Lido, Chef Serena Bass's Tuscan-Influenced Italian at Frederick Douglass Blvd and 117th Street in Harlem

[Tweaked]

Lido is the corner restaurant which you wished you had on your corner.  A place that can serve as midweek dinner at the bar, casual date night, a place to take the parents when they are in town, or to meet up with friends when you are visiting New York.

Trying to cram as much in on a Sunday before our late afternoon bus back to DC, we snagged a 10:30am reservation, right when they opened.  By 11am the place was full.

The breakfasty brunch items skew to eggs:  a hearty omelet of mushrooms, bacon, goat cheese and caramelized onions was served with a salad of lightly dressed greens and grilled bread.  Poached eggs are served on top of a heaping pile of roasted potatoes and sauted spinach.  A large pile of shredded braised short ribs sits on English muffins and adorned with yet more poached eggs.

A side of grilled bread comes with good butter and runny jam.  And the Bloody Mary was well balanced.

You get the impression that the kitchen has developed dishes that they know will work, they keep it fairly straight forward, and they don't over think it.  Pretty much exactly what you want on a Sunday morning at your corner restaurant.

Lido

2168 Frederick Douglas Blvd.

Harlem, NYC