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Y! MyWebRestaurant Review
John Henry's
Oregon restaurant is 'American cuisine with a Southern flair'
Friday, January 04, 2008
DAYTON — Months before John Henry's opened, I listened to co-owner Gail Davis describe the new restaurant's menu as "American cuisine with a Southern flair" and envisioned a gumbo-and-cornbread joint with modest intentions.
How wrong I was.
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John Henry's restaurant has opened in the former Blue Moon location in Dayton's Oregon District. Staff photo by Chris Stewart
Rack of lamb, pan seared and roasted with port wine plum reduction at John Henry's.
Strawberry bread pudding with homemade ice cream and balsamic syrup at John Henry's in Dayton's Oregon District. 
Wild mushroom ragout with tasso on an aged cheddar ground hominy cake at John Henry's.John Henry's
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Gumbo ($11.95) is on the menu — but this is no jambalaya joint. Rather, John Henry's is a steak and chop house that offers an ambitious collection of cuts few other eateries could match.
Located in the space that housed the Blue Moon restaurant for a decade, John Henry's is the brainchild of Davis and her husband Will, along with her brother Chris Sassenberg and sister-in-law Robin Sassenberg. The two couples also own the nearby Trolley Stop. The new restaurant is named after John Henry Sassenberg, Gail Davis' and Chris Sassenberg's father, who died in December.
John must have been a meat eater, judging from the menu that includes an often-neglected hanger steak ($19.95), Delmonico steak ($25.95 — think large ribeye), veal porterhouse ($21.95), a double bone-in center-cut pork chop ($18.95), Rack of Lamb ($25.95) and a double breast of duck ($23.95). Obviously, that's a menu that sets a high bar. For the most part, John Henry's and its founding chef, Robert Sexton, deliver.
The lamb, for example, is a generous portion — three three-rib sections, about 16 ounces — served with a port wine-plum sauce. For a moment, I was transported back in time to the Savory, the long-defunct south Dayton restaurant that served excellent rack of lamb. The double duck breasts also feature a grape pepper sauce that pairs well with the slices of crispy-skinned duck.
Among the appetizers, the Wild Mushroom Ragout ($6.95, also available on the bar menu) has been a crowd favorite, and it's easy to see why. Salty, spicy, smoky Tasso ham lends intensity to the mushrooms, while a ground hominy cake made with aged Cheddar cheese nicely balances the ham's heat and saltiness.
On the dessert menu, the tangy whipped buttermilk cream elevates the Peach Cobbler ($5.50) to new heights. It's both a satisfying and refreshing end to a meal.
The restaurant offers 15 wines by the glass; a "Captain's List" is available upon request and features wines with minimal markups. A half-dozen New Orleans-themed specialty cocktails are offered, along with a handful of microbrews and imported beers.
There were signs of opening-month jitters during multiple visits. The kitchen is still struggling to send every meat dish out at the requested level of doneness. The robust menu seems more attuned to fall or winter than the heat of summer. And the restaurant was out of some beer and wine selections after having been open only a few weeks.
Nevertheless, this restaurant shows great promise and will be fun to watch. One suspects John Henry would be proud.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2258 or
mfisher@DaytonDailyNews.com.
This review was originally published on Aug. 31, 2007.
