Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem was founded in 1962 by Sylvia Woods, the "Queen of Soul Food", who passed away in 2012. Sylvia's has grown into a big enterprise with a catering business and a range of food products.
We wanted to have some soul food during our trip (especially some fresh corn bread) and Sylvia's seemed to be a fine option. When we found out that they offered a "Gospel Sunday Menu" with live gospel music from 12:30 to 4p.m., the decision was made. Since they do not take reservations for this event, we arrived there early at 11:45.
Here are some photos of the place taken while we were leaving at around 13:20 - all tables were occupied and there were more than 15 persons waiting to be seated. Some were even eating at the counter by the kitchen, which in our view is not the most comfortable/practical area.
We ordered a breakfast plate and a lunch entrée. Soon after we ordered, a basket of warm biscuits, margarine spread and grape jelly was served. Sylvia's own hot sauce was already on our table. We asked for some corn bread and were told that it was in the oven and would not be ready for a while..
Fried catfish and scrambled eggs with grits
Southern style fried chicken with 2 sides: garlic mashed potatoes and black-eyed peas (seasoned with smoked turkey)
We also ordered an extra side of baked mac & cheese
Shortly after 12:30, the gospel music started with singer Ruth energizing the diners with a beautiful rendition of 'Amazing Grace'. I managed to snap a photo before she began a tour of the restaurant.
Stopping by each table, she would ask diners where they came from, then shout "[country name] is in the house, y'all! Enjoy!" We were surprised by the great diversity of the other diners around us, from Argentina to Norway and South Korea.
Since our plates had already been cleared but we wanted to listen to the music for a while, we ordered a Peach Cobbler for dessert.
Finally, after checking on the status of the corn bread 3-4 times during our meal, and minutes before we were about to leave, a young waiter brought us a basket of warm corn bread straight out of the oven. The smile on his face was like "you've been very patient. Here's your treat!". Although stuffed at this point, we managed to finish this corn bread which was seriously good.
As we left the restaurant, we noticed a display of several Sylvia's products on sale, which included peach cobbler and corn bread mixes.
The Sunday Gospel Brunch at Sylvia's was a great experience that we strongly recommend to Harlem visitors who want to (re)discover soul-food.
Harlem, NYC
http://www.sylviasrestaurant.com
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