*All photos from this meal can be viewed on Flickr

Ever since learning - very recently, I might add - that Harlem's "Crack is Wack Playground" came long before Whitney Houston's famous proclamation, I've been aching to view this historical piece of urban landscape for myself.  But if I knew that if I was going to make that trek, I wanted to be damn sure that a meal would also be involved.  Et voila!  Chez Lucienne, a French bistro that had been on my "need to try it" list, was located two blocks south and six avenues east of the famous "playground."

Before Shirley and I met at the restaurant - conveniently located 15-feet from the subway exit - I managed to get lost.  Instead of making a right on Lenox, I headed west on 125th Street.  Not wanting to appear a shade greener than I imagine I already looked, I finally had no other option but to ask a passerby, "Is Lenox Avenue this way?"  After the kind gentleman led me in the right direction, I couldn't help but notice how friendly and hospitable everyone seemed to be.  For the first time in my six-years of living in the Big Apple, I felt a genuine sense of warmth and community.

Amongst Lenox Avenue's fast-food joints and small department stores/chains, Chez Lucienne stands out like a rare jewel.  Upon entry, there is an ample amount of space used for street-side dining which, had it not been 100-degrees, I would have loved to have brunched al-fresco.  The interior of the restaurant is reminiscent of Tribeca's The Odeon: banquette and bistro-chair/table seating, unfinished hardwood floors, subway-tiled walls, and ceilings that seem to reach to soaring heights.

Chez Lucienne: interior spaceTo begin our meal, Shirley and I ordered a cheese platter, which arrived simultaneously with the gratis bread & butter.  Served atop a chilled, unpolished black-granite slab was a handful of unsalted walnuts, some lightly-dressed greens, and wedges of the following fromages: camembert, brie, chevre, and (gasp!) commercially/deli-sliced cheddar.

Chez Lucienne: moist country bread and butterChez Lucienne: cheese platterJust as the server removed our spit-cleaned cheese board, our entrees arrived.  I ordered the "Oeufs Benedicte Chez Lucienne," which loosely translates to "Eggs Benedict."  Instead of serving the poached eggs atop a toasted English muffin, this version went against tradition with the substitution of bread for a homemade, 1" thick hash-brown cake.  Slices of fried deli ham, sauteed button mushrooms, and half of a grilled tomato served as a makeshift moat to the potato and egg "castle."  A warm, lemon-y Hollandaise sauce crowned the perfectly-poached eggs, though I found that the dish could have used one or two more dollops.

Chez Lucienne: Oeufs Benedicte Chez Lucienne (Eggs Benedict)Conclusion: while I wouldn't consider Chez Lucienne to be a brunch destination-restaurant, Shirley and I thoroughly enjoyed our meal, especially the lovely service we received.  From the jazzy French tunes heard overhead to our Lyonnaise server's deliriously intoxicating accent, I felt transported back to my beloved Paris. 

~

Harlem: live from 128th Street

Leaking fire hydrant on 128th Street: seconds after I snapped this photo, some random dude approached the hydrant and took a huge swig of water.Rows of steps leading up to brownstones on 128th St.~

And without further ado, please enjoy my photographs from Harlem's "Crack is Wack Playground."  Before or after you finish (viewing the pictures), make sure to read the touching true-story behind the art.  Click *here*

I love the sign to the right, "Park closes at 9pm."Mural painted on a handball court: note all of the skeletons and dead bodies. What else do you see?Similar mural painted on opposite side of handball court. Note the highway to the right of the mural.



In honor of Anjie's recent engagement, I invited her to dinner so that I could hear the play-by-play of how he proposed.  "Since you're the bride-to-be," I said, "why don't you choose the cuisine?  I'll pick the actual restaurant.  How does that sound?"  Anjie happily obliged and stated that she was craving Thai/pan-Asian food. 

Since I had recently ordered - though wasn't very impressed with - take-out from Laut, I decided that Anjie and I should give it another shot based on all of the positive feedback from folks who had "dined-in" (as opposed to ordering-in).  Plus, was it really fair of me to judge a restaurant based solely on one food delivery?  Probably not.

*Unfortunately, I left my camera at home and don't have any pictures to show for this meal.  My apologies, in advance.*

In true Lunch Belle fashion, I arrived at Laut about 20-minutes prior to Anjie.  I was warmly greeted by the staff who made me feel "right at home."  Being informed that I could sit wherever I liked, I chose the cozy two-top, positioned directly in front of the restaurant's large front window, overlooking 17th Street.  In anticipation of her arrival, I ordered a Thai-iced tea and perused Laut's contemporary, yet comfortable space.  As Justin Bieber sang "Baby" overhead, I took turns glancing through the dinner menu and people-watching, from my front-and-center street-view seat.

While intently listening to every word of Anjie's engagement story, my stomach rumbled so loud that it literally interrupted her.  "Oh my," she gasped, "maybe it's time for us to order an appetizer!"  With our server's guidance, we chose to split the Roti Canai, which the menu described as being an "Indian pancake with chicken curry sauce."  The pancake itself was almost as light and thin as a sheet of 8/12x11 typing paper.  Imagine a crepe, the circumference of a large pizza, folded in half - then in fourths - tasting similar to puff pastry, only more buttery, crispy, and doughy-if that makes sense.  Accompanying the pancake was a small bowl filled with a fragrant, saffron-colored curry sauce containing a single piece of white-meat chicken.  Anjie and I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that this dish did not require the use of utensils - we used our hands to tear away pieces of the pancake, then dunk them in to the warm curry sauce.  Had I not been so embarrassed to speak-up, I wouldn't have thought twice about ordering "Roti Canai round deux."  Dangerous.

Midway through sips of my cincau beverage, our entrees arrived.  While Anjie went the more traditional route - ahem, chicken Pad Thai - I chose, under the guise of our waitress and countless amounts of comments on menupages.com, the Beef Rendang with coconut rice.  Imagine, if you will, a sizeable soup bowl filled with strips of lean meat that had slowly simmered in coconut milk and spices (may include ginger, galangal, turmeric leaf, lemon grass and chillies) for several hours, or until almost all of the liquid had been absorbed.  From the beefs brisket-like texture to its playful potpourri of flavor, I found that my entree reached its level of perfection with the addition of the sticky coconut rice.    

Our meal was truly sealed with a kiss when we received the dessert that we had allowed for our waitress to choose on our behalf.  By appearances alone, the "peanut pancake" resembled a French crepe; only this particular version was filled with chopped, salty peanuts that were bound by melted butter and sugar.  Sweet and savory flavors flirted with pillowy and crunchy textures, resulting in one of the most memorable finales I've experienced since the salted-caramel ice cream cone that stole my heart at Berthillon (Paris).

Conclusion: how foolish of me to have almost written-off Laut!  From the unique cuisine to the excellent service we received, I must confess that this exquisite meal was the best - from start to finish - that I've had in recent memory.  I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone, and cannot wait until my next visit.

Sure there's menupages.com & nymag.com (chock-full of opinions), but wouldn't you rather get restaurant advice from someone you know and trust...someone like your Mama Lunch Belle? The Lunch Belle has done her homework and made a list of restaurants and quick-stops for nabes all over NYC. As with most of The Belle's lists, this one is ongoing. You're welcome (in advance)! *For restaurants without links, please refer to menupages.com or www.nymag.com for addresses, phone numbers and further information.

American regional (new, Southern, diner):

• Riverdale Diner
• Sylvia's Soul Food: Best. Macaroni & Cheese. In. The. City.

French/bistro:

• Chez Lucienne

Sure, they may be famous for extravagant cheese platters, hearty fondue, and traditional French bistro fare - but in 100-degree heat, the last thing us New Yorkers want is to eat something warm and heavy. 

And so, in taking the smoldering temperatures in to account,  Artisanal Fromagerie, Bistro & Wine Bar has recently introduced a "summer fish shack menu."  Harpoon Summer Beer and a lobster roll, anyone? 

*Click the menu to view in larger format*

Artisanal's Summer Fish Shack menu

Oh, for the love of god.  Really?

This just in from Eater: Pop-Tarts to Open First Ever Shop and Cafe in Times Square

Great news, recessionistas!  NYC Restaurant Week has now been extended through Labor Day.  Click here to learn more and start making your reservations!