Jack's in Eastchester has a new little sister: Jill's opens May 2 in Mamaroneck
Jack's Bar in Eastchester has a new sibling, appropriately named Jill's.
The 90-seat Mamaroneck restaurant opens May 2 and husband-and-wife owners Ro Flanagan and Shane Clifford, along with Brendan Donohue who runs the kitchen at Jack's and is a co-owner at Jill's, are excited to show off the colorful space as well as its cocktails and food.
What's the difference between this and Jack's?
"Jack's is more of your traditional authentic Irish American pub while this is more of a modern twist on European fare," said Flanagan. "This is a lot of what you see being built in Dublin right now."
She should know. All three — herself, Clifford and Donohue — hail from Ireland (though they all met in the U.S.).
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The airy space, with a mixture of high-top tables, banquettes and regular-sized tables, is also a lot more colorful with shades of blues, greens, pink, orange and yellow juxtaposed against white tile and whitewashed walls. Vibrant flower wallpaper also makes the room pop.
The restaurant is a lot more open than its previous incarnation (it had been Baby Duke's Kitchen) with partitions knocked down and a new, longer (quartz) bar added. There are now 12 seats at the bar (check out the blue velvet seats) with barstools and tables set near the front windows which open to the breeze and view of Mamaroneck harbor.
What had also been a tucked away room in the back is now an extension of the dining room. Flanagan said the three designed the restaurant themselves, adding their own personalities to the space. She, in particular, wanted it to be more feminine than four-year-old Jack's, which was named after Clifford's musician grandfather and has a more masculine feel. "Jack's is overseen by Shane while I'm going to be here," she said.
Her goal, she added, is for the restaurant to be a showcase of the artistry of the Irish people. "You'll see our creativity with our vision inside, with the interior that we all designed ourselves and with Brendan's food," she said. "We're capable of loads of stuff, as a culture and as a people; we really are well-rounded and I hope people come and enjoy it."
Even the logo on the menu has been designed by Flanagan, an illustration of a cocktail and a knife inside it to represent food and drink.
What's on the menu?
Donohue, who's been cooking for 19 years (he studied at Ireland's I.T. Tallaght Culinary School) calls the cuisine, with "bags of flavor," more modern than Jack's, using the term "New European."
And while there's a homage to its Eastchester older sibling with "Jack's Staples & Snacks" listed on the menu (think short rib Mac 'n Cheese, Jack's breaded wings, grilled lamb lollipops and Jameson chowder), you'll also find appetizers like East Coast oysters, scallop ceviche tostada, a mezze platter for two and Beets & Honey with baby gem lettuce, whipped feta with beet hummus, goat cheese bon bon, caramelized fig and croutons.
The menu also includes salads and flatbreads including an ahi tuna bowl, Lobster Cobb and "The Mush" with oyster mushrooms, prosciutto, burrata, basil pesto and tomato sauce; handhelds like a buttermilk chicken sandwich, American Wagyu beef burger and birria tacos, in addition to entrees such as Guinness Braised Beef Short ribs (with a carrot puree, garlic confit, grilled asparagus, crispy shallots and Jill's "roasties") as well as Non-Traditional Fish & Chips (pan seared cod filet in caper butter, crispy beer battered twills, mint pea and house tartar), NY Strip Steak and Chilean Sea Bass.
Cocktails are another important part of the menu with a Gentleman's Old Fashioned (chamomile infused rye, cinnamon, angostura and orange bitters), Red Flag (gin, strawberry, Aperol, raspberry, lemon, prosecco) and Summer Harvest Sour (pineapple infused vodka, dry Cura?ao, watermelon, raspberry honey, lime, egg white).
Flanagan said she worked with a Manhattan mixologist to curate a list she thought Jill's customers would enjoy. Diners will also find Guinness on tap (to pay homage to their roots!) in addition to a vast selection of top shelf Irish whiskeys.
Said Donohue: "We're looking to do great things here."
If you go
Address: 100 W Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck, 914-341-1776.
Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; to 10 p.m. Friday; from 11 am to 10 p.m. Saturday and to 9 p.m. Sunday
Prices: From $16 to $38 depending on the dish
Good to know: There are nine TV's for watching all kinds of games.
To come: Look soon for Sunday brunch.
Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Westchester NY Jill's restaurant opens with modern European focus
