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| Cozy Kitchen Everyone in town is talking about it. The new eatery has gotten some fantastic reviews from our local media, and Saturday night I too experienced why everyone is raving about Kitchen 1924. Kitchen 1924 was started by Dallas restaurant veteran, Shawn Horne, who brings his experience and knowledge from the kitchens of some of Dallas' finest establishments (including favorites that have come and gone: Star Canyon & Aqua Knox, as well as Green Room, Abacus and Ferre) to Lakewood. Kitchen 1924 is not stuffy, it's not typical, there's nothing stale on this menu. Instead, expect the unexpected. Kitchen 1924 presents fresh, comfortable food of the highest quality, in an inviting setting. They tout themselves as not having a set theme, other than a place to get good food with great service. Even so, I found it to be a hip neighborhood establishment, which is perfect fit for Lakewood. I have always thought Lakewood had a strong community atmosphere, and if you don't know your neighbors when you walk in the door, surely you will know a few by the time you leave. We arrived at the Kitchen on Saturday night for our 8:45 reservation to be greeted by friendly hostesses apologizing that we would have a bit of a delay. Not a problem, we found our way to the bar, to be greeted by Mr. Horne who quickly poured us a glass of wine to ease the brief waiting period. I think I may have found my new favorite wine. The selection he poured was a Bella Glos Rose-Pinot Noir, made by Napa Valley great, Caymus Company. The wine is made from the Pinot Noir grape, leaving the juice with the grape skins for a short time to give the wine an opulent light crimson color. An ideal aperitif, the wine had lovely strawberry and cherry aromas, and a slightly sweet and fully refreshing taste with hints of vanilla. It was a perfect start to our meal. Seated a few moments later and presented with our menus, it became clear that the kitchen at Kitchen 1924 is having fun. The menu reflects spirit and creativity, yet some of the selections revolve around basic comfort food that our Southern grandmothers have been cooking for decades. The idea of uncomplicated, straightforward recipes is interesting: great flavor is going on here. The new summertime menu includes: Poblano & Corn Chowder, Charleston Style crab cakes with a stone ground mustard sauce, Farmers Market Veggie Pie, Mixed Greens with Pear Vinny and Goat Cheese Pillows, BBQ Pork Tenderloin with Mango BBQ, 20+oz. Bone-in Ribeye, Meatloaf, Garlic Cole Slaw, Deviled Eggs and Succotash. YUM! The night of our visit there were a few specials that were too good to pass up, such as a 16oz Ribeye, and grilled Halibut with grilled veggies and a tomato cream sauce. I asked for the sauce to be on the side of my fish, and I am so pleased I did. The fish was perfectly cooked, with a crispy outer layer of seasoning and a moist, flaky center. Even though the sauce was a lovely enhancement for the fish, I liked the naked truth found in the perfectly cooked halibut. The Ribeye was a savory medium pink with just enough marbling to give the meat excellent flavor. Our friends ordered Cola Braised Pork Carnitas and Seared Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast. The sweetness of the Cola enhanced the overall flavor of the pork, with the carbonation creating an incredibly tender dish. The pork was accompanied by a Morel Mushroom Cream sauce that smelled like heaven, rich with decadent sherry, cream and mushrooms that rounded out the hearty flavors of the pork. We indulged in an order of the "Mackinist Mac n Cheese." Creamy cheese enveloped al dente macaroni layered with green onions and bacon. As Mr. Horne pointed out, "anything tastes better with a little bacon on it," and based on the speed that the Mac n Cheese disappeared from our table, I'll have to agree. We finished our meal with some of Kitchen's homemade chocolate truffles and chocolate covered strawberries, accompanied by a few glasses of Tomasso Bussola, Valpolicella. As I have noted before, I am a huge fan of Valpolicella, from the Veneto region of Italy, with its dried fruit characteristics. Paired with chocolate and berries the wine comes alive. Cheers, |
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