Also, apparently a microwave might have had a vendetta against a lobster
Times Union restaurant reviewer Susie Davidson Powell on Jack's Oyster House, the century-old institution in downtown Albany, and what she describes as its "mediocre, saddening food": "Jack's has so long been fawned over as an iconic dining institution it has come to admire the emperor's new clothes -- its own -- but ignore the state of the food." [TU]
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So sad about Jack's. I really want to like this place, but the food is such a disappointment. The kitchen needs a total overhaul. No need for innovation or trendiness - just fresh, high quality food prepared with consistent skill. The chef, kitchen staff, and management should all make a pilgrimage on the Amtrak to Balthazar in Soho to remind themselves of what such food tastes like.
... said Jason on Apr 20, 2015 at 12:16 PM | link
That's sad. The last time I was in Jack's I had a great oyster trio and none of them were bluepoints. A followup conversation with the chef and/or staff as she alludes might be interesting.
... said -B on Apr 20, 2015 at 12:21 PM | link
The last time I was there, we took my mom out to lunch for her birthday. We all ordered soup which came out cold. We asked for it to be re-heated and it came back.....cold..... The waiter also insisted that my mother's cocktail used the appropriate liquor in it. They did not. I have to agree with the review. The food was not worth the price. I hope they use this review to make some major changes.
... said MargieC on Apr 20, 2015 at 12:41 PM | link
I still want to get in to Jack's for a lunch of liver, bacon and onions. It seems like the kind of thing that is perfect to get there (and only there).
But that's a meal for fall. All my spring and summer fat calories are reserved for ice cream and grilled sausages.
... said Daniel B. on Apr 20, 2015 at 3:04 PM | link
@ Daniel B. - You can get very decent liver, bacon, and onions at Smith's of Cohoes -- and at a small fraction of the cost at Jack's.
... said chezjake on Apr 20, 2015 at 4:51 PM | link
And the Times Union is the printed word "Jack's" of Albany. "Under the weight of its history, what does such an institution owe its patrons? It certainly owes more than it is currently giving,"
... said Big 'Vic' Proton on Apr 20, 2015 at 7:05 PM | link
@chezjake - Ooh. I've been looking for an excuse to get there too. Thanks for the tip. Fall. I... must... hold... out... 'til... fall.
... said Daniel B. on Apr 20, 2015 at 11:03 PM | link
If the Albany T.U. wanted to keep Jack's as a sponsor they should not have sent Susie Davidson Powel!
She gave horid reviews to two restaurant i absolutley LOVE!
Susie concentrated on the other customers, and decor, instead of the supurb, food that three of my companionss , and i feasted on. The food at the restaurant in The Hilton Hotel was some of the best we had EVER HAD!
She also knocked the decor at the wonderful restaurant across from The Institute of History & Art, instead of enjoying the best meal this side of the Hudson. She raves about brussel sprouts, and blackened beans at mediocure dining establishments, with high prices! I highly doubt she pays what she claims she does for all her meals?
... said mg on Apr 21, 2015 at 12:46 AM | link
"No one drinks Rye whiskey"
I would have walked out after hearing that. Any bar needs a bottle of Rye whiskey- it is the essential ingredient in a Manhattan. Sadly, most restaurant bars act on the principle that if it isn't a snobbish whiskey that they can sell in expensive shots, they won't stock it.
... said Eric Scheirer Stott on Apr 21, 2015 at 8:52 AM | link
@mg -- commenters on Table Hopping OVERWHELMINGLY agreed with Susie Powell's critique of Jack's, often adding damning details from their own recent experiences there. Many of these comments were from former fans of Jack's who mourned what they saw as the demise of a great institution. I only saw 2 comments defending Jack's as still top drawer dining. I've actually never seen such consensus among the often divided Table Hopping crowd. So this is clearly not just one reviewer's opinion.
As for keeping Jack's as a sponsor (advertiser), I would hope the cash nexus would play no role whatsoever in TU reviews, or any news coverage for that matter.
... said chrisck on Apr 21, 2015 at 10:46 AM | link
Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.
... said Danielle Sanzone on Apr 22, 2015 at 3:20 PM | link