Minton's Unveils New Menu From Acclaimed Chef JJ Johnson

HARLEM, NY — Minton's Playhouse in Harlem is now serving its new menu from The Cecil's former executive chef JJ Johnson. The two businesses merged earlier this month to bring The Cecil's acclaimed food and Minton's jazz club atmosphere together.

The new menu will feature some of Johnson's favorites from The Cecil such as oxtail dumplings and his Wagyu burger with gruyere, vidalia onion spread and smoked pork belly and brand-new menu items such as short rib toast, and fried whole market fish marinated with a North African chili paste with red shallots, watercress, and Sous Chef Juan Ponce’s famous spicy pickled jalapenos. Chef de Cuisine Tiffany Minter helped Johnson devise the new menu items.

"Chef JJ is introducing a completely new menu at Minton’s, an eclectic and well-rounded mix of dishes meant to be shared that exemplify bold flavors and unexpected ingredients," read a press release. "Through his travels over the past few years to Ghana, Jerusalem, the Caribbean, Singapore as well as an upcoming trip to India, Chef JJ has become inspired by many ingredients and food cultures, combining their complex culinary histories to show how multi-dimensional this cuisine can be."

Minton's will be open five days a week, from Wednesday to Sunday, for dinner service and weekend brunch. The space features a dining room with seating for 55 and a bar area which seats 9. In addition to beer and wine the bar will serve up cocktails such as the Ella Fitz (Gin, Aperol, lime and sparkling rose) and the Blood & Fire (Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Allspice Dram, Bissap and lemon juice).

Minton's, originally founded in 1938, was played by jazz greats including Thelonius Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday until a fire forced the club to close in 1974. The jazz club was re-opened in 2013 by Richard Parsons and restauranteur Alexander Smalls.

"I believe that jazz is America’s greatest cultural contribution to the world - and it’s important that Minton’s is able to foster the future of music by giving a platform to new talent." Parsons said in a statement. "Together with incredible food, we look forward to creating a magical experience full of sounds and flavors for guests from near and far."

Check out Minton's full new menu:

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