Red Rooster Harlem

Manhattan, New York · Breakfast · $$

Named after the legendary 1930s Red Rooster speakeasy where Nat King Cole and James Baldwin once gathered, Marcus Samuelsson's 2010 flagship blends soul food with his Ethiopian and Swedish heritage on a menu that reads like Harlem's autobiography. The 3,400-square-foot space - with rotating art from neighborhood artists, a horseshoe bar, and live music most nights - operates with deep roots: staff hired from the neighborhood, ingredients from local purveyors, cooking classes in the basement for residents.