The Citiblog

The Porch Aims to Please in Harlem’s Sugar Hill
September 14, 2022, 7:27.47 pm ET

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Photos: Michael Tulipan

The Porch, a destination for BBQ, drinks and live music, is now open in Harlem's Sugar Hill serving American smokehouse classics with Cajun influences. The restaurant will also serve as a gathering place for the community.

Executive Chef Matt Fisher, formerly the pitmaster at top NYC BBQ spots like Rub BBQ, Fletcher's Brooklyn Barbecue and Dinosaur Barbecue, is overseeing the kitchen. The menu includes dishes like hickory smoked Baby Back Ribs and BBQ chicken (half or whole), Shrimp Beignets, Roast Beef Po Boy with Debris (drippings and trimmings that fall off roast beef during cooking) on a hero, Cajun Shrimp in Smoked Shallot Butter, and Crispy Confit Turkey Wings (available late night).

Fisher’s menu also offers Cajun favorites such as Pacific Northwest style house-smoked fish with a rotating selection to include house smoked salmon and cod, jerk salmon, Bluefish Pate in season (made with fish caught by the Chef de Cuisine Hassan Salim off Coney Island), and more. There is also house-made Vegan Hot Italian Sausage served in a toasted brioche bun with peppers and onions, and Chicken or Meatless Nuggets with Comeback Sauce.

The music program will pay homage to Harlem’s rich musical heritage and feature local musicians in residency. Owner Mark Miller, who lives in the neighborhood, has been a touring musician himself and was a founding partner of Hex & Company, two popular uptown boardgame cafés. COO Paul Schermerhorn, who oversees the beverage program and operations, has worked for Jean Georges’ The Mark and with Fabio Trabocchi in Washington D.C.

Visitors to The Porch will also find an open-air kitchen, 6-seat bar, and dining room outfitted with vintage pieces like a 1940s standing radio used as the host stand, cast glass by renowned Oakland glass artist John Lewis, a vintage Evans gambling wheel from Illinois, a 1950s back bar mirror from the Plaza Hotel, and bar shelves from reclaimed wood from nearby St. Nick’s Pub, one of the oldest jazz clubs in Harlem, which burned down in a fire in 2018. Seating is available for around 70 indoors and another 45 communal seats on the large exterior patio.

The Porch is located at 750A St. Nicholas Ave in Harlem (646) 895-9004

For more information, visit https://www.theporchnyc.com

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