So I have this new obsession with Top Chef. I’m obsessed! I can’t explain why up to this point, I haven’t seen a single episode. I adore cooking shows and watch the food network all the time, but for some reason just never ventured to Bravo for a cooking program. This season is All-Stars, aka all the competitors are from past seasons; I don’t know any of their pasts, but that doesn’t matter to me!
So now I have this urge to go back and watch all the past seasons. This new found love has also got me started making a list of restaurant I must visit. (Some are far too expensive for me, but hey, one can dream.) So about a month ago, I read an article on Harlem as an up and coming cool neighborhood. It listed different restaurants and bar you should visit. There was an article about Marcus Samuelsson’s new restaurant, Red Rooster. He is a former Top Chef contestant so this was the first thing that struck me. Then I read on and found out he wanted to have a neighborhood restaurant and embrace the comfort food of Harlem, but also use influences from his Ethiopian and Swedish background. I was sold at comfort food. After reading this, I decided I MUST go here. Then in the next paragraph I was informed that you must make reservations months in advance. Ughhhhhhhhhhh I probably told everyone I knew about this new restaurant after reading this. I was planning on making a reservation anyways and planning just really really far in advance.
My time came sooner than I thought though! During my last week at my former job, my boss wanted to take me out for a farewell dinner. I almost died when she informed me where she had chosen. Red Rooster. This was the one and only time I saw her use her status and was actually impressed she had a name for herself.
Turns out she designed the aprons all the waiters where, so she has an in! She knew all the people working there and even informed me if Marcus was there she could introduce me. Sadly he was off for the night.
It is a really neat place. I loved the atmosphere. For a place that is so highly sought out, it doesn’t have a pretentious or overly fancy vibe. The kitchen is open at the back wall so you can see them making stuff which I love. While perusing the menu, I was most drawn to, Cornbread and Mac and Cheese. Definitely a well balance diet! I thought for a moment maybe I should get chicken or something else, but I may never get to go there again, so I had to embrace it.
The food was all real good. Everyone in our group really enjoyed their dishes. My mac and cheese, which had collard greens in it was smashing. It also came with a brussel sprout salad which was amazing. It was actually my favorite part of the meal because it was such a surprise. The cornbread, I have to admit was not the best. It had a weird greasiness to it. I like cornbread to be moist, but not in a greasy way. I still ate my whole piece though. Don’t worry!
If you get the chance, you must try out Red Rooster!
