Comments on: Jeanty at Jack's: Reviews [CLOSED]

By: Kelly Anne - Recessed Lighting

Kelly Anne - Recessed Lighting — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:03:27 +0000

Jewel, your soo padantic! I would have just left that lil typo
~kelly

By: Kelly Anne

Kelly Anne — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:53:48 +0000

"French restaurants were one of the only places you could get gourmet food in the Bay Area" – This is sooo true!!
I struggled to find gourmet dishes!
~kelly

By: Jewel Wilk

Jewel Wilk — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 23:36:21 +0000

I got so carried away with the whole "French" thing in my post script that I inadvertedly typed "Jeanty at Jacques" rather than "Jeanty at Jack's" in a few places. Take note...it's JEANTY AT JACK'S. Mea culpa.

By: lynn

lynn — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 06:30:15 +0000

I wanted to clarify that they did not give you an option to order from the regular menu, so you had no choice but to order the set menu at the inflated plece

By: lynn

lynn — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 06:28:32 +0000

The food was good, but for the price it was not worth it. We went on valentine's day and they had a set menu for $75, which they did not mention when we made reservations. The price should have been regularly $45, but the price was inflated to $75 which was a little upsetting. Service was adequate. As the previous reviewer mentioned, everything was done correctly but we would have preferred a smile and some personality. If you want to excellent service and food and are willing to spend $200, go to Gary Danko. The food is more refined and tastier. cheers!

By: Jewel Wilk

Jewel Wilk — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 18:14:35 +0000

POST SCRIPT: I failed to cover wine and desserts in my written review and tv review of Jeanty at Jack’s. So, I thought it might be helpful to add a few extra tips to add to my original written review for those fortunate enough to be heading to Jeanty at Jack’s. (By the by…the last line of my written review above should've read, "Entwined in the ongoing battle between fact versus fiction in the Twilight Zone of my head where chickens dream about diners like me, I dream of my next visit to Jeanty at Jack’s.")

First off, many thanks to comments from Ron Thompson, Neil McNamara, and Lori Honjiyo. I’m happy to see that others really know and appreciate the wonderfully yummy and authentic French bistro food that can be found at Jeanty at Jack’s.

For those who really enjoy wine…be sure to check out Jeanty at Jack’s extensive wine list—a truly respectable and comprehensive list of both California wines and wines from various regions of France (look for “Chateau du Cedre, Cahors 2001″…it’s one of my favorites). Also, absolutely do not turn your nose away from the “pitcher de vin rouge” or “vin blanc” (pitcher of house red or house white wine)—it’s really good stuff…and the best bang for the buck.

Plan ahead…pack up part of your entree to take home if you have to…but however you do it…be sure to leave room for dessert. The Crepe Suzette—a large, warm, golden, feather-light, tender crepe laced with orange liqueur and sweet orange butter—is not something you can find everywhere, and if you can, it surely won’t be as perfectly prepared as Jeanty at Jacques.

And the best reason to bring someone along with you to Jeanty at Jacques is so you can have their dessert too. Let that be the Chocolate Mousse Brulee—a velvety custard topped with a layer of rich chocolate mousse and the classic burnt sugar topping. It’s an illicit affair in a dish.

Last, and truly not least, I wish all diners of Jeanty at Jack’s the great fortune of meeting the restaurant’s Manager, Sendiata. He exemplifies behaviors that are classic, old-school-trained, and experienced—respectfully formal yet very warm and welcoming…unobtrusively observant and attentive…exuding a sense of ownership and pride—a class act through and through, he sets the bar high for Managers of other restaurants. Add to this a terrific server, Kara, and you can be assured a most perfect experience.

Happy dining, folks!

By: Lori Honjiyo

Lori Honjiyo — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 18:44:08 +0000

I also have no idea what restaurant Joseph and Mel went to, because it doesn't describe the restaurant that I know and love! I was a little sad to hear such negative comments about this wonderful place, i.e. hoity-toity waiters, pomme frittes "too salty" or menu "too pricey." The fries are one of their signature dishes that you just can't duplicate though others have tried. And really, in its class of restaurants, Jeanty ranks right up at the top in the quality of food and the service. I do think that the reviewers in this particular show were mismatched. The three of them clearly had very divergent ideas of what they thought made for a great dining experience, and a memorable meal. The show was like putting persons of very divergent political views together and seeing what happened. I guess it makes for interesting television, but I think it detracts from giving the restaurants featured fair reviews. Overall though, I continue to enjoy this program.

By: Neil McNamara

Neil McNamara — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 21:55:13 +0000

It was strange hearing the reviews on the show. Jeanty at Jack's is my favorite restaurant in San Francsico. Of course it rattles one's cage to hear people rip apart a favortie restaurant however what became apparent was the reviewers were mismatched from the start. The first time I dined at Jack's was before Philippe Jeanty bought the place. The food was French and the menu was encyclopedic. When the ownership changed hands I was overjoyed; no longer would I have to drive to Napa to enjoy the food of Bistro Jeanty, and Jack's would not become a dot-com building. Talk about a win-win! Granted, the menu changed - for the better! (This is my opinion, but if I want to savor the taste of old San Francisco, I head to John's Grill - no offense to Mr. Konstin!.) Okay it is French Bistro fare but it is done perfectly, every time. The Beet & Goat Cheese and Mache Salad, the Petiti Sale, the Foie Gras, the Coq Au Vin, the very popular Tomato Soup en Croute, the Short Rib, the Steak Frites, the Sole Meuniere, the creme brulee are some of my favorites, the wine list is great and the waitstaff are professional. It's too bad that the reviewers were so critical, but that's what first impressions are all about. Whenever I have eaten in the third floor Atrium I have always enjoyed it. The tables were always set and ready for business. My impression was that Mel and her friend had an early dinner and/or late lunch. As for the expense, well its not cheap but I have always felt as though the experience, the quality and the professional staff earned their money. I feel Joseph was wrong about the staff being snooty. My wife and I have always enjoyed the professional waitstaff. We have even been invited to the bar after dinner for a complimentary flute of Champagne to celebrate our anniversary. The waiters, the bartenders and the Maitre'd are always nice, friendly and helpful. Snooty? Not in my opinion. Regarding the comment about the food being too salty. I have never felt the need to use the salt or pepper shakers on the table because the food is expertly seasoned. One thing that I realized with Joseph's review was that he didn't enjoy wine with the food. Wine should go with this food! They complement and enhance each other. San Francisco is a wonderful town with many unique restaurants, bars and coffe houses catering to a multi layered multi ethnic population. It was interesting to see what Jewel, Mel and Joseph came up with. They have completely dfferent tastes and their choices of restaurants and like/dislikes were evident from the start. North Beach is "classic" San Francisco and Marios Boehemian Cafe makes a great meatball sandwich, but I feel it is more of a lunch time establishment. Nonetheless it was interesting to have that come up as one of the restaurants on the show. However it is not in the same caliber as Jeanty at Jack's. Apples and Oranges. Joseph likes fusion food and seems bored with more traditional fare. That's okay. His overall assesment was honest and, given his selection, understandable. About the too salty comment, I like salty fries. About the snobby comment, I have never felt that way. One thing that I would recommend would be to feature more specials along with the menu. One time I had an excellent Seared Halibut with the Hierloom Tomato Coulis and, on another visit, a bouillabaise that was out of this world. They should definitely have specials that feature the seasons' bounty. I would highly recommend eating at Jeanty at Jack's and - bring along the kids, (if well mannered). My daughter loves a hamburger and those fries! Regarding Check Please, I felt as though the three panelists were mis matched and should not have been paired together for the show, although people do get tired of preaching to the choir. It's a tough balancing act to make a show interesting. The Bay Area is big, food-friendly and culturally diverse. It might make sense to have more themed shows, featuring French, Itialian, Spanish, Asian, etc., separately rather than in a smorgashborg approach. Anyway, keep up the good work, I like the show!

By: Ron Thompson

Ron Thompson — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 14:07:59 +0000

I have no idea what restaurant Joseph and Mel went to because if it was Jeanty at Jack's it's a different one than I've ever eaten at. My fiance and I go to this restaurant and Bistro Jeanty in Yountville, as often as we can. The food is ALWAYS excellently prepared, the service is ALWAYS great and the bill is never more than $75. The Tomato Soup is sublime, the Coq Au Vin is the best we've had in the Bay Area, and the Sole Meunière is consistently one of my favorites. Their rice pudding is to die for. The only complaint I have ever had about Jeanty is that one time they out of Rice Pudding!!! This is a great restaurant, you won't be disappointed.