Creole Soul Cafe’s seasonings are all shipped directly from New Orleans. The cafe boasts real Louisiana flavor with an authentic New Orleans taste and has expanded its realm to North Syracuse.

The new location opened Saturday at 315 N. Main St., and Darren Chavis is the mastermind behind the restaurant that originated downtown.

“I got tired of not finding a good place to eat,” Chavis said with a laugh. “Plus, I am Creole, I’m from New Orleans and I’ve always loved to cook.”

All the restaurant’s dishes are family recipes and inspired by Chavis’ own experiences with food growing up in New Orleans. His source of inspiration comes from his nine aunts who all cook. He takes the recipes and makes them his own, bringing his home taste to Syracuse, he said.

Chavis’ love for cooking is apparent in his food and in his restaurants’ successes. Despite the number of restaurants downtown, he said Creole Soul Cafe has had no problem competing, enough so to further expand. The restaurant has seen a good turnout.

The restaurant’s menu features gumbos, stews, Cajun rice, and Creole sandwiches and pasta dishes. Some of the popular items are chicken po‘boys, seafood gumbo and baked macaroni and cheese. Chavis’ favorite menu item is the bourbon chicken.

“I really like it because it has a three-step phase to it,” Chavis said. “When you first taste it you get a nice sweet taste and then you have an explosion of flavor in your mouth then this nice kick on the back side.”

The diligence in the flavors and authenticity keep Creole Soul Cafe prominent on the map.

Chavis said he wants his customers to feel like they are walking into their own kitchen and taste the homemade recipes.

“What I love the most about having the restaurant is meeting new people every day,” Chavis said. “I want them to feel like family. I want them to taste the love in the food, the hard work and the atmosphere.”

Chavis said he doesn’t want to stop here either, as he is interested in opening another Creole restaurant and possibly soul food restaurants.

At the cafe, Chavis makes an effort to greet every table to let customers know that running the restaurant is not only about the money. He wants them to feel appreciated and welcomes any feedback.

Chavis said his secret ingredient is “a lot of love, baby, a lot of love.”

“There’s a difference from cooking and cooking with love,” he said.

Published on September 17, 2017 at 10:16 pm

Contact Leah: ltoney@syr.edu