Plenty of restaurants hit their stride early, sliding downhill in the years—or decades—that follow. St. Jack came out sprinting when it opened on a cute Clinton street corner in 2011 (later relocating to Northwest Portland) with a deep pool of talent and Lyonnaise-style, gut-busting cookery. But instead of fading out, it’s become a consistent fount of playful, comfort-heavy French cooking. Fresh chilled seafood, ranging from juicy prawns dunked in complex vadouvan aioli to sweet smoked scallop tartar dressed up with trout roe, plays well with the thought-provoking cocktail list. But the classics, reimagined with seasonal wit and playful accessibility rule here: long, fatty troughs of bone marrow brimming with sweet caramelized onion, fried shallots, and melty gruyere; piping hot gougères dotted with poppy seeds, drizzled with honey, and served with a dollop of squash butter for smearing; and impeccable steak frites, upgradable with the optional seared foie gras. If you had any doubts, rest assured: Lyon is still in the house.