Chez Jacques, 1022 S. 1st St., looks at first glance, like just another of the somewhat plain and mostly industrial buildings that line 1st Street in the Walker's Point neighborhood on Milwaukee's near South Side.
Tasteful blue and white awnings are accented by a painted rooster across the building's side, and the windows give only a glimpse of the lovely four-room restaurant and garden patio that lie within.
Getting ready to celebrate its 10th anniversary next year, Jacques (named after owner Jacques Chaumet) made the transition several years back from a tiny spot on South 2nd Street where it was known predominantly for its breakfasts, to the now nearly 200-seat venue, and seems to have done so successfully. All too often restaurants that double their size tend to digress in quality and service.
Jacques offers breakfast in the form of croissant sandwiches, omelets and quiches, served both in the expected combination of ham and cheese (croissant, $7.50; omelet, $9.50), and some more enticing combinations of veggie and feta, spinach and Roquefort, and in the case of the omelet, andouille Provençale (andouille sausage with garlic, onion, mushrooms, tomatoes, and herbs). Crépes are also prevalent here, with shrimp and crab ($12.95) and smoked salmon ($11.95), alongside heavier renditions like roast beef mushroom ($9.95) and chicken curry ($8.95). Sweet cravings can also be filled with caramelized apple, banana Nutella, poached pears, or vanilla with berries ($7.95).
While lunches bring in salads and sandwiches (including, mais oui, croque monsieur, $8 and croque madame, $9), dinners venture into more complex authentic French dishes including appetizers of bouchée d'escargots (French snails with puff pastry, $8.95), and a generous selection of "gourmet plates" filled with fresh fruits, cheeses, and pates, and ranging in price from $10.95 to $18.95.
A chalkboard with the handwritten specials on it is brought tableside and includes appetizer specials as well as entrées and soup of the day ($3.25/$4.75), the latter of which is served as an alternative to the daily onion soup gratinee ($5.50).
On a recent visit, I sampled one of the fish specials in a trout ($24), stuffed with crab meat and swimming in a thick, whole grain mustard sauce. Other French inspired entrées include a boeuf Bourguignon ($17.95), canard roti a l'orange (half a roasted duck à l'orange, $17.95), and Coquille Saint-Jacques (scallops served in a customary vermouth sauce, $19.95).
Jacques' breakfast service remains busy, and passersby will see many cars lining South 1st Street, particularly on weekend mornings, but the larger scale of the restaurant can easily accommodate dinner guests as the evening hours seem to attract fewer diners. On a weekday, you may find yourself being waited on by a bartender doing double duty.
Amy L. Schubert is a 15-year veteran of the hospitality industry and has worked in every aspect of bar and restaurant operations. A graduate of Marquette University (B.A.-Writing Intensive English, 1997) and UW-Milwaukee (M.A.-Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Writing, 2001), Amy still occasionally moonlights as a guest bartender and she mixes a mean martini.
The restaurant business seems to be in Amy’s blood, and she prides herself in researching and experimenting with culinary combinations and cooking techniques in her own kitchen as well as in friends’ restaurants. Both she and her husband, Scott, are avid cooks and “wine heads,” and love to entertain friends, family and neighbors as frequently as possible.
Amy and Scott live with their boys, Alex and Nick, in Bay View, where they are all very active in the community. Amy finds great pleasure in sharing her knowledge and passions for food and writing in her contributions to OnMilwaukee.com.
