Erin Thursby
#EATUPJAX: Local Food News From the Folks at GastroJax
Sprouts Farmers Market is open at the Markets at Town Center, which is just south of the St. Johns Town Center. The grocery chain, based out of Phoenix, provides shoppers with an organic and healthsome selection. This is their first in the Jacksonville area, but there are plans to open up a second on Beach Boulevard.
We’ve had quite a spate of specialty grocers opening in the Jacksonville area, places like Sprouts, something that the owners of Native Sun Natural Food Market cites as the reason they’ll be closing all three of their locations. Aaron and Erica Gottlieb opened the first Native Sun here in Jacksonville in 1997. At the time, it was one of the few places where local consumers could get organic groceries, GMO free and natural grocery foods. They opened a second location in 2006 and their third in 2015. There’s no specific date for their closing, but we are sad to see this locally-owned and operated grocer go down in a sea of national grocery store chains.
The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s (FRLA) Northeast Chapter is accepting applications for the Claude Collins Hospitality Scholarships. These are available to high school and college culinary and hospitality students pursuing further education within these fields. Winners will get anywhere from $500 to $3,000. The scholarships are open to students living in Baker, Clay, Duval, Putnam, Nassau, or St. Johns counties. Applications are due by September 30. Students can find the scholarship applications online at https://frla.org/claudecollinsscholarship/
A little bit trendy, a little bit down-home, a little bit beachy–these are elements of the cuisine served at RP’s Fine Food and Drink in Jacksonville Beach. The owner Bill Cissel has a following from his former place (now closed) Billy’s Boathouse Grill. If you haven’t tried his grits, you are missing out! Cissel has launched a line of microwavable grits (blasphemy, I know) called Gracious Grits. You can find them at Publix, Food City, Lowes Foods, and Ingles.
India’s Restaurant on Baymeadows closed at the end of last month. They served our community with awesome Pakistani and Indian fare for decades, and we are sad to see them go.
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The Bread & Board should be opening up another restaurant, this time on the Southside in the center with the Publix near the St. Johns Town Center.
Autobahn Indoor Speedway & Events in the Southpoint neighborhood at 6601 Executive Park Court North should have a full-service restaurant by Thanksgiving. It’s part of a face-lift and revamp which will eliminate some conference room space (about 15,000 square feet) for the eatery, which will feature American bar fare. They will also be adding arcade games.
The classic Beach Road Chicken Dinners is getting a revamp, remodel, and a concept change, thanks to new owners. They will now be known as Beach Road Fish House & Oyster Bar. While the old favorites of fried chicken, creamed peas, biscuits and gravy will still grace their menu, they’ll also be adding fish, oysters, and beer and wine. Beach Road Chicken Dinners has served Jacksonville for 80 years and will remain in the same locale at 4132 Atlantic Boulevard. They are closed for now, but they look to reopen in September.
Intuition Ale Works’ Downtown taproom will have a new restaurant partner. They’ve had BLK SHP at Intuition in their kitchen for the past three years providing bar bites, but are switching to MOJO’s BBQ. On Facebook, they said goodbye to Black Sheep, saying that “we’ve been honored to have them in our taproom” but that they are excited for the MOJO takeover.
Village Bread Cafe on Phillips Highway on the Southside has long been a hidden gem for fast breakfast or lunch comfort food. They’re opening a second place on Downtown’s Southbank on the ground floor of Riverplace Tower, 1301 Riverplace Boulevard. Expect made-from-scratch artisan breads, bagels, sandwiches, paninis, soups, sweet snacks, various forms of coffee from cold brew to espressos, and other beverages both cold and hot. They aren’t yet open, but the denizens of the Southbank are ready and waiting!
The well-loved Mayport restaurant Safe Harbor has plans to open in 5 Points, next to Mossfire Grill, in the old Five Points Tavern and O’Brothers Irish Pub. They’ll be in partnership with Marah Brewing Company–Marah will handle the beer, and Safe Harbor will handle the food.
If you like a good beverage and good company, but you don’t like all the headaches that come with alcohol—you’ll be glad to hear about Jacksonville’s first non-alcoholic bar: Wildcrafters Tea & Kava Bar. They’ll have craft “mocktails” of blended flavors and beverages, non-alkie beers and wine, as well as a wide variety of coffees and teas. The owners see it as a kind of hang out spot. Basically, everything you like about bars, minus the alcohol, plus a mindful living groove. We’re excited to try it! Worldwide, these bars-without-alcohol are actually incredibly on trend and current. They’re planning to open in September at 2105 Park Street, about 2 blocks from the main 5 Points drag.
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Southern Grounds Coffee plans to open up a 3rd location in Avondale on the main drag on St. Johns.
Florida Cracker Kitchen plans to open a second restaurant at 1842 Kings Avenue in the San Marco neighborhood. We don’t yet have a date for opening, but we expect it will be sometime in early 2020.
It’s the usual fight at the beaches. Residents don’t like restaurants with drinking, and restaurants want an alcohol license, so that they can make more money. At Neptune Beach, a new restaurant called The Local (in the old 7-Eleven) was looking to get approval for more parking, they wanted the addition of more spaces in order to qualify for a liquor license. The spaces were denied by the city board, largely because of the citizen outcry.
In Jacksonville Beach, the city is going ahead with the proposed ordinance banning restaurant alcohol sales past midnight. Discussion will be held in early August, but it’s not yet been scheduled for a vote.
Texas-style barbecue has come to Atlantic Beach in the form of ABBQ Meat & Drink, an acronym that stands for Atlantic Beach BBQ. They opened in early July. Expect the usual sides, sausage and meats, as well as frito pie. If you haven’t had frito pie it’s chili, and cheese, atop the titular corn chips. It’s popular in the Southwest. They’re also proud of their brisket. They’ve got a kid’s play space, and an event area on their lawn (featuring a full liquor bar and cornhole).
Southern Roots Filling Station, a healthy living counter-order restaurant where folks can also pick up supplies to enliven their own cooking, as well as tasty beverages, is looking to open up a second restaurant at 32 Seminole Road in Atlantic Beach. Expect the same as what they have to offer at their King Street locale, but with adjustments for the Beaches palate.
At Jax Beach, Skratch Kitchen, a mimosa bar and restaurant, has plans to open in the old Jimmy Hula’s space at 528 Beach Boulevard.
Lots of restaurants are striving to go greener. You might have noticed the trend towards local providers, thick paper straws instead of plastic, and no styrofoam takeout containers. One local place, Ponte Vedra’s Trasca & Co. Eatery, is rolling out a menu in partnership with Atlantic Beach Urban Farms to promote local business, going green, healthy lifestyle, and women-run businesses. They’re working to reduce their carbon footprint by utilizing local sourcing as much as possible, along with eco-friendly containers, and instead of paper straws, they’ve gone entirely strawless. Trasca is also “going green” with their salads, grown aeroponically by Atlantic Beach Urban Farms. They optimize the nutrients and vitamins and grow indoors, so pesticides and herbicides are not necessary.
Homegrown chain, Firehouse Subs, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, and they’ve decided to work up a new, more modern design. You can experience the first of these at The Pavilion at Durbin Park in the St. Johns community. It will be sleeker, more modern, and built to cater to app orders and pick up. Both in design and in function, the new model is the result of extensive research and surveys of what their customers want, with a clear flow on where to order, as well as improvements on the sub line so that you can get your sub faster.
Anyone following the Jacksonville food scene has been eagerly awaiting the opening of 1748 Bakehouse. A date has been given: by Labor Day Weekend. Come on out to 1748 North Main Street in the Springfield neighborhood. Baked goods both savory and sweet, from scratch will be on offer, among other things. You might have tried their food at Riverside Arts Market under this name and under Fig & Flour, and if you have, you are probably already a fan!
Congaree and Penn’s farm has been host to some fabulous farm-to-table dinners. They’ve capitalized on that experience, and are now open Wednesday-Sunday 10am-2pm and 5-9pm, serving simple farm food sourced from their farm as well as other local farms. Call ahead to arrange for a tour (price varies per person dependant on what you want), or just join the scheduled ones ($15 per person) Fridays and Sundays at 10:30am.
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