Whaler’s Cove is back—as Harpoon Henry’s
The rumors, frankly, frightened some.
The Whaler’s Cove was being sold and torn down. No more dinners while watching the sunset. No more attempts at trying every single frozen drink on the board. No more Capt. Larry on weekend nights. No more getting away from the summer noise.
The rumors, thankfully, were false.
The Whaler’s Cove is back this week, opening Friday, May 7. The business and the building were, in fact, sold, by the Cape May Wallace family to the Cape May Henry family.
Bob Jr. and Edie Wallace ran the Whaler’s Cove for 26 years with the help of their son, Bob III.
In the off-season, the Wallaces would retreat to the Florida Keys and wonder how much longer they would stay in the business. One day while sharing a happy hour cocktail on a boat in the Keys with Ed and Teresa Henry, the Wallaces half jokingly asked, “So when are you going to buy the restaurant from us?”
As it turns out, this past off-season, which is when the Wallaces decided 26 years was enough. When Lower Township approved the transfer of the restaurant’s liquor license to the Henry family on April 19, the deal was completed, and Harpoon Henry’s was born.
Different name, not a different place.
Teresa Henry’s been spending the past few months answering the same questions from concerned customers over and over. It’s not that she’s tired of it, but it certainly convinced her how sacred some things are to the Whaler’s Cove fans.
“It’s the same beautiful view, the same casual, family-fun atmosphere, the same biggest sandbox in the world, the same frozen drinks…” she said for the umpteenth time. “I’ve been walking around telling people those things over and over. I knew the Whaler’s Cove had a loyal following, but frankly, because of our other two restaurants (Henry’s on the Beach and Zoe’s, both in Cape May), we didn’t get out too much.”
If the Whaler’s Cove needed anything it was 1.) A spruced up dining room, and 2.) A consolidated kitchen so that servers weren’t running items from the same order out of two kitchens.
“We’re painting right now,” Teresa said late last week. “The dining room just needed a facelift. And we’re going to move the (outdoor barbecue and kitchen) area inside. That was one thing we learned was a problem for the servers; they would be bringing things out from the (indoor) kitchen and then maybe have to wait for the grill area to complete the order, (or vice versa), and it was quite confusing sometimes.”
The place has always been known as an oasis for locals and seasonal residents, a place to get away from it all. My family loves to go more than several times between May and September. Almost two years ago, we made a Labor Day Weekend visit and found a packed house with a short waiting list. The outdoor crowd was celebratory sitting around the festively decorated deck. Jimmy Buffet tunes set the tone, and speaking of Margaritaville, the outdoor bar has 250 frozen concoctions to help you hang on. Conversations were lively and filled with laughter, and the scents emanating from the raw bar and outdoor grill were a mix of Old Bay, lemons and charbroiled beef. While waiting outside, children played in the “largest sandbox in the world,” which is actually a volleyball court that allows parents to relax while the kids play games.
The deck sits above the sloped bay beach that is across the street, creating a perfect balcony view of the Delaware Bay and the sun that sets into it. People counted down—10!, 9!, 8!—as the red-orange orb made its way toward the green bay. So spectacular was it that conversations stopped, and only music and shorebirds could be heard. And then—3!, 2!, 1!—silence…then applause.
“It’s like that every night,” Bob Wallace said at the time. “We have the best sunsets around.”
“We have the only true sunset in Cape May County,” added Edie. “We are the only place where you do see a true sunset. There’s no place like this.”
And thankfully so, it’s still there.
The third business will keep Ed and Teresa Henry very busy, but it’s also a relief to them to know they now own their first restaurant and building.
“The main thing for us is to own some real estate. We lease the other two properties,” Teresa said, who added that they will remain hands-on with their other restaurants, but the new “child” will demand more attention.
“We couldn’t have done it if we didn’t have really good employees at the other places,” Teresa said. “We’ve been lucky to have the same (employees) returning to us year after year, so we’re more comfortable spending some more time here, because we will have to.”
Harpoon Henry’s opens for the first time this weekend, beginning Friday at 11:30 p.m. for lunch.
Bill Sheets, who has worked with the Henrys—“and everywhere else in Cape May,” Sheets said, in the past--is the chef. They have been tweaking the menu, but not too much.
“We’re updating the menu but not changing it. You can order anything anywhere, inside or outside. You don’t have to order an entrée if you want finger food in a basket,” Teresa said.
Small improvements to a place that was already popular.
“It’s a good place that always did a
great business. The Wallaces just got tired, they’ve been here 26 years
and built up a very good thing. We just hope to improve on it.”
Rob Seitzinger can be e-mailed at
seitz[at]catamaranmedia.com or you can
comment on this story by calling 624-8900, ext. 250.
HARPOON HENRY’S
Browning Avenue & Beach Drive
North Cape May
886-5529
ON THE MENU
Hours: Weekends only for lunch and dinner beginning at 11:30 p.m.
Kitchen closes at 10 p.m.; expanding hours beginning Memorial Day
weekend.
Customer favorites: Henry’s Fish Sandwich (a fan favorite borrowed from Henry’s on the Beach is fried grouper filet served with grilled onions, cheese and roasted pepper sauce. At Henry’s it’s served on whole wheat, at Harpoon Henry’s it’ll be served on Kaiser roll.), $8.95; Conch Fritters, $7.95; Deal on a Wheel Sampler (2 conch fritters, 2 chicken fingers, 2 onion rings, 2 potato skins), $10.95; Bahamian Swordfish (red and green peppers, red onions and tomato with citrus marinade), $16.95; Seafood Pasta (clams, mussels, shrimp and scallops in sun-dried tomato sauce), $16.95; Clam Bake Dinner (lobster tail, shrimp, clams, mussels, red-skin potatoes and ear of corn), $25.95.
Children’s Menu: Entrées served with applesauce and fries include Chicken Fingers, Popcorn Shrimp, Grilled Cheese, Kid’s Burger, Fish Sticks, all for $3.99, and PB&J for $2.99.
Parking: Free lot on
the premises, and free street parking.
Reservations are not
accepted.
Capacity: 85
outside, 100 inside.
Credit Cards: Visa,
MC, American Express, debit cards.
Directions: Follow
signs for the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, but go straight to the bay instead
of turning left for the ferry. At the bay, go north for a half mile.
Rob Seitzinger can be e-mailed
at seitz[at]catamaranmedia.com or you can comment on this story by
calling 624-8900, ext. 250.
Check out his Cape Cuisine food blog