Jack's Luxury O.B. And Not Much Else: Ten Years Ago

[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid: October 14, 2013]

This isn't really the place to tell the story of Jack Lamb, the spiky, Harold Lloyd lookalike and East Village restaurateur, his wife Grace, and their portfolio of bijou eateries.

But some of the story is bound to come flooding back when I recall a meal at Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, this week ten years ago.

There was Jewel Bako, of course, now twelve years old.  When it opened in 2001, and for some years after, it charmed through its combination of Jack's hosting and sommelier skills, and chef Masato Shimizu's way with a fish and a knife.

There was expansion: there was a less expensive version of Jewel Bako, Jewel Bako Makimono. There was Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar with New Orleans chef Allison Vines-Rushing. Then, in 2005-6, it was musical chairs. Vines-Rushing left the Oyster Bar, Shimizu left Jewel Bako for 15 East (where he's still behind the sushi bar), and Jewel Bako Makimono closed to re-open as Degustation.

Was the Lamb ship sinking?  It seemed not, because a brilliant young chef, Wesley Genovart, made Degustation a sensation. In fact, it's often forgotten that it was effectively the first of the open-kitchen, counter, tasting menu venues which now seem to be at the cutting edge of New York dining.

And the Genovart left Degustation, and since then the Lamb restaurants seem to have been off the radar.  Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar closed late last year. When I ate there ten years ago, Vines-Rushing was still chef, and the place was quietly setting the raw bar/small plates trend which others would go on to exploit so successfully:

Oysters "six ways" (on the half shell with different toppings)

Oysters Rockefeller

Octopus terrine

Taylor Bay scallops

Pig's cheek and langoustines, with greens and baby turnips

Baba au Rhum