Here to Stay
JACQUES-IMO'S CAFE's take on Creole cuisine makes its mark on Oak Street.
|
|
JACQUES-IMO'S owner Jack Leonardi (center) has surrounded himself with a
stellar cooking cast in chefs Austin Leslie, Chris Canan, Mike Webb and Eugene Theard.
|
WHAT: Jacques-Imo's Cafe
CUISNE: Eclectic Creole
WHEN: Dinner Monday through Saturday
WHERE: 8324 Oak St., 861-0886
CARDS: Major
When Jacques-Imo's Cafe opened in 1996, the odds of it surviving looked as
promising as a mule's chances at the race track. The two previous restaurants
at the Oak Street location had opened and closed in rapid succession.
Long-running Creole powerhouse Zachary's stood a stone's throw down the block.
And for many locals, Jacques-Imo's chef-owner Jack Leonardi's reputation was
limited to his indefatigable tequila-dispensing abilities while he was
proprietor of the now-defunct Warehouse Cafe nightclub.
Nearly four years later, Leonardi and his wife, Amelia, have
transformed Jacques-Imo's into one of New Orleans' most popular neighborhood
restaurants. Guided by chef Austin Leslie (formerly of Chez Helene), Leonardi
started out with a menu steeped in traditional Creole dishes, serving
gargantuan portions at laughably low prices.
"I always wanted a neighborhood restaurant with
better-than-neighborhood food," says Leonardi. "At first, I didn't know what
direction to go, but Austin brought the soul -- the fried chicken and old
Creole dishes. I was basically self-taught, then Austin taught me the tricks of
the trade. He worked with me here for the first three months we were open."
During the restaurant's lean early days, it wasn't uncommon for
diners to have free reign on Jacques-Imo's patio, an informal, warm space
surrounded by lush banana trees. Especially in that setting, Leonardi's
irrepressible personality -- Bermuda shorts and hiking boots are standard
attire behind his apron -- flourishes through his presentation, cooking and
devotion to customers.
One of Jacques-Imo's early hallmarks was its ability to make you
feel like lagniappe was coming your way at every opportunity. Leonardi learned
his lessons well from his mentor, Leslie: depending on your preferences and the
size of your stomach, a Jacques-Imo's meal can easily rival a soul food
Thanksgiving feast. Complimentary warm cornbread, glistening with a sheen of
melted butter, is the first thing to hit the table. The appetizer selection --
with the exception of delicately steamed mussels in a light broth -- is stocked
with stick-to-the-ribs choices, including cornmeal-battered fried green
tomatoes with a zesty dijon mustard remoulade, and an ineffably Southern
version of fried cheese grits, elevated by a piquant sauce brimming with
shrimp, jalapeno cheddar cheese, sausage and wild mushrooms.
The signature fried chicken, its crunchy, peppered skin cracking to
reveal juicy meat underneath, would be a full meal at a breast and a drumstick,
but Jacques-Imo's platters usually hold four formidable pieces. The dense
dressing in the stuffed pork chop is a glorious mixture of chopped shrimp and
ground beef, and practically overflows the plate and could serve as a
stand-alone entree. And few creations drop the jaw like the massive, whole
stuffed flash-fried flounder, with its lurking bounty of piping-hot flaky meat.
Every entree comes with a choice of two substantive vegetable sides, including
red beans or butter beans, corn macque choux, mashed potatoes, beets, country
greens, potato salad, or cabbage salad with alligator sausage. Your grandmother
would approve.
But Leonardi isn't content to rest solely on re-creating Creole
classics. He's injected the menu with a wealth of unexpected touches and
nightly specials reflecting his adventuresome spirit. The house salad is
sublime, a bed of fresh spinach adorned with one perfectly fried oyster,
drizzled with a Thai vinaigrette dressing and sesame seeds. Dashes of crumbled
feta cheese provide a counter-texture to the sweet moistness of cornbread
crabcakes. A trip to Italy inspired an appetizer of lightly fried squash
blossom flowers stuffed with cheese.
The entrees push further into new territory. Escolar, a full-bodied
fish akin to swordfish that's a staple at Jacques-Imo's, shines with an
understated artichoke-ginger glaze. Blackened redfish gets a lingering, heated
kick with a hollandaise sauce made with crabmeat and chilies. On a recent
visit, bronzed sea scallops were paired with the unlikely but winning
combination of halved pears and a sweet and fiery plum-jalapeno sauce. For
Leonardi, striving for new heights is one of his mantras.
"I told my chefs I want at least one new entree a week," he says.
"It keeps them interested and focused, and they're a great staff from the
kitchen on down. I've got a full-time baker now, and a crew that's cooked
everywhere from Clancy's to K-Paul's. But I don't believe in recipes. I believe
in taste. Seasonings can change, flours change, breads change. We try and make
everything better every day."
The end result is a diverse menu long on tradition and innovation.
"It was mainly Creole soul when we first started," Leonardi says, "but now
there's something for everyone: meat, fish, vegetarian dishes."
It's paid off, as diners in droves have discovered Jacques-Imo's.
As a result, the restaurant recently expanded its seating capacity and added a
front bar area. Those once-laughably low prices have become more realistic, but
remain a bargain. No longer the new kid on the block, Jacques-Imo's is here to
stay.
|
