It was July 2008 when Jackson's Corner first opened in the old Delaware Grocery & Ice House location at the corner of Delaware and Broadway between downtown and the Box Factory in Bend. The original idea was to re-envision the historic market offering groceries, grab & go items and coffee. It wasn't long before more of the market aisles were being replaced with dining tables as folks were gravitating toward the fresh salads, sandwiches, soups, breads and pastas.
Since the beginning, Jackson's has been inspired by, and committed to, community: the community of local farmers and makers working to provide fresh, locally made foods and goods to Central Oregon and the community itself which embraced the Jackson's Corner ethos from day one. And it was the community that was top of mind when Jackson's decided to make some recent changes.
No need to panic, as Jackson's Corner is still Jackson's Corner - farm-forward and community focused. Chef Jordan Grosser explains that the menu tweaks and other slight changes were made with Jackson's loyal customers in mind.
"We feel like we know what everybody loves about Jackson's and we've held onto that," Grosser says. "We have this very casual style that we know people expect and like and that's not changing."
Then why change anything at all? Grosser puts it this way: "We're a company coming out of a pandemic and figuring out how to make it all work." From the cost of quality local ingredients to higher wages and being able to provide employee benefits such as health insurance, Grosser says it's about figuring out how to make it all work. "As a business, we are figuring out how to move forward in a healthy way."
Part of making it all work was becoming more efficient and streamlining things. That meant refining both the brunch and dinner menus. With a focus on the food itself, Grosser and the team of Jackson's chefs have collaborated on a few new, more composed plates and have figured out ways to help the kitchen be even more productive. Faster service, more counter offerings and more emphasis on its in-house baking and pastry items are at the heart of the shift and Grosser assures fans of Jackson's Corner that the vibes are the same and there is still plenty of variety to choose from.
Diners will notice something right away when walking in the door, however. The order line has moved from the middle of the restaurant over to the left, alongside the retail market area where the beverages and other grocery items are displayed in coolers. Approaching the counter, you'll see quite a few more counter offerings – salads, sandwiches, breads, pastries, cookies, yogurt, granola, etc. that you can order and get immediately.
On the brunch menu itself, take note of the new House Cured Salmon Plate featuring in-house cured salmon along with Jackson's bakery seeded toast, cream cheese and other fresh ingredients, the Corner Omelet with Boursin cheese and the Eggs in Purgatorio, which is Jackson's take on a shakshouka with braised tomatoes, sous vide eggs and baked mushroom polenta.
The new dinner menu, which Grosser describes as more focused and more chef-driven, features several refined small plates, including an Heirloom Tomato salad. Grosser says it's "bonkers" right now and one of the most popular new items featuring fresh tomatoes, Mozzarella, cucumbers, sweet peppers, shaved onion, basil, dill and a ginger-garlic sauce. The new menu also includes a few inventive pastas and four pizzas for dinner, along with an ala carte chicken and a pork chop with Italian salsa verde. Several creative, inventive, seasonal sides are also available.
Local partnerships are as strong and vibrant as ever and include familiar names such as Home Farm Foods, Grass Valley Beef, Boundless Farmstead, Casad Family Farms and many others.
Fifteen years is a lifetime in the often volatile and unpredictable food and restaurant industry, so to be celebrating its 15th anniversary with a few menu updates and streamlined service seems more than appropriate for a true neighborhood venue like Jackson's. Keep an eye out for more to come in its Slammin' Summer Series as well.
