The Heyward Beckons in Brooklyn
I’ve never been to Charleston or Savannah. I’ve fallen for Low Country cooking as Alexander Smalls and J.J. Johnson do it at The Cecil in Harlem. But I was excited to get a ride to The Heyward to find most of what emerges from chef Kevin Bergh’s kitchen to be good or very good, surprising and even whimsical.
The Heyword’s shrimp and grits
The house is out of crab so we won’t get the mini crab rolls advertised. The waitress suggests we might want to order the pork belly special instead, with foraged berry relish, smoked corn and dilly beans. That’s a roundup typical of chef Bergh. It sounds like A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He grew up in St. Louis and spent time in New Orleans and Nashville. Like most hip chefs these days, he goes to the greenmarket and asks his purveyors what’s new and good.
The Heyward’s scallops
We’ve already tackled the savory pileup of crispy braised pork belly and Hoppin’ John — Carolina gold rice and Sea Island peas laced with carrots and tomato. You can try to cut away the luscious fat but somehow it defies dietetic sanity. Pork belly twice in an hour is more than enough pork belly for me. You want to click here to know more about what to order. 258 Wythe Avenue between Metropolitan Avenue and North 3rd Street. Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 718 384 1990.
The Heyward’s shrimp and grits and scallop dish, photos may not be used without permission from Gael Greene. Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.
In her role as restaurant critic of New York Magazine (1968 to January 2002) Detroit-born Gael Greene helped change the way New Yorkers (and many Americans) think about food. A scholarly anthropologist could trace the evolution of New York restaurants on a timeline that would reflect her passions and taste over 30 years from Le Pavillon to nouvelle cuisine to couturier pizzas, pastas and hot fudge sundaes, to more healthful eating. But not to foams and herb sorbet; she loathes them.
As co-founder with James Beard and a continuing force behind Citymeals-on-Wheels as board chair, Ms. Greene has made a significant impact on the city of New York. For her work with Citymeals, Greene has received numerous awards and was honored as the Humanitarian of the Year (l992) by the James Beard Foundation. She is the winner of the International Association of Cooking Professionals magazine writing award, 2000, and a Silver Spoon from Food Arts magazine.
Ms. Greene's memoir, "Insatiable, Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess"(www.insatiable-critic.com/Insatiable_Book.aspx )was published April 2006. Earlier non-fiction books include "Delicious Sex, A Gourmet Guide for Women and the Men Who Want to Love Them Better" and "BITE: A New York Restaurant Strategy." Her two novels, "Blue skies, No Candy" and "Doctor Love" were New York Times best sellers.
Visit her website at: www.insatiable-critic.com
