News & Politics

January 2006 100 Very Best Restaurants: Jackie’s Restaurant

The fun extends to the menu, a hodgepodge of twisted TV-dinner classics and more modern efforts put together by chef Sam Adkins, an Ann Cashion protégé.

THE SCENE. In a converted warehouse fitted with a faux-fur door curtain, co-owner Jackie Greenbaum's good-time-girl fantasy is decked out with Technicolor plexiglass, Pillow Talk­pink powder rooms, gooey comfort fare, and a soundtrack that dips from Paris trip-hop to DC punk. At the bar, tattooed twentysomethings and stroller-toting parents chat each other up over drinks.

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE. The fun extends to the menu, a hodgepodge of twisted TV-dinner classics and more modern efforts put together by chef Sam Adkins, an Ann Cashion protégé.

what you won't. Long waits if you don't have a reservation, and sometimes forgetful, flighty service. Some health-conscious plates–salt-baked rockfish, roasted chilies–seem just that.

BEST DISHES. Stick to the sinful stuff: "Elvis" miniburgers that ooze pimiento cheese; riblets stir-fried with black beans and scallions; house-fried nachos piled high with beans and cheese; nostalgia plates such as Southern-class fried chicken and a luscious pork shoulder with collard gravy.