Jeanty at Jack's

Cuisine: Parisian brasserie French food served in an elegant setting in the Financial District

Pluses: Philippe Jeanty's award winning fare; engaging history of the restaurant

Don't Miss: fried smelts, tomato soup in puff pastry, butter lettuce salad with mustard vinaigrette, steak frites, mussels steamed in white wine and bay leaves, coq au vin, assorted cheeses

Prices: Moderate: appetizers: $6.50-$16.00; entrees: $15.50-$28.50
Overview:
Open 7 days 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
Reservations suggested
Cash, American Express, Visa and MasterCard accepted
Pay lot parking and Free street parking available
Non-smoking
Wheelchair accessible
Private Dining Rooms
Gift certificates available
150 choice wine list

Jack's dates back to 1864 and started serving food by a Frenchman when Lincoln was still President! Now Philipe Jeanty, who has earned quite a following (and a couple of James Beard Award nominations) after 20 years behind the stoves at Domaine Chandon and 5 years at Bistro Jeanty in Yountville (both in the Napa Valley), has made Jacks' shine once more.

The following are Philippe's words:
When I first entered Jack's in the "heart" of old San Francisco, I felt transported back home as if I had entered a Parisian Maison Bourgeoise as, in Paris, many of these old buildings have been transformed into neighborhood brasseries. Combined with the history of Jack's, built in 1864, I immediately fell in love with the building and decided to be part of its history and to bring Jack's back to San Francisco.

My vision for the exterior of the building is to give it the welcoming brasserie ambiance with red colored wood paneling, lace curtains and brass lighting. As you enter the building, you immediately feel the history of the building. When you look up to the 14-foot high ceiling, you notice the sculpted relief on the ceiling and walls. The black and white checkered tile floor leads you towards the bar and the mezzanine located above. At the base of the spiraling staircase is a ten-foot tall bronze statue, which was originally in the lobby of an old Parisian hotel.

As you go up the brass-railed staircase to the second floor where the three private dining rooms are located, you step back into time to the era of the Parisian Maison Bourgeoise with its hand-painted folding doors and warm, homey feeling. At the top of the third floor staircase you see an authentic "Sidewalk Ice Cream Cart." You then enter a rooftop Parisian atrium with hand-painted vines on the walls and a greenhouse glass ceiling spanning the entire room.

The food at Jeanty at Jack's will be true to a Parisian brasserie, platters of shellfish, beet and mache salad, home-smoked trout and potato salad, steamed mussels with fries, sole meuniere, grilled ribeye steak with bearnaise, cassoulet with duck confit, flavorful cheeses and, to finish, tart tatin "a la mode," profiteroles, crepe suzettes and creme brulee - to name a few. I think the original French owners of Jack's from 1864 would be very proud!!!

Philippe Jeanty, Proprietor