Margaret Smith was in her twenties, and running a new theatre company at Queen and Tecumseh called Tecumseh Massive, when she wandered into the Irie Food Joint – the Jamaican restaurant next door. Margaret remembers, “I went in and introduced myself to the owner Carl Cassell and asked if he'd be open to lending us his space on an evening to do fundraisers for our theatre project and he was super supportive.”
Himself an artist, Carl always makes supporting artists a top priority. In 2007, he opened Harlem Restaurant on Richmond Street East and rebranded the Irie Food Joint the Harlem Underground to help him do that. “He really wanted to create a space that catered to the fine art of food, drink and music - creating a real soulful and warm environment for people to relax and enjoy high quality food and service,” says Margaret, now the manager of Harlem Restaurant.
It's an environment reminiscent of a French salon, or the salons that popped up during the Harlem Renaissance – both as an exhibition of art and in the fostering of intellectual conversation. “We've got a lot of really cool staff members here who have a really great knowledge of food, drink, music, literature and art," she continues, "so the the kind of conversations that happen here can vary extremely from pure comedy to philosophical, deep discussions."
Plus, attentive audiences watch live jazz, funk, soul or R&B performed every Friday and Saturday nights. On Sundays, you can hear anything from spoken word poetry to stand-up comedy. Margaret notes, “Carl is really adamant about supporting cultural and community events within the two Harlem spaces and has formed some really strong relationships with young Jamaican-Canadians who are trying to make their way in the art world. He supports them unabashedly because he was well supported when he was up-and-coming.”
HARLEM CORNBREAD
SOUP OF THE DAY
CANDIED PLANTAIN
Ripe Plantain sautéed in a brown sugar caramel sauce
CATFISH / CHICKEN LAFAYETTE
Seasoned deep fried breaded morsels served with a side of sweet chili sauce.
BUFFALO CHICKEN
Seasoned bite sized morsels of boneless thigh, fried crisp and tossed in a sweet chili BBQ sauce
HARLEM CRISPS
Avocado-ginger hummus with deep fried wonton chips.
JERK CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
Jerk chicken quesadillas with spicy chipoltle honey and greens
HARLEM SPRING ROLLS
6 vegetable spring rolls served with a sesame sweet chili sauce.
SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN & WAFFLE
Paired with a scotch-bonet-corriander-lime syrup and homemade gravy.
MANDARIN SPINACH SALAD
Baby Spinach, mandarins, toasted almonds and feta cheese tossed with a balsamic mango vinaigrette
HARLEM GOAT CHEESE SALAD
Spinach, avocado, goat cheese & red pepper salad dressed with a balsamic honey vinaigrette
CAJUN CATFISH NIÇOISE SALAD
Cajun Catfish Niçoise Salad made with cherry tomatoes.
SALMON SALAD
Pan-fried salmon filet on a bed of greens with lime and avocado hummus.
ALL SANDWICHES ARE SERVED WITH YOUR CHOICE OF SWEET POTATO FRIES OR ORGANIC BABY GREEN SALAD
ALL SANDWICHES SERVED ON COCOBREAD / CHALLAH TOAST CAN BE SERVED IN A TOASTED CIABATTA BUN. PLEASE LET THE SERVER KNOW WHAT TYPE OF BREAD YOU WOULD LIKE
THE NICE LADY
Chevre, plantain, avocado, spinach and mango mayo rolled in a tortilla grilled and toasted
MUSHROOM MELT
Portabello mushrooms with Havarti cheese and dijon mustard rolled in a tortilla grilled and toasted
THE HARLEM
A grilled three layer sammy of black forest ham, jerk chicken salad, avocado, mango mayo and jalapeño Havarti on a challah toast.
ROASTED JERK CHICKEN
Roasted jerk chicken with sweet fried plantain, Monterrey Jack, scotch-bonet mayo served toasted coco bread.
MONTREAL JAZZ
Montreal Smoked Beef, jalapeño Havarti, avocado and sotch-bonet mayo served with toasted challah bread.
BAYOU CATFISH SANDWICH
Pan-seared Cajun Catfish with scotch-bonet mayo served on a toasted coco bread.
CARRIBEAN CURRIED VEGETABLE STEW
Garden vegetables stewed in Caribbean Yellow Curry on coconut rice and peas
HARLEM JERKED MEATLOAF
Harlem's famous Jerk beef meatloaf with basmati rice and an apple chutney.
THE CURRIED CHICKEN COMMUNISTA
Boneless Chicken seasoned with a native Caribbean curry stewed with herbs. Served with parata and coconut rice and peas
FISH-N-CHIPS
Two pieces of seasoned catfish in a beer batter swimming along side sweet potato fries and spicy Tartar sauce.
SWEET POTATO FRIES
MAC-N-CHEESE
BACON MAC-N-CHEESE
COLLARD GREENS
ISLAND COLESLAW
DEEP FRIED PICKLES
Cajun Fried Okra
GINGER - PEACAN WAFFLE
Served with a banana Rum compote
HOMEMADE SWEET POTATO-BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
Southern-Fried Chicken and Waffles
Served with a scotch bonette-corriander-lime syrup and a gravy sauce.
MILE HIGH JAWNY TOAST
Egg-dipped thick slices of egg loaf drizzled with maple syrup, crushed pecans and fresh fruit.
CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST
Chunky cinnamon apples over grilled thick egg bread.
HARLEM FRENCH TOAST
Thick slices of egg bread topped with Rum soaked rasin cream cheese dipped in a cinnamon egg batter.
HARLEM MASH UP
Sweet Potato & Yukon potato hash served with sausage, topped with a fried egg and served with corn bread.
OMELETTED DU JOUR
Served with organic greens, hash and corn bread toast.
BIG BOY BREAKFAST
Sausage and bacon alongside sweet potato pancakes, scrambled eggs and corn bread.
HARLEM BENNY
Two poached eggs, garlic collard greens atop sweet potato pancakes with a spicy hollandaise sauce.
3 Farm- Fresh Eggs Any Style
Served with bacon, sausage and challah toast.
SAUSAGE
BACON
TOAST
Drinks
1.5oz COCKTAILS, 2oz COCKTAILS, 2.5oz COCKTAILS, BEER, SPRING DRINKS, DAILY DRINK SPECIALS
SOUP OF THE DAY
MANDARIN SPINACH SALAD
Baby spinach , mandarins, toasted almonds and feta cheese tossed with a balsamic mango vinaigrette. +catfish or +chicken 5.00
CATFISH LAFAYETTE
Seasoned and deep fried catfish morsels served with a sweet chili sauce and creamy chipotle mayo.
SMOKED SIDE RIBS
Apple-wood smoked pork ribs, glazed with sweet Harlem BBQ sauce.
HARLEM CRISPS
Avocado dip & walnut hummus with deep fried wonton crisps.
HARLEM CHEF'S PLATE
Cornbread, Catfish Lafayette, Candied Plantain, Harlem Crisps, Deep Fried Pickles and Jerk Chicken Quesadilla. +Fried chicken 10.00
JERK CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
Jerk chicken layered between a cream cheese filling, drizzled with a spicy scotch bonnet honey.
* + Candied Plantain
Ripe Plantain sautéed in a brown sugar caramel sauce.
HARLEM SPRING ROLLS
6 vegetable spring rolls served with sesame sweet chili sauce.
* + Harlem Goat Cheese Salad
Spinach, avocado, goat cheese, red pepper and toasted almonds tossed in a balsamic honey vinaigrette. +catfish or +chicken 5.00
THE MISSISSIPPI MASALA MUSSELS
Fresh cultivated mussels steamed in a coconut cream curry sauce.
SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN
Crisp, tender and full of flavor. Served with collard greens and your choice of either coconut Rice-n-Peas or Mac-n-Cheese.
SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN & WAFFLE
Paired with a scotch-bonet-corriander-lime syrup and homemade gravy.
JERKED SMOKED BBQ CHICKEN
Served with collard greens and your choice of either coconut Rice-n-Peas or Mac-n-Cheese.
JERK BEEF MEATLOAF
Harlem's famous jerked beef meatloaf with basmati rice and an apple chutney
SMOKED JERK PORK HOCKS
Served with collard greens and your choice of either coconut Rice-n-Peas or Mac-n-Cheese.
IRIE COCONUT FETTUCCINE
Fettuccine, Jerk chicken and hot Italian sausage smothered in a tomato coconut creme sauce.
CARIBBEAN CURRIED VEGETABLE STEW
Root Vegetables & chickpeas, stewed in caribbean yellow curry, on basmati rice or coconut Rice-n-Peas.
$19.95
HARLEM JAMBALAYA
A medley of shrimp, chicken & hot italian sausage topped with pan seared catfish, harmoniously singing together in this traditional rice dish. * Vegetarian Option Available *
BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS
Seared and simmered in a rich thyme-molasses, scotch bonet pepper and vegetable stew. Served with collard greens and your choice of either coconut Rice-n-Peas or Mac-n-Cheese.
GUINNESS MARINATED STEWED CHICKEN
Stewed with caramelized onions and root vegetables. Served with collard greens and your choice of either coconut Rice-n-Peas or Mac-n-Cheese.
+ Blackened Catfish or Salmon
Topped with a shrimp and crab etoufée sauce. Served with a side of collard greens and basmati rice.
CORNBREAD
SWEET POTATO FRIES
MAC-N-CHEESE
BACON MAC-N-CHEESE
COLLARD GREEN
CAJUN FRIED OKRA
DEEP FRIED PICKLES
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(Harlem on Queen) After a weekend of dining at pretentious good-for-nothing restaurants (re: Spice Route) we decided to settle for Harlem, my bf's idea as the location of this place is easy to miss with so many other eateries surrounding it. We had the brunch/lunch menu. The waitresses were very attentive. Served right away. Food was quite tasty, although the only negative part about it was that it came out a lukewarm. The catfish lafyette was delicious! Yam and yukon hash was good, but would've been better if served hot, as potatoes tend to get rubbery when it gets cold. The ribs were not bad either. There was a lot of food on the menu that I wanted to try today, so I'll definitely go back , maybe during dinner the next time.
Overall, this restaurant is disappointing. I ordered the fried chicken, which was OK but had a sweet sauce on it I wasn't expecting. Mac & Cheese on the side was OK, collard greens were carrots with slivers of collard greens mixed in. My friend ordered mussels, which she said were bland. Sweet potato fries were likely frozen and kind of boring. Not terrible, but would not go back again. Bigg Daddy's and King & Simcoe is pricier, but a much better option if you're wanting southern food.
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If you’re in the mood for some down home cookin’, you need only visit either Harlem location. The menu is described as “a blend of Afro-American/Afro-Caribbean inspired dishes with a modern twist.” But one bite of the Smoked Jerk Pork Hocks, Blackened Catfish or Irie Coconut Fettuccine and you’ll be immediately transported to the Caribbean.
View this Smart ListSummerlicious returns to Toronto July 8, running its smorgasbord of food-loving fun until July 24. If there's a restaurant you've had your eye on, this is the opportunity to give it a try. Restaurants tout three-course dinner in various price brackets for the two weeks of the festival. Here are the $28 spots! [Feature image: Ruth’s Chris Steak House; courtesy of the City of Toronto]
View this Smart ListOne of the most anticipated foodie events in TO, Summerlicious kicks off July 8. Restaurants offer three-course lunch and dinner menus in various price brackets for the two weeks of the festival. It's an affordable way to sample a spot you've had your eye on, or test out the newcomers on the scene. Here are the drool-worthy $18 lunch menus that will be on offer. [Feature image: Bymark; courtesy of the City of Toronto]
View this Smart List