COLUMN: Great food, service – that’s a fact, Jack
I grew up in eastern Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia and about two hours from New York City. When it comes to delis, pizza shops and places to find a killer sandwich, back East, we know our stuff. I’ve been in Cache Valley for almost three years, and I’ve found a few places that make a decent sandwich, but it’s been slightly hard to find a reliable place to order hoagie, sub or grinder.
A while ago I was going to write about Logan’s Heroes sandwich shop, but after practically being made fun of by the two surly women behind the counter, one of whom was making my sub, I decided to forgo the review.
I’ll never return to Logan’s Heroes again, because I’ll never be desperate enough for a sub that I’d be willing to put up with such sub-par service. Who would’ve thought you could get so chastised for asking someone to put turkey and pepperoni on the same sandwich?
Anyway, this review isn’t about that, it’s about the excellent service and fantastic food I received at Jack’s Wood-Fired Oven. Jack’s is located between 200 and 300 North on Main Street in Logan.
After about three failed attempts to show up at a time when the shop was actually open, finally, I had success. Apparently when Jack’s first opened, the owner and his wife were running the place on their own, so they closed the shop during off-peak hours in order to take a break. I can’t say I blame them.
Nowadays, they keep the same hours but evidently for different reasons. Jack’s is open for lunch and dinner and closes for a few hours in between. During those between hours, the restaurant is available for private, catered parties. Maybe, someday when I have friends, I’ll give that a try. For now, I usually go into eateries by myself — it’s easier to enjoy food that way.
For about $11, I ordered my usual Dr Pepper and a mouth-watering fire-toasted sandwich, called the Ol’ Bessie, that was made on wonderful home-baked focaccia bread. When I hear Ol’ Bessie, I think beef, but this sandwich consisted of turkey, avocado, Swiss cheese, onions, sprouts and mayonnaise. The smiling young woman behind the counter suggested I add Jack’s homemade mustard to my order — I’m something of a mustard connoisseur, so I said “Yes, please.”
The best part about this grinder — which, from what I’ve been told, is called such because the toasted bread, or hard crust, takes a lot of chewing, or grinding — was that it didn’t scrape up the inside of my mouth. Nothing ruins a good meal like a little bit of hemoglobin in your mayo.
No, this grinder was just right. The outside of the bread was the perfect toasted texture, while the bread itself was soft and fluffy — without a doubt, fresh baked.
Directly behind the counter at Jack’s is the wood-fired oven that gives the place its namesake. As my sandwich baked in the oven, I saw the cook loading logs into the inferno. The oven not only makes for high-quality fare, it also adds to the character of the restaurant.
My sandwich was excellent. It wasn’t reminiscent of something I would get back home in Pennsylvania, but I’m actually happy about that. The Ol’ Bessie, and I’m sure the other sandwiches that Jack’s offers, had a character all its own — it was a sandwich from the West, if you will. I can now say not only can you get a solid load of tasty ingredients slapped between two pieces of bread back East, you can also get a great sandwich right here in Logan, too.
As for Jack’s pizzas and “tizzas” — Jack’s signature dessert pizzas — I have yet to give one a try, but, as I ate my grinder, I was able to sneak a few peeks at what they look like. Of the artisan pies, there are personal and full size. The cheesy, doughy discs are served piping hot, on a wooden tray.
It was certainly clear to me that I need to come back to Jack’s Wood-Fire Oven again and again.
During lunch service, Jack’s is a cafe-style eatery in which guests order at the front counter and choose a table to sit at. When the food is ready, a server delivers it. For dinner, I was told Jack’s is more like a casual sit-down, full-service restaurant.
To match the gourmet quality of the sandwiches, artisan pizzas and salads prepared at Jack’s, there is also a selection of bottled gourmet soda’s and homemade soft drinks, which shows they care about quality, fresh flavors.
After sitting at my table for a while, I began to feel like I was eating in a resort town restaurant, such as Jackson, Wyo., Moab, Utah, or Telluride, Co. In other words, Jack’s doesn’t have the feel of just another pizza or sandwich joint — the place has a good vibe.
I give Jack’s Wood-Fired Oven an A-plus for delightful and attentive service with a genuine smile, along with great-tasting, fresh food. As for the homemade mustard with its whole-cracked mustard seeds, I thought it was great. I’ll be back, Jack.