Harlem saw two great openings this weekend, and Harlem Fur was kinda there.

Bonus: If you read to the end, you can find out how a free bag of Innova cat food, courtesy of Posh Paws, can be yours!

Minton's Playhouse
Minton's Playhouse was a raging success on Friday. The jazz was hot, the joint was packed, and the drinks were surprisingly well priced. I know most of this because I took photos like the one below.

My memory is far fuzzier. Before hitting Minton's, I dropped by a make-your-own-drinks social at the new Gawker HQ at 89 Crosby Street. I thought it would be a good opportunity to test out my old pouring arm and see if I still had the skills I did in college. The answer is yes. I can still pour a lot of liquor into a cup. I can also do it many times in a row. Needless to say, I arrived at Minton's a bit in the bag.

I will be posting more shots from Friday night at Minton's on Flickr. Take a peek by clicking on the photos in the right-hand side bar. I have a shot of Mr. Earl Spain, the jazz impresario who did what Robert DeNiro could not and re-opened the birthplace of be-bop. The first person to point out Dean, my co-op's president, wins a Posh Paws logo food lid.

Posh Paws
Cheryl and I made our first purchase at Posh Paws on Sunday. We bought Cimbi a blue Flexi-Mat pet bed for the windowsill. The attractive and durable fabric is machine washable and dryable, which makes it ideal for cleaning before our allergic friends come over.

Cheryl and I also met the owners, Doris and Helen, two warm people who are very knowledgeable about companion animal supplies.

They suggested that we try giving Cimbi Innova's healthy cat food. When I read Cheryl the ingredients, turkey, chicken, potatoes, eggs, barley, rice, herring, apples, carrots, lactose free milk, and alfalfa sprouts, Cheryl asked me for a bowl, saying she was going to pour milk on it and eat it herself. Cheryl will not get the opportunity, as Cimbi really enjoys it.

Please don't think Cimbi will eat just any cat food, or Cheryl for that matter. Previously, we tried giving our animal Greenies, as we ended up with 20 or so sample bags from a cat show at Madison Square Garden. Neither the cat nor Cheryl showed any interest in them. Not knowing what to do with the remaining bags, we gave them out to Trick-Or-Treaters last year while keeping straight faces. (We didn't live in Harlem then.) Cheryl is sitting next to me right now saying, "don't worry, it wasn't malicious... the kids couldn't get sick... and if they read what it was before eating it, they could give it to their pets."

Now for the good part, how a bag of Innova cat food, courtesy of Posh Paws, can be yours. If you are a Harlem resident, send a photo or two of your cat with a brief bio and a memorable anecdote to editor [at] (no spam) harlem fur [dot] com. I will post your kitty on Harlem Fur and mail you the bag of food. Please specify regular or lite food.

Posted by Chris at 07:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

This Friday will not only be the re-opening of be-bop's birthplace, Minton's Playhouse, but it will also be the opening of Posh Paws pet store on Frederick Douglass and 114th Street. I am ecstatic.

I've said many times, though not on this site, that of all possible metrics for gaging the changes in Harlem, such as luxury developments, charter schools, new restaurants, or taxi frequency, I am most curious about those revolving around pets. As many Harlem residents have told me, finding good supplies for companion animals in the neighborhood is far more difficult than finding a good dry cleaner.

As a great example, Cheryl and I had to get on the subway to find usable cat litter after 7pm in 2003. Petland, on 117th Street between Lenox and 5th Avenue, was the only place in Central Harlem that carried Feline Pine litter, and its 7pm closing time made it virtually inaccessible during the week. One night when we could not wait until the weekend to refill the litter box, I broke down and purchased a bag of Hartz pH, the only thing offered at three different delis. The stuff gave off enough dust in the apartment to give us both sore throats by the morning. I can't imagine what it did to the cat.

When we moved back to Harlem late last year, I was happy to see that Fine Fare on Lenox and 116th now carries both Feline Pine litter and a large selection of Fancy Feast flavors with gravy, Cimbi's favorite. However, I am more happy to know that Posh Paws, which will carry Wellness, Innova, California Natural and many more products, will be open at the week's end.

Now, all we need is a good vet and groomer.

Posted by Chris at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)