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If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like behind the scenes of a restaurant, this is for you. In Behind the Line, photojournalists take you inside the kitchen for a unique perspective on everything that goes into a single day of service, and the people who make it all happen.
In this edition, we get a glimpse into a day at New York’s Sylvia’s Restaurant, the iconic family-owned restaurant, from photographer Adreinne Waheed, the author of “Black Joy and Resistance.”
“We are family” might be a cliché or just a pop song to other restaurants, but to Sylvia’s in Harlem, it’s tradition.
You feel it the moment you set foot in the door on Lenox Avenue. The iconic restaurant from namesake Sylvia Woods, known for its soul food and down-home fare, first opened in 1962 and has been a beacon of the local community ever since. Although Woods passed in 2012, the restaurant remains in her family’s care, with two generations who work together everyday to serve the community and keep her legacy alive. Even those staffers who aren’t blood related are still considered a part of the family — which says a lot about the kind of environment that Sylvia’s has cultivated for more than six decades. All of that kinship extends to the diners, as well. At Sylvia’s, they’re not just serving the delicious food of their grandmother — they’re continuing her legacy of fostering community in the truest sense of the word. Having spent the day there and meeting everyone from first-time diners to 50-year staff veterans, I felt that love and legacy completely.
It had been years since I first visited Sylvia’s, long ago as a college student, coming up to New York from Washington, D.C. That first time, I remember being so wowed by the dining room and how large it was. Now, it’s different. In some ways, the room feels more intimate but the vibes are bigger than before. If there’s one thing I want people to know about Sylvia’s, it’s that when they step into this space, they’re not only going to have a great experience, but they’re going to feel the love that the Woods family puts into it. Yes, it’s a restaurant and the food is important, but what’s also important is that when you’re there, you’re family.
It’s bright and early, and prep for the day is already in full swing. I meet Jerome McWhite, who’s been on staff for 13 years and counting, prepping chicken for the day. He tells me one of his fondest memories is of the football player, Chad Ochocinco Johnson, booking the entire dining room for 200 of his fans back in 2012. “When [he] pulled up, he shut down the whole block,” he says.
Gorgui Diagne, a member of the early morning kitchen crew, dredges the chicken in flour, getting it ready to be fried. He’s been with Sylvia’s for many years, too. During my visit, he was observing Ramadan, and some of the managers joined him in fasting for the month in a sweet act of solidarity.
Line cook Colin Morrison is always one of the first staffers to arrive each morning, and he keeps the kitchen moving by doing a little bit of everything. When I ask him how long he’s been working there, he simply says, “Been here forever.” Forever in this instance is 35 years and counting.
Geanette Neale-Marsh is the main server on staff and has been with Sylvia’s for 37 years. While prepping the main dining room for lunch service, she tells me how much she adored Sylvia and how she’s been treated like family by the Woods over the years. She’s a bit camera shy, but throughout my time there, I notice how she never stopped moving.
As the morning staff meeting ends, Geanette embraces Kendra Woods, the restaurant’s front-of-house/bar manager and Sylvia’s granddaughter. When you meet Kendra, you’re greeted by her bright, warm smile and genuine kindness. It’s clear that her demeanor and managing style cultivate the familial vibe among the staff, customers, and the entire community.
Just before the doors open for lunch service, I catch a glimpse of Marcus Woods, Syliva’s grandson and now, the executive chef. He’s been in the restaurant’s kitchen since he was seven years old and it’s clear how much he takes pride in the food they serve by how much attention to detail he gives it.
Taniedra McFadden, another of Sylvia’s grandchildren by marriage, gets the point-of-sale system ready for service. McFadden is the executive chief of staff of Sylvia’s and you can tell she has a no-nonsense personality. She means business, especially when it comes to upholding her grandmother’s legacy of community, service, great food and family.
Jeff M. grew up in Harlem and has been a regular for multiple decades. He tells me he was good friends with Sylvia and that he considers the Woods his family. Today, like most days, he’s enjoying some breakfast: grits, eggs, extra bacon, and cornbread.
Soon enough, the dining room fills up and I chat with a few diners. On this day, New Yorker Kate McGillicuddy has brought her friends who are visiting from Palm Springs, Calif. She tells me that Sylvia’s is one of her favorite restaurants in the entire city. Together, they feast on smothered and fried chicken, mac ‘n’ cheese, green beans, mashed potatoes, and collard greens.
It’s Yvette Taylor’s 60th birthday and she’s visiting Sylvia’s all the way from Sacramento, Calif. Even though her friends couldn’t make the trip to New York with her, she says she was determined to visit Sylvia’s during her trip. Having finally arrived, she leaves her name with Ariella Ortega, the hostess, and waits to be seated.
Two more first-time diners have found their way to Sylvia’s: Danielle Brown (left), visiting from Chicago, and Toccara Ross, arriving from Mount Pleasant, Mich. Their server is Andres Medina, who moves with such speed and efficiency that it’s like he’s on autopilot.
The lunch rush is in full swing and chef Marcus Woods is making sure each dish is perfect before it gets sent to each table.
While Sylvia’s is known most for their chicken, the fried catfish is also another popular order, especially when served with a scoop of potato salad and a generous helping of mac ’n’ cheese.
Back in the kitchen, orders are coming out quickly. The smell of freshly baked cornbread fills the air.
No sooner than the cornbread get baked, it arrives on tables, still warm — the perfect start to a meal at Sylvia’s.
Geanette serves two visitors from North Carolina and Utah, Alicia Cline (left) and Cassandra Roland, both of whom were excited to finally try Sylvia’s. They later take selfies in front of the many celebrity photos that line the walls of the restaurant.
Crizette Woods, Sylvia’s daughter and owner, vice president, and controller, arrives for a senior staff meeting that takes place in the slight lull between lunch and dinner service. Her familial rapport with everyone is immediately felt as she jokes with staff and family members.
H. Kenneth Woods, Sylvia’s son, is owner, president, and chairman of the board of Sylvia’s, and you can tell he takes great pride in the restaurant and his family’s legacy. Before posing for this photograph, he takes a few moments to adjust tablecloths and settings on the patio to make sure they’re just right.
Kendra Woods points to a placard near the entrance of Sylvia’s that some believe was a gift from her grandfather, Herbert Woods, to her grandmother, Sylvia. It’s a piece of history, and something the family often rubs for good luck, similar to how people rub the “tree of life” stump over at the nearby Apollo Theater.
As lunch service winds down and the restaurant starts gearing up for dinner service, the family — left to right: Taniedra McFadden, DeVaughn Woods, Marcus Woods, and Kendra Woods — gathers around a photograph of Sylvia and Herbert Woods, never forgetting the love they shared and the legacy they’ve left them.
