Henrietta’s signature potatoes come crisped and richly dressed, the kind of side dish that threatens to steal the whole meal.
Photo by Merril Shindler
Echo Park—There used to be a restaurant in Claremont, on the edge of the Inland Empire, that served eggs Benedict for breakfast, Caesar salad for lunch…and both sabzee chalau and lawand morgh for dinner. It had a split personality – American by day, Afghan by night. Numerous restaurants have lived in two worlds — few as far distant as in Claremont – though the worlds of Henrietta on busy Glendale Boulevard in Echo Park are far enough apart that the overlap consists of just a single dish – the house specialty of Henrietta Potatoes, flavored with garlic aioli and parmesan. No matter what time of the day it is, there’s always room for spicy spuds.
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Countneck clams at Henrietta arrive in a deeply flavorful broth with a long baguette laid across the bowl for soaking up every last drop.
Photo by Merrill Shindler
Henrietta refers to itself as a “Neighborhood Deli & Kitchen” – though the deli side of the menu exists only at lunch. That’s when this oddly shaped storefront, with the option of sitting at a handful of tables outside where traffic is the dominant visual, serves its daytime menu of salads, sandwiches and tasty stuff from the deli case.
Myself, I’d rather sit at the counter with a fine view of the open kitchen, watching stuff sizzling and steaming, swimming in a sea of tempting whiffs, gazing in wonder as the dishes are assembled like edible Legos. The process of turning raw ingredients into plated meals never fails to fill me with wonder. On a good day, I can make an edible peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Every day, the masters at Henrietta combine broccolini with smoked cheddar, peppery-smoky romesco sauce and dates on ciabatta bread. How do they come up with such things?
A composed salad at Henrietta layers citrus, avocado, chicories, herbs and a creamy dressing into one of the menu’s lighter, brighter dishes.
Photo by Merril Shindler
Things like the mushroom dip with “young” provolone, aioli and both caramelized and pickled onions. The “Shredder” with spicy capicola (dry-cured pork), Comte cheese and pickle aioli. The avocado chop salad with delicata squash, quinoa and a flaxseed vinaigrette. Served until evening, when they’re replaced with baguettes with deviled egg and trout roe. And the marinated broccolini gets fried with Hatch chiles, honey and yogurt.
It’s not as if Henrietta puts on a tie and jacket come nightfall – this is Echo Park at its most Eastside. But the wine list grows from a handful to a page worth. And the fishlessness of lunch is replaced with bluefin tuna crudo (with blood orange and Fresno chiles), Countneck clams (like Little Necks, but a tad smaller) with peperonata in an obsessively good sherry broth, and striped bass with blood oranges and burnt chiles.
The bass is one of only a trio of “serious” dishes – along with pork collar with Turkish Urfa chiles and apples, and a half chicken with the Caesar panzanella that’s found by itself on the lunch menu. But if you, like me, have built your life around a multitude of small dishes – a culinary short attention span – contentment is found in the beef tartare toast with pickled squash, the ricotta dumplings with chanterelles. And the Henrietta potatoes. Always the Henrietta potatoes. I know foodies who speak rapturously of caviar and truffles as their last meal. When my time comes, I wants me some spuds. Give me one last crunch before I depart to sing with the Choir Eternal.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beyond Sublime⭐⭐⭐ Worth Every Penny⭐⭐A Good Neighborhood Destination⭐ Might As Well Stay At HomeHenrietta343 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park323-272-6646www.henriettala.comLunch and dinner, Thursday through MondayModerately priced
A front-window display of produce reinforces Henrietta’s market-and-kitchen identity on Glendale Boulevard in Echo Park.
Photo by Merril Shindler
Henrietta’s dining room mixes framed produce prints, vintage-style artwork and warm lighting for a casual, curated feel.
Photo by Merril Shindler
Henrietta’s brick exterior on Glendale Boulevard gives the Echo Park restaurant a modest neighborhood presence with plenty of charm.
Photo by Merril Shindler
Merrill Shindler has spent his life eating for a living in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He grew up on a world of neighborhood bakeries. And the Clark Street Baguettes with a choice of five spreads is a cozy reminder that bread truly is the staff of life. Though tuna crudo and Countneck clams make it taste even better.
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