Jack Rose in Adams Morgan has been a long time coming. And it won’t be long before we can enjoy the delicious collection of pre-Prohibition liquors, the food of Chef Michael Hartzer, the tasty cocktails of Rachel Sergi, and the strong beer program being developed by Brian Kruglak. Think of it as a fancier take on Owner Bill Thomas’s Bourbon, but with a focus on scotch. Though no official opening date has been set, a recent visit to the construction site shows that it shouldn’t be too long before they’re open for business.
The restaurant/bar is a very different concept for Thomas and his partners. While he is no stranger to the world of brown liquor, this venture is a culinary departure from the usual bar foods like burgers, sandwiches and wings that are served at his other joints (though you’ll see some of that at Jack Rose). He brought in Chef Michael Hartzer (most recently of Indebleu) to upgrade the menu, and added a chef’s tasting/private group room in the basement floor for special multi-course meals. And if the riff on lamb with mint jelly that I tried at a tasting last year is any indication, diners will be in for a real treat.
Along with the tasting room, there will be plenty of room to dine and imbibe with a 52-foot bar and coffee bar on the ground floor. If that is not enough space to party, the roof level will feature a wood-fired grill, two outdoor bars, and a scotch room with fireplace (for which they plan to accumulate 700 scotch imexpressions).
Within the two-year development, it’s been interesting for me to watch everything fall in to place. And as I toured construction three times over the last year, it’s been very interesting to note the detail put in to the build-out — from the frames on the bathroom mirrors made from a fallen 300-year-old white oak tree to the numerous shelves made to display bottles of liquor to the decorative woodwork featured on the facade of the bars. The quality materials, attention to detail and clean design of Jack Rose are a signature of Thomas’s bars — they are built to stick around for generations.
I don’t always get the opportunity to feature every unique aspect of the design and interior of a restaurant, because sometimes there are too many small details. But observing the attention that went in to the construction of Jack Rose, and remembering small details that have caught my eye at other restaurants — be sure to pay close attention at the next restaurant or bar you visit. Maybe it will be Jack Rose…and you could find yourself surprised.
