Melba’s

Melba Wilson opened this Harlem soul-food restaurant in 2005 after years working the floor at Sylvia's, Rosa Mexicano, and Windows on the World, and she's still known to work the room herself, stopping at tables to ask how the meal's going. The kitchen is built around chicken and waffles, but the wine-braised short ribs and crispy catfish get equal billing. Two dining rooms are hung with paintings, mirrors, and enough lamps to give the whole place a warm glow, and a bar by the entrance stays busy with people eating standing up. It gets loud enough some nights that conversation means leaning in.