Bringing in the tastes of the bayou

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/02/2018 (2855 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It might be winter in Winnipeg, but a recent opening in Osborne Village is aiming for a warm Louisiana feeling, offering Cajun and Creole cuisine with an emphasis on seafood. The results are often tasty, but sometimes uneven.

Thankfully, Ward 1 revives a key Osborne Village location, which once housed the iconic Basil’s (and later the blink-and-you-missed-it Black Rabbit Bistro), but has also spent too many years standing empty.

The restaurant space has been opened and brightened up, with white shiplap panelling and a deep-blue ceiling. There is a big adjacent bar and lounge area with a more nocturnal vibe, offering music, late-night snacks and some southern-inflected signature cocktails. (Ward 1 currently has a very generous happy-hour policy, being more like “happy night.”)

And while it might be February now, the windows look out onto two outdoor seating areas, including a sheltered courtyard, which should be real draws come summertime.

It’s not quite New Orleans, especially with a few inches of snow on the ground, but the food pulls off a few high points.

A nice biscuit goes a long way for me, and the biscuits at Ward 1 are high-rising and rich with lots of flaky layers. A plate of these little darlings, served with that crazy-creamy southern-style white gravy, tasted straight from the oven and not reheated, which is crucial for biscuit quality.

Crab cakes are nicely crisped, held together without too much filler and served with a Louisiana-style remoulade. The gumbo is stick-to-your-ribs satisfying, thickened with a dark roux, given some deep, complex spice, packed with chicken and chunks of good local andouille sausage, and finished with rice.

Po’boys, those signature Louisiana sandwiches, begin with house-made baguettes. The catfish option includes a hefty slab of fish, but unfortunately, the beer batter was a bit flabby and the garnishes, including slaw and some sad tomato slices, felt like afterthoughts.

A big Ward 1 feature is the seafood boil, served family style, at $30 per person with a minimum of two people. Our big platter was packed with crawfish, though it inexplicably included just one forlorn shrimp. (Crab legs are available as market-price add-ons.) Along with the seafood, you get heaps of andouille sausage, small potatoes and blackened corn on the cob, tender and sweet, all dressed with buttery sauce (which could have been a bit more pervasive), either lemon-herb or Cajun-spiced if you want more heat.

Be prepared to get in and get messy with the boil. Crawfish especially are tasty but tricky little things to eat, and there’s lots of peeling and cracking and digging. (There’s a bucket provided for the inevitable scraps.) For crawfish novices, servers are full of advice on approach and technique.

For diners who aren’t looking for seafood, the menu offers humanely raised, locally sourced meats, including a ribeye steak, not sampled, and a really fine smothered pork chop that is meaty, tender, cooked just to doneness and served with that rich cream gravy. Accompaniments include a mess of collard greens with lots of bacon and some good roasted potatoes.

Side dishes include a spiced-up jambalaya (also available as a main) and so-called “dirty” rice, well-seasoned but a little dry. Roasted brussels sprouts had a reheated softness to them. Also available are cornbread, sweet potato fries, slaw, salad and a retro green-bean casserole.

Southern pecan pie was sweet and dark with pastry that was tender in texture, but oddly salty in taste. The beignets were fresh and hot, but could have been lighter.

Service is warm and welcoming, but can be slow, maybe channelling that “Big Easy” New Orleans feel.

alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca