Henry B's restaurant in Seneca Falls worth the trip

Foodly Yours column by PAT ERNST DUGAN
Special to the Star-Gazette
8/5/04 - Back to Henry B's Front Page
 

The Bridge Street Bridge in Seneca Falls was the inspiration for the bridge scene in Frank Capra's movie "It's a Wonderful Life." Frank Capra visited an aunt in the area, and Elmira is mentioned in the movie.

All this and more we learned during dinner recently at Henry B's on Fall Street in Seneca Falls.

Like many small towns across America, the downtown area of Seneca Falls is in transition. Local residents, however, led us to downtown highlights that we might have missed on our own.

Seneca Falls is a delicious destination, by boat or car. An after-dinner delight is walking canalside or in the neighborhoods bordering the downtown area.

The uniqueness of this small town has its anchor in the July 1848 beginnings of the women's rights movement. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a Seneca Falls housewife and mother of three, together with Lucretia Mott, organized an important meeting about women's rights.

Stanton's home and the Women's Hall of Fame are both tourist meccas today.

Boating on the Erie Canal is a happening tourist adventure these days. Mid-Lakes Navigation, a family-run business based in Skaneateles, rents canal boats, furnished with most cooking and sleeping needs, by the week.

Their brochure suggests Seneca Falls as an excellent overnight stop. My suggestion for dinner would be Henry B's.

The restaurant serves authentic Italian cuisine with a twist. For owners Bruce and Lisa Bonafiglia, that means a family-style or shared dining experience.

All dishes are placed in the center of the table with serving utensils. Portions are ample -- four of us shared the Zucchini e Patate de Gorgonzola (small platter of fried zucchini and potatoes with a gorgonzola cheese sauce) for antipasti; the Insalata di Casa (small house salad) with cucumbers, tomatoes and olives and a delicious vinaigrette; and the Risotto con Fungi (creamy rice with a variety of mushrooms) for the primi piatti. For our secondi piatti, we choose two entrees -- the sea scallop nightly special and the roasted pork chops, stuffed with pancetta, gorgonzola and arugula, finished with sage and brown butter sauce and done to perfection.

To finish, we shared a single piece of Crostata de Mele (a freshly baked apple tart), and limoncello liqueur for a "digestive."

The food was so delicious that I needed to clean my plate!

Dinners are served Tuesday through Saturday, 4:30 to 10 p.m. We are not the only ones to have discovered this fun, friendly and busy place -- call for reservations.

The ambiance is upscale but not pretentious, with guests obviously enjoying themselves. The conversation and camaraderie was evidenced by the noise level and laughter.

The walls are bare brick, the ceiling tin and the inspiration for the restaurant was Henry Bonafiglia, great- grandfather to Bruce.

Henry B. is described on the menu as a "fun-loving, scotch-drinking joker who lived life to the fullest."

The photo gallery on the Web site is a stitch -- one photo shows Henry B. and a young girl in a first communion dress, with the caption, "Your meal at Henry B's will be as memorable as your first communion."

Angelo Bonafiglia (Bruce's dad) said it all with, "Good food and fun times can create a great recipe for a happy life."

So do travel to Seneca Falls and Henry B's the next time you want a unique dinner experience!

Pat Ernst Dugan, a culinary consultant, teacher and personal chef, is the owner of Chez Pat in Corning.

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