Ten Foot Henry returns to Victoria Park
'We wanted to build a restaurant you can come to every day, as you are, and feel comfortable no matter what'
Calgarians of a certain age may recall Ten Foot Henry's, the alternative and punk live music venue downtown on Sixth Avenue and Ninth Street SW that was open for just a few years back in 1982.
The music hub was the evolution of a literal ten foot Henry — cut out of wood and painted in the likeness of Henry the comic book character circa 1932.
A young Blake Brooker (co-founder of One Yellow Rabbit) commissioned his friend Gregg Casselman to create a gigantic cut out of the character he loved, which then took up residence in Brooker's Vic Park back yard near the Stampede grounds, and could be seen by passing cars heading down Macleod Trail.
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Henry had a thought bubble in which quotes were regularly written (the most popular was "Depressing, isn't it?") — Calgary's original social media.
When Ten Foot Henry's — which hosted gigs for bands like the Golden Calgarians, Art Bergman and 54-40, and had poetry on Thursdays — closed in '86, Henry moved into a back yard, and then stood inside the Night Gallery, another iconic music venue that occupied the upstairs space at 1209 1 St SW, for the 19 years the club was open.
When it closed, Henry hung out in front of the Big Secret Theatre in the Epcor Centre, waiting for his next adventure.
The adventure begins
When Aja Lapointe and Steve Smee began looking for a space for their dream restaurant venture, the space underneath what was once the Night Gallery was available.
Steve, who was born and raised in Calgary, met Lapointe working at Mercato, Aja's first job after her arrival from Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
They re-met and continued working together at Una, where Lapointe was the general manager, and Ox & Angela, where Smee was the chef, and married soon after. They then set out to do their own thing.
"We loved Victoria Park. There's so much happening with the Beltliner, Native Tongues, Taste, Proof. Residentially, it's the most densely populated neighbourhood in town," Lapointe said.
When they started investigating the history of the Eagle Block, the hundred year old building the space was in, they came across the history of Ten Foot Henry and fell in love with the story.
"We wanted a restaurant that had a name that really didn't speak to what we were doing within its four walls," Lapointe said.
"We could be doing sushi, or pasta. We're going to evolve and change, so we wanted a name that gave us that freedom, and was fun," she said.
"We liked its casual playfulness. We wanted to build a restaurant you can come to every day, as you are, and feel comfortable no matter what."
The return of Henry
Smee and Lapointe met with Brooker, who gave them his blessing to use the name and borrow Henry.
Henry moved back to his old address (albeit downstairs) and now takes up residence in the back hallway, en route to the washrooms.
The dining room is comfortable and modern, with wood tables and old-school chairs (even a couple of picnic tables) and bursts of green via hanging potted plants.
The menu is creative yet relaxed and very veggie-forward, reflective of the way Smee and Lapointe eat at home, with vegetables at the forefront and meat as more of a condiment. It's all designed for tasting and sharing, with a wide range of influences, from grilled sardines alongside yakitori chicken to yam angnolloti and brick chicken with gremolata.
Smee's Ukranian heritage is evident in dishes like handmade bread dumplings with beet borscht and sprigs of fresh dill.
"Oh yes, Irene Smee is very happy to see this on the menu," said Lapointe of her mother-in-law.
Wanting to be the 'third place'
Right now, there's more fish on the menu than chicken and beef, and if you're a fan of tuna, the yellow fin crudo with chimichurri, sesame and chilies is one of the tastiest dishes around.
"It's the kind of comfort food you want, but also the kind of food you should be eating," Lapointe said.
When it comes time for dessert, it's classic and comfortable, like a no-frills, beautiful wedge of dense, moist layer cake enveloped in toasted coconut.
In April they'll open Little Henry, taking up a smaller space with a separate door beside the TFH entrance, offering to-go items and coffee using beans supplied by the Roasterie in Kensington, Calgary's original roastery.
"It's another eighties throwback," Lapointe said.
"They just celebrated 30 years, so we thought it would be a great way to celebrate the city.
"We want to be Calgary's third place," Lapointe said.
"You have work, you have home, and you have somewhere you love to go relax and eat. We want that place to be Ten Foot Henry."
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