Jack and Tony’s Restaurant & Whisky Bar
115 Fourth St.
Santa Rosa
(707) 526-4347
www.jackandtonys.com
American Cuisine
Lunch Mon.-Fri.; Dinner Mon.-Sat.,
Brunch Sun.
Entrées: $18-$25; Full bar; good wine list
The much-anticipated Jack and Tony’s in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square is open for business, and all sorts of customers—especially those who love whisky and comfort food—are excited. Owner/Chef Jack Mitchell (also of Sassafrass) has created an ever-changing menu that’s short and to the point, featuring local, high-quality ingredients. The bar/lounge is separated from the expansive dining area, which has open-beamed ceilings, dark wood furniture and chocolate-colored leather booths along some of the walls.
We started our meal with whisky (when in Rome…): a six-year-old Sazerac Old Fashioned and a Maker’s Mark Manhattan. Both were excellent—and neither of us are used to drinking whisky. More serious enthusiasts can choose from a binder full of choices from all over the world, including an excellent selection of single-malt scotch, as well as Irish and Welsh libations.
We then had a couple salads for our first course. One was a red oak leaf lettuce mix, lightly dressed with crumbles of creamy Laura Chenel goat cheese and a bit of frisee—simple and flavorful. The other was an earthy spinach salad, with a mix of sautéed Sebastopol mushrooms, warm smoked bacon dressing and caramelized onions.
We moved on to appetizers, first with a chorizo-stuffed quail, served whole, topped with an orange-chipotle glaze and placed atop a buttery quinoa pilaf. The generous amount of spicy stuffing had a delicious, building heat. A touch of fresh cilantro and a sprinkle of roasted seeds rounded out the dish. We also had some crostini, each topped with thinly sliced smoked salmon and a creamy egg salad. A bit of baby greens, chopped chives and frisee were also included on this fresh, simple and tasty offering.
We switched to wine to accompany our entrées, a Marimar Torres Chardonnay (smooth and lush with citrus and pear elements) and the Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay with only a hint of oak and a crisp, clean finish.
Entrée choices include mostly seafood, steak and poultry. We first tried the stuffed lobster, which was tender and sweet, cut in half and filled with a Dungeness crab salad topped with breadcrumbs and then roasted. It came with roasted red creamer potatoes and drawn butter (yes, we felt pretty decadent eating it). Next we had the cornmeal-crusted trout, which was served in fillets and topped with a sweet beurre blanc. It came with a mushroom hash with bacon and celery, and the tender fish was sprinkled with tiny bits of green apples (a nice touch)—definitely an interesting and different take on trout, and very enjoyable.
The dessert menu says “the last thing that you need” at the top—but who orders dessert because they need it? (OK, maybe some people…). We finished our meal with a creamy butterscotch pudding with whipped cream, and some fresh strawberries in a shortbread cookie “log cabin.”
