When I heard that Chez Henry had opened
at 60 Henry St., I couldn’t help but recall the jinxed restaurants
that had come before. I’d dined at that Brooklyn Heights address
about a year earlier when the place was Balzar, a bistro of sorts
with a difficult-to-define menu and dishes that ranged from dismal
to outright travesties.
Before Balzar, there was Isobel, a delightful French restaurant
with the terrific chef, Tony Raggiri, manning the kitchen. That,
too, lasted only a few months.
Preceding Isobel was tapas bar, Tinto which enjoyed a brief popularity
that faded quickly.
So when I found out that Chez Henry had opened in December, I
feared the worst.
The owner of the latest venture at this location is Sifeddine
"Sif" Asfor, who bought the cafe from Balzar’s Nando
Ghorchian. Before taking over the reins here, Asfor worked in
the tony kitchens of the Plaza Hotel’s CPS1 and TriBeCa’s Bouley.
Asfor has given the place what Balzar was missing: an identity.
In its previous incarnations, the two-level room was too large,
making whoever dined upstairs feel isolated. Asfor leveled the
floors, curtaining off one portion of the large space and using
that area as Cafe Henry, a casual cafe serving pastries, sandwiches
and salads. He has painted the main dining room a deep coral
that sparkles in the afternoon and topped the wooden floors with
comfortably spaced tables, set with heavy silverware, pretty
wine glasses and linen cloths.
He matches the setting with a classic French bistro menu. Most
of Asfor’s cooking is excellent with strong, clean flavors.
His one flaw? He uses too much sauce – beautifully made sauce,
yes – but his heavy hand can overwhelm delicate flavors.
The case of too much of a good thing was apparent with an otherwise
delicious appetizer of scallops with braised endive. Asfor sears
sea scallops until they’re crusty on the outside and pillowy
within, then lays them atop buttery, braised endive and a few
quickly sauteed cherry tomatoes. While a splash of rich, tangy
sauce made from reduced veal stock, a bit of lemon and parsley
would have tied the elements together, he poured on too much,
overwhelming the dish. Enjoy this starter without the sauce or
ask for the sauce served on the side.
I have no complaints with a deep bowl of wild mushroom bisque.
The rich soup possessed the aroma of pine and wood – like the
forest after a rainstorm. The mushrooms’ flavors were clean and
not muddled. And unlike other thick versions of this soup that
can be too rich after a couple of spoonfuls, this version had
a lighter consistency.
Both entrees were winners. Two trout filets were lightly sauteed
then topped with a drizzle of melted, brown butter heavily laced
with lemon, briny capers and a few crunchy croutons. If there
was ever a perfect summer dish, this is it. Lightly whipped mashed
potatoes and a tangle of woodsy shitake, oyster and chanterelle
mushrooms complemented the fish.
Heavier, yet just as satisfying, was Asfor’s Moroccan lamb tagine.
He stews big chunks of lamb, huge, silky prunes and figs in a
tagine (covered, conical clay pot) until the ingredients plump
and absorb the coriander, cardamom and cinnamon. French fries
accompany the dish, not the traditional couscous. The shoestring
fries are crisp and lightly salted, but I missed the dish’s usual
partner.
The strong, rich coffee, brewed in a coffee press, pours two
great cups. Tea lovers are offered little tisanes, or bags of
leaves made especially for the restaurant. Black tea with orange
and pear, and green tea, flavored with wild pineapple and papaya,
are two soothing blends to try.
You’ll want to try the banana dessert with a special request
to the kitchen: go light on the sauce. Asfor wedges rich vanilla
ice cream between two delicate coconut tuiles (thin cookies),
then tops it with a circle of banana slices and caramelizes the
sugar that tops the fruit. The high-end ice cream sandwich needed
a squiggle of lush caramel sauce, not the puddle it came with,
to gild the flavors of this dessert.
Too much of a good thing marred the chocolate lover’s warm little
cake, too. Like the banana finale, it needed only a dollop of
whipped cream – not the collar of it that ringed the dessert
– and a tablespoon or two of espresso sauce as an accompaniment.
Asfor is a fine chef who needs to do only one thing to break
the spell of bad luck that has plagued 60 Henry St.: when it
comes to sauce, repeat this mantra – less is more, less is more,
less is more.
Chez Henry (60 Henry St. between Cranberry
and Pineapple streets in Brooklyn Heights) accepts American Express,
Discover, MasterCard and Visa. Entrees: $9-$19. The restaurant
serves dinner daily and brunch on weekends from 11 am to 4 pm.
Cafe Henry serves breakfast and lunch from 6 am to 4 pm. Pastry:
$3.80-$4; sandwiches: $5.95. For more information about the cafes,
call (718) 243-2083.
