Chef Marcus Samuelsson Launches Harlem EatUp! Food Festival

Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson (center, in blue) is one of the organizers behind Harlem’s first food festival. Harlem EatUp! is a four-day festival (May 14-17) celebrating the food and culture of the historic New York neighborhood. Samuelsson spoke with ESSENCE about the what festivalgoers can expect and why a food festival is long overdue in Harlem. Harlem is the epicenter of Black life in New York. It’s hard to believe there hasn’t been a food festival before.