If Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes were alive today, they might be regulars at The Edge in Harlem. The late, great writers attended literary salon parties on the rooftop of the residential building that now has a ground floor restaurant that's home to The Edge, a Jamaican-British spot owned by sisters Juliet and Justine Masters.
Having opened in 2014, The Edge is a bustling place from first-time restaurant owners and Harlem residents for the past 17 years. The Jamaican-British combination comes from family, since their mother is British and their father is Jamaican. “We realized that we wanted to serve simple and delicious food that we grew up eating,” Juliet says.
Inside, it’s wall-to-wall diners in a cozy, exposed brick space that feels like a friend’s spacious apartment, with blue-stained concrete floors, cushiony booths, and cafe tables dressed with flower-filled vases. Behind the bar, there’s a painting of Langston Hughes and it’s Damian Marley on the sound system during Saturday brunch. Justine is serving a round of fuchsia-colored hibiscus mimosas to a four-top and Juliet is seating a couple with a baby.
On the weekend brunch menu, you’ll find an ode to Jamaica with creamy ackee fruit that harmonizes with salt-cured cod, thyme, green onions, and peppers. If you can handle some heat, splash a bit of scotch bonnet pepper sauce onto the dish, which is served with semi-sweet fried dumplings that are nice for mopping up bold flavors. In coconut-encrusted fish and chips, Jamaica meets England in a dish that’s best enjoyed with a side of savory plantains. Occasionally, you’ll find Belgian waffles and jerk-spiced chicken for an island-inspired take on a classic.
The evening menu offers small plates like their codfish fritters with a jerky lime dip. Dinner specials rotate from a salmon burger served with fried sweet plantains and an arugula salad, curried shrimp with moist and fluffy coconut rice, and a lamb shank with sauteed vegetables and couscous.
Four years ago, as the sisters were considering a restaurant, investing in this commercial space felt like a huge financial gamble. In 2004, after Juliet graduated from the Natural Gourmet Institute, she became a boutique caterer. Justine made her living as a fashion model and music producer manager before transitioning into real estate in 2009. Several years later, in 2013, the Masters — who were living in the same brownstone — were forced to move out because the owner was selling the building.
Juliet called a landlord from a different building she knew for help. “‘I just bought this building right around the corner from where you are and it also has a commercial space,’” Juliet recalls him saying.
Even though they didn't have a business plan, investors, or any restaurant ownership experience, they were compelled to take him up on it. With the landlord’s reasonably priced offer, they felt as though they “could take this opportunity or regret it forever.” The sisters scrapped their savings accounts to secure the lease, took out loans, found investors, and were encouraged from restaurant-owning friends in the area.
“We did everything backwards but figured that if we took this leap, a net would eventually appear,” Justine said while watching the restaurant fill up on a Friday afternoon. “No matter what, we knew we wanted locals to feel comfortable because it's important to respect and honor the neighborhood’s past and present.”
By November 2014 — exactly a year after the sisters signed the lease — The Edge opened for business. The eatery is nestled in the middle of a quiet Harlem neighborhood on the corner of West 139th Street and Edgecombe Avenue.
Today, the sisters court new patrons and regulars. “When you have the old-timers of the neighborhood come in and enjoy themselves, and they say, ‘Oh, this is good!’ that’s like the highest compliment for us,” Juliet says.
The Edge pays homage to the Harlem Renaissance through live music nights; A “no wifi, no screens just connect with each other” policy encourages patrons to socialize and dine without laptops in the way.