angie: I have not run into Bill Clinton in Harlem but everyplace I’ve been he’s left his mark, and usually it’s all the Southern food restaurants. It’s fabulous that he has been such a tremendous supporter of businesses uptown. But, I think since his recent health issues he may have scaled back a little.
Ask a New Yorker: No scaling back here– what is your favorite fried chicken place?
Angie: I have two favorites. One is sort of a very wide known secret, not so much a secret, Amy Ruth’s, over on 116th street. Then there is something of hidden gem which is a church on 125th and 8th that has a kitchen on the second floor, something that only locals know about and support which has the most amazing Southern food in Harlem. Actually there is one more favorite, it’s called Harlem Wing and Waffle Corp over on Adam Clayton Powell between 139th and 140th. They have the most amazing wings and waffles.
Ask a New Yorker: Who has better pizza, New York or Chicago?
Angie: You know it’s a regional thing. I have to confess that I still love Chicago pizza more but there are still a couple of places in Harlem that I love their pizza as well. Slice of Harlem over on Lenox Ave and between 125th and 126th has the most amazing cheese and pepperoni slice in the city.
Ask a New Yorker: You have straight hair. What do you know about Dominican hair salons?
Angie: I do. I do. There are two things that I love about New York. New York is a very, very expensive city. But there are three things you can get cheaply here: a taxi, a manicure and your hair done. The Dominican hair salons, there are some great ones. Elias is one of my favorites.
Ask a New Yorker: What are some of your hobbies?
Angie: My passions are music, wine, golf and traveling.
Ask a New Yorker: Tell me about your golf.
Angie: Golf has been neglected the last couple of years. I do spend quite a bit of time in the summer going to a number of tournaments. I try to play at least once a week and it’s just one of my favorite things to do.
Ask a New Yorker: And wine?
Angie: I’m a huge Italian wine drinker. My favorite wines are out of Tuscany in a little region called Bunello di Montalcino, it is my absolute favorite wine in the world. I’ve had the opportunity to travel quite a bit for work in my past life. There are some great wine shops in Harlem. One of my favorites is Harlem vintage on 8th and 120th A fabulous wine boutique that carries the most extensive collection of wines by African Americans vintners as well as vintners of color. Who knew that Dick Parsons, CEO of Time Warner, has a winery in Italy!
Ask a New Yorker: Any other good eats in Harlem?
Angie: When you think of Harlem overall it’s a tapestry of lots of people from different places. So there’s a huge West Indian population. So of course there is some great Caribbean food. There are some great Dominican restaurants further up town into Washington Heights. For Caribbean food you have Mobay over on 125th street. This little enclave that we’re in right now is called little Senegal. So there are some amazing African restaurants here. Zoma is right up the street; a very chic beautiful Ethiopian restaurant. One of my favorites in Harlem around the corner is Les Ambassades. It’s a French Senegalese restaurant. On 116th you have another local favorite, Kine. Music. Harlem has a vast heritage behind music. For jazz along with food we have the reopening of Mintons Playhouse over on 118th between Saint Nicholas and Adam Clayton Powell. That was the first place for b-bop. Miles Davis, Thelonias Monk use to play there. And of course there’s Lenox Lounge.
Ask a New Yorker: Important question. What’s the best part of you golf game?
Angie: My drive. I have an amazing 250 yard drive.
Ask a New Yorker: Fore! Thank you Angie for such an informative interview.
