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| Reserve your table today: Call us at (781) 631-2323 or email us at eat@jacktarmarblehead.com |
. Old Salts, Fresh Drinks, and Good Deals Jack-Tar may have a historic name (it’s another term for old salt), but this restaurant is up to date, serving a variety of American dishes with a creative flair and catering to today’s cash-strapped patrons with worthwhile deals. We visited on the Old-Town Marblehead restaurant Sunday night and were warmly greeted. We ordered drinks at the large mahogany bar and were pleasantly surprised by the Not Your Mother’s Gin & Tonic, featuring freshly muddled cilantro and Tanqueray 10. It was a bit on the sweet side, but the good-sized drink went down easy and was a nice change from the ordinary. We sat down a few minutes later and were served warm bread with herb butter and told the specials (including the prices, which we love). Both of the appetizers we sampled were tasty: a saucy, good-sized barbeque duck quesadilla ($9) and five bacon-wrapped scallops over a salad with an apple slaw ($9). Also on offer are smaller apps portions for $2 to $4, a nice option for sampling. We took advantage of an every-night special: a choice of four pizzas are $5 between 5:00 and 7:00. The pancetta and blue cheese ’za also featured fresh basil, plum tomato slices, and aged balsamic. The medium- thick crust had good flavor, and the toppings were plentiful and delicious. We also ordered the Memphis ribs ($18), featuring tender ribs, crunchy sweet potato fries, corn bread, coleslaw, and baked beans. The grilled salmon ($19) with a maple balsamic glaze and horseradish mashed potatoes was perfectly cooked, moist and savory. The junior member of our group was enthusiastic about her chicken quesadilla from the kids menu, and the price was right: kids eat free on Sunday night. The service was friendly and attentive, and our only complaint was a wait of about 15 minutes for our appetizers. There were quite a few families with toddlers when we arrived, so plan to dine after 6:30 or so for a quieter meal. We congratulate new owners Scott and Emily Brankman, both of whom have considerable restaurant experience, on their menu and hope they keep up the good work—we’re looking forward to drinks and snacks on their outdoor patio this summer. Jack-Tar American Tavern 126 Washington Street, Marblehead (781) 631-2323 www.jacktarmarblehead.com |
| Jack-Tar American Tavern -- 126 Washington Street -- Marblehead, MA -- 01945 (781) 631-2323 -- www.jacktarmarblehead.com -- eat@jacktarmarblehead.com |
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| FROM NORTH SHORE DISH A guide to noshing North of Boston 03/24/09 northshoredish.com |
Marblehead Festival of Arts Kicks Off In Style
A chance to support the arts while drinking champagne and nibbling on goodies? Sign us up. The sky
was gray over Sunday night’s Marblehead Festival of Arts Champagne Reception at Fort Sewall, but that
deterred precisely no one from turning out in their summer finery, complete with lavishly decorated
hats.
Fourteen local restaurants and bakeries donated food to the event, and attendees sipped and sampled
while listening to lively Reggae and Caribbean tunes from Señor Perfecto & The One Drops...
Best sandwich goes to Jack-Tar’s pulled pork sliders (a bit hard to eat but truly delicious), followed
closely by Manhattan Sandwich, which had many deli selections and adorable cups of cole slaw. (By the
way, we’ve tried several varieties of sandwiches from Manhattan on recent picnics and recommend
them. They offer a variety of extremely fresh bread including pumpernickel and bulkie rolls, the meats
and cheeses are high quality and generous, and the condiments and pickles are deli-worthy.)
| FROM NORTH SHORE DISH A guide to noshing North of Boston 07/01/09 northshoredish.com |
North Shore Desserts
By Anna & David Kasabian
Leave the ice cream in the freezer. These tantalizing desserts from eight North Shore chefs will have you and your
guests swooning for more. Bu Anna and David Kasabian. Photographs by Glenn Scott.
Dessert is the sexiest part of a meal. All the other courses, delicious as they may be, simply function as foreplay that
moves to the crescendo of that glorious, sensual moment when cream, berries, custard, and sweet pools of warm
chocolate meet the taste buds. We aren’t really hungry after that three-course meal, but we do want that delectable
ending, don’t we? Great desserts are made from scratch with fresh ingredients, and like all truly delicious food, they
bear the unmistakable mark of the chef’s heart and soul. We decided to hunt down a scrumptious selection of desserts
that you could serve at a casual lunch or a candlelit dinner. These recipes come courtesy of some of the best bakers
and chefs on the North Shore...
Jack Tar American Tavern
Head for Old Town Marblehead if you’re looking to taste a chocolate sensation aptly titled Chocolate Molten Cake.
Owner and Chef Scott Brankman tells us this is his signature dessert, and it’s no wonder. Baked to perfection in a
ramekin and released onto a plate, this mini tower oozes chocolate from its center as your fork slides through it. The
sides are cooked just enough to hold a delicate wall of chocolate that seems a cross between cake and mousse, and it
all rather delightfully melts in your mouth. Served with fresh berries and whipped cream, the marriage of all three in your
mouth brings on much guilty pleasure. Swoon on, and yes, try this at home! Your guests will return. 126 Washington St.,
Marblehead, 781-631-2323, jacktarmarblehead.com.
Chocolate Molten Cake, Serves 8
1 tbsp. softened butter
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate,
roughly chopped
2 tbsp. heavy cream
6 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
4 tbsp. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
6 tbsp. granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub softened butter on inside of 8 (6-oz) ramekins then roll flour around, covering
bottom and sides. In a medium non-metallic bowl, combine butter, chocolate, heavy cream, and confectioner’s sugar.
Microwave for 2 minutes, stopping after 1 minute to stir. In an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, combine eggs, egg
yolks, flour, vanilla, salt, and granulated sugar. Whip until medium peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture into the whipped
egg mixture. Divide batter among 8 ramekins. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool cakes for 2 minutes. Unmold onto plates and
garnish with fresh berries and whipped cream.
By Anna & David Kasabian
Leave the ice cream in the freezer. These tantalizing desserts from eight North Shore chefs will have you and your
guests swooning for more. Bu Anna and David Kasabian. Photographs by Glenn Scott.
Dessert is the sexiest part of a meal. All the other courses, delicious as they may be, simply function as foreplay that
moves to the crescendo of that glorious, sensual moment when cream, berries, custard, and sweet pools of warm
chocolate meet the taste buds. We aren’t really hungry after that three-course meal, but we do want that delectable
ending, don’t we? Great desserts are made from scratch with fresh ingredients, and like all truly delicious food, they
bear the unmistakable mark of the chef’s heart and soul. We decided to hunt down a scrumptious selection of desserts
that you could serve at a casual lunch or a candlelit dinner. These recipes come courtesy of some of the best bakers
and chefs on the North Shore...
Jack Tar American Tavern
Head for Old Town Marblehead if you’re looking to taste a chocolate sensation aptly titled Chocolate Molten Cake.
Owner and Chef Scott Brankman tells us this is his signature dessert, and it’s no wonder. Baked to perfection in a
ramekin and released onto a plate, this mini tower oozes chocolate from its center as your fork slides through it. The
sides are cooked just enough to hold a delicate wall of chocolate that seems a cross between cake and mousse, and it
all rather delightfully melts in your mouth. Served with fresh berries and whipped cream, the marriage of all three in your
mouth brings on much guilty pleasure. Swoon on, and yes, try this at home! Your guests will return. 126 Washington St.,
Marblehead, 781-631-2323, jacktarmarblehead.com.
Chocolate Molten Cake, Serves 8
1 tbsp. softened butter
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate,
roughly chopped
2 tbsp. heavy cream
6 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
4 tbsp. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
6 tbsp. granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub softened butter on inside of 8 (6-oz) ramekins then roll flour around, covering
bottom and sides. In a medium non-metallic bowl, combine butter, chocolate, heavy cream, and confectioner’s sugar.
Microwave for 2 minutes, stopping after 1 minute to stir. In an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, combine eggs, egg
yolks, flour, vanilla, salt, and granulated sugar. Whip until medium peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture into the whipped
egg mixture. Divide batter among 8 ramekins. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool cakes for 2 minutes. Unmold onto plates and
garnish with fresh berries and whipped cream.
| FROM NORTH SHORE MAGAZINE The Best of the North Shore October/November 2009 nshoremag.com |