Filling the Duck’s shoes with style

By Frank Whitman

Closed, finished, going out of business. The Dilly Duck Shop (on the Norwalk-Wilton border) was done. The mother and son team that created a delicious and original breakfast and lunch menu didn’t want to do it any more. It felt like a good friend had moved away.

But what luck, another unique eatery – Chez Jack Cafe – has taken the Duck’s place filling its web-footed shoes with a different but equally creative and tasty menu.  The new neighbors are going to be great. 

Owner and chef Jacques Talbot, a veteran of Quebec restaurants, got tired of the large-scale effort required by his four restaurants and hundreds of employees. When the Dilly Duck spot came open, it was perfect for the small-scale hands-on operation he was looking for. 

Lucky us.

The flavor of Jack’s distinctive sandwiches rely on his slow-roasted rotisserie meats: ham, roast beef and pork.  A classic Ham & Cheese Française (just like in Paris) ($14.50) features thick-cut ham and Emmentaler on a Wave Hill baguette. Roast beef on ciabatta ($16.50) comes with cheddar and caramelized onions.  The pork, also on ciabatta, ($15) is dressed with provolone, tomatoes and aioli.  Tuna, chicken, and veggies are all creatively sandwiched on local breads with top-notch flavors and ingredients. Sandwiches come with a choice of fries or an arugula salad with pickled onions, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. 

The most surprising thing about the menu – no hamburger.  Can you imagine a lunch menu without?  Instead, Jack’s Classic Quebec Poutine ($16), takes pride of place.  It features the traditional fries topped with cheese curds and gravy.  Add the rotisserie roast beef ($8) for a heartier meal. 

St-Viateur bagels, stellar examples of the Montreal style, are shipped down for Jack’s menu. The everything ($15) with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers and onions is a meal unto itself. 

Other French-Canadian accents on the menu include croissants, crêpes, and maple syrup cake. 

I’ve never been much for a restaurant breakfast (except on vacation). Coffee and an early bite are more my style.  But the Chez Jack menu is a temptation that could bring me out.  Breakfast sandwiches, omelets, French toast, benedicts and those Canadian bagels are a real draw. 

New and seasonal items are posted on the blackboard. A full range of European style coffees are brewed to order. 

Eat in the bright, wood-paneled dining area, punctuated with striking large-scale food art or get your goodies to go. Either way, be sure to check out the stylish rest rooms. While you wait in front of the colorful kitchen, peek around the corner and watch Jacques work.  He’s got a practiced technique at the stove.

Chez Jack is at 666 Main Ave. in Norwalk. Turn in at the light between Walmart and the Sly Bandit Brewery. It’s at the end of a long block of storefronts, just past Michelle’s Pies. It can’t be seen from the highway, but Chez Jack is worth looking for.