Jack Fry's

Jack Fry's Restaurant Review:

Jack Fry, the original proprietor of this atmospheric bistro, was a bookie and a bootlegger. It’s easy to imagine stepping into the 1930s when seated in the beige-and-black dining room with wooden blinds on the windows and historic black-and-white photos of racehorses and prizefighters on the walls. The expertly crafted cocktails served from the wall-length, mirrored bar are legal today of course. Enjoy them with starters from chef McClain Brown’s Southern-inspired menu, which displays European inspiration. For example, chicken liver pâté with peach marmalade, duck meatballs with herbs de Provence glaze, and escargots. American fare is there, too, with spicy fried oysters, wild ramp fritters made with cornmeal, and shrimp and grits. Kentucky Bibb lettuce shows up in the melted Brie salad with toasted almonds and a plate of spring greens with asparagus, garbanzo beans and lime-Champagne vinaigrette. Centerpieces for entrées include roasted duck, veal tenderloin, heirloom chicken and Scottish salmon. A spaghetti squash entrée is a typical vegetarian option. Attentive servers are adept at advising about choices from the first-rate wine list. And never pass on the seasonal fruit cobbler, served warm with house-made ice cream.