The new Canton joint Jokers 'n Thieves — its name comes from a Bob Dylan song — is the kind of place where people come for some live music, a few stiff bourbon cocktails, and then discover, almost inadvertently, that their cool new hangout also serves fantastic food.
This is the O'Donnell Square location formerly known as JD's Smokehouse, which was taken over late last fall by a partnership that includes Rye owner Ryan Perlberg and real estate investor Eric Levitt.
The new owners got to work lickety-split in remodeling the place, keeping it open as often as they could and redubbing it Smokehouse BBQ Restaurant & Bar, which turned out to be something of a placeholder name. In February, the Jokers 'n Thieves name was revealed, and "Top Chef" alumna Jesse Sandlin was announced as the executive chef.
Sandlin, most recently of Oliver Speck's and Vino Rosina, is the ideal chef for Jokers 'n Thieves' urban honky-tonk concept, where the food is supposed to be delicious, wholesome and hearty — but not fancy, and definitely not fussy. Not that Sandlin can't do fancy — she can — but I always thought she reveled in the real-people food she's serving up at Jokers 'n Thieves.
Oliver Speck's was all about barbecue, but Sandlin's emphasis has shifted a little, geographically speaking, at Jokers. Her focus here is on Low Country cuisine, the pride of a region stretching from the southern coast of South Carolina to the northern coast of Georgia.
Sandlin's approach to Low Country is more improvisational than literal-minded. Sure, there is a shrimp and grits entree on the menu, and appetizers of hush puppies and fried oysters. But Sandlin has thrown in a few curveballs, borrowing from other Southern regions. A small sandwich listing includes a Southern-style banh mi, which sounds like Louisiana road food at its finest. A country chicken pot pie with a cornbread crust sounds like something Sandlin just got it into her mind to make for no special reason.
The menu is small, which feels right to me. There are eight or nine snacks and appetizers, a half-dozen big plates, four sandwiches and six sides — things like collard greens, sweet potato mash and fried Brussels sprouts.
We started with a trio of savory appetizers. There was a lovely plate of cornmeal fried oysters, served with a chili mayonnaise. On the whole, the oysters were juicy and briny beneath their breading, but a few of them had gone to mush. I liked the deviled eggs that Sandlin gussied up with bourbon-pickled mustard seed. What lovely eggs, too, with their china whites and swirly golden yolks.
I enjoyed, too, crunchy egg rolls, sturdy enough to dip into a ramekin of whiskey honey mustard, stuffed with good fatty brisket and sauteed onions.
Among the big plates, there were two standouts. There was a heaping plate of superb smoked brisket, a triumph of just-burnt edges and tenderness, which Sandlin served with spinach and extra-fluffy Carolina gold rice and topped with — get this — a healthy dollop or two of blue-cheese butter.
Sandlin's shrimp and grits could be her Low Country passport. She makes it right, with pieces of Tasso ham, an enveloping shrimp cream sauce and a generous helping of head-on prawns, each one grilled expertly.
From a fried chicken and waffle platter, I wanted a little more flavor from the chicken itself, which I found underseasoned beneath its breading. The slightly crispy scallion waffle and maple-chili butter were major pluses. A spicy Southern-style noodle bowl felt like an experiment. The chicken broth had a sweetness that detracted from the dish's overall appeal.
Elsewhere at Jokers, the smart cocktail list specializes in bourbon-based cocktails — not surprising, given the joint's honky-tonk ambitions. By contrast, an uninspired beer list qualifies as a disappointment, with no draft selections and few bottles of any distinction.
Dessert changes daily. It's whatever Sandlin makes that day, a pecan pie, maybe, or bread pudding. When we went, dessert was gone. (Take heart: Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop is directly across the square.)
You get the idea that Jokers 'n Thieves doesn't want to be too cool for Canton. It's one thing to offer live acoustic music on weekends — live music is a rarity in Canton — but the place shouldn't feel alien to O'Donnell Square. The renovated space looks up-to-date, with its newly created archways, hanging bare light bulbs and reclaimed materials, but it's not austere, and you can't miss the large-screen TVs hanging over the bar.
Jokers 'n Thieves is very, very loud. It's Canton loud, which makes the agile and adept service all the more admirable.
In its early months, with the help of some fine Low Country cuisine, Jokers 'n Thieves has made itself a welcome addition to the square. I liked Jokers, but I hesitate to say it's a destination. I think you have to like the place itself first before you commit to the food.
Jokers 'n Thieves
Rating: ✭✭1/2
Where: 3000 O'Donnell St., Canton
Contact: 410-675-4029, jokersnthievesbaltimore.com
Open: Wednesdays through Fridays 5 p.m. to 10 p.m..; Saturdays noon to 10 p.m.; and Sundays noon to 9 p.m. The bar stays open until 2 a.m. most nights.
Prices: Appetizers $11 to $14; entrees $24 to $36
Food: Hearty Low Country cuisine
Noise/TVs: Loud recorded music makes conversation strained in the main dining room. At least one or two TVs, usually with their sound off, are visible from most tables.
Service: Friendly and casual
Parking: At meters on the street
[Key: Superlative: ✭✭✭✭✭; Excellent: ✭✭✭✭ ; Very Good: ✭✭✭; Good: ✭✭; Promising: ✭]