Feed & Grain: Henrietta Hudson's Queer Cafe
In 1993, longtime lesbian bar Henrietta Hudson's opened up a restaurant next door called Henrietta's Feed & Grain, at 444 Hudson Street between Morton & Barrow. Owned by Lisa Cannistraci & Minnie Rivera, Emily Duff served as head chef at Feed & Grain, & the restaurant was 1 of the 1st eateries to employ a completely seasonal menu based on the bounty of local growers from NY & NJ.
A NYTimes article from June 15, 1994 entitled “Restaurants That Roll Out the Welcome Mat for Gay Diners” includes Henrietta’s Feed & Grain in its writeup, describing it thus: “Henrietta Hudson, a woman's bar, has recently opened a small restaurant next door...The food served there is so healthful, ‘they call it a feed-&-grain joint, & that's pretty accurate,’ said a regular customer.”
Another NYTimes article from August ‘93 mentions the Feed & Grain as well: “Henrietta’s Feed & Grain, a 2-room cafe that opened about 10 days ago at 438 Hudson Street (near Morton Street) fits right in. It is owned by Lisa Cannistraci, who also owns Henrietta Hudson, the bar next-door. Only the stylish sponged walls seem slightly out of keeping with the otherwise rural look.”
The article elaborates on the restaurant's offerings: “A simple menu of bright, well-seasoned salads emphasizes high-quality vegetables & grains ($4.50 to $8). Also available is a limited but well-chosen assortment of produce from a farm near New Paltz, NY, including beets, squash, potatoes & berries. For an order of fresh peach juice mixed with seltzer, the chef, Emily Hofstetter, selected peaches from the display, then took them into the kitchen & produced one of the most delicious coolers imaginable ($2.50).” The Feed & Grain in fact earned Duff a reputation as a chef who stayed true to flavor & was respectful of ingredients while creating & serving honest, delicious, healing food.
Duff herself wrote about her time at Henrietta’s: “Some of the best home cooking I ever did professionally was at my farm-to-table café, Henrietta's Feed & Grain. Each morning I'd head to one greenmarket or another, come back laden & write a fresh menu...The next day's dishes would be entirely new."
Sadly, Feed & Grain lasted only a couple years.
