Jacky’s on Prairie

The roast chicken at Jacky’s on Prairie is timeless: a generous half-bird, skin lightly crisped, poised atop carrots, peas and haricots verts. The dining room is just as effortlessly pleasant, a warm neighborhood bistro. And the servers are exemplary. Yet chef Jonadab Silva does not fit the archetype of an aging, volatile Frenchman. In fact, he has worked for the past three years at an Evanston institution of an entirely different kind: the vegetarian restaurant Blind Faith Café.

Silva and David Lipschutz, who also owns Blind Faith, reopened Jacky’s in early October. Jacky’s Bistro (its previous name) closed earlier this year, after operating for the last five years without its namesake, chef Jacky Pluton, who went on to open (and close) Haussman Brasserie in Northfield. Silva’s menu pays tribute to Pluton with mainstays like that roast chicken, but this is hardly a game of imitation.

If Silva’s vegetarian pedigree gives you pause, let me direct you to the short ribs. This is meat of unimaginable richness, braised for what must constitute an eternity, magically crisped on the exterior and settled in a little puddle of reduced red wine. Or perhaps I should mention the trout, which hides sweet sautéed apples and onions between its meaty fillets. Smooth foie gras combines with braised oxtail in a terrine; on its own, it’s nothing special, but spread on a savory, crumbly almond biscotti with a slice of fig, it’s lovely. And if you want to see what Silva knows about vegetables, there’s his beet salad: It begins with thin circles of roasted beets and bright frisée, then gains momentum from crunchy pistachios and creamy dollops of goat cheese, and peaks with chunks of roasted, caramalized pears.

Yes, there are missteps: Duck with an unpleasant funk stuffed into dry, tough ravioli, set onto a bed of lentils that seem to drain the dish of life. Surprisingly, the vegetables beneath that roast chicken and trout were a bit overcooked. Even the desserts (chocolate mousse; a glass of figs and goat cheese) feel dated, perhaps as a result of their staid presentations. But by and large, the dishes here exhibit an understated refinement and elegance that would make even the most crotchety French chef proud.

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