Henry’s Depot brings history full circle in Sanford
Like many New York expats, Sean Kelley misses a few things about home. He’s from Watertown, which is about one degree from the Arctic Circle, so winter isn’t one of them. But fall’s another story entirely.
“Where I’m from, when you go to get a pumpkin, it’s a day out,” he says. “You get hot cider. You buy a pie.
You go to the corn maze. You play in the hay. You get your face painted. I always get bummed on Halloween when we go to Publix and just buy one with the rest of our groceries. It’s supposed to be an event!”
This year in Sanford, it will be — for three weeks leading up to Halloween. Because Kelley, developer of the town’s new food hall, Henry’s Depot, has events front and center moving forward.
Even during the pandemic.
Recently, it was a socially distanced classic car show on the Depot’s 1.4-acre
property. Over the summer, they hosted a drive-in movie. Food servers from inside became carhops — taking orders as folks enjoyed the
show.
There’s a lot of outdoor space, but also 8,000 square feet inside, as well. Social distancing is pretty easy in
the airy and genuinely beautiful spaciousness of the Basin, the food hall’s bar. Its ample menu features an array of cocktails, many with names themed on the region, the town or the men who built it.
Henry’s Depot was built in 1880 and in its first life was just that: the freight depot where goods that came down on the railroad and off boats on the St. John’s River were offloaded and distributed.
“President Ulysses S. Grant was on hand for its groundbreaking,” says local historian Dan Ping, who offers Sanford history tours through his company, Ride Lime. “This site was the center of commerce in Central Florida. Watching the depot bustling with activity again is just a reminder of how things seem to come full circle.”
It’s nice, Ping says, to see the depot busy again. And bigger than before. The original structure was just 30 feet wide. Kelley added an additional 10 — which is
where all the kitchen space is now located — and even on Tuesday, midday, the place hums with activity.
Food options include cold, creamy delights from the Greenery Creamery, creative coffees and more from Mahogany Coffee, meat-and-cheese-laden handhelds from Salvatore’s Prime Sandwiches, seaborne offerings from Current Seafood Counter and Southern comfort, veganstyle from Dixie Dharma. Its founder, Shaun Noonan, is also a partner in the adjacent operation — Oak Flame Pizza — where plant-based pizza fans can procure a preponderance of pies. There are non-vegan options, as well.
The spot recently vacated by taco slingers Genghis Juan’s will soon be very non-vegan. What The Chuck, a burger joint helmed by none other than Sanford’s own Nat Russell, chef/owner of the town’s beloved Tennessee Truffle (a literal two-minute stroll from the Depot) will soon be firing up its grill.
Among our picks: one of Oak Flame’s lemon-ricotta white pies with collards — entirely plant-based until we chose to throw the Hopkins Meats Sanford Sausage on top. (We were glad we did.) A Hail, Kale!
salad from Dixie Dharma struck a fresh and mustardy chord while the cheesy homies offered up carby comfort, but the excellent shrimp po’boy from Current was my favorite of the day.
Generously chopped up for sharing purposes alongside Old Bay fries, I’d have happily scarfed a whole one. This is why lunch with friends is important, particularly in times when the gym’s a potential cootie factory.
The Basin is a wonderland, truly, its sexy pours accompanied by charming Florida touches amid pressed-tin ceilings, arty glass fixtures, towering shelves and cozy, Instagram-comely seating arrangements that are notably well spaced.
Gator sculptures adorn the walls. Paintings, commissioned works by Florida artist Keith Goodson, hearken back to the 1800s with idyllic images of the Wekiva River Basin, for which the bar is named. It’s also kid-friendly, making it Sanford’s latest and greatest establishment for tippling with the tots. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor spaces.
This town really knows how to live. “The kids have room to move — we’ve got the west deck, the side deck, the front porch,” Kelley notes, adding that parents are welcome to take their drinks outside. “Mom and dad can have a bloody mary and listen to live music. Events are important and Sanford always has something going on — Paws for Pints, Alive After Five, Porchfest. We really look forward to being a part of it all.” For Dixie Dharma’s Noonan, it’s the culmination of a longtime plan to spread into Seminole County.
“We’ve been planning Dixie Dharma Sanford for years,” he says. “With all the Seminole Town Center chain food nonsense ruining Sanford’s character, the good folks out there deserved good food!”
He’s also stoked about the landscaping yet to come. One of Kelley’s finishing touches will be a community garden out front.
“We love to activate those spaces and show people where their food comes from,” he says, noting that folks in the Bokey and its farming history are probably hipper to that than folks in downtown. “It’ll be a beautiful way to showcase that connection.”
It’s a reconnection, really, for a city that shipped out more citrus
than anywhere in the world until the Great Freeze of 1894-95.
“Sean’s done a nice job of creating a modern food hall while maintaining some of the history,” says Ping.
The denizens of Sanford will be creating lots of their own here before too long.
If you go
Henry’s Depot: 212
West 1st St. in Sanford; 407-548-6931 or henrysdepot.com/
Want to reach out? Find me on Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. Join the conversation at the Orlando Sentinel’s new Facebook Forum, Let’s Eat, Orlando.