We really enjoyed the intimate venue and of course Charlie Musselwhite is fantastic, and a plus was that we could make an earlier train back to NJ as the concert itself was maybe 1.25 hours which was fine. Some people didn't get the right check anyway. Doors opened at 7:00 and they give you a little ticket while you are in line, to associate with your check. Staff was efficient with the checks, slow with the drinks in some cases (the couple next to us got their bottle of wine after their dinners were finished). The food looked good and large portions, but this is only observation as we didn't order it. Wine was a small pour and I don't think it was the chardonnay I ordered. No dance floor - all space covered by tables. All the seats were good, we had paid more and sat in the section nearest the stage. Tables are shared (met a nice couple next to us) and are perpendicular to the stage, so your neck may be strained a bit. But they have a blues series (is it new?) and we attended a great Charlie Musselwhite concert. We had not been to Iridium mostly because we far prefer blues over jazz. The layout of tables is well suited to enjoying the music. Prices were OK but there is a $15-20 cover charge per person which they didn't disclose outside where the menu and entertainment schedule are posted. The raspberry sherbet was an excellent dessert to cleanse the pallet. The mozzarella on tomato appetizer (usually called a caprese salad) had good mozzarella but winter supermarket quality tomatoes. And she didn't care for the sauce either. It says on the menu that it has sausage, but the sausage turned out to be miniature little tidbits, totally unsatisfying. On the other hand, my wife was severley disappointed with her orechiette pasta. I had hangar steak which was nicely flavored some pieces were tender and some were chewy, but with hangar steak you take your chances. The food was OK but you wouldn't make this a destination just for that. They have many different types of music at different times, so you may want to do some research about the groups on their schedule before choosing when to come. Unfortunately she is not that great a singer because many of her notes were flat. Amy London, the singer and leader was excellent at selecting the program. The pianist and drummer were very good, and the bass player was incredibly great (he should be playing in front of thousands and in recording studios). We lucked out by randomly hitting a show that was perfect for me: standards from the great American songbook. They also had water for sale, which was great as we forgot to bring some with us. They have an outdoor area and mentioned they are 420 friendly.so in warmer months may be worth the time to check that out. It's loud in there so if you are not good with small spaces and loud noises, this may not be the place for you. I was impressed with the level of the musicians and the length of the show. The seating area in the back could be a bit tight and hard to see the musicians but the seats right up front were perfect! They had a coat check/hanging area so in the winter, no worries about lugging that around. We got there early to get a good seat and I'm glad we did. It seems to have been an older apartment, that they've modifed to a music venue with the main stage area and seating directly in front, then a back seating area with highchairs and tables. Central Harlem location and definitely and old establishment. Had this place on the to do list for awhile and when another event fell through, made reservations for this.
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