savvy jacks not so savvy
The Urban EaterI heard of this little establishment via other Tampa blogs and put it high on my list to eat. Savvy Jacks, a little Parisian influenced Southern food oasis, sits just off Fowler Ave. on 56th street. It’s said to be known for the Parisian couple that owns the joint and their ability to fuse Parisian and American Southern comfort food. Well I have to try that!
I set out one Saturday afternoon with high hopes.
My hopes would not be met.
The décor was A-typical. Country French mixed with St. Pete Beach Mom & Pop. It was 1:30 when I arrived and Savvy Jacks closes at 2 PM, so the place wasn’t packed to the gills. Three other diners sat at oddly uncomfortable tables. Ya know those tables that sit amazing low and are paired with amazingly high chairs, so your thighs have to squeeze under. Hey, once upon a time I was a size 0. Not anymore!
The menu offered American breakfast staples like Biscuits and Gravy and also offered the Parisian staples, omelets, eggs benedict, and crepes. A modest Lunch section offered hot and cold sandwiches and entrees (it is typical in France to eat your biggest meal at Lunch) along with salads and deserts.
I settled on the Ham and Cheese Crepe with mixed vegetables and my Hubby choose the Biscuits and Gravy Platter. Both were nominally priced, I think both were $8 or $9. We patiently waited as we heard one of the other diners pronounce his love for the food. His exact words were “This was the best Breakfast I have ever had.” Being that the man had to be in his late forties, I thought that was an amazing commitment.
Ahhh, finally our dishes arrived. At first, both dishes looked delectably delicious. Quickly, we realized the Gravy for the biscuits was not the traditional American Sausage gravy, but rather a Béchamel sauce. That’s fine. Hell, I’m married to a classically French trained Executive Chef. I’m used to getting new pairings. Not to mention, I love Béchamel. Unfortunately, it was the blandest Béchamel I have ever had in my life. The texture was perfection, but it was like eating air. Where was the onion piqué? No bay leaf. Not even a hint of nutmeg. This was simply flour, butter, and milk. There wasn’t even any pepper. The biscuit was not cook thoroughly, leaving a taste of raw flour behind. The accompaniment, Ham, had been reheated on a flat top. I know this because the grease from the flat top still dripped off the Ham. The potatoes were all right. No seasoning would be found here either. I actually had to use the salt and peppershaker on the table, something I rarely do. They would be good at a greasy spoon diner, but this place?
The Ham and Cheese crepe was just as disappointing. The crepe was nothing special and was filled with shredded cheddar cheese and sliced deli ham that had that familiar flat top grease dripping off of it. Béchamel topped the crepe, again, a tasteless sauce. The mixed vegetables, which were almost Ratatouille, were awful. They had the potential to be very good. It was obvious the vegetables were cubed fresh, but there was NO seasoning and they had been cooked on that greasy flat top. So much that the veggies laid in their puddle of flat top grease.
I kept wondering as I shoveled greasy yellow squash into my mouth and nodded with a smile as the waitress asked how things were going. What the hell did that guy have that made it the best breakfast he’d ever eaten? Perhaps my Mother-in-law had cooked for him the 40 something year’s prior.
This was an extremely disappointing visit. You be the judge.
11401 N 56th St # 22
Tampa, FL 33617
(813) 914-8804
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January 25th, 2008 at 8:42 am
did you mean SKYway jacks?
January 25th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Nope, Savvy Jacks.
January 25th, 2008 at 10:12 am
It sounds like you had the same kind of experience my hetero lifemate and I had at The Lime in North Tampa. It was like a Taco Bell for grown-ups, except Taco Bell uses more seasonings than The Lime does. Although, the lamb tacos were very good; they tasted like Southwestern gyros.
January 25th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I have eaten here many times, each day and dish has been a different experience–great one day, not great the next–consistent they are not, very French in that aspect. When their food is good, it’s very good, and when it’s not good……
January 26th, 2008 at 11:23 am
When I worked at USF, we used to eat at Savvy Jack’s quite often and it was excellent. Then I think there was an ownership change and it went downhill in a hurry. The last time we ate there, the person I was eating with ordered a burger with no mustard. When it arrived it had mustard on it. He said something to the waitress who picked up the top bun, took it away and came back carrying a new bun without mustard…in her bare hand. We never ate there again.
January 26th, 2008 at 11:34 am
I ate there several times a few years ago. The food was average at best. The last time I ate there I got food poisoning. When I called them to let them know what made me sick the told me I was wrong and because very defensive. I have never been back.
January 27th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Places like this should be shut down. How in the world do they stay open when they suck so badly, especially when higher quality eateries don’t even manage to make it a year?