Over the past couple of months, I have tried to diversify myself in my writing by going outside the grain and start in the world of food reviews. Many to all of the reviews I have done have been met with positive vibes but with a dash of constructive criticism to go along with it. This is the only review I have done in 2013 where I can honestly say it was a perfect meal. The place in question is Jacob’s Pickles, which is located in the heart of the Upper West Side. Mixing comfort food with a relaxing environment, Jacob’s Pickles is the go-to spot for good food with a friendly demeanor and above all a damn good time. Here is why.
Me and my friend went to the fairly new establishment, which is just celebrating its 2nd anniversary this month, this past Saturday night. We started the evening off with their special drink of the day called “The Snowflake”. Meant to be somewhat of a wintery drink, it had everything in it that read “Happy Holidays”- eggnog, cinnamon, and bourbon. Naturally the mixture was a great combination and was a great evening cocktail to start the evening out. I for one have never met a meatball that I didn’t like, and their homemade meatballs took me from like to love. On top of the meatball itself being perfectly made, it was made over a sour green tomato sauce that really added the right kick to the dish. We also had their signature fried green pickles which were quite delicious and their biscuits and fixins which came with a couple of really delicious preserves and butters to compliment the biscuits. I purposefully came starving to this, and glad that I did because I couldn’t wait to see what was next.
For the dinner portion, my friend opted for the Mushroom Mac N Cheese, which came with King Oyster, Shitake and Portabella mushroom. Definitely a great choice if you ever go there if you are in the mood for something warm and yummy to heat you up in this cold season. The choice that I made was the freaking Meryl Streep of dinner choices, because it was that FREAKING AWESOME. I am talking about The Turkey Leg Dinner, which is pictured above. One of the managers told me that this is in such a high demand, that they only make a couple of them per day because as stated before, they are pure awesomeness. Complimented with mashed potatoes and their homemade cranberry sauce, this dinner takes Thanksgiving and the holidays and elevates them on a much better taste level. The meat on the turkey leg was fall off the bone good and cooked to perfection. The tangy aspect of the cranberry sauce with the salty and buttery mashed potatoes worked perfectly with the dish and it was overall just phenomenal.
In between the dinner and dessert courses, I had my first ever pickle juice shot, which consisted of straight whiskey chased with pickle juice. YIKES. That is all I have to say about that, but it definitely woke up my senses that’s for sure. As if this meal wasn’t Tara Lapinski worthy as is (nothing on this menu qualifies as Michelle Kwan FYI), the dessert that we got was a great way to end the meal. The Biscuit Bread Pudding with a side of Ice Cream. Hands down one of the best desserts I have ever had, period. Rich and full of flavor and the ice cream on top blended well with the warm and flaky aspect of the biscuit bread pudding. Just overall a great meal.
I highly recommend coming here if you are ever in the UWS, hell even if you are in New York City. Definitely book a reservation ahead as this place tends to fill up very quickly. No matter what, you won’t be let down. Check out the official website for more information.
Jacob’s Pickles
509 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10024
212-470-5566