Restaurant Reviews

Southern Hospitality

New gastropub boosts a neighborhood’s already burgeoning dining scene.

Fish Stick

Neptune Beach seafood house looks to have real staying power, thanks to a combination of casual style, a friendly neighborhood vibe and tasty eats.

It’s not breaking news to report that St. Johns Town Center has perhaps the densest collection of restaurants in the city. One can’t swing a French baguette in the area without hitting an eatery of some kind,

Restaurant Redux

The property at 1161 Beach Boulevard is well-worn restaurant real estate in Jacksonville Beach. Many longtime residents still associate the space with Giovanni’s Bar & Grill, a classic Italian eatery where Giovanni and Nelly Acireale served guests for 38 years. In 2012, restaurateur Chris Jones secured the space for his new concept—KC Crave, an establishment [...]

Split Personality

Riversiders like to consider themselves artsy, a little edgy and the kind of folks willing to try new things. So, it was with great anticipation that neighborhood denizens watched the structure at the intersection of Oak and Margaret streets rise from the ground. Five Points regulars are accustomed to seeing the odd and unusual. However, [...]

Show Time

Men dressing up in women’s clothing is nothing new. Shakespeare wasn’t afraid to infuse some cross-dressing into a comedy. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon stole a few scenes from Marilyn Monroe as a couple of bumbling dames in Some Like It Hot. In Jacksonville, a relatively new arrival to the local dining scene combines the men-in-drag theme with meat-and-potatoes pub eats.

Good For the Soul

Familiarity with Celestia Mobley’s work as executive chef and general manager at the Westside favorite, Potter’s House Soul Food Bistro, should prepare one for what’s in store at Cleota’s Southern American Cuisine. But with a menu that takes a few adventurous turns on some well-traveled culinary roads, diners may be surprised where this country cooking [...]

Modern Classic

There are countless restaurants that tout culinary inspiration from beautiful coastal regions. Pele’s Wood Fire may very well be unique in that it claims heritage and flavor influences from two shores: the tropical and exotic Kauai, Hawaii; and New Jersey, most recently famous for Snooki and JWoww. The two diverse influences come together nicely in [...]

Rising Sun

The Far East shines bright at a new beachside eatery. One of the Beaches’ newer restaurants bills its cuisine as “modern Pan Asian,” a broad term that hints at influences ranging from Japanese to Thai to Mongolian. Sushi and sashimi are big customer draws (guests may even sit at a bar overlooking the sushi chef [...]

MMM, MMM, GOOD

If you didn’t know the location of The Good Food Company, you could easily drive right past it. Once guests are in the door, though, it seems that executive chef Millard Cooley has a handle on what it takes to keep them coming back. The dining room is warm and inviting, with dark brown hues [...]

Fresh Picked

One of the best things about St. Augustine is its bounty of locally owned restaurants. Sure, it’s a tourist town that has scads of Cracker Barrels and fast food franchises near the interstate. But stretched between the historic district and the beaches are dozens of original operations. One of the newer establishments, and arguably the [...]

Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Come mid-March, every Irish pub in the city, as well as dozens of other drinking establishments that convert for one day, will be dressed from bar to ceiling in shamrocks, Guiness signs and plaids of every imaginable stripe and color. Bar crawlers should expect to hear U2, Sinead O’Connor and Cranberries songs played in near-nonstop [...]

Asian Sophistication

New chef-owned restaurant moves past traditional Thai The newest tenant in the Tapestry Park development, Poms Signature Restaurant, fits right in with its neighbors. Proprietor Pom Souvannasoth has created a pleasing combination of an intimate atmosphere and an inspired, worldly menu in his latest culinary endeavor. The interior of Poms is upscale with dark wood [...]

Tastings & Tapas

Royal Palm Village Wine & Tapas 296 Royal Palms Dr., Atlantic Beach; 372-0052, royalpalmwines.com Atlantic Beach newcomer offers something for just about anyone. Walking into Royal Palm Village Wine & Tapas on a Friday night was like walking into a friend’s party. It was a loud, bustling brew of beach folk, drinking, laughing, eating and shopping. And [...]

Change of Seasons

New restaurant proves “good” and “good for you” can be one and the same. If there’s any prevailing criticism of Jacksonville’s dining scene, it’s the stark bifurcation between franchise restaurants and independent kitchens. Within the St. Johns Town Center, recently opened Seasons 52 has the potential to bridge that gap. Its tie to parent company [...]

Bowl You Over

Traditional Vietnamese cuisine is a rare find in Jax. Of all the various incarnations of popular Asian eats, Vietnamese is probably the least represented in Northeast Florida. Sushi bars, Mongolian barbecues, Thai and Chinese restaurants. Check. Outlets for fare from Vietnam are few. Bowl of Pho is an exception.The restaurant is located in the shopping [...]

Flavor Profiles

Exploring Northern Indian cuisine at India House. Fans of global cuisine know that the Baymeadows area is home to a handful of traditional Indian restaurants. Among those, newcomer India House – which opened in August—stands ready to continue its neighborhood’s reputation.

Island Vibe

Chef Kenny Gilbert’s emphasis on ambiance is clear from the second you arrive at Nippers Beach Grille. A complimentary valet will handle the task of finding a parking spot, and live music provides an energetic atmosphere on the back patio just a few steps away. The crowd is an interesting mix of patrons just past [...]

Yucatan Gold

Casa Maya is a well-kept culinary secret in St. Augustine. The renovated house-turned-bistro is located on Hypolita Street, a narrow, one-way alley. But locals and regular visitors to the Oldest City revere the menu as a refreshing homage to traditional Mexican fare, prepared with local ingredients in the Yucatan Peninsula style. Warm simplicity is a [...]

My Big Fat Greek Dinner

From the piped-in music to the white-and-blue décor, everything about Taverna Yamas! feels Greek and casual, even on a slow Monday night. Upon entering the Souhside restaurant, our party was greeted with “Opa!” as the host led us to a cozy corner booth. Seating is ample in this relatively new dining spot, and the establishment [...]