It all started in Jimmy's childhood kitchen, on the fringe of Boston Mass. At the ripe old age of 5, Jimmy lost his Mother. His Air Force Colonel Father had 3 mouths to feed, and had to be quick about it. Aggressive and lightning fast in the kitchen, the Colonel was hollering, "Get in here, food's hot!" before Jimmy and his siblings could finish a game of checkers.
Eventually, out of necessity, Jimmy's Father taught his kids how to cook for themselves. While other kids were learning how to chuck a baseball, Jimmy was learning the finer points of grade A ground chuck, and how to turn leftovers into legacies.
Between the Colonel's short-order style, and his Jamaican nanny's bold flavors, Jimmy came to savor straight-up, un-complicated, hotdamn-delicious, authentically good food.
Jimmy's various career successes had him traveling left-to-right, top-to-bottom. In every city he's found himself, his mantra has become: Find out what this place is made of, and eat & drink the best of it.
Over time, and in every neighborhood he's called home, Jimmy's become famous for his unfussy, nostalgic, Frycook-meets-Foodie specialties. One night after a legendary bout with the grill and somewhere between 2 and 12 outstanding microbrews, Jimmy decided to take it to the people. Rallying some of the best in the business, Jimmy's Famous American Tavern was born.
Authentic, delicious, real... comfort food for the Foodie. Get in here. Food's hot (and the beer's cold).
The idea for Jimmy's Famous American Tavern, or JFAT, grew out of the early tavern tradition that had its initial roots in Renaissance England and the sprouted up in New England states. The early versions were primarily ”drinking establishments” offering up a limited array of food, sometimes of dubious quality. But they became social havens for locals and travelers alike that offered comfort and camaraderie. At the core of our concept is still based upon great brews and cocktails, but we wanted it to be a modern day interpretation….to create a social gathering place that serves both great drinks but also great food. A casual, comfortable, yet sophisticated neighborhood place great for a quick lunch, relaxing dinner or celebration with friends for any occasion.
In a country so rich in differing food traditions our approach is in a creative take on American regional classics. Our menu features popular regional dishes from around the country but approaches them from an 'Artisanal' point of view. Twenty years ago, it would have been a tough task to build a collection of American artisan foods. Today, there's such a bounty it has become difficult to narrow down the myriad options. ”Artisanal cooking” refers to food that is freshly prepared, hand crafted, in small batches, using high quality ingredients, and employing traditional methods. It reflects a devotion to detail and a reverence for the freshest ingredients, simple presentations, and an inspired blend of tradition and creativity. While much of the current movement is considered to be ”gourmet”, artisanal food can be very simple and traditional. Some of them are simply prepared as they have been for years while in other cases we've put our own special JFAT topspin on them. Everything begins with only the best ingredients prepared from scratch daily. With every dish we've tried to stick to the basics…simply prepared with the highest quality ingredients available and delivered with bold and ”crave-able” flavors. From our half-pound Jimmy Burger, with Applewood Bacon and Jalapeno Jelly to the Buttermilk Beer Batter Onion Rings with housemade Chipotle Ketchup, you'll find our creative reinterpretations of some of your favorite childhood meals.
At Jimmy's we embrace the philosophy of utilizing locally raised (if it's the best available), organic, and sustainable food products whenever possible and we strive to partner with growers, farmers, and fisherman who adhere to these same principles. We also feel the importance of giving to and being a part of the local community and charity organizations. The J-Fat philosophy also extends to outside the kitchen. We are also proud partners with the Long Beach Aquarium based ”Seafood for the Future” program, only serving sustainable and properly harvested fish and shellfish species. We also are a nationally certified GRA 'Green Restaurant' which involves water and utility saving equipment and techniques, the use of recycled building and paper materials and supplies, as well as a food composting program. To continue to serve only the best ingredients, we must support a clean, vibrant environment.
