Lowest Greenville will have a new spot for home cooking soon. Dallas restaurateur Scott Jones, who was previously behind Café Italia and the Screen Door is set to open Jack's Southern Comfort Food at at 1905 Greenville Ave. (the old Dulce and Ali Baba) in early October.
After a long career in the restaurant industry and 15 years in ownership alone, Jones took a hiatus before opening this new spot. He had some sage advice after being asked what he's learned from his past endeavors.
"You really have to know what your focus is," Jones said. "And, also, you won't be able to please everyone. I took some time off to breathe and think about what I wanted. That's important to do because it allows you to find your focus."
In describing this new spot, Jones refers to the old homage "Write what you know." He said he's cooking what he knows.
The menu is a tribute to the food he grew up with. His mother was originally from Monroe, Louisiana, then moved to Texas when Jones was young. The restaurant, which is named after his father, is based on his mother's from-scratch home cooking. He describes it as "a heavy Texas accent, with Louisiana thrown in."
He's also hired an old friend and cook from The Screen Door to run the kitchen, who is originally from New Orleans.
Jones has watched the Dallas dining scene grow over the past two decades and has happily acclimated. "Dallas is a very involved and educated market," he said. "There are no more opportunities for smoke and mirrors."
Jack's Southern Comfort Food will source fresh, local products as much as possible and there will also be gluten-free options -- not because it's a trend, but because that's what he likes. Jones describes his cafe as a focused Eatzi's with a real Southern identity.
One more piece of advice from Jones, which any young restaurateur should heed, "I learned I can do more than I thought I could."
Previously he hired others to cover areas he didn't think he could handle. Perhaps that's where some of that focus can be lost. So, now Jones plays it all closer to home and is ready to cook what he knows.
