One good thing that can be said for living in a freshly gentrified Harlem is the move of A Taste of Seafood from the hole in the wall location on 125th Street and Madison to a newer, fresher space across the street. And, stepping up their game even further, they have added a colorful new website! Tasty!!!
Read more: Greasy Guide :: $20 a Day ::
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fish monger
September 8, 2008
This is why Harlem is now all fucked up – mostly ignorant white folks wanting to bring their Whole Foods bullshit to the hood.
Meanwhile, you’re the people who not only introduced McDonald’s to the world, but worked there as suburban kids and ate there as families.
Keep your gentrification, which destroys (food and art) culture, generational legacy, and the overall way of life in NYC.
Nice going.
queen
December 2, 2007
wow. all y’all are a trip. seriously. ALL of you.
i mean, really — as a slim, physically healthy southerner that lives in (west) harlem, i can honestly say that a taste of seafood is one of my favorite restaurants. truly authentic. when it’s time for mac n’ cheese, i don’t go anywhere else. the thing is, eating there is an occasional once in a while thing, not a daily ritual.
all black people aren’t unhealthy and a decent education doesn’t guarantee healthy eating choices. there are plenty of college-educated slobs out there. please.
we are all individuals. we all make our own choices. you don’t like fried food #2? then keep your snide comments to yourself and don’t eat it. you don’t walk into jamba juice expecting a cheeseburger. should you walk into a fish joint uptown expecting a 2 ounce shot of wheatgrass?
narmer
November 13, 2007
“Reference link below: Why is frying a no no?
Three reasons:
1. Plain white fish, the kind we usually fry is low in omega three fatty acids that prevent heart trouble.
2. Batter and tarter sauce add fat to fried fish.
3. Frying can produce unhealthy hydrogenated oils.”
Another reason is that most Fish being sold today are Farm Raised and like Beef and poultry are fed chemicals for faster growth and to produce more meat.
One of the largest Fish Farms is located in the South Bronx.
anon
November 13, 2007
#19 “Pay personal reparaations to a Harlem family”? That’s incredible!
anon
July 23, 2007
A Taste of Seafood is delicious
lovelyday2U
July 14, 2007
Hey do you all really think that respnder is white? Maybe an arrogant black person, but white, nah.
rdc
July 13, 2007
So not only are Black people unhealthy but they’re so ignorant they need the government to force them into eating healthier? Seriously? I’d rather my tax dollars go toward improving transportation on the East Side, solving violent crimes (i.e. murders, rapes, armed robberies), or maybe keeping the roads in good shape than forcibly preventing people from choosing how to eat, but that’s just me.
Divine1906
July 13, 2007
#17 – The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word arrogant as “..marked by or arising from a feeling or assumption of one’s superiority toward others..”.
In a number of the posts seen on Uptown Flavor that’s exactly the attitude that comes across.
Some of us expect the attitudes being exhibited about certain aspects of the Harlem community. We’ve dealt with them in the workplace, in the schools some of us went to and every time we take in the media. It’s an attitude of supremacy.
So as someone who’s used the word arrogant to describe some of the attitudes exhibited on this site, I think it’s a perfect description.
HARLEM OBSERVER
July 13, 2007
ARROGANCE + SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT + DISRESPECT OF OTHERS + HISTORY OF DEATH/DESTRUCTION/DISEASE = WHITE PEOPLE
Your history of spreading death,destruction,diseases and just plain misery and suffering to the people and areas you go is common knowledge. Its happening now in Harlem. Hopefully your genetic white guilt will kick in at some point and just leave Harlem. If you must stay here – do something other than complain about Harlem and its residents-allow a homeless family to stay at your condo every weekend. Sponsor a Harlem fifth grader and finance their education until they graduate college. Pay personal reparaations to a Harlem family. Or just get the fuck out and take your e pill popping friends with you.
123uptownside
July 12, 2007
The last time I checked no one made anyone eat at the restaurant. Order only sides if you want or go down the block to the Juice bar.
Regarding fish I still think the Shrimp Box rules. Taste of Seafood burns their oil.
Harlem has many healthy establishments. get out and take a walk instead of writing about your dis-satisfaction better yet why don’t the group of you get together and open a restaurant.
Whenever a black owned establishment succeeds I rejoice.
Anonymous
July 12, 2007
I don’t understand why the word “arrogant” keeps getting thrown about. The comments that I’ve read usually demonstrate a different perspective of the neighborhood or various establishments. These perspectives may be poorly formed, racist, uninformed, and culturally insensitive and they may be presented in a vulgar or hysterical manner, but I’m not seeing the arrogance that keeps being mentioned.
merle
July 12, 2007
you sound like a newly arrived arrogant person who wants all the things they have downtown but couldn’t afford the rent or the purchase price of the condo or coop– stop whinining and just arrange to eat downtown and sleep uptown–why sould the people of Harlem give up the food they like and have survied on for centuries its you skinny so called health eaters who are the ones who are ill most of the time mentally and physically– nobody is telling you to eat at TOS they don’t need your business so walk on by
who do you think you are– are you passing out gift cards to Whole Foods to people i don’t think so you are just a neurotic person who eats those mung beans or something and it makes you cranky and you get off on talking about the TOS like its such a big deal and don’t you forget that for years we worked in kitchens preparing food for people who grew up to be healthy and we also cooked for our families– you are so far off the mark with your diatribe about TOS that you don’t even know the origins of what fried fish represents and I am not going to tell you just back off TOS I gurantee you wouldn’t have much to say if you had some stock in the place but I know you are so politically correct you wouldn’t dare take the money
anon
July 11, 2007
Another interesting read, Author, John McWhorter and his theories on therapeutic alienation.
Divine1906
July 11, 2007
#12. You need to read “The Miseducation of the Negro”. You sound like a perfect example of what Carter G. Woodson decried. Someone who manages to acquire an “education” and ends up engaged in a lifetime of self-hate.
Nobody denies what the statisticss are, but most people who really care know that there are historical and socio-economic reasons why people are making poor choices. They don’t waste their time in self-righteous lecturing as you do.
And its not limited to Black folks. Have you ever been to Kentucky and seen how the white folks there live?
Ok, I’m going to eat my Popeye’s Chicken now.
Penny
July 10, 2007
Righttttttt…cause only blacks are unhealthy. Yeah! That’s it. Give it a rest. We heard you the first time. Obviously we are educated, literate and intelligent people who can (gasp) think for ourselves. Quit demeaning our intelligence. You’re preaching to the choir. So, will I see you out in front the Chinese spot passing out literature about the dangers of fried chicken wings? If not then please save your keystrokes. You’re boring me.
Anonymous
July 10, 2007
Everyone’s allowed to make poor choices, and that Blacks exceed in the context of diet. Blacks seem to hate education and knowledge therefore willing accept a place like TOS to not be up front and disclose the oil used in the deep frying of what they ingest. Why and how is that?
Just look at the speech of #8, health is not a concern, taste taste taster rules. I just hope you have a job #8 with health benefits because I for one am tired of paying the freight of your, your mama and daddy and all the welfare class Black folks trips to the hospital for a lifetime of ingesting deep fried food. All those trips to places like TOS add up over a lifetime.
Ya know there is a reason Blacks are obese and in terrible physical condition on the hole across the board. How is it that in Harlem, a cheap greasy Chinese dive of which are the leading foodplace, how is it that they sell more fried chicken wings than chinese food?
Ever notice that? Chinese food places push more fried food, wings and fries than Chinese food, isn’t that ironic, and what does it say?
It say Black people eat way too damn much deep fried food, common knowledge, well documented, and it shortens and reduces lives in the big picture.
Educated people don’t have this type of diet, let’s be honest with each other. But we close our eyes,don’t we. We prefer not to know, be ignorant and look the other way.
So ‘go head TOS, open your doors to Harlem again, never ever let us know what oil you use, we’re Black, we don’t care, our health does not mean that much, we’re exploited nutritionally in all sorts of ways, always have been looks like we always will.
Only in Harlem will Blacks defend and legitimize a diet of even moderate consumption of deep fried food, and not only deep fried, keep us ignorant of the oil used as we like to not know and be ignorant.
Real world and truth for the educated? The only oils that do not destroy your health are olive and peanut (to fry with). And though that’s the case, it’s still NOT advisable to consume fried food at all, zero, none. But of course you’re free to make your own choices and boy do Blacks do that well.
Blacks also excel at choosing to have unprotected sex and we rule when it comes to AIDS and exploding HIV in our community. We like to be ignorant, take risk, that’s “how we do”. We do the same thing with Fried Foods, that can’t possibly be risky, can it? No way, never.
Across the board, aids, hiv, deep fried foods, tobacco, mental health care, Black people are a million years behind the enlightened, the proof is in the real world stats.
Wake up Black people, Wake up.
Larry
July 10, 2007
Glad everyone here is still into the heavy preaching – seriously it’s a food blog posting – lighten up! By the way – the New Yorker had a posting about Oklahoma Smoke BBQ on 145th street – supposedly open for takeout on July 22nd. http://nymag.com/restaurants/openings/34445/
If you feel BBQ is unhealthy, then eat a carrot at home and keep the sermon to yourself.
Amen!
Penny
July 10, 2007
We’re so quick to criticize when the reality is do you really know how healthy your so called healthy food is? I’ve had Asian people (Indian and Chinese) tell me how unhealthy their food is due to the amount of oil they use in cooking it and the lack of fiber in their diet, yet folks like you would be quick to jump on the bandwagon and embrace their cultural fare before you will that of Africans and African Americans. The reality is that collard greens are high in nutritional value and so is fish whether it it fried or baked. We’re back to the cigar discussion where people are trying to force their personal beliefs down the throats of others. You can’t make people swallow it. If I choose to eat fried fish on Friday – a family tradition – then I will enjoy my fried fish in moderation once a week. And I won’t let the likes of you make me feel guilty about it because guess what? My cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure are right on target and I am closer to 40 than to 30. How dare you make a blanket statement that people are uneducated! I hold multiple degrees from respected institutions and come from an educated family (three generations of my family hold masters in education and social work). If YOU don’t choose to eat the food that is your prerogative but save the preaching for the pulpit. And let the church say Amen!
smythe
July 10, 2007
It’s unfortunate that some people feel it necessary to insult others to exhibit their “intelligence” on issues like this. Clearly it’s not 4:44′s objective to actually educate people that s/he spends so much time insulting. When you say “it’s a 50/50 shot if a typical person in a TOS finished highschool” and that “Black Harlemites…will want to fry the water,” please don’t pretend that you’re trying to raise their level of knowledge. But the line about tax dollars exposes the diatribe for the elitist (maybe even racist) nonsense it is. It’s a shame, since the nutritional issues raised are important ones.
By the way, last time I checked, most of the Popeye’s and KFC’s (purveyors of fried food) in the world are somehow not in Harlem. There are even a lot of them that aren’t in Black neighborhoods. Maybe the writer might broaden his scope to educate those in other neighborhoods. But then, s/he couldn’t feel so superior to Black Harlemite’s.
NARMER
July 10, 2007
I just hope that the fish taste does not change by being fried in 0% trans-fat oil.
I have noticed that KFC, Popeye’s chicken taste has changed because the use the 0% trans-fat oil.
Greasyguide.com
July 10, 2007
Ok I admit there are a lot of fried food spots up in Harlem but would a healthy spot really work?
i mean if you put something like a Better Burger in Harlem would it survive or have to move back down town? I want a Jamba Juice in Harlem so badly but they don’t seem to be moving into Harlem anytime soon.
So it’s the market place of Harlem and the nature of what black folks like to eat. And there are tons of alternatives you just have to seek them out.
And hey maybe with the new Sushi place more healthy alternative will open up in Harlem. But Harlem needs to show that there is a market place for those spots to open up there.
Anonymous
July 10, 2007
Only in Harlem will people herald and celebrate a restaurant in the business of offering unhealthy food to the community. It’s 2007, rumor has it educated and informed people live in Harlem, you would not know it by those actually trying to legitimize a restaurants whose main line of business is deep frying.
Sure, I see the lines at TOS too, but take a closer look at those lines, the people and you’ll connect the dots and see it’s a 50/50 shot if a typical person in a TOS finished highschool. For every advanced degreed person in line, there will be 20 – 24 likely HS dropouts or in other words the typical TOS customer is poorly educated and informed, just an opinion.
However I am willing to bet those in Harlem that buy fresh fruit from the Korean on l25th are indeed much much higher educated. In sum certain business rely on the ignorance of the consumer, the poor choice of the consumer, TOS is exactly that. I’m friends with Carl, the guy who owns Amy Ruth’s, but just look at Carl, he’s a mess, one chicken wing away from a heart attack and he too is in the business of clogging arteries.
Reference link below: Why is frying a no no?
Three reasons:
1. Plain white fish, the kind we usually fry is low in omega three fatty acids that prevent heart trouble.
2. Batter and tarter sauce add fat to fried fish.
3. Frying can produce unhealthy hydrogenated oils.
While pregnant women and young children should limit fish intake due to mercury, for most of us, it’s the more the merrier as long as it’s baked or broiled. The truth is you should avoid Fried Food.
The whole business model is reliant on chosen ignorance or disregard of health of self (a common problem of Harlem residents). An example of this? Why doesn’t TOS inform and educate consumers on their website of the type of oil they deep fry in? That’s very important information for the consumer to know, the educated consumer that is, TOS is not in that line of business hence it’s not something you’ll find on their website.
Basically if you keep the consumer underinformed, you have a better chance of getting business, why? Once a person is educated, informed and possibly intelligent, they would know better than for example to consume food deep friend in vegetable oil. Truth is the only kind of oil that might not hurt your health in deep frying is olive and peanut, as you can see by the source below, but even then it’s just not advisable to consume deep friend foods.
But again, people do a lot of ill-advised things like have unprotected sex, smoke and chew tobacco, in the face of research and knowledge people still go forward in high risk conduct all the time, and you’re welcome to do that at TOS.
Let’s just not kid ourselves of try and justify it consuming deep fried food in moderation is a healthy choice, it’s not.
Harlemites would be better off if there was a ban on deep friend food in Harlem, and I would like to see that because it’s my tax dollars that ultimately pay for the ill-health of these people eating this fried food in Harlem, most under-educated, many without jobs and on the welfare system, those are the people whose hospital care I end up paying for.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink, too bad the same doesn’t apply to Black people of Harlem. You lead a Black Harlemite to water and he or she will want to fry the water, then smother it in ketchup or BBQ sauce and a plop of tautar sauce. Just look around.
http://www.diagnose-me.com/treat/T207915.html
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/fishman/2005/fried_fish.html
lovelyday2u
July 10, 2007
Hold onto your girdle #3. “Comfort food” is allright in moderation, but unfortunately, we have way too much comfort in Harlem and not healthy alternative. For me, I’m just tired of the continued proliferation of fried food joints, but to each there own.
anon
July 10, 2007
I wonder if the anti-cigar poster will invoke the same rage about this type of establishment.
Anonymous
July 10, 2007
Who ARE you people? You obviously know nothing about TOS. It is one, if not THE best fish place in Harlem. People don’t stand on a line that snakes out of the door (even in the rain) for mediocre food. Their main dish is obviously seafood (fried as most Southerners like it) but they also serve side dishes like greens, mac and cheese and other Southern favorites. Since we’re so health conscious these days in Harlem I think you should consult your health professional who I’m sure will tell you it is fine to eat it in moderation and might even ask you bring a plate back.
anon
July 10, 2007
Everything on their website looks fried. Yuck. There is already too much fried junk uptown already.
lovelyday2U
July 10, 2007
Okay, did they step-up the quality of the food?