Henry’s satisfies with fresh, delicious seafood
By Joan Belknap
nj.com
Friday, August 15, 2003

John Henry’s Restaurant Address: Corner of Washington and Mifflin streets, Trenton Type of Establishment: Seafood Price Range: Moderate Hours: Lunch 11:30-2:30 Tue.Fri..; dinner Tue.-Sat. until 10 p.m.; 3-9 p.m. Sun Payments Accepted: Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express

Folks are always asking where they can get good seafood. Now I can reply, ``At John Henry’s in Chambersburg.

Associate taster Lisa and I had a wonderful dinner at the Chambersburg restaurant recently. We went early and without a reservation, ending up in a corner table, but we didn’t care. The food was that good.

There was only one disappointment in the entire meal and that was my opening cup of crab soup. It was creamy and delicious in flavor, hot in temperature and loaded with large chunks of carrot and celery, but not much crab flavor. Owner John Henry said he would take care of that, and he did, as another visit proved.

An incredible bargain was Lisa's six large oysters for $6.95. She enjoyed their icy cold sea-breeze flavor and the horseradish-spiked cocktail sauce that came with it.

We both enjoyed our house salads of crispy greens, decent tomato chunks, crisp red-onion slices with a choice of homemade dressings. I chose a delicious house balsamic and Lisa had a very good blue cheese, which cost an extra $1. There was too much of it on the salad, so ordering it on the side might be a good idea.

Choosing a main course is almost impossibile if you love seafood. I was sorely tempted by fish and chips, $12.95, for lightly breaded fish with homemade coleslaw and fries. Instead, I chose an evening special: a large slab of swordfish dressed with a most wonderful salad of arugula with lump crab, bits of tomato and large dices of mango, $24.50. It was enough food for a hearty appetite.

Lisa chose from the menu an enormous platter of split Alaska king crab legs, $35.95, broiled and served with drawn butter. She was offered a side of pasta or vegetables. She chose the latter and were we glad: the perfectly seasoned and roasted red-bliss potatoes, with a medley of perfectly cooked carrots, snow peas, zucchini and yellow squash slices appealed to us both.

The crab was as if it had just been pulled from the water _ not that watery, thawed crab often served in restaurants.

The dessert tray was filled with the usual (cannolis and peanut-butter pie) and fresh fruit and rice pudding.

We selected the made-in-house baked rice pudding, $3.95, and a bowl of blueberries and strawberries, $4.40, both luscious and sweet. I wish I could have powered through the best rice pudding I have tasted in 21 years, but sweet is sweet and enough is enough.

We finished with an OK espresso, a double for Lisa and a single for me, both $6. It was powerful, but a little sharp to the palate.

Don’t wait to come to John Henry's and do reserve a table. There is a no smoking section and a smoking section beyond it. What a considerate idea not to have to walk through the smoking section. Thanks, John Henry.

 

back to reviews