Jack and Honey's in Thornton Park serves brunch-forward fare with style and a welcoming vibe

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photo by Rob Bartlett

Let me just say that I'm not a brunch person. I've eaten too many lukewarm eggs, engaged with too many sleep-deprived and hung-over restaurant workers who looked like they'd rather be having root canals, and witnessed too many day-drinking twats using bottomless mimosas as an excuse to behave even twattier. No, I'll stick to old standbys like lunch, thank you very much, which happened to be happening when I popped into Jack & Honey's. Late lunch. OK, maybe it was linner.

Anyway, the Thornton Park restaurant by Wendy Connor (an original partner in the space's predecessor, The 808) and Jason Lambert, owner of brunchers' paradise The Hammered Lamb, is fully invested in the 'tweener meal. It's named for Lambert's grandparents — Jack Quigly and Dorothy "Honey" Braham — who once ran a diner. They even procured the services of chef Hannah Wicker, whose restaurant experience at Disney, Universal and SeaWorld more than qualifies her to brunch things up all day at Jack & Honey's.

I'm guessing "Honey's chicken and waffles" ($18) pays homage to Lambert's grandmother — 'cuz it's sweet (can I get an awwww?). But that sweetness comes courtesy of ersatz table syrup, not real maple syrup. There were also giant wedges of butter all over the waffles — "it's Grand Marnier-infused maple butter," said one of our servers, but we could discern neither Grand Marnier nor maple in the thick chunks.

We ended up eating the accompanying crispy thigh nuggets and moved on to the "wagyu" sliders ($16), but no one could tell us what kind of wagyu the sliders are. They're certainly not Japanese wagyu; the sliders would be 10 times the price if they were. Australian wagyu, perhaps? Either way, these sliders would be gratifying hangover food. "They're like smashburgers, but fat," said my dining pal, referring to the crispy exterior of the patties, which came topped with Jack Daniel's-bacon-onion jam, arugula and truffle aioli. The Parmesan-truffle fries on the side were just too dry, however the freshly fried batch accompanying the pork belly B.L.T. ($22) was so much better.

That B.L.T.? Well, it's a pricey sandwich, but the focaccia is hefted with thick cuts of lardy midriff glazed with sweet soy and chipotle aioli; breaded fried green tomatoes lent a nice crunch — the only issue we had was with the wilted lettuce. Wet greens plagued the club sandwich ($15) as well.

As we sipped on Jack & Honey's cocktails, we had a discussion about how, too often, the makers of handhelds underestimate the importance of proper crisp lettuce. Which then led to a discussion about the importance of proper-stiff mixed drinks — both the mezcal-based "smoke signal" ($12) and the espresso martini ($14) were passable but hardly stellar.

One dish that seems to fly under the radar here is the airline chicken breast ($25). I was a bit surprised to see the chicken wing drumette for adults on the menu, but I was glad I ordered it. Everything about the dish — from the sear of the bone-in breast to the texture of the duxelles risotto and the garlicky haricots verts — was solid. It's a down-to-earth dish that, honestly, soars. A boozy berry parfait ($9) made a perfectly functional dessert. I mean, what's not to like about vanilla ice cream, pound cake, prosecco-soaked berries and whipped cream?

And what's not to like about the interior's honeycomb/bee motif? As the kids say, it's got drip. The bar is Jack & Honey's centerpiece, just as it was when it was The 808, and Dexter's before that. It's got a welcoming vibe as well, drawing Thornton Park's denizens in for a chill meal and some drinks. It wasn't exactly a beehive of activity, but brunch at Jack & Honey's could very well be buzzing. Not that I'll ever know.