An Afternoon in Little Senegal
What this foodstroll is
Our favorite things to do and eat near Harlem’s “Little Senegal”.
Why this foodstroll works
“Little Senegal” is NYC’s premier West African enclave, where you’ll hear French, English, and Wolof spoken interchangeably in streets and restaurants. It’s very walkable and getting there is easy, with subways everywhere and street side parking possible. As an added bonus, Harlem has a good amount of Revolutionary era monuments, which can help boost attention spans if your kids have ever been obsessed with Hamilton, like ours have. In fact the preserved uptown mansion of Alexander Hamilton himself is nearby. If you’re all about the food and parks, everything can be had on 116th Street between Lenox and Frederick Douglass Boulevards, with dozens of excellent restaurants and markets in a small area situated perfectly between Marcus Garvey, Central, and Morningside Parks.
Strolling
All the food spots and outdoor attractions can be visited in a single loop around the neighborhood. We’re going east to west, but you could do the reverse.
The Mount Morris Historic District comprise the blocks along the western edge of Marcus Garvey Park. The eclectic Gilded Age townhomes feature a variety of styles popular in the late 19th century, including Romanesque Revival, neo-Grec, and Queen Anne. The park itself is cool to visit, with NYC’s lone remaining cast iron fire watchtower in the dead center. From there you can gaze nearly 90 blocks south down 5th Avenue from 120th Street to The Empire State Building.
Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market is an outdoor bazaar selling all kinds of West African goods, from textiles and djembe drums to clothing and jewelry. Prices are negotiable. We give our kids a $3 budget and it’s the highlight of their day.
Unless you’re from Mars, you don’t need us to tell you about Central Park. Just know that the northern end in Harlem is our favorite section by far. There are statues of Frederick Douglass and Duke Ellington at either end of 110th Street, and the Harlem Meer is full of colorful fish, turtles, and ducks. In the Summer you can catch and release fish if that’s your thing.
Harlem is full of Revolutionary era monuments and memorials. The Continental Army retreated through Harlem in 1776, and rode back through the village upon its return in 1783. In the meantime, McGown’s Pass, a high ground just south of the Harlem Meer, was occupied by Hessian and British forces. After the War it became Fort Clinton, an American fortress built in preparation for future conflicts.
If your kids love Hamilton, they’ll be tickled to death by the Lafayette and Washington Monument on the southeast corner of Morningside Park. It was dedicated in 1900 and designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the architect who designed the Statue of Liberty! It is a slightly smaller commemoration of Franco American relations.
Morningside Park is one of our favorite small parks in NYC. It rests on a hillside dividing Harlem from the more elevated Morningside Heights and Columbia University. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the famous landscape architects responsible for Central and Prospect Parks. They built it with the eastern views in mind, and scaling the mini-mountain is a good way to work up an appetite. From the top you get nice views of the flat Harlem Plain below.
Just recently @zaqlandsberg’s “Reclining Liberty” statue was set up at the 120th St entrance to Morningside Park. It gave us a chance to tell our kids about the significance of the reclining Buddha in Buddhist art, and how the imagery represents the Buddha lying at peace before death, about to enter Nirvana. That begs the question, is the statue in Harlem portending a NYC at peace, about to die, or both!?
For more, less contemplative points of interest, again just walk the neighborhood. South Harlem has street art, markets, and playgrounds everywhere. The more you explore, the more you’ll find.
Food Spots
1. Patisserie Des Ambassades
Des Ambassades is a French African bakery and an excellent Senegalese brunch and dinner spot. It’s a bit more formal but just as family friendly as other African places in the neighborhood, and the bakery comes in handy should a child go into carb-only mode.
Thiebu Djen, or “The Rice of Fish”, is Senegal’s national dish. It’s typically a one pot meal consisting of veggies and fish stewed with rice and tomatoes. Jollof Rice, the byproduct of many Senegalese stews, is popular across Western and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Yassa Poulet, or Chicken Yassa, is a famous Senegalese dish. The chicken is stewed with onions, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice, creating an intensely tangy sauce which you pour over the chicken and white rice.
Thiebu Yapp, or “The Rice of Meat”, is prepared similarly to Thiebu Djen, only mustard is added later in the process. Des Ambassades uses lamb, and it’s a good choice if you want to experience both yassa style onion sauce and Jollof Rice.
2. Pikine
Pikine is a traditional West African spot right in the heart of Little Senegal. Their Baked Tilapia comes with a fiery red pepper sauce, so careful when ordering for kids. All main dishes come with a side of choice. Alloco, or fried plantains, and Attiéké, or grated cassava, are two of the most traditional.
Maffe is a classic dish consisting of meat, usually lamb, simmered in a stew of peanut butter and tomatoes. It’s our favorite dish in the neighborhood, and you really can’t eat West African food without trying it. FYI, unlike many things at Pikine, it isn’t spicy.
The Pintade is a whole guinea fowl which we assume they poach before deep frying. Guinea Fowls are indigenous to West Africa and in some cases preferred to chicken. In any case, it’s very good.
Eating with your hands is typical in West Africa, and while they give you silverware at Pikine, it’s clear to our kids the easiest way is to just dive right in.
Levain Bakery, as featured in countless books and TV shows, has locations all over the city. Their South Harlem branch happens to be smack in the middle of Little Senegal.
Any of their now famous signature cookies, like the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip, make a perfect end to any Foodstroll.
4. Adja Khady
Adja Khady is our favorite West African grocer in NYC. They offer fresh produce, traditional ingredients like dried shrimp, fresh baked French African baguettes, and a butcher.
95% of Senegalese are Muslim, and as such alcohol isn’t much of a thing there. Sweet juices made from bouye, bissap, and ginger are popular, and Adja Khady carries them all.
Many African and Caribbean recipes call for ultra hot Scotch Bonnet Peppers, but they’re difficult to find outside of certain neighborhoods. Adja Khady sells them 24/7/365.
On a recent trip to Adja Khady we picked up pepper sauce, palm oil, scotch bonnets, fonio, maggi, and spiced coffee. Fonio, West Africa’s supremely healthy alternative to quinoa and couscous, is a favorite of ours.
Transportation
125th Street in Harlem is a massive transportation hub, with subway stations served by the A, B, C, D, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 trains at all times. Additionally 116th Street has stations serviced by local 1 and 6 trains, as well as 2/3 trains at all times.
You can meter park along 116th St and the main Boulevards, and traditional streetside parking on the smaller cross streets is also possible.