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Like a lot of restaurants that opened in 2019, Gabriel Stulman’s revival of Great Jones Cafe never really stood a chance. Sure, you could see the place a mile away, its vibrant tangerine exterior and pale-eyed Elvis bust punctuating the space’s squat exterior, but curb appeal (or its diametric opposite, depending on the gaze) wasn’t enough to keep The Jones open through the pandemic. Neither was its take on the filet-o-fish sandwich that was almost as good as the plethora of write-ups made it sound at the time (too much tartar sauce).
So, unlike Great Jones Cafe’s three-and-a-half decade run, The Jones made it about a year. But something about that building just can’t not be a restaurant, and Stulman has returned with a new bistro: Jolene.
Named for the Dolly Parton classic whose lyrics incidentally evoke 54 Jones Street’s former ‘fit (flaming locks of auburn hair, eyes of emerald green, et cetera), Jolene aims to act as the block’s best bet for sipping cappuccinos with the paper, sharing a bottle of wine with a few snacks, or lingering over long lovely meals that you never want to end. Eventually.
For now, Jolene is open for dinner only from Tuesday through Saturday. Its interior seats a cozy 34 with room for 53 more outside. Opening menu items include lamb tartare, littleneck clams, anchovies in oil and chopped steak frites. And, although Stulman scrapped the eye-catching exterior (it’s white now), Elvis has not left the building.