Jack Rose Dining Saloon
It's been a little while since I've been back home to the DMV area , but I made sure to make the most of the trip and carved out some time for a visit to Jack Rose Dining Saloon. My whiskey adventures kicked off shortly after I moved north, but now with my curiosity in full swing, I had to stop through to see if the great things I've heard about Jack Rose were legit.
Soon as you walk in you notice the serious attention to detail. The endless bottles of whiskey perfectly situated and creating the outer perimeter of the room, the bouquet of roses adjacent to a stack of of the Whiskey Bibles with their rusted copper name plates -- feng shui on point. And while I would've been perfectly content with circling my eyes around the walls, playing a make-shift version of "Where's Waldo?" with my favorite whiskies, I decided to get situated in the upstairs back room with the stone fireplace and outdoor terrace for a more comfortable experience (and because everyone appreciates feeling like they're doing fancy shit at Happy Hour).
One of the things I hope for at a whiskey bar is a bartender that knows his or her stuff. I enjoy those instances where I can be a student in their whiskey dojo and gain some great insight to take with me. In this case, my bartender went well above the call of duty as our conversation stretched from all things whiskey to our shared fandom for the forever classic "Sons of Anarchy." I explained that I was currently on a wheated bourbon kick and he confidently set me up with Jack Rose's Single Barrel pick of Old Weller Antique 107 -- great choice. I decided to stay on the wheat theme and followed that up with 1792 Sweet Wheat, a bourbon that I've somehow skimmed past on several occasions, but impressive enough to make a note to self that this belonged on my bar cart back home.
While continuing to thumb through the Whiskey Bible, admiring the seemingly endless options, my food made its way out -- Lamb Sliders that almost made me shed a tear of joy. I swear I had every intention to snap a photo of them positioned perfectly on my plate, but I inhaled one before I could even reach for my camera. Luckily my boy ordered the same thing and my camera lens was able to make it to his plate before he did. And although it's a seemingly impossible task, I have to applaud this bar's ability to create dishes that are almost as impressive as their never ending whiskey collection -- almost.
I'll be honest -- as much as I try to deny missing D.C., Jack Rose served as a quick reminder of why I do. As someone who now deals with NYC's daily chaos (which I've learned to love), this bar was a soothing change of pace where a sense of urgency didn't seem welcome -- the atmosphere is built for you to get cozy and spend meaningful time with great people over amazing whiskey. There was a calm about Jack Rose and The District that's nearly nonexistent in my new home and beyond my bourbon, it's what I appreciated most in that moment. It was good to be back.
