Hennessey's

By Billy Curtright

Cuisine editor

My lovely companion and I were scratching our heads concerning the next avenue for a dinner spot. Do we go ethnic or seafood? Barbeque or sushi? A nearby pal mentioned that sandwich place up on the Hill called Hennessy’s. I told the misinformed chap we wanted dinner, not lunch. He corrected me with enthusiasm.

“I’m tellin’ ya. That place has great food,” he says.

“Well, I know they have a great lunch. I’m a huge fan of their corned beef sandwiches and their incredible potato salad that’s heavy on the dill,” I spouted back.

“Take my word for it. You’ll be glad you did,” he assured me.

So we entered the realm of Suburbans, prep schools and Birkenstocks and walked into the little corner café in natural wood siding with green canvas awnings. We found our way to a corner table, passing by the “No French Products Allowed” sign. Not much in the way of atmosphere, its no-nonsense setting which is the way the “08’ers” like it. There were various lawyers and accountants sucking on cold beers at the bar as comments about Mike Price, Arety’s Angels and Jesse Jackson could be overheard.

We made an effort not to get a sandwich, but to see what these dinners were all about. Not listed on the basic menu, the specials were written poorly on a board but described beautifully by our friendly, no-nonsense server. After placing our orders and looking forward to the appetizer, we sat and overheard the main man, Mike Hennessy, holding court from behind the bar that takes up half the tiny place. Mike has been present every time I have been there. That’s always a good sign.

My cup of crawfish & tomato bisque ($3.95) was excellent. It came out piping hot and had chunks of mudbug meat swimming in a thick bisque – just the way I like it. I was not surprised by this since I have had their soup and sandwich combos before. I was now ready for the main gig, but out came more pre-meal pampering. A bowl of shredded iceberg with black olives and carrots appeared with their homemade thousand island dressing. Simple but fresh. It’s the little things in life that make it worth living.

The wine I ordered was presented by our pleasant server, and it needed some time alone. The first sip of the Buckley’s shiraz-cabernet sauvignon blend came on a little strong but got better with each sip. A fair wine with heavy tannins and full body, it was a decent match for my entrée, a 10 oz. filet mignon with a red wine reduction ($21.95).

The filet came out perfect in a medium-rare state sitting up on the sauce and surrounded by roasted new potatoes and braised baby carrots. Whoa, this was good! For a mere millisecond, I thought my taste buds had been transported to a Ruth’s Chris-Smith & Wollensky state of mind. As I came back down to earth, I realized there was no way that the steak could have only been 10 ounces. It was at least 12 (another bonus that evening). The wine sauce itself was excellent and rich, making a nice condiment for both the streak and the potatoes.

My lovely companion got the classic shrimp & grits ($16.95). This is usually a dish that restaurants cut corners on by doing more of a shrimp creole version with a tomato-based sauce, bell peppers and tiny Asian shrimp. Not at Hennessy’s. They did the real deal by using Conecuh County sausage as the base for a brown sauce over the grits only to be topped with huge, firm, fresh Gulf shrimp. As the special was first presented almost overflowing the edge of the plate, it was virtually gone five minutes later. I gave my lovely companion some help on the last two shrimp.

For dessert, there was a limited selection. So limited, that there was only one – turtle cheesecake. We got it. It was a concoction obviously brought in from elsewhere. Even though it was not homemade, it was still a decent finale. The turtle was a rich cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, thin layer of fudge and nutty topping. Regardless, it was not up to par with the rest of the meal.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the dinner food. Other menu options included tuna florentine, paneed snapper with crabmeat or a pecan-encrusted snapper with a citrus buerre blanc. Mike is not just serving up reubens with a pickle. Do yourself a favor and go to Hennessy’s next time out. But go for dinner.

Archives