Jacky's on Prairie

Organic disappointment. We were offered champagne to start us off, which was a nice touch for Saturday brunch. They brought us beignets as well, with honey and powdered sugar. As much as I love honey, these were not drizzled with honey, but drowned with honey to the point where the beignets were soggy.

The bread was greasy, but with no distinct flavor.

I ordered the Lemon Chicken Tajine, and was really disappointed. The portion was generous, but the chicken was far too salty and did not taste even remotely like lemon. The couscous was OK, moist and cooked well, but it could have used more almonds for texture. Normally I can finish anything, no matter how big the portion, but this chicken was truly just too salty, and the breast was very dry, although the darker thigh meat underneath was OK. I'm still thirsty as I write this, and it's been five hours. I'm thinking I should have stuck to something simple, like the Salmon Salad.

For dessert, I had the Profiteroles aux chocolate, which were mediocre - the pastry seemed a little stale.

Our waiter was a nice Asian man, but very awkward, stumbling over his words and apologizing every time he came to check on us. He's doing his job, no need to precede every statement with "I'm sorry to bother you..."

I had high expectations for Jacky's and really wanted to like the restaurant because I'm all for sustainable, organic and local food, but in all honestly, the food wasn't very good at all. Most people seem to love the place though, so I might have to give it another chance.…

City atmosphere, closer to home. I LOVE this place. Like some of the other reviewers, I also liked Jacky's Bistro very much, but I thought that the quality of the food was going down a bit at the end. I continued to go there, though, because I loved the warm ambiance, the servers were (for the most part) excellent, and it was nice to have a place in the neighborhood to go for a good meal.

The new restaurant, Jacky's on Prairie, has taken the place to whole new levels, though. Rather than just being another French Bistro, (which are at this point a dime a dozen in Chicago) they have good, unique food that is from all over the world but that features great local farms that are well known in the area for being exceptional in quality. The wine list is long and unique (also mostly small producers). The $ all seem to be very much in line.

As someone who wants good quality food both in terms of the sourcing and the food preparation (but finds that hard to find in the United states, sometimes), I am so relieved to have a restaurant in my neighborhood that has-- yes-- excellent, excellent, excellent food and good service. They have also managed to keep the same great, warm vibe to be reminiscent of their namesake.

Three cheers from me! Thank you to the new Jacky's!…

What a Great Place!. I've been to Jacky's on Prairie more than a dozen times with colleagues and friends, and we've have had a great experience each time. The food has been consistently high quality and delicious; the bouillabaisse is the best I have ever eaten (and I have had much in my years in France), and the service is friendly and efficient. While some previous reviewers seem to want the new restaurant to be a carbon copy of the old one (which went out-of-business) and others seem to expect it to make good on financial offers issued by that now defunct establishment, I am delighted to have a place that offers a warm ambiance and excellent fare right around the corner.…

Once tor many!. Received a gift certificate from a friend who highly recommended Jacky's as they live in Evanston and have invited us there many times. Management refused to honor it as it was issued during previous ownership. Left me with the feeling of a guest looking for a handout. Not really a ranter though there are too many restaurants to spend money at while Jacky's management figures out the importance of customer satisfaction. Don't really care who the owner is or was. 2 reasonable (key word) people would have liked a reasonable ( in case you missed it, key word) solution that your manager was unprepared to provide and your server, well... there are too many restaurants. Bummer, because the food, selection, and service wasn't good enough to overcome the bitter taste it leaves in your mouth when management values policy over customers. I know my friend will be embarrassed, and I simply will not recommend your establishment. On the contrary.…