Now that Thiago bought the Michelin guide, we are always using it to choose a restaurant for lunch or dinner. On Saturday, we wanted to go to somewhere in Harlem and The Cecil, an international cuisine restaurant, was our choice. We loved our experience there and I decided to share with you this tip from another place to eat here in New York!
As I mentioned earlier, The Cecil is an international cuisine restaurant (Afro – Asian – American), led by Chef Joseph “JJ” Johnson and opened in 2013. In 2014, The Cecil was the best new restaurant in the country, according to Esquire magazine. The eclectic flavor profile, recipes, and menu is an eatable culinary conversation celebrating the foodways of the African Diaspora, a result of the forced migration of African slaves throughout the five major continents of the world from Africa to Asia, Europe, North and South America. Resilient African people created a legacy of food preparation and hospitality throughout the world while infusing African traditions and history in every dish. One of the dishes available, for example, is feijoada ($27), which was our choice of the night. And it was served in a different way that we (Brazilians) know. We are used to separating ingredients, right? In this version from The Cecil, the feijoada, in a very generous portion that was enough for both of us, came with rice, beans, meat, kale and orange on a plate only. As a side, we ordered Crispy Kale sprouts ($9). To start, we ordered the Sake Braised Lamb Ribs, which were deliciously crumbling. Usually, we don’t order dessert, but as the food was so good and the restaurant was so well recommended, we decided to try the Apple Pie ($ 10), an apple tart served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Needless to say how this mixture of hot and cold is delicious, right?
We really loved The Cecil. Plus the food is very tasty and prepared with much care, the environment is also very beautiful and nice, perfect for a special dinner. If you click here, you can check out the full menu, for dinner and brunch. Main courses range from $18 to $33 for dinner and $14 to $18 for brunch. A very good price considering the quality of the restaurant.
4Oh, and a very interesting fact that I think you should take into account when choosing The Cecil is that on Sundays, during brunch (12pm – 3pm), there is live jazz performances! We were very curious and we will certainly come back to check closely. You can even check the calendar here. Oh, and is recommended to make reservations for the brunch – apparently, the place should be crowded! You can make a reservation here.
Address: 210 W 118th Street. The Cecil opens for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday, 5:30pm and for brunch on Sundays, from 11am to 3pm.
UPDATE: The Cecil and Minton’s have merged. Check out Minton’s details.
Laura Peruchi is a Brazilian blogger, author, and entrepreneur. She has lived in Manhattan with her husband since 2014. Since then, she has shared on her blog varied content about the Big Apple. From travel tips, including unusual things to do, shopping tips, etiquette, restaurants, and a lot more, her blog has become a reference in Portuguese (also available in English) for anyone planning a trip to New York City.
