This was my second visit to 1909, the first time Chris had one of their signature drinks, a Cedar Smoked Old Fashioned, and not forgetting how tasty it was, he suggested we visit again. 1909 is located in Old Town Temecula and situated in a building that was built in 1909. It was once a trading post, livery, auto shop and most notably a bar in the 1970's called the Longbranch Saloon. The Longbranch Saloon had a reputation for being a a rowdy place, with a history of bar fights and shootings. Today the old Machado building is the perfect spot for this Gastropub, where you can dine and drink in their open dining area while watching tourists stroll down Front St.
1909's drink menu consists of signature cocktails, spirit flights, spirits, wine and beers. You can even order a Beer Float Flight!
The Cali Kimono is a refreshing cocktail made with Junipero gin, aloe liqueur, matcha green tea syrup, lime juice, mint and cucumber. It is really good, and now I must purchase some matcha green tea syrup because I am dreaming up beverages to make with it.
The food menu is simple to look at but the food is anything but. There are several starters to choose from, soups and salad, burgers and sandwiches and feature entrees. On weekends there is a Chef Feature entree available that changes. Since it was lunch and we didn't feel like stuffing ourselves with a huge meal we decided on ordering from the starters menu.
How could we not order the Chicharrons? Remember before pork rinds were considered cool? An older couple sitting next to us commented about this plate with memories of their mom that used to love eating pork rinds. These however were a bit more special then the pork rinds out of the bag that you remember grandma and grandpa munching on. They were served with the addition of lime and a very fresh house made salsa with a bit of a kick. These were perfect dipped into the salsa, we did not even touch the Tapatio.
Their Vietnamese Smoked Wings were surprisingly crisp and a combination of sweet and spicy. The Asian flavors of ginger and soy in the glaze was very good. Chris is the best person to share a plate of wings with because I love the wings while he prefers eating the little drumsticks. We never fight over who is getting what part of the chicken.
Finally the Shrimp & Chorizo, a combination of the zesty Spanish sausage and plump shrimp swimming a white wine cream sauce and served with bread. The sauce had a lot of flavor, the only down side to this starter was the bread. It was a little on the chewy side and did not pair well with the deliciousness of the Shrimp & Chorizo. I would have preferred some crunchy buttery toasted French bread to go along with it.
This was an enjoyable meal and everything tasted great but I have to say that surprisingly, my favorite part of the meal were the Chicharrones and fresh salsa. There are several other things on the menu I would like to try though. They also have a weekend brunch that looks promising so we will definitely be making a third trip to 1909 soon.
1909
28656 Front St.
Temecula, CA 92590
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