This spring is going to bring more than warm temperatures and fresh flowers to residents of NYC. According to New York magazine's Grub Street blog, "Beasts of the Southern Wild" star Dwight Henry is planning to take his famous buttermilk drops on the road. Next stop: Harlem.
Though Henry stepped into the spotlight as one of the film's lead characters, Wink, the loving but stern father to a young girl named Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis), early last year, he managed to keep his roots planted in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans where his busy Buttermilk Drop Bakery & Cafe resides.
Now, in a partnership with restauranteur Richie Notar, the brains behind the Nobu restaurant chain, Henry plans to set up shop next door to Harlem's recently shuttered Lenox Lounge (which was also bought by Notar).
"They're revitalizing Harlem and bringing back this lounge called the Lenox Lounge, where a lot of old jazz musicians used to play," Henry told NOLA.com. "They want to bring lot of flavors, New Orleans flavor, New York flavor," he said.
That means Henry's delectable buttermilk drops, king cakes and beignets are set to reach far and wide. "I want to be on the West Coast, the East Coast, up north and in the Midwest," he said. "There are 60 Nobus all over the country, and they want to do the same thing with me."
And though Henry's acting career appears to have been met with just as much opportunity (he's set to receive the Los Angeles Film Critics Award this week and has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award), he says his bakery will always come first.
"That business is like my child," Henry told the Huffington Post, paralleling his venture to his role as a father in "Beast." "Baking is my business and it will always come first."