Elaine Burke
February 24, 2016Our uncontrolled fears can lead us into sin
March 2, 2016
On a relatively subdued Wednesday night in downtown Thibodaux, workers quietly toiled away inside the space once home to a series of collegiate watering holes. By tomorrow, the building will have a new resident, Cinclare, a restaurant hoping to fill the long-standing desire for an upscale, casual place to sit back, relax and enjoy.
Formerly The Library, The Grey and most recently, Third Street Pub, the eatery, set to open for its first official dinner service tomorrow, is a lifelong dream realized for owner-operator Michael Dalmau. A native of Baton Rouge, Michael spent much of his years at LSU working odd jobs at a handful of restaurants, fueling a desire to one day be the man in charge.
“I started at Jack’s Grill as a dishwasher,” he said. “I was a freshman in college at the time. I worked my way up and graduated from LSU and didn’t want to use the degree that I had and I thought about going to culinary school. At the time, it wasn’t how it is now where there’s culinary schools in every town. There were like 10 good ones that were certified but they were like $30,000 a year.
“So I moved to Lake Tahoe, Calif., and did apprenticeships, worked with a couple chefs. After three years, I came back home and met [his wife, Kimberly.] I realized I can’t work 70 hours a week, holidays. I wanted to chart a different course but it was always sooner or later this is going to happen. I’ve been waiting all my life to do this,” he said.
Top to bottom, the space is but a shell of its previous lives. Bare floors are now decked out with white and black tiling reminiscent of the most iconic Big Easy restaurants, modern globe lighting illuminates the spacious dining area and a dark wood bar stocked with top-notch pours flanks the space nearest the door. Walls that once created liquor pantries and storage spaces are gone and a sparkling new kitchen now stands in its place. With the craftsmanship of David Devillier of Devillier Construction Company and a host of subcontractors at the helm, the project took about eight months to complete.
With the drastic change comes a new name, a nod to Michael’s Cuban lineage
and childhood memories.
“[My family] was exiled in the late ’50s and my maternal grandfather, he was a mechanical engineer who ran sugarcane refineries in Cuba,” he said. “It’s nothing but tobacco and sugarcane in Cuba. That’s why they ended up here.
“Cinclare Plantation and Refinery in Brusly, La., basically gave him a house. It was a beautiful, old plantation home and they said, ‘Don’t worry about paying this. It’s a big home for your big family. We’ll take care of you.’ He was there for 50 years…. I’m a suburban kid, but if I wanted to get my country dose, I went out and visited my grandparents in Brusly… For a suburban kid, it was a special place.”
After relocating from New Orleans to Thibodaux for Kimberly’s job, the couple happened upon a local street sign that became the final piece to set Michael’s restaurant dreams in motion.
“One night, we were looking for a party in Plantation Estates and we got lost and looked up and sure enough there was Cinclare Drive. I had really never, ever seen it spelled that way so it was kind of kismet or an omen. It just really fits the concept.”
Led by Executive Chef Quinnton Austin and Bar Manager Jeffery Markel, the staff of roughly 14 are set to serve up what Michael coins as “rustic southern,” an elevated yet approachable selection of familiar eats including paneed rabbit, duck leg confit and Austin’s spin on barbecued shrimp complete with sweet potato cornbread.
“These are favorites of mine whether I’ve had the dish in another iteration at another restaurant that just kind of struck me as something that would be great for this concept and great for Thibodaux,” Michael said. “The idea is accessible foods to anybody in south Louisiana. Not fancy. There’s no pretense involved. It’s attention to detail and technique … We weren’t trying to find really exotic dishes or exotic flavors or exotic ingredients. We’re looking at stuff that people are probably growing in their backyard or have in their freezer.”
That includes sourcing much of the ingredients from local producers like LA Hydroponics and Mossy Ridge Farms and allowing Austin, a vet of the New Orleans restaurant scene, to play to his strengths, namely steak.
“From Morton’s to Ruth’s Chris, that’s been it for me,” said Austin, whose stints include the aforementioned steakhouses, as well as Tableau in the French Quarter. “Any time I can do a steak, I jump on it.”
As the newest resident to the close-knit downtown area, Michael hopes Cinclare fills a hole in the market, one that gives people a place close to home that’s doing it right and doing it well in an elegant but laid-back atmosphere.
“I want them to have a great experience. I want them to leave and say, ‘I had a blast. This was a great time, the drinks were fantastic, the dinner was fantastic. We’ll be back.’… I just talk to too many people who go to New Orleans or Baton Rouge for date night or girl’s night,” he said. “We do it. We love to do it, we miss New Orleans, but give us a reason to stay here, and that’s what we want to do.”
Cinclare is open for dinner service Wednesdays through Saturdays.
Shecory Bell serves dessert options on Feb. 20 during Cinclare’s soft opening for family and friends. Thibodaux’s newest eatery serves up familiar southern cuisine with a modern twist.
