Evanston residents flocked to Jacky’s On Prairie last week for the restaurant’s grand re-opening under new management, on more than “blind faith.”
Formerly known as Jacky’s Bistro, the restaurant reopened after a three-month shut down by the same team behind Evanston’s Blind Faith Café.
Jacky’s is still based on the French culinary roots on which the restaurant was originally founded, but adds flavors from around the world. It also features a wine list with more than 230 choices from every corner of the world, at a variety of prices.
Executive Chef Jonadab Silva said diners with dietary restrictions are becoming empowered like never before.
“I have to make sure I can serve a full chef’s tasting for gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian customers,” said Silva of Jacky’s menu.
Owner David Lipschutz and Silva have considered expanding their portfolio for a while, Silva said.
Blind Faith Café is known for being a completely vegetarian restaurant offering gluten-free, vegan and other restriction-friendly dishes.
“Blind Faith and Jacky’s are two different restaurants, with different atmospheres and catering to a different type of audience,” Silva said.
Lipschutz and Silva said each restaurant offers the best food possible, at the best price possible.
This philosophy will resonate with the duo despite market changes. Considering 60 percent of Blind Faith Café customers are actually not vegetarian, Silva said the incredible amount of reservations coming through demonstrates residents’ support and appreciation for Silva’s dishes.
Jeff Smith of the Central Street Neighbors Association said residents were happy about the reopening.
“Central Street is like a little secret treasure of Evanston,” he said, explaining that the road was once the heart of Evanston before southward expansion. “The addition of restaurants like these and other stores make the street more vibrant and hopefully will show students that there is life past Mustard’s Last Stand.”
Culinary details and the restaurant’s name are not the only changes to note. Silva said the process and demands of opening a new restaurant have also changed with customer preference.
“Changes in the food industry must be based on the way we see processed and fast food,” Silva said.
Healthy food, like that of Blind Faith Café, is becoming mainstream as people start to become more aware of nutrition, he said. Silva said he continues to educate himself on these trends by continuing culinary and developmental studies and advocates that nutritional eating is not more expensive.
“The same money spent for four Happy Meals can make a nutritional meal,” Silva said.The high price associated with healthy food comes mainly from the labor required for its preparation.
Weinberg senior Laura Adelson, who is a vegan, is excited about the new option.
“Eating good food just makes you feel so much healthier all-around,” she said. “It is hard to find vegan-friendly food sometimes, and that is part of why Blind Faith is so great. Knowing that there is another restaurant based on the same concept is great- I would definitely try it out!”
