1910

Chelsea and I were going to check out the Willie Nelson show at the Rosa Heart Theater a couple of weeks ago, and we decided that we wanted to go have dinner at 1910. We had gone in for brunch within a week of their opening, and we didn’t have a bad experience, nor was the food bad; it was still a little new for everyone, so we decided to let them get their legs under them a little more before we went back.

First off, I think it is a grea t location, downtown with all the oak trees around; it sits on a corner, which gives you several views, and that’s pretty great, as well.

The restaurant is very simple in design; there are no over-the-top gimmicks, just a simple classy design that feels very comfortable as you dine.

Now, maybe it’s just me, but the one thing I found odd about the way the place was set up was that there was a dinner party there when we went, with at least 10 people at the table. As a guest would arrive, the people sitting would all get up and greet them, which is fine. But then everyone would just stand right next to our table and talk.

There are restaurants that are designed to allow for this, but this place doesn’t seem to be one of them; we couldn’t even hear our own conversation over theirs. It didn’t bother me to the point of wanting to complain or leave, as it was the guests’ decision to be somewhat intrusive. It didn’t last forever, though, and we were able to get to our dinner.

We decided to start our meal off with the pork cheeks appetizer, which consisted of a braised pork cheek on a bed of dirty rice, and cracklins sprinkled on top.

This was a great way to get the party started, I promise you. The pork was so tender, it really melted in your mouth. The dirty rice had a very nice flavor to it, and the rice was cooked exactly the way it should have been. I felt the cracklin topper was the perfect accompaniment for the dish; you had the ultra-tender pork cheek with the crunch of the cracklin that gave you two flavors and two textures at the same time. You should really treat yourself to this dish when you stop by.

Now, I had seen the Osso Buco on the menu in the past, and I was deep-down hoping that this would be an option for the evening, but sadly it wasn’t. That’s okay; it just gives me a perfect reason to come back.

Since Chelsea and I always share what we get, we decided to run with two of the specials that night. We got the Mahi Special and the Wild Boar Tenderloin.

The wild boar came out at mid-rare/medium, which was just right for this dish. It came with grilled asparagus and a cranberry apple chutney.

The meat was seasoned and cooked perfectly, and the tenderloin had a very fresh and earthy flavor about it. I’ve always been a sauce person, and to me, putting some of the chutney on each bite of the meat really put the exclamation mark on the dish. The grilled asparagus were a bold and bright green, which is the first sign it wasn’t over-cooked. That always makes for a pretty plate.

The Mahi Special was a beautiful plate with a very rustic look to it. There were purple carrots, Jerusalem artichokes, melted leeks, and a ginger and white wine cream sauce. I have never had purple carrots before, and so have nothing to compare these to, but they sure didn’t taste like a regular carrot. The only way I can describe how they tasted is to say they were the bomb.com.

The mahi was seared perfectly with nice brown markings. The combination of all the components with the cream sauce created a crazy explosion of flavor in my mouth.

Sometimes when I write about places like 1910 that have pretty food and off-the-wall ingredients, I wish I had the talent that real journalists have, and could come up with crazy combinations of words and phrases to better explain the food experiences. I am very envious of these writers’ ability and knowledge.

The truth is I’m just a country boy who grew up next to the Choupique Bridge in Carlyss, started in a kitchen washing dishes, and worked my way up to being a chef in San Francisco. Along the way, my knowledge and love for food grew, and I just try, in my own style, to give the people who take the time to read my articles somewhat of an idea of my experiences at these places I write about.

Recently, I made a post on social media directed towards all my chef and industry peers about a particular method of garnishing plates. I had seen pictures from a new local restaurant that had used sprinkled parsley for a garnish on a plate, and since I’m not a fan of this style of garnish, I took to social media to ask my friends their opinions; they were all pretty consistent with mine. I didn’t name this restaurant, as it was a new place.

A chef I’ve known for a long time reached out to me, as he thought these comments were directed at him. I later found out that was because he had some plate pictures with a similar garnish style. I removed the post, because I would never openly slam any place, as I know that kind of stuff can be hurtful to the chef and their business. I have known this man for almost 20 years, and if he thought those comments were directed at him, so would someone else, and I didn’t want that to happen.

This situation is proof positive of how people can spin social media to create negative situations between people. My editors give me free range with my column, and I talk about bad experiences when I have them, but I have never used my column to bash anyone; nor will I, because this business is like no other — because the slightest bit of negativity can ruin a small privately-owned restaurant.

Coming up soon, we will be checking out all the brunches in town, and we will be searching out all the Darrell’s Special tribute sandwiches that are appearing all over SWLA. So stay tuned.

1910 • 949 Ryan St., Lake Charles • (337) 602-6278