A Night In Jacob's Kitchen

The bar had been set high before I even walked through the front door of Jacob’s Kitchen, the southern restaurant located at 148 Civitas Street in I’On. I called earlier in the day to make a reservation. “Are we celebrating anything this evening? Girl’s night out? A birthday? Are there any dietary considerations we should be made aware of?” asked Dan, the voice at the other end of the phone.

“No,” I replied, “Though we do have a vegetarian joining us.”

“Not a problem,” said Dan. “We offer a variety of vegetarian choices. We’ll also be happy to modify any of the other items on the menu.”

“If the phone service is any indication,” I thought, “Tonight is going to be fantastic.”

I was wrong.

The Atmosphere

Jacob’s Kitchen is a small restaurant attached to the Inn at I’On. The association with the boutique inn is discernable considering the hostess’ stand feels a bit like a hotel check in. Though comfortable, the restaurant’s interior is nondescript. The walls and napkins are beige, the tables and chairs are brown and the hanging light fixtures are black. Unfortunately, Jacob’s Kitchen doesn’t offer the warmth or hospitality one would expect from a restaurant that’s part of a boutique inn, let alone one located in I’On.

The Service

The service was, by far, the most disappointing aspect of the meal. My two cohorts and I were having some difficulty deciding what to order, as many of the menu items sounded good. Our server was attentive at first, coming back to check on us twice before he left us to “give us some time to decide.” He gave us far too much time; time enough to notice that he had taken drink and dinner orders for one table that had been seated many, many minutes after us. Time enough for the table to our left to become disgruntled enough to get up and leave due to being ignored.

During the meal itself, our server never refilled our water glasses. After placing our dinner orders, we overheard another server reciting what sounded like the evening’s dinner specials to the table behind us. This was the first we had heard of them. 

The Food

As far as the food is concerned at Jacob’s Kitchen, there aren’t many dishes that scream traditional southern cuisine. Shrimp and Grits ($12) is the only obvious exception. There are, however, southern touches here and there, which align with the restaurant’s ‘new southern cuisine’ theme. The Kobe Beef Burger ($10) is topped with pimento cheese. The Olive Oil Braised Duck ($16) includes a warm white bean and asparagus salad, and the Kobe Beef Meatloaf ($12.50) is partnered with succotash and red eye gravy.

To start, I ordered the Asparagus “Fries” ($6). Fried in beer batter and served with a Cajun aioli, I’d definitely recommend these to anyone. Each asparagus stalk was fried to perfection; the batter itself was crispy, delicious and fluffy. The asparagus themselves were cooked all the way through yet still had a crunch. The Cajun-spiced aioli was a nice touch, though not completely needed.

As an entrée I ordered the Bronzed Scallop & Shrimp Salad ($13). Grilled shrimp and scallops arrived before me atop mixed greens tossed in a buttermilk lime dressing served with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, a large fried grit crouton, cucumbers, crumbled goat cheese, and mesquite grilled onions. I found myself taking extra bites willing myself to like this uninspired salad. Aside from the cold grilled mesquite onions and undercooked scallops my biggest complaint was the disharmonious flavors in the buttermilk lime dressing. The tang of the buttermilk did not work in concert with the tang of the goat cheese. The addition of lime did not help. Three different notes of sourness resulted in unpleasant discord on my tongue. I left almost all of my salad on my plate.

Of course, I tasted everything else that came to the table.

Jacob’s Wedgie ($5.50) was a great take on the classic wedge salad. The iceberg wedge was crisp, ice cold and refreshing with just the right amount of bacon, tomatoes and a fantastic house made blue cheese dressing.

The Steamed Mussels ($9) were good but not outstanding. As she began slurping the lemon-herb and white wine broth at the bottom of the bowl my friend came across bits of sand and grit. The flavors were good, just a bit too lemony for me personally.

One large bite into one of the Shrimp Spring Rolls ($7) and I wondered, “Where’s the shrimp?” Though the portion size is large, the Shrimp Spring Rolls aren’t anything special.

The Verdict

It will be awhile before I return to Jacob’s Kitchen.  The service was aggravatingly disappointing and the food was a let down. Sadly, my time and money would have been better spent dining in my own kitchen.