Revisionary
By B.A. Nilsson

Justin’s

301 Lark St., Albany, 436-7008. Serving lunch Mon-Sat 11:30-4, dinner Sun-Thu 5-10, Fri-Sat 5-10:30, brunch Sat-Sun 11-4. AE, DC, MC, V.

Cuisine: comfortably eclectic

Entrée price range: $17 (jerk chicken) to $23 (lamb chops)

Ambiance: comfortably intimate

The Lark Street stalwart remains true. It’s always nerve-wracking when a successful eatery changes hands, but I have to confess I wasn’t at all perturbed to hear that John DeJohn bought Justin’s not long ago. DeJohn already put in place his eponymous restaurant across the street, and has proved he’s hip to what makes such a place run well.

Justin’s ups the ante a little, with a long history of fine and fascinating dining. It was the proving ground for Ric Orlando, now chef-owner of New World Home Cooking. It flourished after Orlando’s departure, each successive chef evolving new menus around signature dishes like jerk chicken and ropa vieja.

So DeJohn’s challenge was to facelift the place without imperiling its well-earned appeal. He did so by targeting its weaknesses, particularly the fading look of the place, while shoring up its strengths, which have long flourished in the menu and service departments.

Despite some significant changes in personnel, the focus—based on my recent pair of visits—remains sharp without any sense of corporate control. Which is only to say that the staff is as accommodating as ever, their various personalities undimmed, while DeJohn himself is highly visible and eager to please.

That said, let’s take a look at the menu. In fact, let’s study it over a platter of chips and guacamole ($6.75). California style, the menu explains, which designates the addition of tomatoes to the avocado-based concoction.

I like mine spicy, and spiciness is never a problem at Justin’s because you’ll get a basket of four different bottles of hot sauce, allowing you to perk up an item with jalapenos, habaneros, or whatever the fire-source of a particular brew might be. I found the sauces fun to taste just dabbed by themselves on those chips.

Don’t let such nibbling distract you from the warm rolls that also will hit the table, each day with a differently seasoned scoop of butter. A kind of maple walnut blend proved way too tempting, and I melted bits of it over various items that were served throughout the evening.

I try, with these visits, to be a good customer, which means I’m there to dine and enjoy myself—and enjoy the company I’m with. And sometimes I get so caught up in the food-enhanced flow of conversation that I almost forget to apply the critical lens. Happily, Justin’s didn’t hand me much cause to be critical in the pejorative sense of the term.

You needn’t follow the traditional appetizer-entrée scheme, and the hot muggy days that recently consumed us made it impossible to consume too much. That’s why I was delighted to find the salad chop chop ($7.50) which, its dubious name notwithstanding, is a cold plate of well-chopped greens tossed with peanuts, blue cheese, croutons and more—all of it sized for easy forkfuls.

Another good warm-weather starter is smoked salmon ($8), which has a dill weed-laced sour-cream sauce and some insanely rich homemade cheese crackers. And the Caesar salad ($6.50) is as you’d expect, with anchovies if you wish, and not, as is too often the case, overdressed—although my server hurried extra dressing to the table just in case.

The $9 scallop cakes offer a good ratio of seafood to breading, and the lime-cilantro mayo that comes with it doesn’t need any enhancement—but those hot sauces are always tempting.

Chicken and beef and fish are menu regulars, and I’m happy to report that the signature Jamaican jerk chicken ($17) remains a winner, that incredible melange of flavors giving the meat a through-and-through kick.

Roasted half-duckling ($20), a standby on many a traditional menu, here gets a fresh idea of sweetness with a mint-infused orange glaze. It’s served on a bed of wild rice tricked out with colorful grains. Other menu items include a grilled rib-eye steak ($21), exotic mushroom ravioli ($18), Cajun peppered shrimp ($22) and Cuban ropa vieja ($17), a spicy beef stew.

A couple of specials we sampled included a shrimp-stuffed flounder ($20), which was very much as expected, and flank steak ($22), served London-broil style, with good mashed potatoes soaking up the juices underneath.

Service was exemplary. I was under the watchful eye of the dynamic Victoria during both visits, although the cheerful team spirit left me never neglected.

As you no doubt recall, Justin’s sits near the corner of Lark and Madison, and its entryway takes you between a long bar and a row of small tables, an area that fills early and remains filled. A U-turn at the far end takes you to the dining room, which looks more handsome than it’s ever been thanks to a recent refurbishment. Dark but muted colors on the walls with accents of splashy artwork, a scheme carried to the tables and the long banquette that lines each side of the room.

Toward the front: a new piano and, as is traditional, a reliable line-up of jazz talent to provide entertainment. Although my dinner visits took place relatively early each evening, I had to stop by later one night to retrieve leftovers refrigerated for me while I attended a concert. And the later-at-night bar scene at Justin’s was an eye-opener for a long-married guy like me. Even I, who boast the sex appeal of Zero Mostel, got checked out.

So you have plenty of reasons to visit the place anew.

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