| Address | 8081 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (301) 565-9700 |
| Fax | (301) 565-9701 |
Jackie's is a gem off the beaten path. Down away from the redeveloped part of Silver Spring, it feels like your neighborhood hangout when you approach it, but the inside is upscale and edgy -- very fun and urban. Unfortunately, the prices go along with this atmosphere, which means although I'm glad to have a place like this in my area, I may not visit there as often as I might like.
The food is creative and well prepared, especially the vegetarian options -- the quinoa and rice is particularly good. Other dishes have the feel of too much trendiness -- the place aspires to the fancy homestyle dishes that were all the rage a few years ago. But everything we tried was solid.
Deserts are simple but quite tasty -- the flavors of the ingredients really burst out. And the cheese plate is a welcome addition and a rarity at Washington restaurants.
I really liked the decor -- modern and hip, and the bar up front looked to be hopping. There's a wide selection of whiskeys and cordials, surprising at a place like this. And I enjoyed the open kitchen, which is centrally located for easy observation.
We were lucky to get seats at the bar at 6:15 on a Saturday night. The food was very, very good--indeed, at the price, spectacular. I thought the pepper appetizer (4 or 5 kinds of chiles, charred and peeled, served with a deep-fried potato-like root and a great cilantro sauce) was one of the best things I'd eaten in a long time. My mushroom rissoto was also good; the selection of cheeses a nice finish. The inclusion of reasonably-priced wines by the bottle is something I wish was seen more often.
We go to Jackie's at least twice a month, so obviously we love it. We've only sat at a table once, because it's usually the 2 of us, and we love striking up converstaions with other patrons and the bartender while sitting at the bar. Usually we get there closer to 6:30, because by 7:00 there's usually a wait to get a spot at the bar or a table. We start with a Maredsous, a high alcohol dark but not bitter beer, though they have been out lately. Their wine list usually has some great choices, too. For food, you CANNOT BEAT the short ribs. It's one of the "Nostalgia Plates" that they offer each night. They are about 13 bucks. We've only had the short-ribs, the brisket, and the Friday night seafood thing with the name I can't remember. I couldn't taste the Friday night thing because of allergies, but apparently it's great. They run out, so getting there early is key. If you don't like the night's nostalgia plate, then get a warm camenbert salad, 2 elvis burgers, and a side of fries. Add a beer and you can get out spending $25 bucks. I love burgers, and this is the best I've ever had. At $2.50 a piece (they're mini), you have to try them. The bartenders are friendly, the patrons an awesome mix, and Jackie usually floats around with a glass of wine. Good stuff.
Given the raves from my neighbors in Silver Spring about Jackie's, I decided to take my boyfriend there to celebrate his promotion. We had reservations and were seated immediately, a basket of dull sliced bread placed in front of us. Not a good sign. The champagne-by-the-glass ($7) we used to toast was merely adequate. The warm camembert cheese salad was severely overdressed and greasy. The Elvis burger, though, was delectable, greasy in a more-more-more way, the beef cooked nicely to medium rare. The entrees arrived after a pleasant interval for conversation -- although it is difficult to hear at Jackie's, with the tables inches apart and other diners needing to speak loudly to each other to be heard in the small warehouse space. My roasted duck in saba sauce was delicious, but the garlic spoon bread was in great need of both salt and garlic. My boyfriend's flat iron steak with lemon-tarragon sauce was well-executed, but the French fries weren't as good as those you'd find at a fast food joint. While the entrees were good, they were very overpriced for what we got. Given the intimacy of the tables, we had chatted with fellow diners as they ate their gooey desserts. But some 20 minutes after our dinner plates were cleared, we still hadn't received our dessert menus. This might have been expected, though, since our waiter had not been back to refill our water glasses or inquire how we liked our entrees. We paid the bill, walked home and had ice cream sundaes in front of the TV. For the cost, I'd rather have novel American cuisine at Addie's in Rockville.
Great ambiance - housed in an old auto-body shop and very well decorated. But unfortunately, the menu is small and offers little for vegetarians. The focus is southern comfort food, which isn't very vegetarian friendly, but they could try a little harder. The eggplant dish I had was very good, but that was my only option.
This stylish newcomer can pretty much do no wrong; it's the best thing to hit Silver Spring since--well, the stalwart Quarry House. The menu--designed by none other than Ann Cashion, one owner assured me--is ambitious, but not overly so. It includes stuff, such as an appetizer of mussels in shredded phyllo dough, that is pretty and fancy (if, in this case, a little silly); it also includes such items as the much-touted little "Elvis Burgers." I found the duck breast in a sweet glaze undercooked (they asked me how I wanted it, though, so perhaps it was my fault) but elegant. I would have liked but not loved the warehouse-meets-Twister-mat decor--it's a bit uptown for Silver Spring--if it hadn't been so well-thought-out, down to the different click your heels make on the glazed bathroom floor. And if the bartender is any indication, equal attention has been paid to training.
Two reasons you should go here: ambience and draft selection.
The ambience is great...really cool lighting scheme and big fluffy pillows on the benches. As for the draft selection, I was shocked to hear all of the beers that they had on draft...ones you don't hear everyday like Chimay, Dogwood IPA - a Delaware microbrew, A Belgian white (I'm horrible at actually remembering the actual names, especially since they were atypical), a German pilsner...The drafts did run $6 each, but worth it in my opinion.
I didn't actually try the food myself, but it looked fabulous. Most entrees were between about $15-20 They had some unique things on the menu too...a refreshing change.
Jackie's walks a fine line between upscale and neighborhood joint. The industrial chic decor creates lots of visual interest, and any table in the small dining room has a clear view of the open kitchen if you want to watch the chefs at work. Only 9 days old at our visit, early kinks seem worked out: well prepared courses were delivered at appropriate intervals by a bevy of friendly staff. Co-owner Jackie Higgins even stopped by our table for a chat. Executive chef consultant Ann Cashion's menu is not extensive, but offers a variety of mainly meat and seafood dishes as executed by Cashion protege Sam Adkins. Off the appetizer and soup/salad lists we sampled the riblets, mussels, calamari, and crab soup; the latter three prepared in unconventional but tasty styles. Our entrees included cod and a "flat iron steak." And, the whispered agreement to pass on dessert prior to the delivery of the menus lasted only as long as a perusal of the options. Our waiter steered us very well. I might wish for some vegetable sides to accompany the entrees -- the celery and red onion salad that came with the cod was nice but otherwise french fries seem to be typical. And touches of high-end service like silverware replacement between courses were offset by food runners who auction off the meals. But complaining seems petty. Restauranteurs take note: bottom line is that Silver Spring is sorely in need of a serious contrast to the many good ethnic eateries but especially all the chains that have opened in the last year. Here you can find a nice meal that doesn't totally bust the wallet (entrees $14-19) and a dynamic and fun atmosphere. I for one hope Jackie's succeeds and is emulated. Who knows, maybe I'll even learn to stay in SS after work instead of high-tailing it home to Adams Morgan!
