Somewhere in the Echelon of Restaurant Fanciness, the humble bar and grill sits lumped in between…read moreyour standard pub/bar and a mediocre steakhouse. Not *everything* in the appetizer section comes from a freezer bag, but it's not nice enough that many first dates happen there either. No, the bar and grill is where you go with your long-time special someone when you're both looking for something decent to eat, but not too expensive, and are just happy to be enjoying each other's company and not doing dishes afterward.
Your Honour, I present Exhibit A: Jacob's Lounge.
When my wife and I first darkened their doorway, we met up here after work on a Friday, as we slowly started to cement a quasi-tradition of a cinq à sept to cap off our work week.
We weren't feeling like going all-in on food, so we stuck with a couple apps and a round of adult beverages. Spinach and artichoke dip checked the box for our melted cheese craving, while some deep fried pepperoni felt like our patriotic duty as Nova Scotians.
Despite a burgeoning Friday crowd, our food came out in short order.
I can't say if I've ever had a spinach and artichoke dip that distinctly tasted like either of those two vegetables, but it's always a hot and cheesy mess that's hard to screw up, and this one was just as dependable as any that you've had. What helped raise Jacob's above many of their competitors was actually one of the dipping implements - a house-made, cheese-infused flatbread. It was good enough to have on its own, but it was perfect for scraping the bottom of the ramekin of every last dollop of dip.
The deep fried pepperoni was supplied by Dartmouth's own 2 Boys Smokehouse, and while I loved the flavour, it seemed like the pepperoni needed another minute or two in the fryer and at a higher temp, as it wasn't quite as crispy as it could have been and was a bit greasy.
A return visit had us again swinging by after work, although this time around we went for a more proper meal, one which even included vegetables that weren't blended up with cheese!
Pizzas figure prominently on Jacob's menu, and seem to be something that they're known for, so I opted for the 12" Italian, which comes with pepperoni, Italian sausage, green pepper and red onion. They don't seem to advertise it on the menu (to their own detriment), but Jacob's does have a gluten-free crust option, and my wife got that with the meatball pizza.
To add some green to our cheese and carb-tastic meal, we also got a Greek salad.
Despite the fairly full restaurant, we had our food quickly once again.
Jacob's pizzas are on the thicker end of the Pizza Thickness Spectrum, and while it was a little doughy, it was still fully cooked, and honestly I enjoyed it more than local chain pizza joints, whose pizza is flat and has no airiness or substance.
It's hard to go wrong with the mix of toppings that I had, and they went right to end of the cornicione, which was golden brown and wonderfully crispy. A healthy dose of herbs added some further pops of flavour.
My other half really enjoyed her pizza, with its hearty slices of meatballs and pops of freshness from the tomatoes and green pepper. She was most impressed with the crust, which held up much better than most gluten-free ones, as it was quite pliable and didn't crumble apart.
The Greek salad was a welcome interlude for our taste buds. Lots of crisp veg, plus a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and an herby dressing to help cut through the rich pizzas.
Jacob's pizzas all come in 9" or 12" sizes, and having opted for the latter, we ate half of each of our pizzas, leaving enough for a full meal on another day.
Over the past decade, Jacob's has become a neighbourhood favourite, but I feel like it hasn't quite entered the whole city's collective culinary consciousness in the way that older places have, and I'm fine for it be Dartmouth's own little secret.
