Jakob White taking Flight

By Zander Frost, Chronicle Chief Operating Officer

Jakob White, the Glens Falls native who drew acclaim in Boston for an American-Chilean restaurant, has moved back to Glens Falls and will open a “Southern-inspired” restaurant where Flight formerly operated in the redeveloped Empire Theatre building on South Street.

Cleome Table & Bar will serve “reimagined Southern classics and comfort food, all based on traditional French cooking techniques,” said Jakob.

He said Cleome is a type of flower — and also the name of his niece. “She’s a beautiful little person,” Jakob said. “Super in touch with nature.”

The time-frame isn’t certain. He’s hoping to open by the end of the year.

Jakob, 43, graduated from Glens Falls High in 1999 and went on to the Culinary Arts program at Boston University, later opening a restaurant he called Comedor.

“Comedor was voted the best South American restaurant in Boston two years in a row,” Jakob said.

Jakob’s partner in the project is Christopher Matte, Glens Falls Class of 1996.

They’ve known each other “from the days of playing ‘Manhunt’ on the street all the way up to him bringing business clients to my restaurant in Boston,” Jakob said.

Christopher said that after eating at Comedor in Boston several times, “I was just blown away, and basically talked to him back then about it: You ever want to do something else, let me know.

“And this thing — I don’t know if it’s divine intervention — but it kind of fell in our lap locally here.”

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Jakob said they were in talks to open a restaurant in Saratoga, “but all the while I really wanted to be on South Street, and the Saratoga thing wasn’t feeling exactly right.”

When the former Flight space opened up, “we jumped on it,” Jakob said.

Jakob said that at Cleome, “we’re really going to drive home the Southern hospitality.”

Why Southern? “I’ve always enjoyed traveling through the American South,” and comfort food, he said.

“I’ve always enjoyed the aspect of classic dishes that people have renditions of that got passed through their family. Like everyone’s buttermilk fried chicken was a little bit different. Everyone’s pickled long beans were slightly unique.

“When I was looking at this area… and what’s been on my list of restaurant concepts that I’d like to pull the trigger on, it just seemed to make sense and fit. I saw the space, I saw the vision. I saw what it could be,” Jakob said. “It just felt right. I follow my gut a lot.”

He said of his plan, “Everything is like a half entree sized portion.” All guests will “have a single unified experience, whether they’re two people, four people, or somebody coming in to eat at the bar by themselves. Everyone gets to taste everything.”

Jakob said, “I’m really excited to bring my takes on the traditional.” For instance, “instead of a chicken pot pie, we’re planning on doing a lobster pot pie that’s served in a three year aged clothbound cheddar cheese popover.”

Also planned: “Barbecue pigtail wings, sweet and sour bacon lardons, double dip fried buttermilk fried chicken with sawmill gravy, baked stuffed oysters.”

“Really fun takes on these Southern classics,” Jakob said. “A really cool relish plate full of pickled local farm vegetables. I’m working my butt off to source everything I can from this area.”

For drinks, “a lot of whiskey based smashed ice cocktails like whiskey smashes and mint juleps.”

Jakob said he emphasizes service, and a seamless, flowing dining experience.

“Servers are going to be tableside, filling your water — not interjecting necessarily, but right there, to handle the guests’ needs and wants and desires.

“I want to get people’s meals started quickly, and I want them to just kind of sit down, and then the food just arrives.
“And it’s just this, oh, here comes the next one, like when you’re not even expecting it,” he said.

“The food is arriving as it’s ready, and next thing you know, you’ve just had this incredible meal and you’ve tasted all these different cool things.”

He said servers will be trained to know which items take longer than others, and they’ll send orders to the kitchen in a way timed for the guest experience.

For example — some fried dishes are faster; fish or steak might take longer. The server will help structure the meal.

“It creates this seamless line, this seamless stream, that the server can pace — slow it down or speed it up, depending on the guests’ needs.”

Jakob said Comedor operated this way.

“It’s the dynamic I developed in Boston, and I loved it. I would never go back.”

Jakob opened Comedor in 2014. He said he sold it during the pandemic and moved to St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, where his then girlfriend was from.

The pandemic “was a tough time for restaurant owners and small businesses. No one knew what the landscape was going to be on the other side of that.”’

He said he chose to sell it not to a chain but to “two chefs who were husband and wife, who were opening their first restaurant, just like I was five years before.”

In St. Croix he said he worked as a consultant, “helping struggling restaurants reach success.

“I also opened restaurants for hotels and I was also a private chef, so I would do these really kind of crazy upscale private dinners for clients who rented big villas down there,” he said.

He said Comedor had its kitchen in the front window, where people enjoyed watching the chefs work.

“I’m not chit chatting with the line cook,” Jakob said. “I’m focused on the food that’s in front of me. And every detail, every knife cut’s perfect. Everything that I do is an opportunity to grow and get better. I guess you can call me a perfectionist, but that’s how I do it…

“My last restaurant project was an evolution of who I was as a person,” he said. “When you choose a concept in a direction, in a lane, then that evolution starts — of who you are as a person and how you showcase your drive and your skills and your effort and your heart and soul to the customers that come in.

“That’s what these projects are about. For me, you know, I love being an entrepreneur. I love opening businesses…operating them, but it’s really a place where I can get that creativity out.”

Are Jakob’s parents Tanya and Mike White happy he’s opening a restaurant in Glens Falls?

“They’re more thrilled that I’m back after 20 years of living all over,” he laughed.

“I get to see my nieces and nephew, and I get to go to birthday parties,” he said. “For the time being, until my restaurant opens,” he chuckled.

He’s in on Glens Falls. “I came back here, and this is the place that I chose to buy my first ever house,” he said.

He sees Glens Falls becoming a hot spot. Why? “I think it’s the people. I think it’s the passion. I think that Glens Falls downtown, the greater Glens Falls area is incredibly beautiful,” he said. “It’s a great place to raise a family, great place to live. And that doesn’t stay secret for long.”

Jakob says his goal is to be a part of the community and restaurant scene. He talks of sharing ingredients with other restaurants, and participating in Take a Bite. “We plan on doing a lot of local outreach, getting involved in what’s happening downtown,” he said.

Jakob emphasized that they’re looking to hire from “the local community to build a really good team…I’ve been in contact with Chef Bolton over at SUNY Adirondack Culinary about hiring graduates and things like that.”

Business partner Christopher said he returned to Glens Falls in 2008 after spending four years in the Navy and living in Florida and Oregon. He now works in operations for National Grid.

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