To learn the story of chef-entrepreneur Jackie Jackson, read the wall of painted-word poetry in her new San Jose restaurant, “Jackie’s Place.”
There’s “Hondo, TX,” the birthplace of Jackson and so many family recipes. And “(408) BELIEVE,” for San Jose, where she graduated from Piedmont Hills High School and set down roots after some years in Santa Barbara. Words to live by: “Don’t Forget Your Roots,” “#BLM” and “Don’t Be Eye Candy, Be Soul Food.” Tributes to her mother’s and grandmother’s desserts, which hold cherished spots on the menu: “Laverne’s Sweet Potato Pie” and “Mama Frankie’s Buttermilk Pie.”
And over it all: “It’s a family thang.”
After a rough year in which she lost her Sixth Street eatery first to the COVID-19 shutdown and then, last May, to a fire, Jackson has emerged with a new restaurant in large, spacious digs. The address has been a longtime favorite on the San Jose dining scene: 840 N. First St.
We met up with this caterer-turned-restaurateur to learn her culinary history, check out the menu of soul food and barbecue and find out what she has planned for this next chapter. (Spoiler alert: Jambalaya’s coming.)
Q: Who first inspired you to cook?
A: I’ve never had professional training per se, but I learned from a professional. I’ve been cooking since I was about 8 years old. I was taught by my mother, Laverne Ford, who was a chef most of her adult life. She had a gift in the kitchen. Everything she made tasted amazing and looked beautiful. (As a child, I also liked watching cooking shows with Julia Child and Yan Can Cook!)
We had a large family and with that, large family gatherings. Food was at the forefront of our lives and cooking was the activity my mother and I did together. She not only taught me how to cook, but how to cook for large groups of people. I ended up raising eight children, so that was one of the best skills I could have ever learned. I don’t think I know how to cook for less than six people!
Q: You built a catering career before opening your first brick-and-mortar in 2018. What kind of events?
A: My first official catering job 27 years ago was for a high school baccalaureate ceremony hosted by Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. It was for 300 guests, and I managed to pull it off in a small Alum Rock banquet hall kitchen by myself. I started catering for close friends and family, then their associates and colleagues and eventually my business and clientele list grew to companies like TiVo, the San Francisco 49ers, the city of San Jose and Morrison & Foerster law firm.
Q: You’re a rarity: You reopened in a larger space during the pandemic. How did the North First Street location come about?
A: After the fire last year, we needed to take time to re-group and figure out what our next moves were going to be. Honestly, we weren’t sure how to move forward, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Our Japantown location was condemned, and reopening did not seem to be an option.
One day, one of our employees reached out, letting us know that there was a building on North First Street available for rent. I was hesitant, but decided to check it out anyway. The moment I stepped into the building I knew that this place would be the new Jackie’s Place. The owners of the location, Louis and Effie Pappas, welcomed me with open arms! They were sweet, accommodating and reassuring. You don’t run across people like that all the time.
It wasn’t until I met with them that I realized I had actually been in this location before. It used to be the Bold Knight restaurant, and my church hosted a Christmas gala in the banquet hall. My mother, who was suffering from dementia at the time, attended. She hardly spoke, yet while touring the restaurant with the Pappas family, I realized that this was the place my mother sang her last solo.
Everything became clear to me. I needed to reopen! Not only to carry on her legacy, but to create a place where memories will be formed. A place that my children and their children would take pride in. A place where the community can become a part of the JP Family.
Q: What’s your pride-and-joy dish?
A: I take pride in all my dishes and make each of them with love, yet one of my go-to’s is Smothered Chicken — not only because it’s saturated in gravy, but because it takes me back to those family gatherings. That’s what soul food is all about. It’s the type of food that should bring you comfort.
Q: Someone comes into your restaurant for the first time. What should they order?
A: The Best of Both Worlds combination plate. The name says it all. We specialize in soul food and barbecue, so why not get both? You also get two sides — your choice of macaroni and cheese, candied yams, collard greens, fried corn, potato salad, cornbread or many more options. As far as desserts, our banana pudding and sweet potato pie are second to none.
Q: Are there some new dishes on the menu at North First Street?
A: We serve chicken and waffles and oxtails every day now. We’ve added starters, soups, sandwiches and bar drinks, and we’ll be adding fried green tomatoes, jambalaya and shrimp hush puppies really soon.
Q: What advice would you give other women of color with entrepreneurial dreams?
A: I’m a Christian and honestly believe that everything in life happens by God’s design. I could have walked away in 2020 after the pandemic and fire hit, I could have counted my losses and not met with the Pappas family … but if I truly take a moment to think about it, all those things were needed to get me to where I am today.
My newfound model is the advice I’d give, “For every setback, God has a major comeback.” If you’re passionate about your craft and love what you do, don’t allow tribulations to weigh you down. Keep that dream and keep going!
Details: Open for outdoor dining and takeout from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Look for socially-distanced indoor dining to start in late May. 840 N. First St., San Jose. 408-490-4653; www.jackiesplacesj.com
