French Flavor in Harlem

If there's any city that supplies international flair on every corner, it's New York. We arrived at our Harlem brownstone starved so we walked to the local cafe on the corner. We passed  African women wrapped in vibrant Senegalese dresses,  Mexican men selling tacos from a truck and Jamaicans peddling rasta hats and jewelry, only to arrive at a French bistro.  Cafe Lucienne offers the perfect sidewalk views for bustling New York life as well as an inventive mix of French and American fare.

Okay, so gazpacho isn't so French but I love it and there's nothing better on a hot summer day. Cafe Lucienne's was bursting with fresh tomatoes and herbs.

My husband is the one who gets into French food and he wasted no time ordering the requisite escargot. I don't eat creepy crawlies no matter how they're served but he insisted that they were excellent.

He also dove into a pile of mussells, which is also something I don't go near. But they're pretty. The shells would make a great necklace.

I ordered these heaping turkey burger that I couldn't finish in one sitting. It came with hand cut fries that inspired both of us to munch non-stop.

Cafe Lucienne also features live singers on the weekends, which we listened to whenever we walked by.  While we were there, we toasted our anniversary with German beer, Perrier and cranberry juice!