Melba's Restaurant

Oh.  My.  God.  Melba's Restaurant was my first experience with Southern-style comfort food (thanks, Jack and Donna!).  Perfectly charming, the restaurant is dimly lit and is decorated with mirrors on the walls, flickering candles, and beautiful lamps hanging from the ceiling.  The black chairs and booths complement the dark wood tables and white walls.  Now that I have dined there four times, I can say definitively that the hostess and the waiters are incredibly nice and accommodating, although most recently we had to wait awhile for the food.

On the corner of Frederick Douglas & 114th St. in Harlem, Melba's is renowned for their Southern Fried Chicken and Eggnog Waffles after a cook-off on the Food Network ("Throwdown" with Bobby Flay) - which they won.  The first time I went for brunch and ordered my first chicken and waffle dish.  So delicious.  The chicken skin was perfectly crisp and the meat was moist and evenly cooked.  (You can choose either white meat or dark meat.)  I am not exactly a waffle connoisseur as they are not my favorite breakfast food, but these waffles were very good, especially with the hint of eggnog.

chicken and waffles with a side of mac & cheese

More recently I ordered their macaroni and cheese with two side dishes for dinner.  The mac and cheese was everything a person could hope to eat in a restaurant that claims to serve "comfort food."  Making my mother cringe, I ordered the side of french fries and the side of collared greens.  The french fries were delightfully crisp and delicately salted, but the most amazing part of the meal was the collared greens.  Eating collared greens was another first for me, and as a result Melba's has probably ruined any other version of them for me because they were so outstanding.  Flavored with turkey broth, the greens tasted just like a Thanksgiving turkey.

Fortunately, there are vegetarian options for those who are less enthused by meat for whatever reason.  Some friends of mine recently ordered the Grilled Vegetable Napoleon and I'm pretty sure that's what I'll order next time around.

grilled vegetable napoleon (sorry it's not in focus)

For dinner, the price can vary from $15 to $25 with tip and tax.  If you order a cocktail (the sangria is fantastic), the bill will ultimately go up about $12 but a glass of wine or a beer will be a couple dollars cheaper.