My friends, Amy and Jen, treated Lou and me to dinner on Tuesday night at Jack Falstaff. The occasion was my 35th birthday. I've noticed the restaurant before when driving around South Beach--the rusted metal exterior has caught my eye. So I was happy to finally try it out. The space inside is small, fairly sleek and decorated in various tones of green. Much more warm than the exterior suggests.
I ordered a Sweet Onion Velouté to start, followed by the Bouillabaise with Sweet Gulf Prawns, Fresh Sea Scallops, Manila Clams, Green Garlic, Andouille Sausage, Pebble Potatoes and Lemon Confit. I paired the soup with a dry Alsatian Riesling and the bouillabaise with a viognier. The food was very good. Lou had foie gras for a starter and black truffle risotto for his main course. Amy and Jen had Crisp Asparagus & Duck Prosciutto and Kobe Beef-Style Steak Tartare for starters and Thick Cut Duroc Pork Chop and Seared Lamb Tenderloin for their main courses. We were all pleased with the food. For dessert we shared a Warm Chocolate Ganache Cake with Hazelnut Brittle Ice Cream, Candied Kumquats, Kettle Corn (amazingly delicious, especially with the kettle corn!), a Blueberry Crumble with Granola Crusted Pie, Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream and an Angel Cake with Bay Leaf Infused Berries, Whipped Goat Cheese. The ganache cake was outstanding, in large part due to the surprising texture added by the kettle corn. It was the best dessert by far.
My only complaint about the restaurant was that our server knew nothing about wine, and rather than calling over the sommelier to answer our questions he tried to fake it. It was slightly annoying, especially his description of one wine as "austere." Of course, catching up with Amy and Jen was wonderful, and overall the meal was very special. We took turns telling stories about our memories of our all-time best restaurant dining experiences, and it made for a wonderful evening of celebration.
Thanks Jen and Amy!
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