STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The kitchen at O’Henry’s Publick House started out easy on Minthorne Street. To nail down the British eats in the inaugural days of service, a limited menu went into effect with the pub’s mainstays -- hand-dipped fish 'n' chips and bangers 'n' mash, crisp-skinned sausages templed over creamy mashed potatoes.
Now the crew is ready to debut the full program of food and drink and the Tompkinsville restaurant.
“It’s British comfort food,” Lisa McFarland summed up. As co-owner, she also serves as the restaurant’s chef.
For the impending grand opening this weekend, she’ll deliver O’Henry’s mainstays like Cottage Pie, a beef version of a Shepherd’s Pie. The casserole is roasted with peas, carrots and a mashed potato topping.
Bangers and mash come two ways at O’Henry’s -- infused with whiskey and served with peppers, onions and whiskey gravy or with a sweet Guinness onion gravy.
There are drunken clams made with light ale and burgers served on a brioche buns with sweet potato or steak fries. The fish 'n' chips are battered and crisp-fried chunks of haddock presented alongside steak fries and a souffle cup of creamy tartar sauce.
STRICT BRIT THEME
McFarland also emphasized the lighter fare -- a beet and tomato salad, Portobello burger (with or without a fried egg), plus a chicken-artichoke combination tossed with mayonnaise.
“It’s like a sandwich-salad served on a flatbread as an appetizer or over a salad,” McFarland described.
Will she ever do chicken parmigiana in the English mix?
“As much as I can probably knock the socks off it, they’re doing Italian food next door," said the chef in a reference to neighbor Flour + Oak. And she said she plans on sticking with the Great Brit theme.
“My dream was always to have a pub,” said McFarland.
She said that with O’Henry’s, life has come full circle. After schooling at St. Joseph Hill Academy, she went on to New York City Tech’s hospitality program. After graduation, she worked in Manhattan kitchens, then in the wine-import business and as a caterer.
Her entrepreneurial partner, Bobby Digi, described himself as a “serial entrepreneur and civic leader who has a passion for food and bringing people together.”
With roots in the hospitality business as owner of nightclub and cabaret “Notes,” formerly of Richmond Terrace, he explained that he’s driven into the restaurant realm on Staten Island by his “compassion for community, a lover of good food, culture, travel, art and people.”
He pointed to the design of the space that blends McFarland’s international food served against the backdrop of local artists’ work. Brooklyn-born Digi was brought to Africa by his mom with stops in London in between. He’s travelled to British city since a youngster and has family there.
THE BAR AND PRIVATE ROOM
At lunchtime recently, bartender Joe Castellano filled a flute with The Victorian -- sparking wine, lemon vodka and St. Germaine elderflower liqueur. The mixologist also designed drinks muddled with fresh fruit like “Strawberry Fields,” an elixir built on freshly muddled berries.
Digi and McFarland said they hope for private parties and dinners in their separate dining room. In the main dining space, they said they are proud of the physical bar, the centerpiece of O’Henry’s. Digi reclaimed the ornate wooden piece from The Choir Loft, a Stapleton watering hole that lived from 1977 to 1994 -- peaking in the ’80s. A jukebox at the entrance is another nod to the days of yesteryear on Bay Street.
“Saturday night is the grand opening party and Choir loft reunion party coming back to see the bar,” said McFarland.
As for the name of the place, Digi created it out of a blend of elements.
“My third son is named Henry. Our family name is Olisa. And Digi is my middle name,” he explained.
And McFarland has a nephew named Henry.
“We just want a nice experience for guests from the time they come in,” she said, adding that the food and customer service will make the pub stand out on Staten Island.
O’Henry’s is located at 10 Minthorne St., Tompinksville; 718-442-6200, O’Henry’s via Facebook. It is open for lunch and dinner daily at noon to 3 p.m., then 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday, 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Lisa McFarland, the chef and co-owner of O'Henry's.
The Cottage Pie, a casserole made with ground beef, peas and carrots topped with mashed potatoes.
Fish 'n' chips
Guinness is on draft
Bangers 'n' mash combines crispy sausages over mashed potatoes with a Guinness-onion sauce
O'Henry's bar is from the former Choir Loft on Bay Street
Local artwork includes this flag by Pat McDermott
The ceiling has a British flag theme
The specials on a chalkboard are a pre-cursor to mainstays that will make their way onto the permanent menu.
The juke box at the entrance of O'Henry's is a detail from the former Choir Loft, once on Bay Street.
The Victorian is a drink made with St. Germaine elderflower liqueur, lemon vodka and Prosecco.
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O’Henry’s Publick House: A taste of the new pub’s food - SILive.com
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