The Jac Island Grille and Rum Bar opens at former Jacaranda
Located at the site of the former Jacaranda Restaurant, The Jac Island Grille and Rum Bar is officially open for business on Sanibel, with plans to kick off weekend brunch for the first time on Saturday.
New owners Eve and Alex Alves opened the restaurant on May 25 for lunch and dinner Monday through Sunday. The couple purchased the venue in November and have spent the last several months gutting, renovating and updating the site for the new farm-to-table scratch kitchen and restaurant.
Starting this weekend, it will open early at 9 a.m. for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
“Everything on the menu is made in house,” Executive Chef Philipe Schroeder said.
Using locally-grown vegetables and fresh seafood and meat, everything is made at the restaurant from the pasta and bread, to the sauces and desserts. Nothing comes prepackaged or out of a box.
“We really focus on great food, not just throw some stuff up in the window and get it out to a table,” he said, explaining that he puts his heart into it. “I’m here to really make people enjoy eating out again.”
Launching without a hard opening has resulted in patrons trickling in to check it out.
“Everyone seems to be really happy,” Schroeder said, adding that the slower pace for the first week enabled him to meet with each table and talk to the customers, receiving feedback on the menu.
“People seem to be enjoying the atmosphere and food,” he said.
Schroeder noted that input from locals is important, especially during the off season.
“I want to get the locals’ opinion on what they want in a restaurant,” he said.
Schroeder explained that his ultimate goal is to have The Jac become a destination restaurant, where people travel over the bridges from Cape Coral and Fort Myers to Sanibel specifically to eat at it.
As for dishes worth trying, he cited a couple options, including the pan roasted cauliflower steak and Jac’s spiced pork belly. Served over a cauliflower and parsnip puree with a black bean and quinoa cake, the steak is topped with a golden raisin and soy mustard vinaigrette.
“I know it’s a vegetarian dish, but it has a lot of flavor and is a lot more filling than you might imagine,” Schroeder said.
The pork belly is pan roasted and smoked, served with a cauliflower and parsnip puree, pan fried brussels sprouts and apricot gastrique. The pork rests for two days in what he described as a jerk spice marinade, of sorts, before being smoked for four hours and then slow roasted for six more hours.
“You can like cut it with a fork,” Schroeder said.
For lighter lunch items, he recommended the steak sandwich and fish tacos as two options to try. Made with thinly sliced tri-tip described as similar to a London broil that has been dry rubbed and smoked, the sandwich comes with grilled onions and Swiss on a French baguette, with a side of au jus.
“The french fries that come with it are amazing,” he said.
With the choice of grouper, mahi-mahi or the restaurant’s fish of the day, the tacos come with a slow smoked paprika aioli and are served with the captains mango salsa over a bed of napa cabbage.
“It all goes together really well,” Schroeder said.
The weekend brunch will feature a bloody Mary bar, with patrons able to pick from a handful of options for how they would like their drinks made. The menu will feature favorites like French toast and eggs Benedict, with options like smoke pastrami, tri-tip and blackened tuna for egg toppings.
“You’re going to have your choice of non-traditional things to put on it,” he said.
While The Jac has opened the main building for business, the back structure that once housed the regular entertainment for the former The Jacaranda Restaurant remains closed to the public.
Schroeder explained that the owners plan to renovate it for the “rum bar” component of the business and offer entertainment, but it is a work in progress due to the building’s age and required updates. He noted that the end goal is for people to come out to eat and then head next door for drinks and music.
“And make a night of it,” Schroeder said.
Born and raised in the restaurant business, Alves attended culinary school in England. She had a restaurant in Key Largo and owns and operates Luna Rossa Italian Grill, located in Fort Myers.
For more information, visit “The Jac Island Bar & Grille” on Facebook.
The Jac Island Grille and Rum Bar is at 1223 Periwinkle Way.