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Zebulon Successor The Heyward Serves Williamsburg's Best Shrimp & Grits
By
Nell Casey
Published Feb 12, 2015
Modified Feb 12, 2015
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Che Stipanovich
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By
Nell Casey
Published Feb 12, 2015
Modified Feb 12, 2015
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The collective cry of old school Williamsburg residents echoed across Wythe Avenue when beloved music venue Zebulon shut its doors in 2012, in what would be a herald of things to come for the neighborhood. A beloved venue closing has become something like white noise to most New Yorkers, who are sadly accustomed to their favorite haunts being replaced by a bank or frozen yogurt shop. At this point, the gut punch is a rite of passage. But sometimes, when something special goes away, it's replaced by something tolerable. And maybe—if we're really lucky—it's something pretty great, like The Heyward.
The restaurant quietly opened in December inside the former Zebulon space, transforming the casual venue into a simple but well-appointed eatery targeting a local crowd. Owners Matthew Hechter, Che Stipanovich and Christopher Brandon had long been interested in the space, having been both patrons of the venue and friendly with the owners. It took two years—and changing building ownership—but they were finally able to realize their vision of creating a low-key but elegant restaurant that would appeal to the old guard Williamsburg and the newcomers settling into the ever-growing collection of condos.
"I completely embrace being labeled as a Brooklyn restaurant but that slant isn't telling the whole story," Stipanovich explains. "We're proud of our Brooklyn restaurant but careful about the 'brand' Brooklyn; we wanted to do something apart from that." Their design reflects that, with a handsome zinc-topped bar—the owners all love Paris—and some design relics of the building's factory roots like a freight elevator door. But they've eschewed the "Brooklyn" template for the most part; no Edison bulbs and no reclaimed wood.
The space recaptures some of its predecessor's energy with an open kitchen around which a semi-circle of seats has been erected. "An open kitchen provides its own entertainment, in a way," according to Stipanovich. "We built it as a stage, so there really is a performance aspect to the kitchen here." The team actively recruited kitchen staff and chefs—like their executive chef and Locanda Verde vet Derek Orrell—who would feel comfortable interacting with customers and being part of the show. "I think the reason people love a good restaurant is that it's really a living thing, it's really become that way in recent years as far as what people are chasing, the style people are going after."
The Southern-tinged menu channels the flavors of the coastal states and less so the Delta, which has spawned many a Northern ode in recent years. There's a Shrimp & Grits appetizer ($16) that could easily stand in as an entree due to its decadence. It's one of the better iterations I've eaten in the city, the white corn grits appropriately cheesy and the chorizo adding fat to the lean but succulent shrimp. She-Crab Soup ($11) and the restaurant's version of Hoppin' John ($10) further cement their interest in exploring Americana dishes in a thoughtful, elegant presentation.
Stipanovich has a special place in his stomach for their NY Strip Steak ($30), a grilled and charred slab of beef given added decadence with a pat of foie gras butter. The Duck entree ($28) offers a more subtle entry into meat, with an expertly-cooked medium-rare breast sitting atop creamy polenta cakes. The rich duck, with its salty, fatty skin, calls out for an acidic foil, which it finds in the delicious jalapeno-date-Brussels sprout slaw with just enough heat to wake up the taste buds.
Soon, they're hoping to institute a new bar menu that'll be available throughout the restaurant. It will include more casual dishes with a Southern slant, like boiled peanuts with spiced celery and a burger of some kind. They're also debuting a late-night fried chicken dish on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays that won't be available until after 11 p.m., a great way to capture service industry folks and hungry night owls. The requisite brunch is in the pipeline in the coming months as well.
258 Wythe Avenue, (718) 384-1990; website
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new restaurant and bar radar
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Nell Casey
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