Harlem's Best Coffee, Butcher & Wine Shop | Harlem, New York

Three new spots for staples

Harlem has already hooked us, thanks to such restaurants as Charles's Country Pan Fried Chicken, Red Rooster and the excellent just-opened Jin Ramen.

And now there are three new staff-of-life basics available in the neighborhood, which is great news for residents or for wanderers seeking a languid day of uptown exploration.

Coffee: A double bass and trombone player teamed up to open Lenox Coffee, handily located right off busy Lenox Avenue. Chocolate-rich espresso from Vancouver's Forty Ninth Parallel demands a pairing with a tangled coconut macaroon from Danny Macaroons, and jumbles of mismatched wooden chairs call out for lounging.

Meat: Custom cuts rule at butcher Harlem Shambles: lamb's head, top sirloin cap (pichana) and innards (liver, kidney and the heart), for example. Whatever your picks, do not leave without buying a Cornish pasty ($3). The savory pastry is filled to its crimped suet-crusted brim with coarse-chopped beef, potatoes, onions and turnips.

Wine: (This venue is closed) Is that a wagon wheel amid the upholstered walls, heavy curtains and wingback chairs? Yes, and at Auberge Laurent, it somehow works, especially when the refreshment includes a deep glass of a red and a raw sheep's-milk Abbaye De Belloc (three cheeses for $12).