Rest Room Study

Some rest rooms realize their full potential way before they are ever finished. The new rest rooms at JJ's in Ballantyne are shaping up nicely, but they will never, ever look this cool again. At least, I hope not.

June 2013

June officially signals the arrival of the dog days of summer. Kids are out of school, pools are open and the weather ‘round here starts to get HOT. This month, we celebrate the heat with offerings that are a bit on the spicy side, taking advantage of fresh ingredients - like fresh corn, chiles and cukes - that are in abundance this time of year. Also check out our month-long Super-Hero collab. We hope you enjoy…nerds.

Dog of the Week

As part of our ongoing campaign to collaborate with other local businesses in the creation of our Dog of the Week specials, the month of June will be dedicated to superheroes.  Working with Shelton Drum (owner) and Rico Renzi (Creative Director) of ‘Heroes Aren't Hard to Find’, we've created some unbelievable dogs, beginning with The Rocketeer. Pay attention to our social media blasts every Monday to see each week's super addition. (Hint for next week: You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry…)

Sausage: House Made Linguiça

For June we’ll be featuring our version of the classic Portuguese Linguiça.  We’ve had this little treat on our menu before in the form of sliders, but this time we’re giving it the royal treatment.   Like the classic version, JJ’s Linguiça will be flavored heavily with paprika, garlic, and red wine vinegar, but we change it up a bit by using an ample amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves (for a bit of a sweet spice note), as well as favoring fresh cilantro over ground coriander.  Traditionally smoked, ours will be a fresh version, letting the grill impart its summer-centric nuance.  Once amply charred, we’ll top this with our own house-made quick pickles, Weber’s mustard, and diced red onion—a great combination to add some sweetness, piquancy, and crunch.

Side: Smoked Jalapeño Creamed Corn

Summer corn is a great example of why we should eat what is in season.  It’s never sweeter than during the warm weather months, so it seemed like a no-brainer to feature it on our menu for the month of June.  We’ve opted to make a creamed corn, but with our own twist, as is our usual practice.  We incorporate house-smoked bacon and house-smoked jalapeños to create a great base flavor with just the right amount of heat to balance the sweetness of the corn.  Try this while it’s around—it won’t last long!

Beer: NoDa Jam Session Pale Ale

Are you ready for an American Pale Ale that does not sacrifice great malt and hop flavor for exceptional drinkability? If so, get ready for a Jam Session. It is Noda Brewing’s sessionable pale ale with a solid backbone provided by imported Maris Otter and Caramunich malts balanced with the pine and citrus flavors of Centennial, Simcoe, and Citra hops.

ABV 5.1% SRM 6.5 IBU 31

Getting There....

Other than looking at blueprints and 3D renderings of the restaurant, you never really know what it's going to look like. If you are lucky, you know in your head what you want it to look like, but you never really know. The entire process is about trust. In yourself, in your vision for the future and most importantly, in the partners you have chosen to build the thing.

At Ballantyne, we've again chosen RBA Architects and Bradley Construction to bring this vision to life, and things are really starting to come together nicely. Dennis Caswell, our Superintendent, who works for Bradley, is the guy on the hot seat. At the beginning of the project, I was informed that Dennis likes to build restaurants. He must enjoy the challenge, because it's not for the timid. Building restaurants (an operating them) takes a fair amount of patience, restraint, creativity and know how. There's a ton of moving parts to it. And lots of activity in a relatively small space. And you really have to love it. 

Dennis' approach goes well beyond merely managing the project. He puts himself right in the middle of the design process, often thinking three or four steps ahead and has done his level best to interpret our vision and to help us avoid pitfalls wherever possible. As I sit here, I can think of three or four major issues and three or four hundred minor issues that were avoided because of Dennis' foresight.

You will see this restaurant come to life in the next few weeks. It will look beautiful and will be much more fun to operate. We made a ton of improvements prior to construction and on the fly to maximize the guest experience, and I have Dennis to thank. He sweats the small stuff. Thanks, Dennis!

Dennis Caswell

 Dennis and Master Carpenter 'Cee-ray-lo'

 Floor Finishes

bricks

looking southwest

 looking northeast

 pipe lineup

vapor

snapshots from our second location...

MOJO WORKIN'

May is here and we’ve got our mojo workin’…

To some, “mojo” refers to a magic spell, charm, or the thing that keeps Austin Powers motivated to perform his duties.  But it also refers to a number of different sauces, featuring a variety of heat levels, with origins in the Canary Islands.  

Now popular throughout the Caribbean, mojo (pronounced “MO-ho”) takes on different forms in places such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, with a few basic similarities, including: lots of roasted and/or crushed garlic, citrus juice, paprika, and cumin.

We’ve taken inspiration from these sauces and influence from their Caribbean homes to create our features for the month of May.

For our monthly sausage special, instead of simply garnishing our hand crafted forcemeat with a version of mojo sauce, we’ve made a garlicky, citrusy, all-pork sausage that includes many of the different flavors of mojo sauce within, while bringing a bit of island flair by topping it with a house-made mango chutney that is both sweet and spicy.   

We will be pairing this with a bold and colorful jicama slaw that provides a delightful crunch and sharp citrus bite.

Also stay tuned for a few drink specials, seasonal shake special and of course our popular ‘dog of the week’ series. 

JJ's Red Hots, Part Deux!

Growth

I have heard it said that, during the growth of a new restaurant company, the most challenging time is when it expands its scope from one restaurant to two because everything instantly doubles...efforts, headaches, and (we hope) sales. Well, at JJ’s, we are preparing to do just that. On Monday, April 8, we broke ground on our second location, which will be at 15105 John Delaney Dr. in the Ballantyne section of Charlotte, NC. (See map here)  It will be 2600 ft. sq. and have 70 seats inside and 24 seats outside under a nice covered patio. We are very excited for this location to take shape and are planning on opening sometime in June of 2013.

Having learned a great deal about our operation in the last 9 months, we were able to make some very nice adjustments to the new location, in my opinion. We have been constantly updating our menu and tweaking some things and I feel like the menu is in a great place right now. It’s simple, but has something for everyone.  We can deliver the menu quickly, but remain committed to quality. We have expanded some sections and streamlined others. We have handmade soups and salads that are tossed fresh and made to order. We have options for vegetarian, piscatarian and gluten free guests. And of course, we have the most delicious hot dogs and sausages known to mankind. (Well, in our opinion anyway) 

We have also made some exciting tweaks to the design of the physical space. These are mostly cosmetic, except for the fact that we are going to add a beer and wine bar at this location. Time and again, our customers have told us that they’d like to be able to sit down and enjoy a craft beer or nice glass of wine. Well at Ballantyne, you will be able to do that!

Value, service and quality food will continue to be our main drivers and of course, we will always try to create an experience for our guests that is unique and memorable.

Thanks to our management and crew,who have hung in there with us and most of all, thanks to our guests who have been incredibly supportive and loyal. Thank you all!

Onward!

 Lease Signing, with our attorney Tom Gates.

April Ball Park Specials

'Fenway Style' Italian Sausage

All-American Chicken Noodle Soup

Garlic Parmesan Fries

Yep folks, it’s that time of year again.  Each spring welcomes back the crack of the bat and the pop of rawhide hitting leather, while the air fills with the unforgettable smell of glove oil, fresh cut grass, and hot dogs and sausages on the grill. 

Yes, baseball is back!  And we at JJ’s have a few new menu items on deck to lead off the season.

 Whether it’s on Lansdown St., Brookline Avenue, or Yawkey Way, anyone entering or leaving Fenway Park can attest to the popularity of the ever-present Italian sausage stands.  

We’ve chosen to feature Sahlen’s Italian sausage (a product of Buffalo, NY—go Bisons!) for the month of April, topping it with a smoky-sweet chili sauce (inspired by Jon Luther’s great aunt Dorothy Dragich) along with sautéed onions and peppers and Weber’s mustard. It’s spicy, smoky, sweet, and tastes good even in the cheap seats.

Our featured side item for April offers ‘Giant’ flavor—our take on the popular San Francisco ballpark garlic fries.  Crispy french fries topped with fresh grated Pecorino cheese, finely chopped garlic, and minced parsley.

And finally, for soup, we chose to do something as comforting and as American as the beginning of a new baseball season itself—chicken noodle.  We didn’t reinvent the wheel here, relying rather on the memory-conjuring power of this most traditional soup.  A home run every time.

With all these great new, limited-time only options, why not swing for the fences and make it a combo.  Our Full Count Combo scores you a char-grilled Italian sausage, your choice of either garlic fries or soup, AND a drink, for only $6.99! 

Jeremy Guthrie, Food and Beverage Director

April, 2013