Opening Today: Pleasanthouse Bakery

By Chuck Sudo in Food on May 6, 2011 9:00PM

Art Jackson looked ragged when we visited him yesterday. Last Friday was his last day as chef at Bijan's Bistro in River North, but he returned Monday to tie up loose ends so he could focus on Pleasanthouse Bakery, his new bakery and sandwich shop opening 5 p.m. today at 964 W. 31st St. Jackson's schedule for months has been to work on Pleasanthouse in the free time he had away from Bijan's or from tending to the network of urban farm plots he, wife Chelsea and their immediate family maintain in Bridgeport and Pilsen under the name Pleasant Farms. "We've saved up for years for this moment," Jackson said. "There are no investors. It's just us."

Pleasanthouse Bakery is a family affair. Chelsea is the pastry chef; his brother Michael provided Herculean effort in transforming what was a dingy former pizzeria into a comfortable workplace. Art Jackson's brothers are involved in the kitchen and selling the bakery's Yorkshire-inspired savory pies, Cornish fish and tea sandwiches to retail outlets throughout the area. Just this week, they aboard another chef and longtime friend of Art Jackson's, Darrin McCowan. McCowan, who writes the blog Low on the Hog, had a recent stint at Leopold and will be making Pleasanthouse's house cured meats and sausages. His wife Rebecca helped design Pleasanthouse's branding.

Like Maria's Packaged Goods and Community Bar next door, this was more than just a facelift. It's a rebirth. It's also an investment in a community. "We live in Pilsen and we love Bridgeport," Art Jackson said. "We want to be able to work in neighborhoods like this that have a similar mindset."