Page 22 - Valley Table - June-August 2024

j ulia Joern jokes that she and her
partner Henning Nordanger opened Julia’s Local
because they had a secret desire to turn strangers into friends. Of course that works best if the food is delicious— and Nordanger had me at his incredible entrée of sesame trout with soy beurre blanc.
Nordanger grew up in Bergen, Norway, attended culinary school, and cooked in hotels, as well as for the King of Norway on his royal yacht—a prestigious assignment that also satisfied his military obligation. He came to the United States at age 25 and worked at restaurants in New York City until 2006, when
he decided to move to the Catskills because he wanted to buy his own house.
When he couldn’t find a place to cook in the Catskills, he opened Henning’s Local in Cochecton (Sullivan County), where he serves Scandinavian interpretations of American comfort food. The restaurant remains both a fine dining destination as well as a beloved local haunt.
Joern and Nordanger met 18 years ago when she hired him to do carpentry work and they’ve been together for six years. They share a minimalist aesthetic and often discussed working together in some capacity, but it wasn’t until 2019, after Joern purchased
a former bakery on Hearts Content Road, that the two
decided to convert it into a restaurant. To support the renovation during lockdown, Nordanger prepared comfort food which Joern delivered. They quickly built a fan base and once they got their liquor license, they offered Saturday dinners. In April 2023, Julia’s Local opened.
The restaurant attracts
a range of guests who are drawn to the laidback vibe and Nordanger’s sublime cooking. “We’ve welcomed everyone from our plumber to Academy Award winners,” says Joern. The restaurant
is open Thursday through Saturday for dinner, and Sundays from 1–6 p.m. The menu features Scandinavian- influenced American cuisine including several preparations of Beaverkill Trout Hatchery’s trout (which Nordanger or a staff member picks up daily to ensure it’s fresh—even though it’s a 3-hour round-trip drive away), as well as produce from the couple’s farm. “We serve salmon from the Faroe Islands and venison from New Zealand because that’s what Henning likes,” says Joern.
The popular seasonal Snack Stand starter may include pickled and preserved root vegetables, pork rillettes, homemade sourdough bread, and Henning’s “butter of
the day.” (Past flavors have included radish, thyme, and fennel.) The Devilish Egg flight—where eggs are stuffed and topped with garnish such
The walls in the main dining room are adorned with
contemporary art
from Julia Joern’s personal collection.
20 TheValleyTable | June–August2024
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JULIA'S LOCAL