Chasing the night wind after an event in Harlem, my friend Kelli and I wandered into Chopped Parsley at 500 West 146th Street, New York, NY 10031. The restaurant’s motto is “Japanese Food & Beyond.” The food was exceptional; the ambiance was a mixture of the 1960s openness and today’s urbane place to be. The family-owned restaurant is small and charming with a bountiful reservoir of smiles.

We sat at the communal table drinking a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, as we conversed with a couple who had purchased their home in the neighborhood in the 1950s. He was Irish American, she was Asian American, and they both were professors in Manhattan. In the background was a soundtrack of Jazz; and while we all ate our scrumptious meal, our delightful waiter would stop by to make sure all was well.

It was an enchanting evening.

Chopped Parsley has a homey sense of preparing good food, relaxing with special friends in a Japanese room in the heart of Harlem.

Catch it if you can on Facebook: ChoppedParsley146.