Henrietta the First

If you think back to your first eating club, it probably happened around noon in the early days of first grade. Sitting with your friends at a big table in the cafeteria and out came the PBJs, little bags of carrots, fruit roll-ups, maybe potato chips and oreos. Most with thermoses, some with juice boxes, the envied Capri Sun. You could upgrade through a trade or the hot lunch line but sound negotiation skills and cash are often in short supply for first graders.

With the launch of The Eating Club, let me be the first to say how great it is to be an adult. Walking into any restaurant, in any neighborhood, ordering any delicious dish, sharing and exploring the menu with friends, well, that's pretty much Goonies for adults.

The day you can trade in the cafeteria table for Henrietta’s Table is a milestone of epic portions. Especially when those portions are slow cooked in native beans and apple brandy reduction sauces.

The Eating Club chose Henrietta’s Table (Charles Hotel, Harvard Square) as its inaugural Monday meet-up because it represents the values we aspire to in our culinary and social lives – fresh and honest, welcoming atmosphere and quality time with local New England farmers.

We arrived for our 7:00 pm reservations and were immediately seated. Menus passed around like the down card of a blackjack hand and the wine list flopped over like an ace in the hole. [Note: Gazelle doesn’t know anything about wines so vin-related reviews will be held until one of my co-founders weighs in or when Vin Diesel joins Eating Club.]



You are immediately confronted by a tough decision: go for one of the tempting array of specials or order off the yard sale menu. It’s a tough decision until you find out everything you can get at the yard sale. You get to choose any of the starters PLUS any of the entrees PLUS any side for $25.

As Maki said, “You’d have to be an idiot not to get the yard sale.”

An idiot or a vegetarian. As a meat-eater, you can earn a $13 spread on the yard sale if you maximize your starter-entrée-side combo. With those savings even George Costanza would say to his date “Get the Maine Rock Crab Cake, go on get it, I want you to.”

The Starters: The Crab Cake was the way to go and Evadne was the big winner. She also was the big winner in best question asked of our waitress - “The crab cake – is it more bready or more crabby?” To Henrietta’s credit it was more crabby - in the good way. Three of us welcomed a hearty Rock Crab and Corn Chowder with smoked bacon. The crab and bacon were subdued supporting actors in this cast iron handle that set up the corn to shine – unfortunately the corn wasn’t fully up to the challenge. The fresh and honest scale is where the chowder collects its accolades, as does the Spinach salad Strawberries, Westfield Farm Chevre, and Spicy Maple Pecan Vinaigrette.

Bread & Bathrooms: An odd a pairing to group together I realize but I go back to places that have a great bread and give me architecture ideas for my bathroom. I always use the bathroom in a restaurant even if I don't have to go. The bread is OUTSTANDING - variety of breads including a cranberry walnut and cornbread that came right out of the oven. The bathrooms are maintained by the Charles Hotel and fairly non descript.

The Entrees - let them eat meat!: Everyone was a winner though I experienced slight entree-regret when two of my fellow eating clubbers were delivered their House Maple Smoked and Grilled Free Range Duck Breast. That was some delectable duck, not to mention the native cranberry chutney. And that port wine reduction its cooked in? Should be considered an addition. The Barbeque Ale Braised Pulled Lamb Shank was braised as advertised and the native beans gave the lamb a proper finish. The Ozark Mountain Grilled Smoked Pork Chop delivered mouth-watering bites touched with apple brandy reduction sauce.

The Finale: No desserts for us. A wrinkle on the Yard Sale is that you can add any dessert for $7. But all of the desserts COSTS seven dollars anyway. Hey, what happened to the yard sale?

The Verdict: As its Web site states - "Henrietta’s Table opened its doors to a diverse and adoring public nearly 13 years ago. In that time the restaurant has come to be the dining room of Nobel laureates, celebrities, and New England Farmers." Count the Eating Club among its adoring public.

In time, we hope Henrietta recognizes the Eating Club among the laureates, celebrities and farmers who dined at her table.