GAF wrote:

P. Channon wrote:If I go again, it won't be with a HD Camera in tow. I'm not saying Ronnie took a comp or did anything unethical, only that when you have a chef (and staff) who is obviously in tune with LTH Forum and other internet blogs it's foolish to think you will not bring attention to yourself and therefore extra attention.

Me: I'd go with the biggest, boldest, baddest camera I can lay my hands on.

I've had plenty of forgettable meals all over town when I've had my camera with me. And while I usually don't waste my time posting pictures of them, I did so as recently as earlier this week. Beyond that, though, RAB had his camera with him at Big Jones, too. So it couldn't be more clear, even within the context of this specific discussion, that bringing a camera into a restaurant doesn't necessarily guarantee a diner anything.

As an aside, I had a meal at Charlie Trotter's a couple of years back that was disappointing on almost every level. Not only did I have my camera at that meal but we were also there with the house's knowledge (because our friend who set up the meal had been urged to return by the GM after having an earlier disappointing experience there). At our meal, components on plates had toppled over between the kitchen and our table on more than one course. Water glasses and coffee cups went unfilled. Even at a Michelin 2-star restaurant, even with a camera, even returning with the house's knowledge, they dropped the ball. Restaurants, even the very best of them, can be inconsistent.

As for this most recent experience at Big Jones, I posted pictures of our entire meal, which was comprised of several dishes, all of which I enjoyed and all of which -- except for one -- appeared on the regular menu. As I already mentioned above, many of the components in those dishes require hours, if not days, to prepare. On that basis, it seems impossible to me that there was much at all the house could do improve upon them once a customer, any customer, walked in the door. Oh wait, they did comp us on that pate.

Maybe if we'd dined there on another night they would have been out of some things and some aspects of our meal would have been different . . . just as RAB's was different from ours.

For me, the bottom line is chef Fehribach can really cook. I've enjoyed his food enough times (at Big Jones and various events around town) to know this. That's what I come away with and that's why I'll continue to return to Big Jones. Is there some inconsistency at Big Jones? Of course there is. Please, name a restaurant where there isn't. When you eat out, you're never insulated from that.

=R=

G Wiv wrote:

P. Channon wrote:If I go again, it won't be with a HD Camera in tow.

No camera, check, no interaction with chef, check, no schmoozing, jokes or quips with the staff, check. How should one dress, tan slacks, light blue oxford button-down shirt, dark blue two-button blazer and penny loafers?

Don't forget the ascot.

Coincidentally, a Lifehacker post this week was on the subject "Carry a camera for better customer service."

Katie wrote:Coincidentally, a Lifehacker post this week was on the subject "Carry a camera for better customer service."

http://lifehacker.com/#!5775235/carry-a ... er-service

P. Channon wrote:If I go again, it won't be with a HD Camera in tow. I'm not saying Ronnie took a comp or did anything unethical, only that when you have a chef (and staff) who is obviously in tune with LTH Forum and other internet blogs it's foolish to think you will not bring attention to yourself and therefore extra attention.

You should have seen the special treatment it got him at Goldyburgers.

if Chef Fehribach still reads this thread, I would like to thank him for the Peanut Soup I had earlier in the week. One of the best things I've eaten in a long time and not something I'll soon forget.

Send him a note at the restaurant. I'm sure that he will appreciate it. While posting on line is nice, nothing beats stationary.

Another good, but certainly not flawless, meal at Big Jones last night. There seemed to be some new additions to the menu. The biggest star was probably the chicken and waffles which were really outstanding. The chicken was boneless (I think breast meat), and was wonderfully moist and it had a delicious crust (even if falling off a bit). The corn waffles were likewise delicious and beautifully crisp and the dish was served atop a tasty country gravy (I wish there had been a little more of the gravy). I highly recommend this dish - best version of chicken and waffles I have tried, and one of the best versions of fried chicken I've tried.

Also great was the oyster and benne soup - maybe the best soup I've had this year. Beautifully fried oysters and just a great soup - loved the tasso, chicory, you name it . . . a wonderful combination of flavors. Smoked pork shoulder with vinegar-mustard sauce and cheddar biscuits was also excellent. The pork itself was borderline too salty but still excellent.

On the minus side, I thought the split pea soup wasn't as good as it sounded. I prefer a little more smoky pork in my split pea soup and the trotter rillette just seemed a little bit lost in this soup. It wasn't bad - it just didn't do anything to inspire me. Also, the gumbo ya-ya wasn't as good as the gumbo I had previously enjoyed at Big Jones. It tasted like the roux might have been slightly burnt (not merely smoky).

Finally, we weren't thrilled with desserts. Red Velvet Cake was tasty but pretty dry, probably in the oven a bit too long. And while we loved the basil sorbet and almost every other component of the frozen citrus cheesecake, we didn't like the frozen cheesecake cylinder portion itself, which was too hard and too cold such that we could barely cut into it.

Service was excellent as always though, and overall we enjoyed the meal.

NOTE for those hoping to try the cassoulet: It is a seasonal item and now off the menu.

Though we've had issues with Big Jones in the past, our brunch this morning was fantastic - though there were still some hiccups.

Brunch started with their Beignets

Though there have been complaints about these being under and overcooked, these were perfect. Nice and doughy in the center.

Eggs New Orleans
lump crab cakes, popovers, poached farm eggs, béarnaise sauce, potatoes O'Brien



Eggs were nice and runny.

Cajun Ham and Cheese
House tasso, griddled onions, Cheddar cheese, peppers

Smoky and delicious once this baby was opened up.

Still, our meal had its hiccups. We ordered the cheese biscuits only to see them served to another table seated after us. Our waiter informed us these were made in house and that they might appear before, during, or after our main courses so we didn't think anything of it. Not a big deal as we were pleasantly stuffed, but it is still worth noting.

Here's another data point for BJ:

Let me praise the Bayou Teche omelet for its moistness, its rich andouille-crawfish-creamcheese interior, its hint of tarragon and bearnaise, its buttery grits accompaniment. The crawfish component was small and diffident, but still, the omelet could have easily made it into the "best-thing-I've-eaten-lately" thread.

We were there on Saturday at about 1:00 and since it was only half-occupied, we were seated immediately. I don't know what the weekend crowds are like on a regular basis there nowadays but if this is typical I would think BJ might be an excellent alternative to the M. Henry brunch waits up the street.

Also praiseworthy was the efficient, knowledgeable, pleasant service.

Big Jones has become our go-to brunch spot. Although bummed that the butcher's breakfast with the chaudin was off the menu, the chicken fried sweetbreads served on top of great biscuits with oyster sauce and vinegary greens was wonderful.

Highly recommend the family style fried chicken lunch! $16 per person. A LOT of food. Cornbread, biscuits, mashed potatoes, collard greens, black eyed peas and rice, and dessert (changes but ours was sweet potato pie with vanilla ice cream). There were three other tables that did the fried chicken lunch while we were there, and all of us had leftover chicken to take home. The chicken has a nice, thick, crunchy coating.

I'll probably never say that I love the food at Big Jones. I just find too many small misses when dining there. But that's not to say I don't enjoy the food and my dining experiences - I definitely think this place has improved considerably since its earlier days when I complained on a number of fronts. And what I admire even more is the constantly evolving and challenging menu which seemingly both reinvents, and reaches back to the roots of, southern and low-country cuisine. I suspect that this desire to constantly change the menu and keep reaching for new heights sometimes results in small compromises in quality, but it's this creativity and changing menu that keeps drawing me back, and the quality of the food no longer disappoints me. And I've never had anything but the most charming and efficient service.

So friends and I jumped at the $65/person offer for NYE and we were happy we did. The New Year's Eve menu can be found here. We started with the red pea cappuccino and we all found it to be a good enough start, but nothing mind-blowing.

For the next course, we all chose the shrimp and grits (Crispy Fried Amelia Island Rock Shrimp with creamy grits, tasso beurre monte, and piccalilli), which was different from the versions I've previously had at Big Jones. On this night, the shrimp was battered and beautifully fried, and the piccalilli added a sweet/sour element to the richness of the dish - a really great balance. This was the best version of shrimp and grits I've had at Big Jones, and it was really excellent. Below is a picture, the only one I took this night:



Bread service was next and was very good - a cast iron baked spoonbread with honey butter. The menu mentions cracklins - I can't recall that part of the dish.

For the next course, I had the turtle soup with pickled quail eggs and sherry, while my friends had the goose and housemade chaurice gumbo. We all loved the gumbo which was everything a gumbo should be. The turtle soup was okay but the sherry was not detectable, and I love sherry (sometimes even a bit over the top) in my turtle soup.

For entrees, I had the lowcountry bouillabaisse while my friends had the Slagel Farms ribeye with butter poached shrimp. The ribeye and shrimp were delicious and and nicely cooked (well, the shrimp slightly overcooked but forgivable). The bouillabaisse had a big chunk of lobster, stone crab claws (too cumbersome, but tasty), mussels, wreckfish and clams as well as toast with a creole rouille and a tasty, tomatoey broth. It was by no means the best bouillabaisse I've ever tasted - far from it - but it was a nice take on the dish, tasty and featured some beautiful seafood.

We each had a different dessert. Bourbon chocolate beignets were a miss (very dry). Coconut cake was tasty and moist, but I'll brag and say that my go-to coconut cake recipe is much better (see this thread for pictures and description). My favorite dessert was a Meyer lemon and yuzu pie - words cannot describe how good this pie was. I was so ridiculously full by this point in the evening, but I could have kept eating this pie . . . that good.

We dined late so we were treated to a complimentary glass of champagne as midnight rolled around. Lovely service (as always), very good food, a great value considering the amount and variety (and options) of food and the evening.

I can firmly recommend dining at Big Jones now, and I look forward to returning. And the next time you wonder about where to dine New Year's Eve, you'd be foolish not to consider Big Jones . . . they really did it right.

I remember when big jones first opened, I tried their brunch and as left underwhelmed to the point where I avoided the place for maybe a year or two before trying it again. I can say I really like the place and it's been consistently good, one of the better restaurants in andersonville. While I am a huge fan of southern food, I'm not a big fan of the new orleans thing, don't know why but it doesn't appeal to me that much so I don't go that often. That fried chicken looks awesome though, I haven't had fried chicken in I think at least a year. Is it only served for lunch or is it available for dinner too? I don't remember seeing it on the menu the last time I went.

Right now the chicken is only available for lunch as part of the fixed price lunch, described above. One of the best lunches (and best meals, more generally) in recent memory.

They had a nice writeup in TOC, and after eying the fried chicken lunch, noticed it is also only M-F right now.

Too bad, very hard for Loop 9-5ers to enjoy...

miss ellen

The more traditional Southern specialties at Big Jones are so good that I usually stop myself from ordering the burger. Tonight, I got out of my own way and got a magnificent burger. They accommodated my request to add some of their housemade pimiento cheese (a mere $1 upcharge), which made it even better. I don't think it was always the case, but the burger is grilled over pecan wood, giving the beef a nice dose of light smoke that works really well.

j0emv wrote:...While I am a huge fan of southern food, I'm not a big fan of the new orleans thing, don't know why but it doesn't appeal to me that much so I don't go that often...

i think Big Jones is often misunderstood; it isn't a strictly a New Orleans-style restaurant. From their web site:

Big Jones' website wrote:We feature Southern heirloom cooking with a focus on locally-grown, sustainably-farmed food, and Progressive American kitchen techniques. Chef & co-owner Paul Fehribach's vision is forward-thinking cuisine grounded in the traditions of Lowcountry, Floribbean, Cajun, and Creole cuisines served with gracious hospitality.

So, while there are definitely some New Orleans-style influences and dishes, they represent only a portion of the menu.

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:The more traditional Southern specialties at Big Jones are so good that I usually stop myself from ordering the burger. Tonight, I got out of my own way and got a magnificent burger. They accommodated my request to add some of their housemade pimiento cheese (a mere $1 upcharge), which made it even better. I don't think it was always the case, but the burger is grilled over pecan wood, giving the beef a nice dose of light smoke that works really well.

Their online menu description:

Big Jones' online menu wrote:Townhouse Barbecue Burger
Grilled over a pecan wood fire, with organic baby swiss, griddled onions & mushrooms, and homemade aioli.

Like you, I have no idea how long that's been the case. But in any event, that burger sounds great. I'm due for another visit.

=R=

The Big Jones pimiento cheese grilled cheese sandwich was featured today on Serious Eats Chicago. The author of the post wondered why the pimiento cheese wasn't offered on other dishes at Big Jones. MarlaCollinsHusband, you are ahead of your time getting it on your burger!

http://chicago.seriouseats.com/2012/01/a-sandwich-a-day-toasted-pimiento-cheese-at-big-jones.html

Sharona wrote:The Big Jones pimiento cheese grilled cheese sandwich was featured today on Serious Eats Chicago. The author of the post wondered why the pimiento cheese wasn't offered on other dishes at Big Jones. MarlaCollinsHusband, you are ahead of your time getting it on your burger!

http://chicago.seriouseats.com/2012/01/a-sandwich-a-day-toasted-pimiento-cheese-at-big-jones.html

LOL, he is the writer of that piece!

=R=

Oops I guess I have egg on my face (or in this case, pimiento cheese)

Sharona wrote:Oops I guess I have egg on my face (or in this case, pimiento cheese)

Heh . . . there's no way you could have or should have known that.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Sharona wrote:The Big Jones pimiento cheese grilled cheese sandwich was featured today on Serious Eats Chicago. The author of the post wondered why the pimiento cheese wasn't offered on other dishes at Big Jones. MarlaCollinsHusband, you are ahead of your time getting it on your burger!

http://chicago.seriouseats.com/2012/01/a-sandwich-a-day-toasted-pimiento-cheese-at-big-jones.html

LOL, he is the writer of that piece!

=R=

I inspired myself. It's all very meta.

I met up with a couple of eager LTHers the other day for the Boarding House Lunch at Big Jones. In a word, it was spectacular . . .


Relish Tray - Pimento Cheese (center), surrounded by a variety of house-made pickles (clockwise, from bottom): piccalilli, red onions, okra, chow chow, sunchoke, beet, mustard seed



House-Made Benne (aka sesame seed) Crackers
These tasty crisps were served with the relish tray. The above were not part of the BHL but we wanted a little palate opener before the onslaught began. Everything else pictured below was part of the BHL.



Cornbread & Sweet Butter



Cornbread, exposed
I loved the plump kernels of corn in these delectable, airy muffins.



Fried Chicken and Lard Biscuits
I believe the technical term for this is a "messa' chicken." This was some of most distinctive, flavorful and well-prepared fried chicken I can ever remember having. It was crispy, moist and utterly irresistible. As is fairly well-documented, the recipe is from Edna Lewis. The delicious lard biscuits were sensational also, with a crusty exterior and a light, break-apart interior.



Crispy Nubbin
It was nearly impossible to let this crispy little morsel dangle there . . . but I did.



Side Dishes - Peas & Rice, Voodoo Greens and Mashed Potatoes with Gumbo Gravy
I loved these sides because they were assertively-flavored and very well-prepared. The peas (Sea Island red peas, according to Big Jones' online menu) were tender but not mushy at all. The potatoes were perfect in texture and the meaty gravy was intense. The tart, slightly sour greens, were cooked to perfection. The touches of vinegar and chiles really set them apart. They were tender but not mushy in the least (a theme). I loved that the large leaves were cooked intact, folded up and piled high on the plate. There was such skill, care and thought shown in this preparation.



Dessert - Pound Cake with Chocolate Fudge Sauce and House-Made Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Ok, who are we kidding? We were so full, we left chicken on the platter. Still, this dessert was so buttery-ceptional, I ate half of my portion before I reminded myself that I was about to explode.

I absolutely loved this lunch. Yeah, it's damned decadent but every calorie consumed was worth it. Hell, even the crackers were exceptional. It's so nice to have food prepared by a kitchen that cares about cooking as much as I care about eating. This lunch was so good, I'd take a day off work if I had to, to have it again.

=R=

Inspired by the many excellent pix above, I visited Big Jones today to partake of the Boarding House Lunch. I was also interested in tasting Edna Lewis' famous fried chicken recipe, which is one I've always admired from afar but was too lazy to ever implement. Add one more positive data point to the pool. After a 30 minute wait (they promised 20), the chicken arrived piping hot with a crunchy, fried batter coating that was light, flaky, and not at all greasy. The salt profile was ideal for me. For those interested, a solo portion was basically a half: drumstick, thigh, wing, and breast. I finished every morsel along with the three sides (garlic mashed, collard greens, and pigeon peas/rice). These were fine as well, though I prefer my greens to err on the side of mushiness. More carbs arrived in the form of two cornmeal mini-muffins and one of the best biscuits to ever grace my plate. I was nigh gasping at the end when the server placed a small slice of absurdly dense pound cake before me, with a minute scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, and drizzled with fudge overall. A rather pedestrian end to an equally bourgeois meal but I was really too full by that point to pick nits.

All in all, solid fare that was impeccably executed, though not transcendent. Would I return? Yes, but to try some of their other dishes like the townhouse burger/pimiento cheese combo, or the shrimp grits, because the BHL was simply too much food.

Service was flawless and I whiled away the wait surfing the net as they offer free wifi.

titus wong wrote:. . . Yes, but to try some of their other dishes like the townhouse burger/pimiento cheese combo, or the shrimp grits, because the BHL was simply too much food.

You touch here on the one negative (if one can even call it that) about the BHL. It's so much food that you can't really order anything else. The menu offers a lot of tempting items, a few of which I would have loved to have tried at our lunch. In the grand scheme of "problems" to have at a restaurant, this is the best one I can envision. As a friend of mine likes to say, "that's a first-class problem."

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go back.

=R=

Has anyone done their evening Family Meal?

FAMILY MEAL
A special meal served family-style for the entire table
25 dollars per person, children under twelve $1 per year. Available 5-9 pm, changes weekly and with the seasons

The current one is very intriguing (scroll down) and seems to be an oustanding value, at least on paper:

Heritage Grains of the South
Four centuries of the cultivated South
http://bigjoneschicago.com/dinner.html

I love fried chicken, really I do. This includes KFC and Popeyes, when nothing else is available, and I like to think I have covered a lot of the country, a lot of the best fried chicken places that can be found.

Last week was a fried chicken orgy of sorts for me, since I had it pretty much every day. The versions and locations varied widely, from a Cantonese Crispy Skin Chicken at Noodles Delight in Roselle, to a Moroccan Fried Chicken Special at Autre Monde in Berwyn. Sandwiched in the middle was Big Jones. As has been discussed by others. much soul food and southern cooking more broadly is limited by the quality of the ingredients used - it is country food built simply from humble ingredients, and the difference between a wonderful experience and greasy slop is a small touch, the temperature of the fryer, a pinch of salt too little or too much.

Big Jones cheats. As I eyed, and then enjoyed my Fried Chicken, it was clear the collard greens were not run of the mill, stewed to surrender, but rather large, discrete leaves, individually cooked to perfection. This quality and attention to detail carried through in every bite of what stood out in my orgy of fried chicken as arguably the best fried chicken I have ever enjoyed. The crust was perfect, with a nuttiness and gentle seasoning that highlighted the chicken. Each piece was cooked perfectly, even the breasts were not too dry. The sides were delicious. If i were to make a criticism, it would be that they were a little too precious to really respect the tradition of the cuisine - but that would only apply if they were not truly delicious, and respected the flavor tradition so well.

It is a long trip from N'ville to Andersonville, but I plan to return soon to see if the rest of their food comes anywhere close to that chicken. That is, I will do that if I do not just return for the chicken. I think I hear it calling right now...

I turn 47 this Thursday. For a start to my birthday week, some friends and I decided to spend our President's Day lunch at Big Jones for the Boarding House extravaganza. I have had not had really great experiences at Big Jones before but the pictures of the fried chicken, which is one of my favorite foods in the world, was simply something I did not want miss trying.

It was phenomenal. It was, quite possibly, the best fried chicken I've ever had, and my Mama can make some mighty good fried chicken. The chicken was crisp and warm and juicy and flavorful. I loved it so much that I had a thigh and a leg along with my usual breast -- and I really don't care much for dark meat but this chicken spoke to you and commanded that you put it in your mouth. Aside from annointing it with a little Crystal hot sauce, it was perfect. It's a good thing they only serve it at lunch time because with it being so close to me -- I might just give them a credit card and have them start running a monthly tab.

The sides were also fabulous. Mashed potatoes that were well meshed with a helluva lot of butter, gumbo gravy that was dark and yummy and unctuous; pigeon peas and rice that were hearty and delicious, and greens that were tender and a little spicy and pretty good, even to someone who doesn't like them. The biscuits -- the biscuits were crumbly and tender and the real deal. If I ever figure out how to make a biscuit that good -- I'll die a happy woman. The cornbread was good, studded with tender little niblets of corn and a very good texture. We also order the hushpuppies and a little side of the grits because, 1) we're crazy and 2) they sounded yummy -- and they were. The hushpuppies especially were one of the best examples of that southern fried treat and they were served with some great pepper jelly that really enhanced them. The grits were something I've had before and they didn't disappoint.

We were sitting contemplating the mess as it was being cleaned up and we remembered that there was still dessert, for god's sake -- but it ended up being a lovely little coda to a wonderful meal. Very good citron pound cake with a great crust and dribbled with caramel and a lovely little scoop of vanilla, dotted with what I was told was cracker jack but made with fried benne seeds. A stunning end to a perfect meal. And it was only $60 for the three of us. Best Deal In the CITY.

We'll be going some place nice for dinner on Thursday -- i'm sure it will be a nice meal. But honestly -- i find it unlikely that it will rival the meal I just had. It made me happy, this meal. It was like Proust's madeleines but on a good ol wooden porch surrounded by a lovely southern breeze.

Get yourself to Big Jones, folks. It's a meal that will be hard to forget.

From the promos, it looks like Big Jones--and the Boarding House Chicken--will be featured on the 3/2/12 segment of Steve Dolinsky's Hungry Hound on ABC7.