Louisiana Cookin’ – September-October 2019

45 louisianacookin.com

Q: Your restaurant is four years old this year. What’s

been the best part about reaching this milestone?

It’s defi nitely a milestone because there’s no resource

to tell you exactly how to do all of this. We’ve seen and

embraced that business side of running a restaurant. But

now, I fi nally feel like we can really take off. It’s good to

feel established.

Q: What’s your approach to coming up with

something new or making changes?

With that, there’s this whole thing about deconstructing

the dishes. You have to show respect to the tradition and

the history of the dish and those techniques behind the

dishes. So, whenever I’m cooking, I’m constantly looking

at it from that perspective. Th ere are also a lot of wines

and foods that just naturally pair together because those

things are from the same geographical place. When

we’re doing a course for a dinner that we’re pairing with

a wine, we’re looking at the history behind the wine and

the food and the region they come from. Th en we build

the menu around that with quality and integrity.

Q: What do you enjoy most about being a chef?

I’m in a special position to be able to own my business.

I get to enjoy this bigger picture but also do the dirty

work and the pretty work at the same time. Th ere’s

nothing I love more than butchering a bunch of fi llets,

making sure they look good, and sending them out. But

interacting with people is also important and rewarding

to me. Going out into the dining room and seeing people

having a good time—that’s a wonderful experience.

andrew green

1910 Restaurant & Wine Bar

In2015,LakeCharlesnative Andrew Green

opened 1910 Restaurant& Wine Bar, specializing

inartfullycrafted,classicLouisiana dishes. As a certifi ed

LevelOnesommelier,Andrewalso focuses on growing

1910’sextensivewineprogram,and he recently began

developinga sizablewhiskeycollection for enthusiasts.

Namedfortheyeara greatfiredestroyed much of

downtownLakeCharles, 1910 is fi ttingly situated in the

PhoenixBuilding—asuresignthis city is continually on

therise.

Q:Wheredidyourloveforthe culinary arts begin?

WhenI waslittle,mygrandmother had a stool that was

justtherightheightformetosit [in front of the stove]

andstirtheonions.Thatis mymost profound early

memoryofcooking.Butmyculinary discovery really

startedwhileI waslivinginNew Orleans. I tried veal

sweetbreads,theendorphinskicked in, and I went home

togoogleeverythingaboutthem. It was a transformative

experience.I wasstudyingprelaw and got an image

ofpracticinglawfora fewyears and then opening a

restaurantandbecominga chef. My dad talked me out

ofthat.

Q:Whydidyouopenyourrestaurant in Lake

Charles?

LakeCharlesis a strongcommunity of individuals.

It’sa funtimetobea partofthis community. When I

camebackhere,wedidn’treally have much on par with

restaurantsI lovedinNewOrleans, so I wanted to be

partofbringingsomeofthathere.

WHERE HE COOKS

1910 Restaurant & Wine Bar

949 Ryan St.

Lake Charles

337.602.6278

2019

SHARPENED KNIVES FROM

COUTELIER NOLA.

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