JAMS

As previously stated, there’s nothing wrong with the food. The menu features a number of salads (which are monstrous). Mexicans dishes (including tacos with friend lobster and short ribs), burgers, sandwiches, fish and chips, and elevated mac & cheese. James has a menu that creates FOMO—Fear Of Missing Out—the second you place an order. As excited as you are for the coming meal, you can’t help but wonder if one of the dishes you passed on is even better. 

The best entree I’ve had is the Bucatini and Meatballs (featured in the header photo). The thick-cut bucatini was wonderfully tender, and the hollowed-out center allowed the sauce to permeate it. And that sauce is awesome; it’s slightly sweet, but the vinegar of the tomato base balances it out perfectly, and the basil adds a nice freshness. The meal comes with two slices of garlic bread, which I happily used to soak up every last ounce of sauce I could after finishing the entree.

Good as the pasta and sauce were, the meatballs truly stood out. The dish comes with three enormous, fist-sized portions. The meat itself is delicious and seasoned perfectly. Bread crumbs provide a perfect binder that holds these monsters together. The sneaky element were the strings of parsley in the meatballs, rounding out the whole experience with just the right hint of fresh flavor to balance the salt of the meat. 

The Roasted Turkey on Grilled Sourdough is one of the better sandwiches I’ve had at a restaurant. The turkey is tender and slightly salty, but it’s the other elements that pull everything together. The creaminess of the avocado, the sweetness of the marmalade, the tang and fat from the mayo, and the crisp bacon come together to form a wonderful symphony. The director is the slightly crunchy sourdough bread, which oozes a bit of butter when you bite into it. This sandwich is a mess, but it’s worth sacrificing a few napkins for.

The Jams Burger, a combination of chuck and beef brisket, is moist and flavorful, and the accompanied fries are addictive.