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The Jack's on Halsted team dish it up.

Friday May 26, 2006.     By Heather Blaha

Who's Who Feed

Jack's on Halsted, 3201 N. Halsted St., has had the same owner, chef and sous chef for the 10 years it has thrived on the corner of Belmont and Halsted. It's a rare claim for any restaurant, and a testament to the "consistency" that owner Carrie Jones and bar manager Drew Johnson speak of so proudly.

Jack's, which is part of a four-restaurant enterprise (including Corner Grille and Rioja in Chicago and Madison Street Grill in Forest Park) run by the Jones family (Jack, Michael and Carrie), has been placed mainly in Carrie's hands since last April. The siblings stay in daily contact, supporting each other and their restaurants, which guarantee that much talked-about consistency. I talked with both Carrie and Drew over a lemon drop martini and asked them to dish it up for Centerstage:

If I were to come to your neighborhood, where would you insist I visit?

Drew: I'd say if you're visiting from out of town, definitely check out Blue Man Group. Also, Boystown in general has such a great club scene with places like Gentry on Halsted (a musical bar) and Sidetrack, which is one of the most successful clubs in the country.

Carrie: I live in Andersonville, so I'd insist that someone visit Wikstrom's, a family-owned Swedish deli.

Drink that proves the wonders of alcohol and your favorite place to drink it?

Drew: Margaritas (lime, rocks, salt) at Las Manitas on the patio.

Carrie: This may sound biased, but it's absolutely true: the martinis here at Jack's, especially the lemon drop and the mango. (This is the point in our conversation where Carrie asks Drew to make us a round of lemon drops.)

Favorite local dining spot?

Carrie: T's in Andersonville; it's a friendly, warm atmosphere and the owners are great.

Drew: Firefly on Halsted. They have great steak frites with Dijon dipping sauce.

Three words that best describe Jack's?

Carrie: Consistent, friendly, longevity.

Favorite hidden gem in Chicago?

Carrie: The Landmark of Andersonville for clothes, candles, jewelry...I always go there for gifts.

Drew: All the restaurants and side street delis in Little Italy.

Who do you know in Chicago that our readers should know?

Carrie: My brothers, Michael and Jack Jones. Michael is so great with operations and all the details of running multiple restaurants, and Jack is the culinary genius of the family.

Drew: Joe Kafka, the owner of Kafka Wine Co. They sell 250 wines under $15!

Best bartending-related advice you've ever given?

Drew: My best advice to other bartenders is to mix a drink just like a chef makes food. You have to really be into it, thinking about each measurement, and adding just the right amount of lime juice every time! The other thing to not forget is that you never know who you might be serving, so keep your attitude positive.

Craving a lemon drop martini? We thought so. Visit Jacksonhalsted.com for more details.

Heather Blaha takes tea (or booze, depending on the day) with a Chicagoan who knows a thing or two about the city's bars/restaurants/galleries each month. If you know some she must chat with over Earl Gray, let her know.