By HarlemGal for HarlemCondoLife
We have received official notice that Chocolat, located at 2217 Frederick Douglass Blvd, and bier international, located at 2099 FDB, are now open for business. They join many other fine establishments on FDB, an area we have forecasted as Harlem’s restaurant row. Stop on by these places and tell us what you think!
@Esh. That’s a very good question and I will answer it as best as I can. I have had very limited interaction with the owners therefore I can only share only limited information. I believe bier international maybe partially black-owned and Chocolate maybe completely black owned. Thanks for commenting on HCL and hope this information helps!
Are these establishments black owned?
We had been observing the signs and the construction on Chocolat for months and couldn’t wait to try the new dining option in FDB.
We decided to go straight to the main entrees: one of us had the ribs, the other the shrimp and grits, both dishes were nicely prepared and served, if a bit salty for our taste, we enjoyed the combination of flavors in each dish and the healthy portion sizes (not too big). We had a chocolate dessert that was good as well.
All this said, I doubt we will order an entree again. As other commenter said: the prices are steep. For this dinner budget we could have had not a good, but an excellent meal any other place in town.
The staff was great and we would love for Chocolat to thrive, but the prices may get on the way of attracting faithful fans who cannot afford to subsidize.
The decoration was nice except for the blue light, I know: is their signature color, but I would love to hear from other people who had visited and see if they share our impressions: people faces look dreadful with the blue light, everybody looks tired and pale, not a flattering atmosphere. (perhaps they can tweak the light towards purple? a warmer tone may go a long way)
First quick impression of Chocolat: It’s a beautifully designed restaurant and it appears that when their evenings kick up, it could potentially offer a comparable alternative to the wine bar further North in terms of atmosphere and yes, ADM25 a nice urban vibe. (We’ve yet to see their cocktail prices because their liquor license is pending.)
That’s the positive. Now for the negative and in full fairness and disclosure, I HAVE NOT had a meal there yet and will give proper feedback the moment I do. As someone who considers himself having a little bit of disposable income for eating out, I’m not certain that appetizers starting at $12, $15 burgers or $16 plates of penne vodka is reasonable. Reasonable maybe if the goal is to make me as a customer dine there every couple of months (if the food is terrific) but not reasonable enough to make me a true blue repeat customer. Not in this economy anyway. After reading the menu this Friday night, I just chose instead to have dinner at my usual haunt restaurant lounge in Morningside Heights.
I definitely am rooting for Chocolat to succeed because the area desperately needs it and because it’s only a block west of where I live. But will the restaurant be able to sustain itself when that need appears to be somewhat exploited?
As I said, I have not eaten there yet but more often then not, a burger is just a burger.
Went to Bier International tonight – great space, great concept. spoke to the owner and chef about the beer selection and menu (which is suppose to be available next week) looked great and prices are reasonable. After Bier International, went to
Chocolat – unimpressive food, the steak was not cooked properly and the side orders were not terribly flavorful. I liked the look of the restaurant, but can tell it’s more of a “party place”. It you want good food, i will go to the 5&Diamond, if I want a party place with that kind of urban vibe, come to Chocolat and order a hamburger
@Ken I am here now at bier international. They are open and people are drinking. I am going to post a picture on twitter here in a few seconds!
I went by Bier this evening and saw no signs of life. The look like they are close though.
Woo – very exciting! I’ll drop by tomorrow.