BASCA Inc. hosted the Subaru BASCA Golf Classic Friday, April 6 at the Eagle Harbor Golf Club. Over 140 golfers participated in the organization’s premier annual fundraiser by playing 18 holes in four different flight groups. The tournament included silent auction items, door prizes and concluded with dinner and the much-anticipated car raffle drawing.
Childhood cancer negatively affects many families’ lives, but turn the disease on its head and find a positive impact by participating in Kate’s Kup, a triples tennis tournament, and raise funds for pediatric cancer research.
Kate’s Kup is part of the Kate Amato Foundation, founded to honor a life lost to pediatric cancer and dedicated to finding safer, more effective treatments.
The event will take place April 14 at the Oak Bridge Club at Sawgrass. Participation for a triples team is $600 and includes tournament play, admission to the VIP Kickoff Party, swag bag and a generous donation. Awards will be given to the tournament champions, second place, best team costume and top fundraising team.
Beyond the tournament, players and spectators can enjoy food trucks, ice cream, face painting and games. Advance spectator tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for kids.
The night before the event, kickoff the festivities at the VIP Party at 3 Palms Grille. Nosh on small bites and sip on beverages while participating in silent and live auctions, a raffle and listening to The Band Be Easy. $75 in advance, $85 at the door.
More than 130 guests attended the eighth annual Great Chefs of Jacksonville which took place Thursday, March 29 at TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse. During the cocktail hour, guests were treated to two cocktails in the Cocktail Challenge from Flying Iguana and Sidecar. A new twist? Three food trucks including TacoLu, Blazin Azn and Mama’s Food, on the back lawn competing for best appetizer. With the ringing of the dinner bells, guests proceeded back inside for a four-course dinner featuring restaurants such as Azurea at Once Ocean Resort, Mezza Restaurant, Coop 303 and TPC Sawgrass. In the end, Jay Mendoza of Azurea took home victory with his Niman Ranch Braised Short Rib. Global Diamonds hosted a Mystery Bracelet Pull where guests had the opportunity to purchase one of several beautiful silver boxes, each containing a bracelet. One lucky guest had the “Winner” label inside and took home a stunning piece of jewelry. Proceeds from the event and silent auction benefited the Monique Burr Foundation for Children.
Over two dozen guests gathered for a lantern workshop Tuesday, March 27 at Wicked Barley Brewing. Guests were treated to all their lantern materials and two free beers. The workshop is one of many leading up to the inaugural Jacksonville Lantern Parade presented by Vystar Credit Union taking place Saturday, April 7 along the Northbank Riverwalk.
// by Andy Moser
4/13
Kate’s Kup Kickoff Party
Join the Kate Amato Foundation for an 18+ kickoff party to the Kate’s Kup Triples Tennis Tourney. The event includes food, drinks, live music and more to benefit pediatric cancer research. $75 in advance, $85 at the door. Ponte Vedra Beach. 904TIX.com
4/14
Kate’s Kup Triples Tennis Tournament
If you can swing it, sign up with two of your friends to participate in the triples tennis tournament. Tournament play is $600, while advance spectator tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children. Ponte Vedra Beach. 904TIX.com
4/21
Comedy for Critters
Extend a helping hand to Friends of Jacksonville Animals—a group which has been aiding local shelter animals for a decade—by attending a Mad Cowford improv comedy show and silent auction. Wear orange to get a free raffle ticket. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Hotel Indigo, Deerwood Park. 904TIX.com
4/21
Katie Ride for Life
Grab your bikes and head out to Amelia Island for the 14th annual Katie Ride for Life. Cycle through a variety of courses ranging from 18 to 63 miles to help bring awareness to organ donation while supporting the Katie Caples Foundation’s organ donor education program. A walk and fun run are also available. $50 and a $125 fundraising requirement for cycling, $50 and a $50 fundraising requirement for the walk and fun run. Atlantic Rec Center, Amelia Island. katiecaples.org
4/28
Feeding the Future
This fourth annual fundraiser promotes youth access to proper nutrition. Enjoy food from JaxDiner chef Pete Smith and live music. $25-$50. Abundant Harvests Farm, 8599 Smokey Rd., Glen St. Mary.
5/18
Jacksonville Magazine Fashion Project
The third annual Jacksonville Magazine Fashion Project pairs Northeast Florida models and designers to create one-of-a-kind runway looks and concludes with the awarding a cover photo shoot and fashion layout within the pages of Jax Mag. $40. WJCT Studios. 904TIX.com
Party of the Decades 2018
APRIL 13: Break out the poodle skirts and disco pants for a blast from the past. The Party of the Decades travels through time with food, drinks, music and a costume contest. The basic ticket gets you in the 1950s room, but upgrades include the ‘70s room and an all-access pass to the ‘90s. Anheuser-Busch Brewery. Starts at $35. 6:30-10:30 PM.
Vegan Party in the Garden
APRIL 15: The Zen Butcher Company celebrates its one year anniversary with a familyfriendly garden party. The owner of Eat Your Yard Jax opens his farm for a day of yoga, plant-based education and a fivecourse vegan meal punctuated with farm fresh ingredients. If the day seems a little long, tickets are available for individual activities. $70. 9 AM-8 PM.
Secret Supper Club
APRIL 17: The Secret Supper Club is headed to Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails for its fourth exclusive dinner this year. Come prepared for a full course meal and drinks to go with, but expect a couple of surprises. No Secret Supper is ever the same. $50. 6-8 PM. 904tix.com
Great Chefs of St. Augustine
MAY 24: Top chefs battle it out to be the king (or queen) of the culinary scene in St. Augustine while diners sit back, relax and chow down. All proceeds from the event benefit Catholic Charities to help fight hunger. $150. 6-10 PM. 904tix.com
Residents of Riverside and Avondale say they love living in the historic neighborhoods for their charm, beauty and sense of community. Visitors flock to the area for many of the same reasons. At the 44th annual Riverside Avondale Preservation Spring Tour of Homes on April 14 and 15, those visitors—some history buffs, some interior design aficionados—are offered the chance to explore some of the century-old structures as well as inviting restaurants and quirky shops that make these neighborhoods so unique.
Purchase your tickets online at 904TIX.com or pick them up at any ticketed stop either day of the tour at $25 for members, $35 for non-members. Tickets purchased by March 31 are eligible for the early bird special: only $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. Join RAP at riversideavondale.org.
Those who prefer to enjoy the tour via two wheels can participate in the Riverside Avondale Tour of Homes Bike Tour, led by historian Jean Grimsley of Riverside Avondale Preservation. Grimsley will share her extensive knowledge of the neighborhood during the roughly three-hour ride, making stops at several of the Home Tour’s featured residences, and highlighting significant landmarks along the way. Participation in the ride is free, but a Home Tour ticket is required to enter the residences. The bike ride departs from ZenCog Bicycle Company (883 Stockton Street) on Saturday, April 14 at 10 AM.
The RAP Home Tour Design Preview VIP Party will take place on Thursday April 12, 2018, from 6 until 10 PM. This year’s Preview Party theme is The Great Gatsby—come dressed to impress! This party is an opportunity to get a sneak peek at showcased interior designers, reserve specialty items and mingle with the tour house homeowners and other VIPs. This ticket price includes food and beverage, as well as one Home Tour ticket. $75-$140
• Design Additions 3569 St. Johns Ave.
• Berkshire Hathaway 3627 St. Johns Ave.
• Phillips Garden Store 4234 Herschel St.
• Watson Realty Office 4194 San Juan Ave.
• Five Points Vintage 1046 Park St.
• Riverside Arts Market 715 Riverside Ave., Saturdays in April
• Southern Crossing Antique Mall 2718 Park St.
• Riverside Liquors 1251 King St.
• Home Tour headquarters 2623 Herschel St., Tuesday-Friday, 10 AM-2 PM
• Bold Bean Coffee Roasters—All three locations
869 Stockton St.
2400. S. 3rd Street Jax Beach
1905 Hendricks Ave.
// by Andy Moser
Innovation has brought us self-driving cars, robots and cures for previously incurable diseases. Now, the world’s collective genius has created something beyond our wildest dreams: tearless onions.
Sunions, as they’re branded, are 30 years in the making and allow cooks to cut into an onion without shedding a single tear. They’re grown via a crossbreeding program at farms in Nevada and Washington, and contain volatile compounds that decrease over time rather than increase (traditional onions release a compound upon being cut, irritating the human eye).
Though they aren’t yet harvested in Florida, Sunions are now available at select Publix grocery stores throughout Jacksonville.
// photo by Crystal Bos Photography
Some of the most unusual gowns created by Jacksonville designers are unveiled biennially at Cocktail Couture, a fashion show presented by the North Florida Chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). Twelve teams of four use items such as upholstery fabric, vinyl flooring, carpet, countertop laminate, lighting, tile, wood and more to create extravagant looks for the runway. The participants, however, are not your typical fashion designers.
“Some teams are all interior designers. Some teams have a mix of architects, engineers, general contractors, sub contractors or product reps,” says IIDA North Florida VP of events Emi Chavez-Miller. “Some of the materials sourced are virgin, most are probably recycled or have some recycled component.”
This year’s theme is “Fashion Forte,” which means each garment created must be inspired by a genre of music, with awards given for the “loudest” (Get it? Forte?) piece and the people’s choice, among others. Proceeds from the show benefit Rethreaded. See it April 11 at Ellie’s Garden in Jacksonville.
Part of having a green thumb is knowing when your plants are thirsty and need to be watered. This quickly becomes more complicated than you’d think as one can both under- and over- water plants. An easy way to overcome this challenge and ensure regular watering is to set up an irrigation system, even in a small garden nestled into a yard.
Quenching plants thirst plants using a hose or watering can might seem like an easier option, but Man in Overalls Nathine Balentine is teaching an irrigation system class at Cultivate April 7, after a handful of ladies specifically requested it.
“Some women just wanted a space where they wouldn’t be judged or have men step in a do it for them,” says Baletine. He explains that women have a better long-term effect when it comes to gardening, as opposed to men.
“Women more readily share the skill and knowledge that they gain. They are the avenue to get more people to grow their groceries. If you want the kids to learn and the guys to learn and the ladies to learn then you teach the women.”
The irrigation system class will be hands-on, covering the basics of setup using a raised bed built in previous classes, similar to what one might set up in their own yard. 1-3 PM. $15
4.5 Watercolor Basics with M.B. BrantleyJoin M.B. Brantley at Cultivate for a watercolor class correlating with her ‘Women of Color’ series. All supplies—plus wine—will be included. 6:30-8:30 PM. $40
Local calligrapher Lizz Chester will cover the basics of chalkboard lettering at Main & Sixth in historic Springfield. Each student will receive a Chalkboard lettering kit. 6:30-8:30 PM.
*
Kick off the spring Makery at Space 42 with the Open Studio, featuring glassblowing with Burnt Glassworks, welding with Main Made, Cat Scratch Ceramics throwing clay, DeVoe Design mono-printing and many other Makers. VIP tickets include a drink, small bites, live music and preview of the spring market. 6:30-10 PM. $35
The Makery Spring Market is a curated event at Space 42 where independent Makers, designers, creative entrepreneurs and the community gather and inspire one another. The event features Make+Take workshops, 101 demonstrations, music, food and drink. 4 PM. $5
*Join BlueBird Growers at Intuition Ale Works and learn to make a handful of cheeses at home. 6:30-8:30 PM.
*
Enjoy a brew at SouthernSwells while Robin of Urban Pigtails instructs on the ins and outs of modern embroidery. Learn basic hand embroidery stitches, how to set up and choose materials and how to use a pattern. Materials will be provided. 6:30-8:30 PM. $35
Underdog Improv will be performing The $#*! Show: 50 percent sketch, 50 percent improv, 100 percent chaos. $5
The Bailsmen perform gypsy jazz and vintage swing. $20
Hawktail combines fiddle, bass, guitar and mandolin creating a folk and bluegrass sound. $30
Fireside Collective seeks to bridge the gap between early folk music, the urban folk revival and the current folk renaissance. $20
Caitlin Mahoney writes of adventure, passion, chaos and love—or as she calls it, the spin—for music that is a mixture of folk, pop and rock. $20
Tina & Her Pony is an indie Appalachian folk duo with cello, ukulele, guitar and harmonies. $20
Both Corey Kilgannon and singer songwriter duo Oh Jeremiah have an indie-folk sound. $20
The Pine Box Dwellers are a swamp rock band from Waycross, Georgia. $20
Forlorn Strangers is an all-acoustic band with a sound based on the roots of American music—heavy bluegrass with elements of blues, jazz, and rock & roll. $20
Abe Patridge pairs his raspy voice with smoothly strung acoustic guitar to create music that rides the line between country and folk.
Walter Parks will put on a show of reimagined southern hymns, spirituals, work songs and the songs they’ve inspired with Bernard Purdie & Vivian Sessoms. $20
The Allman Goldflies Band stems from the friendship of two lifelong musicians, Gary Allman and David Goldflies, who play southern rock music. $30
Tommy Talton is a singer, songwriter and southern rock slide guitarist. $25
// photos by Residential Photography Solutions
The stately Colonial Revival style house at 3105 St. Johns Ave. was built in 1910 for Frank Dearing, the grandson of Jacksonville founder Isaiah D. Hart. At the time, according to Jacksonville’s Architectural Heritage, St. Johns Avenue was a white shell road and, as Dearing’s daughter Christine recalled, “bands of gypsies” would tether their horses and camp behind the house in what was then a field (and is now the area between Riverside Avenue and Park Street).
Current owners Shawn and Lindsey Brooks purchased the home after reading a Southern Living feature on the area while “searching for a route back to the South from our high rise in Miami.” Shawn, an attorney, and Lindsey, a real estate investor, were looking to put down roots and raise a family in a place that was “walkable, friendly and hospitable.” During the year-and-a-half renovation process, they preserved the home’s original architectural features, including the fabulous wrap-around porch, an enclosed second-story sleeping porch and even a butler’s bell in the dining room.
“We’re very happy we decided to finish the project and can serve as an encouragement to so many young professionals who have interest in investing in the area,” the couple says. “We intend to stay involved in RAP and other local organizations in the hopes of promoting positive change that benefits the economy of the area and the wonderful people who call it home, while preserving the integrity of the architecture that is makes it so uniquely Old Florida.”
The living room’s dentil moulding and diamond-paned windows are original to the home. The tufted chairs were custom-made by a company in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“We didn’t have to do much to the fireplaces,” Lindsey says. That’s about the only thing they didn’t have to fix, as when she and her husband bought the home, “it was a dump that hadn’t been lived in for 16 years”
The porch ceiling is painted “Haint Blue” to keep evil spirits away—an old Southern tradition. “The idea is that they won’t cross your porch if the ceiling looks like water,” Lindsey says. “It also keeps wasps from building nests because they think it’s the sky.”
The dining chairs and top of the table were in the house when they bought it. “We thought we were going to have to get rid of the table until a neighbor came over and said, ‘Hey, I’ve had the base to this dining room table for 15 years,’” says Lindsey. “The previous owner gave it to him before she moved out, and he gave it back to us”; The photos in the hall are of one of the family dogs, Emerson, and of the couple’s first home in San Marco.
Lindsey is a big fan of chinoiserie patterns, making it a theme throughout the home, especially in the sun room, which she calls “the lady room.”
What was originally a walk-up, unfinished attic is now Shawn’s room. Not pictured is the antique bar shipped from Charlotte. Shawn envisions the room as a speakeasy, and has named it “The Belle and Bear” for the couple’s two dogs.
The kitchen had to be completely gutted in the renovation—think 1960s greens and pinks. The laminate flooring was replaced with marble. “People think I’m crazy to put marble on the floor, but it was one of my must-haves,” Lindsey says.
The master bathroom was also completely re-done, with inspiration from one of the Rockefeller homes in Newport, Rhode Island. The bathroom mirror was picked up at an Avondale estate sale for $30, and the vanity is from Restoration Hardware.
There were hooks already installed and waiting in the location where this porch swing from online retailer Hay Needle now hangs.
3105 St. Johns Ave. is one of the homes featured on the Riverside Avondale Preservation Society’s annual Tour of Homes. Get your tickets today on 904tix.com.
// by Senee Mobley
It takes up to three days for baker Crystal Israel to create some of the confections at Little Black Box Baked Goods (think from-scratch jams, jellies, and baked goods). Each week a new tempting treat hits the menu and can be sampled in a quaint tasting room (8106 Old Kings Rd.) open Thursday and Friday, 10 AM-2 PM, or found at Riverside Arts Market Saturdays, 10 AM- 3 PM and Palm Valley Farmers Market Tuesdays, 1-5:30 PM.
Artists, scientists, beekeepers, robot builders, tinkerers and makers of all ages and backgrounds exhibit their projects and wares at the inaugural Mini Maker Faire on April 7 at the Museum of Science and History.
“Jacksonville Mini Maker Faire is a celebration of creativity and ingenuity in and around Jacksonville,” says Maria Hane, president of MOSH. “It is an incredible showcase for imagination, invention and hands-on technical skills and a wonderful blend of art and science.”
The deadline for makers was March 9, but the public can check out all the interactive exhibits and demonstrations for $5 in advance, $10 at the door.
Jacksonville might have a growing number of home and community gardens, but just outside city limits agriculture is much more than a raised bed with a handful of herbs and vegetables. For those who want to better know the land and the people who work it, Flagler College Enactus is hosting an Agventure Farm Tour showcasing two farms, the Saturiwa Conservation Area and downtown Hastings.
“You can grow basil and cilantro at home, but for the things you can’t grow there are resources nearby. You can go and see how it’s done and know that it’s good quality,” says Enactus project leader Natalia Fernandez. “It’s about combining what we’re going to see on the tour and applying that to your own home lifestyle. We hope that we’re making a connection and creating a relationship between the consumers and the sellers.”
The guided tour will highlight pine restoration, sustainable technologies and potato harvesting, and will culminate with the inaugural Blues, Brunswick Stew & Blueberry Festival Brunch.
“They’re going to get a unique experience. The sites we’ve chosen are very different from another,” says Fernandez. Attendees will see farm animals, fields of vegetables, wetlands, the river, and the historic hub of the Tri-county agricultural corridor.
April 14, 9 AM-12:30 PM. $32 for adults, $18 for children.
by Mike Thomashunis, executive chef at Aqua Grill // photo by Agnes Lopez
Ingredients:
2 grouper filets
1 Vidalia onion, diced very small
1 c. seasoned flour Egg wash
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Lobster risotto
Peach chutney
Procedure:
1. Season grouper and dredge through seasoned flour, into egg wash, and then crust with diced onion.
2. Sauté in olive oil until cooked through.
3. Serve over lobster risotto alongside peach chutney.
Lobster Risotto Ingredients:
Live lobsters, about 1.5 lb each
4 c. lobster stock
½ c. diced yellow onion
2 T. olive oil
1 c. Arborio rice
¼ c. white wine
½ c. parmesan cheese
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 T. unsalted butter
Procedure:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lobsters and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and submerge the lobsters in an ice water bath and cool for 15 minutes.
2. Crack the shells open and remove the meat. Start a stock with the shells. Bring the stock to a simmer in a large saucepan and keep warm.
3. In a medium pot, sauté the onions in olive oil over medium heat until translucent.
4. Add the rice and lightly toast, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add the white wine and keep stirring until all of the wine evaporates. Add ½ cup of the broth and stir constantly until the rice absorbs the broth. Repeat this step until all of the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender. The consistency of the rice at this point should be creamy; if it is sticky or dry, add more warm water or stock until it is soft.
6. Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan, butter and zest then gently fold in the chopped lobster meat.
Peach Chutney Ingredients:
4 lb. firm, ripe peaches
1 2/3 c. light brown sugar
1 c. apple cider vinegar
2 T. minced fresh peeled ginger
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 red and green pepper, diced
Procedure:
1.In a medium pot, combine the brown sugar with the vinegar, ginger, onion and peppers.
2. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
3. Simmer over moderately low heat until the onion and peppers are slightly softened, about 8 minutes. Add the diced peaches and a pinch of salt and simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the peaches are very soft and translucent, about 1 hour.
SERVES TWO
// by Melody Taylor
Of the $4 billion Jacksonville attracts in visitor spending each year, overnight lodging accounts for more than $400 million, according to a 2016 Tourism Economics report.
Some residents are cashing in on a piece of Northeast Florida’s tourism pie by renting out rooms in their personal homes, often through room-sharing services like Airbnb. Jacksonville has more than 600 whole-house and single-room listings on Airbnb’s site, and that doesn’t include popular surrounding areas like the Beaches, Ponte Vedra or St. Augustine.
For one local homeowner, we’ll call her Samantha*, room-sharing has been a way to bring in extra cash while she’s in between full-time work. Samantha listed her downstairs spare bedroom on the site in early January, and says it’s only been vacant for seven days since.
“I figured I had the spare room to put the extra bed in for family or friends, so that if they’re over late, they can stay,” she says. “I thought, you know, why would I have it sitting empty when I could have it making some money for me?”
So far, Samantha says her neighbors have been fine with her frequent overnight guests. “I had one guest who was here to audition for the symphony, and he wanted to know if he could practice his trombone in the house,” she says. “I checked with my neighbors, and they were actually excited to hear him practice!”
But not everyone is in favor of room-sharing within residential neighborhoods.
A representative from the City of Jacksonville’s Current Planning Division says that Jacksonville prohibits Airbnb rentals except in designated historic overlays, including Springfield and Avondale—although no official ordinance has been defined or ratified in the city’s zoning codes to-date. This unwritten policy puts Jacksonville in the company of only a handful of cities throughout the country that have decided not to allow room-sharing, but so far hasn’t deterred homeowners from listing their houses or spare rooms.
In 2011, statewide legislation banned local cities from regulating vacation rentals, but cities that had existing regulations on the books were allowed to continue under a grandfather clause. Legislation introduced by then-Sen. John Thrasher and then-Rep. Travis Hutson in 2014 reinstituted local oversight to some extent, but did not allow local cities to determine where vacation rentals can be located.
The lack of full local oversight is a real a problem, says Casey Cook, executive director of Florida League of Cities, a lobbyist group that advocates on behalf of Florida’s 412 city governments.
“You don’t want a 7-Eleven or a paint and body shop in the middle of a single family residential neighborhood, and some would argue that a vacation rental is for commercial use and does not belong in a residential neighborhood,” he says.
The Florida Legislature considered three bills in the last few years that would have changed local and state regulations governing vacation rentals. Complementary bills in the House and Senate sought to preempt local governments from regulating vacation rentals by requiring cities to treat all residential properties the same, whether they are single family homes or full-time vacation rentals. Meanwhile, Sen. David Simmons presented legislation that sought to increase State oversight of vacation rentals while allowing local governments to go beyond the State’s threshold to further address the issue on the local level.
Although each of these bills died at the committee level, Cook says the issue of vacation rental oversight for Florida cities is far from over. He hopes the conversation in the next legislative session will focus on developing more comprehensive statewide regulations, while allowing local governments to respond to local demands.
“The idea of a one-size-fits-all solution does not work in a state like Florida,” he says. “You need to allow local governments to solve these problems when the statewide floor does not solve it. When you remove their ability to problem-solve, the problem just gets bigger.”
Cook says that while many Florida cities support greater local oversight of vacation rentals, some cities—Orlando, for example—have no issue with home sharing or hosted stays.
So far, Jacksonville has not taken Orlando’s stance on hosted stays. Whether an official ordinance will be added to the books remains to be seen.
* The homeowner’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.
// Photos by Agnes Lopez
Though it only recently debuted on the Jacksonville dining scene, having opened in November 2017, Riverside eatery River & Post is already a popular dining option in the Urban Core. Weekend dinner reservations can be hard to come by but the restaurant is also open for lunch, serving a selection of seafoodheavy salads, entrées and hand-helds.
Despite a recent transition in the kitchen (the restaurant is currently revamping its menu and kitchen staff), selections remain focused on standard surf and turf fare. The Florida lobster Louie salad—a go-to lunch option—features egg, asparagus, smoked paprika dressing and large chunks of lobster meat. Most of the other appetizer dishes lean to the surf side—think raw shellfish platters, blue crab beignets and St. Germain-steamed mussels— though there are cola-braised pork belly sliders for those not in the mood for seafood.
The entrées are similarly divided into selections from the “Field” (hanger steak au poivre, double-cut pork chop, fried chicken) or the “Sea” (seared scallops, cast-iron salmon, linguine and clams). And though the dim lighting and swanky space are a far cry from a fish camp, your best bet just might be the fried seafood platter, which comes with a choice of oysters, shrimp, scallops, fresh catch or clams—all of which are served with fries, coleslaw and hushpuppies.
The rooftop lounge—from which patrons have a stellar view of the river—offers plenty of seating and a cocktail list, as well as a full bar. Arguably the biggest criticism of River & Post has been that, while the restaurant’s lounge occupies a river-facing space on the ninth floor, diners couldn’t always enjoy the view while they ate. Due to the lack of a dumbwaiter, the challenge has been getting food from the kitchen (on the first floor) to the rooftop. Fortunately, staff aims to change that. Currently, those on the ninth floor nosh on roasted nuts and olives as bar bites, but the kitchen is working to expand those options. There is al fresco dining available on the first floor, but for those craving water views, the best bet is to eat downstairs before enjoying a nightcap on the rooftop.
Park It Parking is no easy feat in Five Points, particularly on the weekends, so opt for valet.
Privacy Please In addition to 233 seats in the downstairs dining room, the restaurant includes private dining and event space.
Turning Tables River & Post accepts reservations on the OpenTable app.
River & Post • 1000 Riverside Ave., Five Points • riverandpostjax.com • 904.575.2366
// photos by Agnes Lopez and Wally Sears
We took a peek into the back yards of some Northeast Florida residents to see the myriad ways in which locals use their outdoor space to take full advantage of the amazing weather with which we’ve been blessed.
Homeowner Laramie Hartmann’s back yard, with its 57-foot-long pool, hot tub hammock, bright orange details and canopy of moss-covered oaks, is a perfect space for entertaining.
“During the warmer months, I string a slackline across the long side of the pool that provides a lot of fun and entertainment for performers and spectators alike,” he says. “I confess that my guests typically use the hammock more than I, though I have spent a few afternoons napping in the shade of the deck.”
• • •
While former Jaguar Montell Owens and his wife Lisa and their two children now live a quiet life at their home in Pablo Creek Preserve, that doesn’t mean they don’t create a little noise of their own on their private bocce ball court.
“We wanted to have a fun, competitive outdoor activity that we could enjoy together as a family and with our guests. We love that anyone can play the game regardless of your age and athletic ability,” Owens says. “Lisa’s 92 year old grandmother is the reigning champ.”
The rest of the Owens’ yard is divided into a formal lawn, sunken rose garden, pool, pavilion, loggia and fruit and vegetable garden.
• • •
Mary Lyn Jenkins and her family have perfected their porch game. Screened-in rooms dot their Ponte Vedra Beach home, but this one, with its comfy seating, calm colors and two sets of double doors that open wide to let breezes flow through the home, sees the most use.
“Those doors stay open about four months out of the year,” Jenkins says. “We had that porch designed to be almost like the heart of the home.”
The porch opens up to a pool surrounded by Adirondack chairs, and a little further down the path is a fire pit. “It gives you a sense of calm,” she says, “not having to be inside all the time.”
• • •
Nicholas Eklund and his husband Josep Genebriera had two visions for the pool behind their ornate residence in Pablo Creek Preserve. “I wanted that splash play area for the kids and he thought he was going to be swimming so he wanted it to be at least 50 feet,” Eklund says. “So we had to work both of those into the same equation.”
What they ended up with suits all of their needs comfortably. The view from the cabana, with the wood-burning masonry fireplace at the opposite end, Eklund grilling in the summer kitchen, Genebriera swimming and the couple’s four children splashing in the four-inch-deep water at the shallow end, is everything this family wanted and more.
