Café Takes Fresh Approach to Dining

Patrons Travel Miles to Enjoy Speakeasy
Twana Pinskey
Contributing Writer

When it comes to the restaurant business, Ryan Senk is in good company -- his family. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde, New York, he returned to the area to become executive chef at the Black River Café and Speakeasy in downtown Port Huron.

Located at 213 Huron Avenue, the café offers unique dishes not found in other area restaurants, such as perch tacos and pan-fried frogs legs. Owner Bill Senk, of Algonac, said his customers come from as far south as Rochester and Mt. Clemens, and as far north as Lexington and Port Sanilac to dine on the his son’s culinary creations and enjoy a drink in the basement prohibition-inspired speakeasy.

The father- son-duo is adamant about serving the freshest food possible.

“Everything is fresh and cooked to order,” the elder Senk said. “We don’t have a deep fryer, microwave or a freezer here.”

The Senks try to order their ingredients from local farmers and suppliers, including Maple Creek Farm, which grows a variety of organic vegetables across 80-acres in Yale, as much as possible.

Chef Senk said in the current Michigan economy, it’s important to support local businesses whenever possible. That sentiment is echoed by Maple Creek owner, Michelle Lutz.

“It is a rarity to have a chef willing to change their menu based on what is available,” she said.

Lutz said Chef Senk is so particular about what goes into each plate, that he travels to the farm to hand pick the best veggies for the restaurant. She said he’s extremely dedicated and committed to picking only the freshest items.

“I just knew this was going to be a good working relationship,” Lutz said.

But Senk doesn’t just serve fresh produce, he also seeks out the freshest cuts of meat for the café. He says there is a stark difference between frozen, farm-raised and wild seafood products. That difference can be tasted in two of the café’s most popular entrees: pretzel-encrusted walleye and wild-caught Scottish salmon.

Ellen Frazer, of St. Clair, who recently dined on the pretzel-encrusted walleye, had nothing but good things to say about Senk’s skills behind the stove.

She was quite happy with the wait staff’s willingness to accommodate her special request, which included ordering the walleye’s cracked-mustard cream sauce on the side, in case she thought it would be too spicy.

“The cracked-mustard sauce was wonderful,” she said, adding that it complimented the walleye quite well. “I appreciate the sauce being artfully presented, separately with arrangement of fresh raw vegetables as an accompaniment,” she said.

She also enjoyed a side of wild mushroom hash with her meal.

Customer satisfaction is the main goal of both Senks, which can be seen not only in the food, but in their work-ethic and attention to detail.

“With the economy being as tight as it is, when people are able to go out for dinner, they want a true dining experience,” Bill Senk said. “We believe we offer them that.”

He believes their attention to even the smallest of details, such as the restoration of the building from its original décor, has made a huge difference in the café’s patronage and return business.

“There are 15,166 bricks in this room; I hand washed everyone of them,” Senk said jokingly.