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Upscale dining stalwart Henry’s provides comfort food and safe dining

Outdoor dining at Henry’s on a curtained, heated sidewalk.

21 years since its founding, this purveyor of upscale comfort food is meeting the challenges of the times, serving well-executed dishes while providing a safe outdoor dining experience. The result: a hesitant diner becomes a fan.

By ALAN J. WAX

There’s a lot of love online for Henry’s of Boca Raton, which despite its name is actually in Delray Beach.

I, however, had mixed emotions about this venerable eatery, created by South Florida restaurateur Burt Rapoport in 2000 and sold in 2018 to AP Restaurant Group (the owner of Ke’e Grill, Apeiro Mediterraneanand Tom Sawyer’s Country Restaurant).

To be honest, despite dining there some years ago at the behest of my late nonagenarian mother-in-law, who viewed Henry’s as one of the epitomes of local fine dining, and a mixed experience more recently, I was indifferent about revisiting Henry’s, because I found the menu, albeit nicely executed, less than exciting. Henry’s prices, to be sure, are hardly modest.

Henry’s, seen from Jog Road.

But the prospect of  experiencing fine dining outside, and a $25 gift certificate emailed by Henry’s 10 months ago for my birthday, made a decision to dine there on a recent holiday weekend easier. So did the Saturday night special of roast duck, one of my spouse’s favorite dishes. I was glad we did.

Found in the The Shoppes at Addison Place, an upscale strip center opposite Morikami Gardens on Jog Road, Henry’s has long drawn customers from the stretch of country clubs that lie to its south. It’s got an uptown vibe, a menu focused on comfort foods and professional service, all of which appeals to what seems to be a regular clientele.

We reserved well in advance to dine outside. A good thing. The socially distanced (and dog-friendly) outdoor curtained dining area with propane heaters on an arched walkway that fronts the restaurant was all but packed by 7 p.m.  My guess, early bird diners finishing up were occupying the tables since by the time we finished our dinner the space was largely empty. Inside, aside from a few bar denizens and one late-arriving large party, the sprawling but cozy dining room was empty.

Upon arrival, you step inside to be seated. A hostess, who was disinfecting a railing that separated the bar from the vestibule, greeted me, checked us in, and promptly showed us to an outside table.

The menu produced by Florida-born-and-bred executive chef Amy Mandile is focused on a dozen and half standards of the American culinary repertoire: pork chops, chicken, steaks, meatloaf, veal, salmon and other seafood, meatballs and spaghetti, as well as a selection of salads, sandwiches and burgers. The nightly specials leave no doubt that Henry’s focus remains comfort food: southern fried chicken with mac and cheese, pot roast with mashed potatoes, Asian chicken and shrimp stir fry with wonton soup and eggroll, Thanksgiving roast turkey dinner, steak (filet mignon) frites, roast duck and chicken pot pie.

The drinks menu offers a collection of classic cocktails and a broad selection of whiskies . Wines for the most part are from California.

Moist roasted duck has a crackling skin.  

Our server on our recent visit, Valerie, a tall, slender young woman, was gracious and professional, giving us plenty of time to decide while we nibbled on excellent multi-grain bread and sweet, soft butter.

I was tempted to start with the Magical Split Pea Soup ($8) but felt it would fill me up before my entrée. I enjoyed this hearty bowl of thick, cumin and nutmeg accented pea puree on an earlier visit.

Instead, my wife and I shared a salad—sans onions at her request, a standard mélange of crispy lettuce, radicchio, diced tomatoes, cucumbers, croutons and a large handful of shredded cheese on top and dressed with red wine Dijon vinaigrette ($8).

Panko-crusted filet of sole.

For my main, I considered ordering the richly flavored crab cakes that I had enjoyed on a previous visit, but then I remembered that the accompanying risotto had a passing resemblance to wallpaper paste. (The sides have since changed). Instead, I opted for an off-menu special, broiled filet of sole ($38), a large slab of firm flatfish topped with nicely browned panko Japanese breadcrumbs and accompanied by al dente jasmine rice and crisp French green beans. Nothing exciting, but nicely done. I washed it down with a glass of Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay ($14), a favorably rated, food friendly wine that was priced fairly considering that it retails for $24 a bottle at Total Wine.

My wife’s roast duck with ginger glaze ($34) was picture perfect. Her request to substitute Red Bliss mashed potatoes for the usual accompaniment, vegetable fried rice, was granted without issue. The crackly skin of the duck crunched as she cut into the grease-free, moist bird. Her spuds were creamy.

Alas, we were too full for dessert, but we left an hour after arriving happy, won over by Henry’s food, professional service and, above all, an opportunity to eat well and safely. For that, Henry’s deserves lots of credit.

Henry’s

16850 Jog Rd., Delray Beach, FL 33446

561-638-1949

henrysofbocaraton.com

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