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Lunch at Jackson Hall, East Islip
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Sesame seared tuna at Jackson Hall, East Islip Credit: Joan Reminick
Midday proved an ideal time to hit the handsome new Jackson Hall American Bar & Grill in East Islip. No crowds. Attentive service. Plus food and prices worth blogging about.
I’m talking about half a rack of ribs so meaty, I doggy-bagged another meal’s worth; sharing the plate were toasty sweet potato fries and bright coleslaw. The dish came to $9; compare that to a cost of $21 for a whole rack of ribs at dinner. I thought the sesame-crusted tuna was expertly seared, if a bit ornately plated, with wasabi aioli and mango Mandarin orange salsa. I had issues, though, with the underlying bed of sticky rice, which had both the texture and flavor of paste. At lunch, the dish cost $13; at dinner, it would be $23.
An individual-size Neapolitan pizza ($9) delivered on crunch and verve. I even liked the warm, chewy, flour-dusted house-made rolls.
Jackson Hall is at 335 E. Main St., East Islip, 631-277-7100.
Sesame-seared tuna with wasabi aioli, edamame-mango Mandarin salsa and sticky rice