Moments after I settled into my patio seat during my first visit to Jack’s Restaurant and Bar, which opened in January at 1527 17th Street, NW (the old Peppers/Le Pigalle Space) a cameraman from the local NBC station began to set up his wares on the sidewalk, just a few feet in front of me. Immediately I commiserated with Brad and Angelina. Can’t a man enjoy a heavily-poured whiskey in the evening sun without being hounded by cameras and the media? But the camera and its accompanying reporter were not there on my account; they were recording a story on 17th Street’s vibrant al fresco dining scene. Chef/owner Herbert Kerschbaumer was the star of the piece, and he combed his hair and greeted a few patrons on his way out to meet the camera.

Jack’s Restaurant and Bar is a welcome addition to 17th Street’s patio drinking and dining scene. Its patio seating is more spacious than Fox & Hounds’, and, for now at least, is usually less crowded. There is ample space between the tables for the wait staff to serve drinks without doing a first baseman-style reach worthy of a spot on the Nationals’ roster.

The happy hour at Jack’s runs from 4-7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and features Jack Daniels or Stoli vodka drinks for $3 each and Sam Adams Summer Ale for $3 as well. Whiskey or vodka on the rocks consistently arrives as the most robust $3 pour this reviewer has yet encountered on this arduous beat.