• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Urban Bliss Life logo

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • contact
  • shop
  • cookbooks
  • resources
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • 30-Minute Meals
    • Air Fryer
    • Appetizers
    • Asian
    • Bread
    • Breakfast
    • Cookies
    • Dairy-free
    • Dessert
    • Filipino
    • Holiday
    • Instant Pot
    • Main Dish
    • Pasta
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Seafood
    • Vegan
    • Cocktails
    • Dog Treats
  • Wine
    • Food & Wine Pairing
    • Oregon Wine
    • Washington
    • California
  • Travel
    • Travel Gear
    • Travel Tips
    • Hotels
    • USA travel
    • Europe
    • Japan
    • Canada
    • Asia
  • Restaurants
  • About
    • Work With Us
    • Press
    • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Wine
  • Travel
  • Cookbooks
  • About
  • Work With Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ร—
    Urban Bliss Life ยป Restaurant Reviews ยป Oregon Restaurant Reviews ยป Portland French Restaurant and Bar: St. Jack

    Published: April 8, 2016 / Updated: May 4, 2022 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland ยท This post may contain affiliate links.

    Portland French Restaurant and Bar: St. Jack

    St. Jack Restaurant and Bar offers expertly executed dishes, a well curated sophisticated wine list, sharp decor, and a Pacific Northwest-meets-South-of-France vibe. If you're looking for a Portland French restaurant, you've found it.

    Portland French restaurant: St Jack Restaurant and Bar on UrbanBlissLife.com

    On a classic grey January day in 2014, the Mister and I were wandering around Southeast Portland running errands while both working from home, and we needed a place to grab a quick lunch. On the corner, in a galley-like space, was St. Jack. It was cute, we were hungry, so in we went.

    The small, jovial eatery was charming and buzzing with mid-day conversations. We found a table by a window and enjoyed some delicious tartines (mine was a rib eye tartine that clearly was amazing because I can still to this day almost taste how delicious it was), and it made me simultaneously miss our old Southeast Portland neighborhood and miss traveling through Europe.

    St Jack Restaurant and Bar in Portland, Oregon, on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Fast forward to almost exactly two years to the day from that delightful lunch, and I found myself once again in St. Jack... except St. Jack, all grown up.

    That boisterous little Portland French restaurant has bloomed into a 2,600 square foot eatery and bar on Portland's hoppin' NW 23rd Ave. No longer on the verge of being cramped, St. Jack retains its rustic French flair in a space that breathes in Pacific Northwest calm. It's a beautiful space ideal for dinner with friends or date night.

    If you want the South of France with a Portland twist, St. Jack is it.

    Waitress at St Jack Restaurant and Bar in Portland, Oregon

    The visit featured here was a media lunch at St. Jack thanks to Enzymedica.

    We'll start where all good meals begin: with great service (yay!) and tasty drinks.

    Drinks

    Bubbly at St Jack Restaurant and Bar in Portland, Oregon, on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Wine Director Christopher Sky Westmoreland has curated a sophisticated wine list that features excellent selections from France and from throughout the Pacific Northwest.

    On the list is one of my favorite Oregon Pinot Noirs: the 2013 Phelps Creek Vineyards Cuvée Alexandrine ($102), as well as a stunning Syrah: the 2012 WT Vintners Les Collines Vineyard Block 30 ($110). You can also find wines in the $30-40 range, and you may bring your own bottle for dinner ($20 corkage fee).

    St Jack Restaurant and Bar in Portland, Oregon, on UrbanBlissLife.com

    You will also find creative craft cocktails for $11-14 each.

    Portland French restaurant: St Jack

    At St. Jack, you can dine either in the main dining room or in the separate bar area. I love that there are a large number of seats (around 45) in the bar area alone, which makes it a great spot to tuck away into for a quick drink and happy hour with friends and co-workers.

    Food

    I've enjoyed every dish I have tried at St. Jack. Chef Aaron Barnett - who has been on Food Network's Chopped, one my kids' favorite cooking shows - is a master of creating mouthwatering, unfussy dishes that allow the essence of the ingredients to shine.

    St Jack Restaurant Chef Barnett

    At this particular media lunch, Chef Barnett gave us a cooking demonstration on how to make St. Jack's Mussels Nantua.

    Side note: Mussel farming is a huge part of France's aquaculture, and almost all of the mussels served in restaurants throughout the country are local. While Moule Frites (mussels with fries) are popular in France, they are thought to originate in Belgium, where you will also find them in abundance. Know where else you will find an abundance of Moule Frites? At Chef Barnett's latest bar: La Moule, at 2500 SE Clinton in Southeast Portland. That's right: it's ALL about the mussels at La Moule! Go check it out! 

    Mussels at St Jack Restaurant and Bar in Portland, Oregon, on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Mussels Nantua is made with caramelized fennel, tomato, garlic, shallot, capers, shellfish, cognac, and cream. The current St. Jack dinner menu features Mussels Normandy, for $26.

    I'm mildly obsessed with these mussels and keep meaning to try this recipe at home. The tomato cognac cream really brings out the freshness of the mussels and it's perfect to soak up with a side of bread.

    Portland French restaurant: St Jack steak frites

    Steak Frites - Shallot and red wine demi glace, pommes frites, béarnaise ($27 - Onglet 8oz, $42 - Rib Eye 12 oz)

    St Jack Restaurant and Bar in Portland, Oregon, on UrbanBlissLife.com

    I enjoyed the Whole Roasted Trout with warm lentil salad, kale (note: the current menu subs arugula), brown butter vinaigrette ($28).

    This trout was prepared perfectly, with crispy, salty skin and well seasoned for full flavor. The delicate fish was balanced out by the hearty, comforting warm lentil salad.

    St Jack Restaurant Lyonnais onion tart

    Another fellow diner enjoyed the Lyonnaise Onion Tarte, with a perfectly poached egg, melted onion and leek, cevre, and sauteéd kale ($26).

    Dining + digestion

    As I mentioned earlier, this particular meal featured in this post was from a media lunch with Enzymedica, a company that produces 100% vegetarian enzyme products formulated to help with common digestive discomforts, food intolerances, cardiovascular health, proper immune function and healthy inflammatory responses.

    Having recently gone through my own food intolerance discoveries, I was curious about these enzyme products. I'm a lifelong journalist and therefore a natural skeptic who questions everything, so I had to try these for myself for a few months to see if they made a difference.

    St Jack Restaurant and Bar in Portland, Oregon, on UrbanBlissLife.com

    For the past few months, I've been taking the Digest Spectrum, which is supposed to help with food intolerances like mine (dairy, eggs, etc). I've also been taking the Enzyme Nutrition Multi-Vitamins.

    When I take the spectrum right before I eat a meal with dairy (food bloggers must eat all things, after all, and dairy is always on the table at food events), I have noticed that I seem to have less of a reaction. I do like that the multi-vitamins contain probiotics, which I am a huge fan of already (go probiotics!). Will it make a difference for you? I think it's worth it to try, especially if you have been experiencing digestive issues, and if your doctor says it's okay for you to test them out. You can find these at places like Pharmaca, Whole Foods Market, and New Seasons Market.

    Visit

    I love, love, loooove St. Jack and cannot wait to go back. I didn't take any pictures of the desserts, but you should know that their chocolate pot de dremé is amazing! As is their sorbet.

    They take reservations online through Open Table for parties of all sizes (hooray! Big bonus points for all Portland restaurants that take reservations!).

    1610 NW 23rd Avenue
    Portland, Oregon 97210
    503.360.1281
    http://stjackpdx.com/
    HOURS:
    Restaurant Daily, 5:00pm - 10:00pm
    Bar Sunday - Thursday, 4:00pm - 11:00pm
    Friday - Saturday, 4:00pm - 12:00am
    Happy Hour 7 days a week, 4:00pm - 6:00pm; 10pm - close

    Have you been to St. Jack before? If you live outside of Portland, is there a French restaurant near you that you love? 

    Thanks to St. Jack and Enzymedica for the complimentary meal featured in this post. As I wrote above, I have been to St. Jack on other occasions on my own dime and loved it. All opinions and photos are my own. 

    « Portland to Victoria BC Road Trip
    Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort & Spa »

    Get recipes, travel tips, deals and more delivered to your inbox!

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. courtney says

        April 12, 2016 at 2:02 pm

        I had dinner there last year and really enjoyed the atmosphere and dishes. Great description, thank you! I might have to go back soon...it's in my neighbourhood. :)

        Reply
      2. Matt @ Plating Pixels says

        April 12, 2016 at 12:34 am

        Sounds amazing. I tried a bunch of restaurants when visiting Portland, but missed that one. So much good food!

        Reply
      3. Renรฉe โ™ฅ The Good Hearted Woman says

        April 10, 2016 at 5:35 pm

        Mussels, like oysters, are one of those things that my sweetheart LOVES, but I have yet to develop a taste for. Nevertheless, watching the preparation method would be so interesting. St Jacks is one of those restaurants that has been on my radar, but we just haven't made it there yet.

        Reply
      4. Denay DeGuzman says

        April 09, 2016 at 1:21 pm

        All of the dishes shown look fabulous. But it's that rib eye steak that really has me salivating! I have relatives who live in Portland. On our next visit I'll be keeping this gem of a restaurant in mind. And thanks for mentioning Digest Spectrum, We have a few members of our family who sometimes experience food intolerance so I'll share this information. :-)

        Reply
      5. Cathy M says

        April 09, 2016 at 12:31 pm

        Those mussels look so good!! I actually just tried mussels for the first time when we were visiting family in Boston--everything you shared looks so delicious!

        Reply
      6. jenni says

        April 09, 2016 at 10:56 am

        Yes, hooray for places that take reservations. Bonus points to online reservations. St. Jack is delish and the steak frites....MMMMM. I've started to have issues (yay aging) with foods and have become more dependent on probiotics, etc. I'll check out these next time I'm at the store.

        Reply
      7. Brettni Brumfield says

        April 08, 2016 at 6:07 pm

        I'm going to have to play tourist soon and head into the city. I had a look at their menu and now I'm feeling famished and wanting to try the boudin noir SO BAD!

        Reply
      8. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

        April 08, 2016 at 4:42 pm

        Everything looks amazing!!! I've heard good things about St. Jack, and now it's confirmed - Can't wait to go!

        Reply
      9. Leah says

        April 08, 2016 at 3:13 pm

        This looks like such a great place to eat! The food looks wonderful as well! Great review!

        Reply
      10. Maggie Unzueta says

        April 08, 2016 at 3:10 pm

        I've heard a lot about the Portland food scene and how it has grown. All of this looks amazing. I must take a trip north to visit.

        Reply
      11. Mary Burris says

        April 08, 2016 at 2:31 pm

        This looks like a great place to visit. I'm going to have to make my way from the west side and check it out! Thanks for this!

        Reply
      12. Meredith {MarthaChartreuse} says

        April 08, 2016 at 2:23 pm

        That was such a delicious lunch! My mouth is watering. And now I must get that in my belly.

        Reply

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating





      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

      Primary Sidebar

      Marlynn Jayme Schotland 2021 profile pic

      Hi! If you're looking for easy, fast, delicious family-friendly recipes, wine pairings, and travel tips, you've come to the right place! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

      More about me →

      Featured In

      Urban Bliss Life Press Featured In graphic

      Spring Recipes

      • Half of a quiche in a pie pan with salmon, asparagus, and leeks.
        Salmon Quiche
      • strawberry crinkle cookies on a plate
        Strawberry Crinkle Cookies
      • dill pickle potato salad
        Dill Pickle Potato Salad
      • bowl of cucumber dill salad.
        Cucumber Dill Salad

      More Spring Recipes ➡️

      New Recipes

      • Cod en Papillote (cod in parchment paper).
        Cod en Papillote
      • berry overnight oats in a mason jar.
        Berry Overnight Oats
      • ube ice cream, ube donuts, ube cookies, ube bars with title text overlay "Best Ube Dessert Recipes"
        Filipino Ube Desserts
      • chicken and chorizo orzo in a pan.
        Chicken and Chorizo Orzo

      New Travel Tips

      • scenes from Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Fes, and Sahara Desert with title text overlay 10 Day Morocco Itinerary.
        10 Day Morocco Itinerary: From Casablanca to the Sahara to the Sea
      • bottles of syrah
        Wine Tasting in Tournon-sur-Rhone
      • vineyards at Domaine De Fond-vieille in Beaujolais, France
        Wine Tasting in Beaujolais: Domaine De Fond-vieille
      • exterior of abba hotel san sebastian spain
        Where to Stay in San Sebastian: Abba San Sebastian

      Visit our Sister Sites

      Fifty cups of coffee logo
      • Twitter
      • Facebook
      • Pinterest
      • Instagram
      • YouTube

      Footer

      ↑ back to top

      logos of media outlets that have featured urban bliss life.

      Recipes

      • 30-Minute Meals
      • 5-Ingredients
      • Air Fryer
      • Asian
      • Dairy-Free
      • Pasta
      • Seafood

      About

      • About
      • FAQs
      • Privacy & Accessibility Policy
      • Terms & Conditions

      Contact

      • Contact
      • Work with me

      As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
      Copyright © 2024 Urban Bliss Life

      All rights reserved. You may not use any photos or recipes on this site for any personal or commercial use without my express written permission.