As the newfangled and resized New York Observer is saying kaddish for Montague Street nightlife, Mrs. Fink and I were first hand witnesses to what could be the nascent stages of a booming food scene in the North Heights last night.
On a cold and snowy night, JtH was hopping with activity into the "wee hours" (that means after 10pm on Hicks Street). In what could be compared to seeing Bourdain, Battali and Flay hanging out back in the 90s at Babbo, Bolo or Les Halles, BHB noticed Henry's End executive chef Mark Lahm hobnobbing with the ponytailed culinary bard of Jack the Horse Tavern, Tim Oltmans, last night. Could we have been present at the birth of the NoHe* food scene?
As for dinner, Mrs. Fink and I enjoyed splitting the pizza special (grilled zucchini, ricotta, prosciutto, arugula with a sprinking of gran padina), hanger steak and mac and cheese. Cocktails for the evening were the tequila based El Diablo and the gin based Behind the Knees, both expertly made by Damon, King of All North Heights bartenders. It's undeniable, JtH gets better every time we visit.
Next, we'll take Qfwfq to Henry's End for a nice Steak Diane. Maybe we'll see the mysterious Food Maestro "partners" enjoying the crab cakes with a nice bottle of 2004 Obsidian Ridge. Or perhaps Daniela from Le Petit Marche will be there tucking into a Chocolate Confusion for dessert. You never know… only in NoHe….only in NoHe.
*Fink thought up NoHe, so when the MSM inevitably steal that nom de nabe, please credit accordingly.
