#EatUpJax: Two Dudes Seafood Comes to Riverside, New Kosher Restaurant Downtown & Other Dining News

Fresh Jax, a local spice company, is selling one heck of a balanced maple bourbon barbecue rub, called Rosy Cheeks. Even if you aren’t barbecuing, you might love this mix on everything from chicken and ribs to beef and fish. You might even love it on popcorn or as a base for a dip. Ingredients include organic paprika, organic light brown sugar, organic cane juice, organic maple syrup, cherrywood smoked sea salt, organic onion, Himalayan pink salt, organic black peppercorn, organic garlic, organic chipotle, organic mesquite, organic flavors, organic spices, organic lemon zest. Besides their website freshjax.com, you can also find Rosy Cheeks and their other spice blends locally– Golden Goat at Avenues Mall, Kathy’s Table at the beach, And That! on Southside, Made in JAX at airport, and delivered by Front Porch Pickings.

Two Dudes Seafood is taking over the old Il Desco spot on the corner of Park and King.

Gili’s Kitchen Catering and Bakery, a Kosher restaurant, opened at 126 West Adams Street this past April and has been picking up business ever since. Unlike most Downtown places, they are actually open on Sundays from Noon-8pm. But they are closed Saturday, on the Jewish Sabbath. Monday-Thursday, hours are 11am-8pm, and Friday 11am-3pm.

The summer menu for Blk Shp at Intuition is hot! We’re hearing great things about the cheese curds. There’s also a vegan smoked tempeh sandwich on offer, loaded potato chips, and more–just ask what’s new and delish!

True Food Kitchen, out of Phoenix, Arizona, comes to St. Johns Town Center in the fall, where Mitchell’s Fish Market used to be. This eco-conscious eatery will feature vegan, organic, gluten-free, and non-inflammatory foods. But there will be alcohol! Organic spirits, local beers and a selection of wine will also be on offer. For more info on True Food Kitchen visit www.truefoodkitchen.com.

According to UNF’s Spinnaker, Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham is looking to close certain restaurants at midnight in order to curb “drunken anarchy.” In the Spinnaker article local bar manager Liam Lynch said that, “It would just force people to relocate. If we had to shut down at midnight, and everyone that’s in here has to leave, they’re going to want to continue. The mayor, he’s not on our schedule…If anything, feeding people at the end of the night is much better than pounding back a few more drinks and trying to make their way home.” A workshop, open to the public, will be held Wednesday, August 8 at 5pm in Jacksonville Beach City Hall to discuss the proposal.

The Jacksonville Herb Society has moved to the Mandarin Garden Club. If you’d like to be a member, dues are just $12.50 a year. The club explores uses of herbs for food, fragrance, crafts, landscaping, beauty, and health, as well as informational exchange on how to take care of herbs. They meet the fourth Tuesday of each month at 2892 Loretto Road at 6:30pm. August’s program will be on tarragon presented by master gardener Joy Breitung and September will be on mint presented by Diana Openbrier, a PhD in nutrition.

Honey Bee Festival Bee Friends Farm is celebrating National Honey Bee Day with their very own Honey Bee Festival! Learn the basics of beekeeping, shop with local vendors and adopt your very own beehive during this all-day event. Educational talks like “Beekeeping 101,” “Planting for Pollinators,” and “Cooking with Honey” are just some of the sessions scheduled. This free, family-friendly event will be held at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds on August 18th.

This past month, the FDA finally fully approved the secret ingredient to the meatless meat of the Impossible Burger, their soy leghemoglobin—in the regulatory category of “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS. The ingredient is meant to mimic the juiciness of burgers. Since a number of places locally (such as German Schnitzel Haus) already serve the burger, though it’s always been safe, it’s good news that it’s out of the gray area of regulation.