The World of Shrine

You might not want to come for the food (sandwiches and salsa mainly), and somehow the 11-piece funk band I saw last Friday still managed to put me to sleep (although I was only 20 feet away), but the uptown vibe is alive and well at Shrine. Schedule confusion with the bands, haphazard service, stiff cheap drinks, crazy people, and general disorganization coupled with absolutely no pretension or bullshit whatsover—this is what going north of 110th Street in Manhattan is all about. Check the schedule for bands—mainly world music-slanted but with plenty of local Harlem/Columbia acts interspersed—but really, it’s all about the experience. Show up with no preconceived notions and you’ll be fine; it’s a good recipe for life, and for Shrine in particular. Forewarned is forearmed.

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Nightlife , Restaurants • Harlem (Lower)

Amy Ruth's

Amy Ruth’s in lower Harlem bills its establishment as a “Home-Style Southern Cuisine Restaurant” but we know what that really means: fried chicken! Choose light meat or dark plus two side dishes (go for the greens and the macaroni and cheese) and enjoy the drippy, juicy, not-too-crusty chicken that comes out hot and fast. You can get fried chicken (or fried shrimp or fried catfish or even a ribeye steak) atop waffles if you like. Maybe you’d prefer to order by the names of the dishes which are given in honor of some of the many celebrities that come through the door: The Ludicris, perhaps (four fried chicken wings)? Or the Africa Bambaataa (fried whiting)? Expect generous portions, great service, and a deep urge to go back as soon as possible.

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Restaurants • Harlem (Lower)