As many people know, Jackie’s is closing at the end of March so that Jackie Greenbaum can open an Italian restaurant in Petworth.  We went there one last time with Marnay’s Mom on a bitterly cold Wednesday night.  The middle of the week is usually a good time to eat out, since chefs know that only the most dedicated and adventurous eaters will be there.  We weren’t sure how many dishes we wanted, so we ordered drinks and thought about it for a little bit.  I got an old fashioned.  The drink tasted good but it came with traditional fast-melting ice so I had to drink it faster than I wanted to. Marnay got a crisp vinho verde and her Mom got prosecco, which is her favorite drink in the world.

We ordered two small plates and two entrees among the three of us.  Marnay and her Mom shared cacio e pepe and enjoyed it, especially the heat from the black pepper.  We also got burrata with pumpkin butter, prosciutto, arugula and pickled beets.  I’ve had a lot of burrata in my life, but this was probably the best I’ve ever tasted.  The cheese was extremely creamy and it matched perfectly with the sweet fall spices in the pumpkin butter.  The prosciutto had a cracker-like crispiness, meaning it was most likely dehydrated.  All together a well-assembled dish and the best of the night.

We waited a while between courses, but it allowed us to talk and enjoy our drinks.  I got a corpse reviver #2 which was a gin and absinthe based drink.  Without any ice, it was so much better than the old fashioned.  Marnay and I ended up sharing the drink because we both liked it.

When the entrees came, Marnay and her Mom had the arctic char with grilled romaine, cauliflower, mussels and a squash and saffron broth.  They really liked the crispy skin but noted that the fish could use some more salt.  The mussels also seemed a little extraneous.

I had porchetta with white bean ragu, broccoli rabe and citrus gremolata.  My first bite of broccoli rabe tasted like the best part of the dish.  But then my next bite of broccoli rabe was bland and disappointing.  I liked the porchetta, particularly the fatty parts.  The dish ended up being better the next day when I made a sandwich out of it at work.

Our server was very attentive but not overbearing.  I would easily say that she was the best server we’ve had at Jackie’s.  Unfortunately, we have had problems with the servers at Jackie’s in the past, which kept us away.

If this was our last time at Jackie’s, it was very fitting.  It’s been years since we were blown away by the food there and tonight was no exception.  If only every dish were as good as the burrata!

Best Bite
Paul: Burrata
Marnay: Cacio e Pepe

Best Sip
Paul and Marnay: Corpse Reviver #2

Address (Update: Jackie’s is now closed)
Jackie’s: 8081 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Closest Metro: Silver Spring