Le Grand Dakar

Since opening in 2006, Le Grand Dakar has occupied a special place in the hearts of residents of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. The cozy Senegalese café, at 285 Grand Street, offers an unforgettable menu of French-inspired Senegalese dishes, prepared by chef/owner Pierre Thiam, paired with nightly music, lectures and lively, left-leaning political discussions. Clinton Hill has always been a melting pot of cultures and Thiam taps into the neighborhood's rich musical, intellectual and gastronomic reserves to inform his formidable skills as a chef and community activist. The athletic, glowingly handsome native of Dakar, Senegal's bustling capitol situated on Africa's westernmost tip, immigrated to New York in 1989 and began assimilating the many elements that would crystallize into Le Grand Dakar.

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Since opening in 2006, Le Grand Dakar has occupied a special place in the hearts of residents of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. The cozy Senegalese café, at 285 Grand Street, offers an unforgettable menu of French-inspired Senegalese dishes, prepared by chef/owner Pierre Thiam, paired with nightly music, lectures and lively, left-leaning political discussions. Clinton Hill has always been a melting pot of cultures and Thiam taps into the neighborhood's rich musical, intellectual and gastronomic reserves to inform his formidable skills as a chef and community activist. The athletic, glowingly handsome native of Dakar, Senegal's bustling capitol situated on Africa's westernmost tip, immigrated to New York in 1989 and began assimilating the many elements that would crystallize into Le Grand Dakar.

From homemade delicacies served on paper plates in the one-room occupancy hotel Thiam called home when he first arrived in the city to rundown restaurants in gritty corners of East Harlem and Brooklyn, the aspiring Senegalese chef discovered tastes from home during his early days in New York and began to expand his culinary view. Finding work in kitchens throughout Manhattan, Thiam honed his skills before opening Yolele, an African bistro in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood and finally Le Grand Dakar.

From the start, it was clear that Dakar was to be more than just an eatery. Thiam invited local musicians, artists and political figures to appear at his restaurant. In the first year, typical performers included pianist Randy Weston, saxophonist TK Blue, balafonist Famoro Dioubate and traditional Senegalese musicians like Diva Mahawa Kouyate in addition to a lecture series by Princeton professor Cornell West, a radio broadcast and weekly appearances by local DJs. This kind of adventurous booking isn't unprecedented in the city, but Thiam's willingness to present multiple events simultaneously, all in a fine-dining atmosphere, is certainly unique. On a recent evening, bassist and Clinton Hill resident James Ilgenfritz led a free-minded quartet in a corner of Dakar's warmly lit dining room for an audience munching on Yassa chicken, plantains and poisson braise atieke while an Obama rally gained steam at the bar in anticipation of the night's presidential debate.

The restaurant's spacious layout and inviting décor help Dakar pull off this practice of multiple, sometimes unrelated bookings. The space is separated into three rooms: a small meeting room at the door, a modest, but often animated bar and a dining room/performance space to the side. Large windows dominate the walls facing Grand Street opposite the bar and in the dining room and African art and sculptures hang on the walls. The food is excellent--arguably the best of any jazz presenter in the city--and the wait staff is friendly, if at times inattentive. Weather permitting, tables are set up on the sidewalk outside and lively discussions and music pour out into the street.

Ilgenfritz and a group of young, local jazz musicians who have joined the community in the last few years are the latest additions to Dakar's eclectic lineup. “We're trying to start a dialogue with the community,” Ilgenfritz remarked before a set last month. “People come here for the music and the incredible food. The room is great, the vibe is good and the neighborhood is full of musicians. Pierre is looking for what is going to be new and interesting to everyone. He's a genius.” Ilgenfritz, along with violinist Julianne Carney, curates the twice-monthly Infrequent Seams series, which presents music by local musicians and more informal concerts on Tuesdays.

In addition to being one of the most vibrant, ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Clinton Hill is also ground zero in the gentrification wave. In typical fashion, Thiam has embraced his new neighbors like he has the ingredients and cooking techniques that he has integrated into his cuisine. Relative newcomers share the stage with longtime residents and the resulting music can be exhilarating. “There are so many different things going on at Dakar. It feels like we're just contributing to the mix,” Ilgenfritz commented. “I'm excited to be here and to contribute to what's been going on.”

~ Matthew Miller

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