Miso Black Cod

Not sure why Jackson’s Food & Drink Emporium is called that, but chef Scott Cooper is doing a grand job at a place that was formerly in Hermosa Beach. Three years on in El Segundo and right next to the Arc light Cinemas, Jackson’s serves up a series of dishes that are frankly of a high quality, full of flavor and creativity from Cooper.

The place itself is very rustic looking with wood everywhere, which somewhat belies the quality of the food, but nevertheless very comfortable and perfect for larger groups looking to celebrate. As for the food, start out with the Pork Belly with a Parmesan Creamy Polenta ($16.50) nicely touched off with a dried cherry brandy sauce that will kick start a meal here. All the appetizers come in shareable small plate size portions.

Other starters to consider would be the Filet Mignon Risotto ($17.50) w/Oyster mushrooms, Chianti Au Jus and White Truffle Oil. The chef assured us that this is as good as any Risotto you will find around town, and based on his other dishes I tend to believe him. Also check out the Ahi Sashimi Salad ($12.50), one of their top sellers w/Daikon Sprouts, Toasted Sesame Seeds, and Crispy Wonton all nicely soaked in Wasabi Vinaigrette.

Next up came the delectable Miso Black Cod ($26), which like all the starters can be easily shared. The cod is fresh and wild caught, and like all of Cooper’s dishes, the sides are always interesting. In this case he served the cod w/Ginger-Beurre Blanc, Jasmine Rice, Cucumber Salad all in a wet soy sizzle. What a winning combination and
a must order when you go there.

The savory delights continued with the Port Braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs ($27), And this time instead of a polenta mash he comes up with a Parsnip Mash along with Roasted Root Vegetables and a creamy Horseradish Sauce.

The menu, which is tight and compact also has four pasta dishes including Linguine and Clams or Linguine with Shrimp. Both sound great as do the flatbreads and pizza offerings that are perfect for the movie goers who come to Jackson’s and need food to eat in less than an hour before the movie. Cooper admitted that it has become
somewhat of a challenge serving faster style food as opposed to a more lengthy fine dining experience, but he has adapted the kitchen to cope well.

The meal ended with a superb blueberry pie with ice cream that was of course up to the same standards, and a quick word here about the drinks menu, which deserves a whole separate article. There are wines by the glass and the bottle, a very good beer selection and a dozen or so specialty cocktails that are very well curated. Those include Tommy’s Margarita w/Partida Blanco Tequila, or the powerful Chumash w/Ketel One Citrus Vodka, strawberries, lime, ginger syrup and lime juice, although in my case the bartender substituted the vodka with rum.

Jackson’s Food & Drink
2041 Rosecrans Ave, #190,
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 606-5500

Five course tasting menu for 2 with two drinks each $158