Regular’s special

Julia’s Local (Round Top, NY)

GETAWAYS • The Catskills

The Skinny: After closing the beloved Henning’s Local a year ago, chef Henning Nordanger turned his attention to his newly opened Catskills farm-to-table restaurant, Julia’s Local, where he serves a menu of familiar Norwegian flavors to an always full dining room in the hamlet of Round Top.

The Vibe: Perched on a hill at an unlit intersection, the restaurant only takes reservations by phone (check its Instagram for updates on hours and capacity). That phone is a direct line to co-owner Julia Joern herself. She was also the one who greeted us at the door and invited us into the modest house, where she asked us to hang up our coats — no coat check here — before leading us to a petite table in the corner of the dining room.

The space’s aesthetics are restrained in a way that draws your focus to the table and its textured dishware from Ithaca-based Beiko Ceramics. Still, when my eyes did wander, I saw that not only did Julia know everyone, but everyone knew everyone, including the rest of the staff, who were pleasantly chatty and quick with a recommendation. It isn’t always the fastest meal, but nobody’s hurrying to leave.

The Food: The menu changes with the seasons and arrives on a clipboard. Vegetables come from the owners’ farm down the road, the bread is baked in-house. To start, nearly every table (including ours) had either the bread basket or fist-size popovers, both served warm with subtle dried tomato butter. Chicken liver pate was also great, piped onto kneippbrød crostinis with ample pickled onions, rich without being heavy. We also watched an ambitiously long cheese board come out of the kitchen, served with cornichon and rugbrød (Danish rye bread).

The trout is the thing, though — sourced locally, served in at least three forms every time I’ve visited. There’s a tartar with lime and walnuts, and a trout sashimi served with simple dipping soy sauce and wasabi for appetizers. For mains, a buttery trout almondine, and sometimes an additional preparation like the sesame-crusted version I had on a recent January night. It was crunchy without being tough, covered in multi-colored sesame seeds, served over a pile of sautéed kale. In addition to fish, the tender short rib bourguignon and the salty, crispy-skinned chicken accompanied by mashed potatoes (served with a puddle of butter) are standouts. Overall, without being necessarily innovative, the flavors are surprising, while remaining deeply rooted in Nordic and Scandinavian traditions.

The Drink: We started slow with the excellent housemade seltzers — cherry vanilla and a more savory ginger soda. The cocktail list features familiar faces like negronis and margaritas alongside various glasses of mostly natural wines.

The Verdict: Julia’s Local is a true Catskills restaurant: a place so warm, the food doesn’t have to be this good. –Sylvie Florman

→ Julia’s Local (Round Top, NY) • 1507 Hearts Content Rd • Wed-Sat 5-9p • Call (518) 622-0021 to reserve.