Mack Brown might love to chew the fat, and Les Miles might love to chew the grass, but one thing's for certain: both Texans and Louisianans both love to chew. Starting October first, Scott Jones (Cafe Italia, Screen Door, Cowtown Diner) is bringing the states' victuals together on a plate with Jack's Southern Comfort Food.Named after Scott's dad but influenced by his mom's interstate roots, this brightly colored brasserie uses reclaimed screen doors as menu boards and burlap sacks as tablecloths while presenting a menu with far more taste than pretty much any wardrobe south of the Mason-Dixon. The mainstays -- and probably also the greatest things in the world -- are the biscuit sandwiches, from the Fried Catfish w/ remoulade & pickles, to the Burger: a sirloin patty blended w/ cheddar & more jalapeno, topped w/ pepper bacon, jalapenos & cheddar, on a jalapeno/bacon/cheddar biscuit. Oh, and remember when Bill Parcells said Roy Williams was one biscuit short of a linebacker? Well, the also-biscuit-having platters would turn him into a noseguard, from Jimmy's Italian Sausage Gravy (roasted red peppers, grilled 'shrooms, caramelized onions in a bechamel over buttermilk biscuits) to Upside-down Pot Pies (bechamel w/ veggies and choice of brisket/pork/chicken/crawfish/truffle 'shroom over... biscuits).Weekends, hit 'em up for brunchables like smoked brisket/scrambled egg/pepper jack/potato Live Oak Street Breakfast Tacos, or -- with pecan-smoked duck, roasted potatoes, shallots, sweet peppers, a fried duck egg, and hollandaise -- the Smoked Pecan Hash, definitely not what Miles smokes before a pre-game ritual that'd leave even Mack at a loss for words.
