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Feb 2010  |  By Julie Chernoff  |  Comments (0)

Jacky’s on Prairie: A French Bistro in Evanston

TAGS: April 2010 magazine, Jacky's on Prairie, Evanston restaurant, Julie Chernoff review

Jacky’s is back! Formerly known as Jacky’s Bistro and once run by famed chef Jacky Pluton; Jacky’s has found new life under the ownership of David Lipschutz (longtime owner of seminal vegetarian restaurant Blind Faith Café) and Chef Jonadab Silva.

This is good news for the many patrons who made Jacky’s their go-to business lunch or “ladies who lunch” place. When it closed abruptly last June, people were shocked. Happily, it reopened in October, and though the menu has changed somewhat, many of the old favorites—Onion Soup Gratinee, Salad Nicoise, Bouillabaisse, and the legendary Steak Frites—are still available.

We stopped in for lunch on a recent weekday and it was packed to the gills, including two large parties in the back area. Service was a bit spotty, but that may have been due to the clamor. Almost every table was knocking back a glass or two from the well-chosen wine list.

While waiting for the appetizers, we ate the whole breadbasket, but with twisty, crunchy breadsticks that good, who wouldn’t? The Mussels Catalan Style ($10) was a stunner of a dish. Fresh, plump mussels, offset by nubbins of Butifarra sausage, in a saffron and cava cream sauce – heavenly. We were dipping whatever we could into the remnants, including the crispy, tasty frites ($6) served in the now ubiquitous cone with a zesty mayonnaise.

The French Onion Tart ($8)—studded with cured black olives and anchovies—was crammed with sweet sautéed onions. I would have preferred them to be a little more caramelized, but it was enjoyable. The crust needed a few more minutes in the oven.

The soup of the day, a Sweet Potato-Butternut Squash ($6), was blanketed with a layer of melted, unsweetened whipped cream. Though it lacked salt, that was easily remedied. It was smooth and satisfying.

We loved the Trout a la Mueniere ($20), stuffed with fennel and pear and served on a bed of sautéed haricots verts. The fish was moist and flavorful; the stuffing an unexpected combo that worked beautifully. The Bouillabaisse ($25) was full to bursting with shrimp, mussels, clams, salmon and skate wing, along with chunks of potato and yellow squash. Though I enjoyed it, I confess that the previous restaurant set the standard. And the portion was ridiculously large for lunch, not to mention pricey. They would be better served to cut the size considerably and reduce the price for the lunch crowd.

The Croque Monsieur ($10) was a bit of a surprise, in that this version was more like a grilled ham and cheese rather than the classic dish the name implies. Where was the béchamel sauce? That said, the sandwich disappeared, along with the small salad aux fines herbs that accompanied it.

Any qualms we had with the Arugula Beef Salad ($13)—nothing to write home about, and I wouldn’t reorder it—were erased by the arrival of desserts: a Crispy Chocolate Palet ($9) and the Coconut Mousse ($9). Both were graced by the addition of diced, caramelized pineapple. I would have been more than happy with a cup of that and a spoon, maybe a dollop of whipped cream to gild the lily. Yum.

I look forward to returning to Jacky’s for dinner as well as their brunch. So glad they’ve returned to the North Shore dining scene.

Jacky’s On Prairie
Evanston