New York Tales : Amy Ruth's in Harlem

Walking around Harlem you can see the majesty it once had, the magnificent buildings and townhouses give an inkling into its once great past and hopefully resurgent future.

It’s a shame we came to Harlem midweek and not on a weekend, as the mood was slightly subdued than what we were expecting, but this did mean we were able to get a table at the institution known as Amy Ruth’s. So not all bad.

The restaurant is simple and spartan in design, which belays the fact that it turns out great food. Sometimes you can never judge a book by its cover.

As we say we were given a basket of corn bread. This thick crumbly, fluffy bread was a delight to eat, and I wish I hadn’t eaten it all before my meal arrived, as it would had gone well with it.

The dishes on the menu are named after (I assumed) famous locals and even the President himself.

The restaurant is famed for fried chicken and waffles. Yes both served on the same plate at the same time. This is something we couldn’t get our heads around and decided to miss this staple off. I’ve never been a fan of waffles.

I choose the Reggie Harris (Southern honey dipped fried chicken) with sides of mac n cheese and fries.

This I never realised until the food came was exactly what the wife ordered except she had coleslaw instead of the mac n cheese. Doh !!! Tip for next time, pay attention to what other people are ordering. If I had realised I would have ordered the President Obama in its fried form.

Anyhows the honey dipped chicken was moist, well fried and sweet from the honey dressing. The honey gave the dish a nice sweetness that I must do one day at home. Good combo.

The mac n cheese was one of the better ones I have had. I mean it’s really not something that should be messed up, but somehow a lot of places do.

This one had a strong cheesy taste, which is how I want my cheese sauce. The macaroni had a slight al dente quality to it, this making it all the better to eat.

Very few words were exchanged during the meal, a good sign of quality food that not only nourishes the body but the soul as well.

Amy Ruth’s is not a swanky joint by far, but its reputation for serving good wholesome quality soul food is. When we are back in New York, Amy Ruth’s is top of our list for a revisit and then maybe I’ll have the Barak Obama.