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Crowd pleaser Chef Christian Nault meets the challenge of ‘to each his own’ with a menu as varied as his clientele. Who doesn’t love Henry’s? It’s the warm-up for a night on the town – dinner, a few cocktails and conversation before hitting the noisy clubs and the pricier booze. It’s a wrap-up after an evening on the town – snacks, a few cocktails and conversation after a theater performance or art function. Sometimes it’s both – you eat, you drink, you chat, you end up staying all night. The slogan – Meet Me at Henry’s – fits so well. Its location downtown and its exposed brick, gleaming wood bar and art-filled walls give it a hip, urban vibe that draws a worldly, well-heeled crowd. Its location downtown, its casual atmosphere and its amiable service by longtimers behind the bar and at the tables draw a young, eccentric and intellectual crowd. Chef Christian Nault spans this eclectic mix with a nachos-steak-sprouts menu that somehow satisfies everyone. Maybe it’s because Nault is a lot like his clientele. His culinary skills are a result of on-the-job training, beginning with a job as a dishwasher at the hot discothèque Smugglers Inn on North Clinton Street in the late 1970s. He worked his way up to prep cook and broiler cook over three years there. Nault also has worked as line cook and then evening kitchen supervisor at the Marriott and as a chef at the Oyster Bar and at the Summit Club. He joined Henry’s as a bartender in 1993 and now serves as head chef, managing the kitchen. He has parlayed practical experience into an impressive career. In his scarce spare time, however, Nault lives an artist’s life. He studied painting, art history and anthropology at IPFW, graduating in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. His still life and portrait paintings have been on display in many venues, including Artlink, IPFW and of course Henry’s. He loves to paint and draw in his studio or spend time talking with other artists, a large proportion of the clientele at Henry’s. When it’s warm, Nault indulges in another of his varied interests, bicycling three or four times a week along the River Greenway from his home on the south side. A resident of the north side in his youth and a graduate of Northrop High School, Nault now lives in the Broadriver neighborhood off Broadway. Nault knows his customers are equally multifaceted. “In many ways, our menu reflects that,” he says. “We cater what we do here to the clientele we have.” He characterizes the selection as upscale but not expensive. It includes complex salads, sandwiches with heart-healthy sprouts or heart-stopping mayo, fries, fresh seafood, steaks, soups, a groaning nacho dish … “all the popular things people like to eat when they’re out having a good time,” Nault says. He doesn’t tinker too much – why mess with a good thing? – but exhibits his creativity in the specials. His training was heavy on French cuisine and Louisiana Cajun. “I like things a little spicy,” Nault says. Everything sells well, he says, but the fried fish dinner is a tradition with a permanent spot on the Henry’s menu. Nault chooses fish, too, when he goes out for dinner. His favorite restaurants include Chappels and the Oyster Bar. “I love seafood,” he says, listing halibut, Alaskan salmon and yellow-fin tuna as some of his top choices. But don’t expect to find Nault concocting exotic fish dishes at home. His workday at Henry’s starts at 9 a.m. He’s done most days at 5 p.m., but weekend shifts stretch to 9 or 10 at night. Planning specials, scheduling and training employees, ordering products and organizing kitchen operations keep him there and busy seven days a week. “I hardly ever cook at home. You can look in my refrigerator and find practically nothing,” Nault says. “I’m just hardly ever there!” RECIPE Smoked Chicken Cobb Salad 1. First prepare the brine: 4 cups water 1/4 cup salt 1/4 cup sugar 2 tbsp. dried thyme leaves 1 tbsp. fennel seeds 2 bay laurel leaves Combine the above and bring to a boil, then chill. 2. Soak maple wood chips in water for one hour. 3. Soak one 6 oz. chicken breast per serving in the brine for one hour in the refrigerator. 4. Place the chicken on a wire rack in front of a fan for 45 minutes to an hour to cure the meat. 5. Smoke the chicken according to your smoker’s directions. 6. Mix the salad: 1 part chopped romaine 1 part chopped leaf lettuce 1 part mixed baby greens Garnish with: smoked bacon bits, sliced avocado, diced tomatoes, sliced hard-boiled eggs, crumbled blue cheese and red onion rings. Dress up the plate with some grilled pita bread points. 7. Add the chicken and cover with the dressing of your choice. HENRY’S 260-426-0531 |
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