Jackie's, Silver Spring

[JPW]

Well, I wanted to start a thread for this as it will be manna from heaven for us good restaurant deprived residents of the chain-infested downtown Silver Spring.

Did a drive-by on my way to the TP farmers' market on Sunday. They had a "Now Hiring" sign out.

I sent the eponymous Jackie an e-mail this morning with a laundry list of questions. I'll let you all know what I hear back.

[JPW]

Received the following very nice e-mail from the eponymous Jackie this morning in response to some questions I had e-mailed her.

A sampling of potential menu items can be found on their web site Jackie's

[side bar - not a huge fan of the web site design]

I am so excited to have something like this that I'll be able to walk to.

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Thanks for the friendly and welcoming email--I have to say it is amazing the type of reception we are experiencing in Silver Spring. Everyone is so happy we are here and it is really gratifiying.

Yes, we will be open soon. It looks like it will be in the first week of October. It's has been difficult to pinpoint due to the nature of construction on our building (everything is new from the inside out--a truly major renovation).

...

Our wine list is a work in progress. In Montgomery County, there are certain routines and surcharges that make this a little challenging. Our aim is to offer a great selection of affordable wines, with the bulk of them between $18.00-40.00; to offer a good range by the glass; and to offer a small but select reserve list that will probaly range from about 50.00-120.00. We are dedicated to finding excellent, affordable wines that marry well with our food. This is key in our selections. At the moment, we have wines from France, California/Oregon, Portugal, Spain and New Zealand.

For the bar, we will be offering 6 beers on tap (Guiness, of course, as well as others) in addition to a selection of bottled beer; and will concentrate on a few specialty drinks that my partner, Patrick, is dreaming up. He's a master bartender, and spends many of his waking hours concocting magical cocktails and martinis (!). He is obsessed at the moment with foam toppings (like a white chocolate martini)...

As far as general comments about the restaurant, we are trying to create something very special here. I'm a native Washingtonian (grew up Wheaton, Bethesda and DC), and have always loved Silver Spring. Having had my business here for a number of years, I've been watching it's transformation with great interest. We are trying to contribute something that will not only enhance Silver Spring, but the metro area at large. We are combining the cuisine of a renowned chef (Ann Cashion won the James Beard Award this year, a very important accomplishment for a chef) with an inventive, smashing space. The interior of this old garage has been turned into a jewel box (talk about "garage chic"!). We are hoping to be a neighborhood fixture for the residents of Silver Spring and the workforce here, but also to be a destination for those living in DC and Bethesda and elsewhere. We intend to provide a fine dining experience in a stylish but casual setting. But most of all, it's about the food: the best seasonal ingredients, mainly from local farms, in an updated American Heritage menu. All in all, we want to be the best restaurant in the whole area! How's that for ambitious?

...

Thanks again for your interest, and we very much look forward to seeing you and your friends at Jackie's. I will add you to my email list for updates on our opening.

Regards,

Jackie Higgins

Jackie's Restaurant

[iamthestretch]

Bumped into one half of the team behind Jackie's, the very affable Patrick, last night at the bar at Palena, where he's apparently something of a regular. Rather a good sign that, I think.

Anyway, he said they are shooting for a soft opening next week, probably Friday, and would welcome early custom from knowledgeable (presumably), well-disposed (hopefully) local eGulleteers. He's enthusiastic about the beer and wine service and it sounds like they will have some good brews on tap, including Chimay Tripel and my favorite pilsner, Jever. Yum yum. For wine, they've had to go quite far afield to try to find reasonably priced stuff that is nonetheless available through Monkey County's stupid distribution system. Lots of South American bottles, sounds like.

On the food side, Patrick said they're very happy with their chef and the kitchen is cooking most days now as they get the menu nailed down. If anyone's walking by this week (JPW?), he said you're welcome to knock on the door and say hello, and maybe you'll score a few tastes.

[JPW]

Stopped by Jackie's Friday afternoon to take a look around. Had the pleasure of meeting both Jackie and Patrick.

The decor is quite funky - think brady Bunch house, but in bright neon colors. Of special note are bar stools with full backs. All the better for the drunks among us to linger longer and libate more leisurely. A very happy warm space overall.

Stretch already laid out the beer list add Guiness on tap and you've got the start of their pours. Patrick says they have room for 9 taps that will be filled eventually. To expand on the wine list some - they are staying fairly low to medium end with most wines in the $20-$40 range and a reserve list. There will be a lot of southern France reds (Cotes de Rhone, Couteaux de Languedoc, Costieres de Nimes, etc.) which at the moment happen to be my favorites.

They referred to Ann Cashion as Executive Chef, and Sam (who works at Cashion's Eat Place) will be Chef de Cuisine. Open kitchen reminiscent of Kinkaed's. A fair number of booths lining the walls and room for probably a dozen or so tables. 9 seats at the bar and a nice lounge area (check out the carpet - it rocks).

If the personalities of the owners is to set the the theme for the place, this should be an extremely fun, warm, and personable spot that should be a great success.

A Friday happy hour and/or meal is definitely in my plans this week. For more conversation on that, let's move over to the whim thread.

Later. Joe

PS - Can you tell that I'm stoked about this?

[JPW]

GREAT!

Will they be open oficially next week? My easy to understand horoscope wife and I would like to eat there.

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They will be open by Friday the 15th. Still waiting for the official notice of exactly when.

I'll let everyone know as soon as I do.

[squids]

I called this evening and found out they were open the past 2 nights for reservations only, so tonite is their first "real" opening night.

Drinks and/or dinner--how's it looking for tomorrow evening? JPW? Malawry? Al Dente?

[JPW]

Right now happy hour at 5:30 ish followed by a seating for dinner around 7ish sounds like the plan. All interested in dinner, let me know and I will call in a reservation.

I'll show up for happy hour and then Mrs JPW and Peanut will be coming down for dinner.

As I was on my way home yesterday, a little birdie told me that they were actually going to open at 5:30 so I stopped by and had a beer at the bar. First customers were mainly Silver Spring dignitaries from the chamber of commerce and like organizations.

The place looks great. I didn't eat because Mrs JPW was expecting dinner on the table at home (what a slavedriver!), but I saw and smelled several dishes including the now ubiquitous mini-burgers.

Smoked monkfish appetizers looked to be among the hits. The taps haven't been hooked up yet, but they will have Jever, Chimay, Guiness, Young's, and one other that currently escapes memory. Patrick promised to do his damnedest to get them on by tonight.

See you all there.

Joe

[JPW]

Well, malawry and al_dente joined me for happy hour yesterday.

The last beer that I couldn't remember on tap is Allagash White. The Young's is the triple ale. The bar area is very cosy and a good time was had by all.

Edemuth, Squids, Mr Squids, Mrs JPW and Peanut joined me for dinner. Salads were very good if just a little bit uninspired. The smoked Rockfish smelled excellent, but we'll let edemuth comment on that. The hit entrees were the duck breast and the lamb (my favorite taste of the evening). Overall, the food was quite good and more than reasonably priced.

The beer prices seem to be a little on the high end, but the short well-thought out wine list shows a great deal of consideration and is very reasonable, especially with MoCo taking its cut.

Of course, being brand new the place has some rough edges. But with Jackie and Patrick on constant watch last night, I am sure that these will be smoothed out before long.

Most importantly is that it has a great space and shows a tremendous amount of promise.

I wouldn't want to give a brand new place a real review, but I think that if you spend your money there, you'll be happy that you did. And once the restaurant has had a chance to mature you will most likely be even happier

[EllenH]

Ate at Jackie's last night and thoroughly enjoyed it! In the spirit of JPW (not wanting to give a real review to a brand new place), suffice to say that any gripes were minor and attributable to the place being 3 days old.

We showed up at 6:15, no reservations, seated immediately; the res book only had about 4 entries but the joint was packed full with people waiting at the bar by 8pm. I'm guessing reservations will very shortly become a necessity.

The decor is GREAT -- sort of retro-industrial-rec room chic via Urban Outfitters. It's clearly a converted warehouse-type space...exposed brick walls, concrete floor, open wood joists with a/c ductwork & electrical wires snaking around, old-fashioned garage worklights (the kind with a bulb in a cage) providing ambient downlight. Pair that with indirect pink lighting washing the walls (pink is definitely the dominant theme here), piles of pop-art pillows at the booths, chairs that look like hard candy, and "The Day the Earth Stood Still" being projected on a giant translucent screen between the bar & restaurant, and you've got an atmosphere that practically wrestles you to the ground & forces you to have fun!

Richard was our server and did an excellent job of making us feel at home. Jackie herself also greeted us at the door and stopped by our table; I was really touched by a very clear effort to make people happy enough to come back.

As for the food -- YUM. Husband & I both had the Allagash White on tap -- a very creamy tasty beer with a bit of a bite. We started with a bowl of mushroom & rice soup and a plate of batter-fried veggies with parsley dipping sauce. Both items were nice without being particularly dazzling. Fresh ingredients, well executed, but I would probably sample something else next time. It was the entrees that really made a mark with me; duck breast with greens & spoon bread was amazing! Also had one of the "Nostalgia Plates" (one featured each day of the week), last night was meatloaf/mashed potatoes/green beans. The loaf was flavorful, the potatoes were perfectly fluffy & creamy, and the green beans were tiny haricots verts that were still a little crunchy and perfectly cooked. Finished by sharing an order of "sunshine cake" which turned out to be lemon pound cake with blueberry-white chocolate ice cream.

Topping off a really fun evening was the fact that the bill was VERY reasonable; the whole meal above came to $78 including tax & tip. This place is an exciting addition to the neighborhood; I have a suspicion that living 5 minutes away means that I will be seeing a LOT more of Jackie's.

[redfox]

I heard some people talking excitedly about Jackie's this morning at Mark's Kitchen in TP -- I think it will be filling an unmet niche for a lot of folks. Those of you who have been there, did you notice if it seemed like there was much in the menu in the way of vegetarian options?

[EllenH]

redfox, both the apps we tried last night were veggie. I'm sure I noticed a couple of vegetarian entrees, unfortunately can't remember exactly what they were. sorry! hopefully their website will get updated to show the full menu....

[Malawry]

Actually, I only recall there being one vegetarian entree--I think it was a risotto but I may be misremembering. Some of the starters and salads are vegetarian though so one could probably piece together a meal with those if the vegetarian entree wasn't appealing.

[squids]

redfox, I had emailed the restaurant in regards to the menu, and this was included in their reply...

" I can say that we have made it a point to have both vegetarian and vegan (no

dairy) selections"

EllenH, you did a great job describing the atmosphere! The place definitley has a great vibe and am looking forward to going back. We had a very enjoyable time with edemuth and the JPW's (inlcuding peanut!) and it most definitely shows promise.

I must add that even though JPW may have thought the salad uninspired, I was happy to see that it wasn't your standard iceberg or baby green mix like you get from the grocery. And, that olive oil and vinegar was like no other I've experienced in a restaurant before. Hopefully, they will keep paying attention to the "little" details as they work out their kinks.

[EllenH]

EllenH, you did a great job describing the atmosphere! The place definitley has a great vibe and am looking forward to going back.

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Aw shucks, thanks!! I'm an architect so I think I spend more time staring at floor finishes and light fixtures than most normal people

[Mrs. P]

Thinking of stopping by this evening for drinks and apps. Any suggestions on appetizers from those who have been there? Cheers!

[Al_Dente]

Thinking of stopping by this evening for drinks and apps.  Any suggestions on appetizers from those who have been there?  Cheers!

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I enjoyed the grilled calamari, shrimp, and scallop with romesco sauce this past Friday. Joe didn't like looking at the squid though

[BobL]

Can someone provide an addy? I'd like to give the place a try but am too lazy to look in the phone book and I didn't see one on their web page. TIA

[Al_Dente]

Can someone provide an addy?  I'd like to give the place a try but am too lazy to look in the phone book and I didn't see one on their web page. TIA

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8081 Georgia Ave

Silver "Sprung"

Entrance is on Sligo.

[Mrs. P]

8081 Georgia Ave

Silver "Sprung"

Entrance is on Sligo.

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I think it is on their website in the Contact section (agree with other comments that the website is hard to navigate...took me a while to find the address).

Thanks for the tip on the calamari Al_Dente!

[JPW]

Joe didn't like looking at the squid though 

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Squid of the marine variety that is.

It should be left where it is found -- in murky backwaters.

My dislike of calamari has deep psychological roots that go beyond its generally disgusting texture and lack of innate flavor.

Don't make me angry Mr Reed, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

[EllenH]

8081 Georgia Ave

Silver "Sprung"

Entrance is on Sligo.

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As you're going down sligo towards Georgia Ave, when you see the restaurant on your left there is a tiny sidestreet (more of an alley almost) to your right; turn right into this and there is a big municipal parking lot right there. Free after 7pm and on weekends.

[BobL]

Thanks. Just down the block from Mayorga's Coffee. May try this weekend.

[edemuth]

Thinking of stopping by this evening for drinks and apps.  Any suggestions on appetizers from those who have been there?  Cheers!

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I enjoyed the smoked rockfish--good quality and a pleasingly subtle (for smoked fish) taste. It comes with lettuce, tomato and a smoothly-flavored, grainy-textured mustard, but I missed the anchor of a starchy accompaniment. I would have gotten by with the house bread, except that it's what you'd get if you mated challah with King's Hawaiian, so it doesn't really go.

If you will be considering dessert as well, I'd go for a dish of ice cream--chocolate, vanilla and blueberry are available, if I remember correctly--and skip the baked goods. I found the brownie in the brownie a la mode too sweet for my taste and the lemon pound cake, on the menu as "sunshine cake," a bit dry. I wanted to ditch the pound cake and have more of the blueberry ice cream, which featured plenty of fruit and was served at the right temperature to enjoy (not just-out-of-the-freezer hard)--an appreciated touch.

[Mrs. P]

Ahh...Jackie's....comfy in a retro-modern sort of way, from food to drinks to decor. Thank goodness it is close to home!

Stopped by tonight, originally for drinks at the bar but the cushy booths and dim lights with a view to the kitched called us to a booth. Two friends and I arrived at seven, and we were seated right away, no problem. Take a booth if you can get it! Over the course of the evening the place got mighty full, and we were impressed with how busy it was on a Wednesday night. Go Jackie's!

Anyway, to the food. Well, first, for drinks we each ordered a special off of the evolving bar menu - a raspberry martini with chambord and a raspberry "foam". Yummy. While the foam had, how do you say, "plopped" by the time it made it to the table, the drink was quite good and featured an plump raspberry soaked in chambord at the bottom of the glass. Patrick the proprietor later explained to us that they are experimenting with a variety of foams (something about the contraption shooting foam too hard and shooting the drink out of the glass) and are working on establishing a bar menu. We put in out pitch for a pisco sour, as we had Chileans at the table. The martinis were so good that we really didn't look at the beers or wines, so can't speak to those yet.

We decided to do an apps sampler, and ordered several:

- Those ubiquitous mini-burgers - quite nice. The patties themselves were well seasoned and cooked to a lovely medium color, and were accompanied by tiny slices of roma tomatoes and mini boston lettuce (where do they get that?!) The bread was a bit over-toasted but nobody complained.

- Nachos - Just OK. Chips with a refried bean spread, topped with cheese and broiled. Some mild pico de gallo on the side and some fairly odd guac. Not a big hit, but we ate it anyway.

- Grilled calamari with romesco - Thanks Al_Dente - We liked it! It came with some scallops, mini mini calamari, and a couple of shrimp. We liked the grill items, but found the romesco sauce a little pasty and green rather than red?

- Fried veggie sampler with vinegary parsley sauce - Fabulous. All I have to say is fennel and broccoli. Incredible. Who knew?

- Riblets - YUM. Get these. Sesame seeds on top with a great marinade. Fell off the bones. Quite nice.

We were going to skip dessert, but our nice waiter told us about the waffle ice cream sandwich. When we told him we would share it, he said it would be hard to share because of the way it is presented. We ordered it anyway, and he ended up talking to the PC to have it presented specially for us, split into three portions. Nice guy.

All the staff we talked to were very interested in our likes and dislikes. Overall a very satisfying night, and I intend to return soon to try the soups, salads, and entrees. And to see if they add those pisco sours....

[painemilla]

Yes, we agree that Jackie's is a hit! My husband and I joined Mrs. P last night and had a great time. The ambiance was great and the mood wonderful, especially for a Wednesday night.

I concur with Mrs. P's remarks on the food...although I would recommend that they just don't do the Nachos or revisit it completely. Our waitor and the owner were very good about asking our likes and dislikes so I assume they will be updating the menu and trying out new items over the next several months! I hope the Pisco Sours ( al estilo Chileno) make it on the drink menu!!! Although, we did enjoy the Raspberry Martini!!

Jackie's is a nice change from the many chain restaurants that have popped up in Silver Sprung. It had personality and a great neighborhood feel. I have high hopes.