Restaurant of the Week: The JakeWalk

Boozehounds of yore risked contracting a peculiar affliction called "jake leg" after getting high on toxic Jamaica ginger extract, also known as "jake." This was during Prohibition, when no laws were in place to monitor spirits (other than making their manufacture a criminal offense). The poor, eternally poisoned bums' legs turned to rubber. Some lost the ability to walk altogether. And thus, for those who could still hobble, the "jake walk" was born, as was a song, "The Jake Walk Blues." Today, The JakeWalk has a sunnier connotation, if we consider the new wine, cheese and meat emporium on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. Owners Michele Pravda and Patrick Watson (a charming, clever couple soon expecting their first child) are also the brains behind Smith & Vine, a wine shop nearby, and Stinky Bklyn, stocked with artisanal cheeses, charcuterie and chocolate. At the JakeWalk it all comes together. First of all, you can sit down, that is, if you can get a table in the dark, good-looking, perpetually packed hangout. But can wine, cheese and cured meats constitute dinner? In my case, that's a resounding yes. Especially since fondue ($14), one of my favorite food groups, is on the menu. The pungent melted cheese lava changes nightly. I scooped up every last thread of it with crusty bread. Bread was also the foundation for my thinly sliced prosciutto and speck (a reddish, cured ham). All told there are 20 types of cured meats ($5 each), 40 kinds of cheese ($4 per piece) and more wine than you can count, much of it pocket-friendly. The JakeWalk's potent cocktails ($7-$9) may make you feel a little rubbery, though not permanently. 282 Smith St., (347) 599-0294

Photo from New York Times