Shelton Hull
Words by Shelton Hull
“Fine dining” is about more than just the food itself, although that is the most important thing. Fine dining is a state of mind, a mix of atmosphere and attitude that begins before you’ve even left the house. From the time you select your outfit, you’re immersing yourself into the whole experience, physically and mentally. Once you walk through the doors, the adventure has begun, and the pace is set immediately by the ambient sounds within.
An easy cheat-code for setting the mood is to use music, particularly jazz, which rose up from the cathouses and riverboats of New Orleans to dominate in high-end night spots around the world, including Florida. A trio of newer restaurants have gone all-in on this aesthetic, using the power of jazz to set the mood for new culinary experiences.
The first is Josephine, a fairly new restaurant in Avondale and a very good one, at that. It occupies the space formerly known as Barrique, which was also a very good restaurant, before the original owners decamped for new adventures and the new owners rebuilt it, literally from the ground up. Highlights include the polenta crisps, a whole slate of antipasti, pinwheel lasagna with roast fennel sausage ragu, porchetta, seared scallops, ribeye steak pizzaiola, baked branzino and cauliflower gratinato. Their main jazz offerings are provided by the trio of tenor saxophonist Al Maniscalco, who also leads the jam sessions at Grape and Grain on the first Friday of every month. The Jazz Bishops have been featured, as well.
There are a couple of other restaurants moving in similar directions, and they’re both in St. Augustine. Bourbon & Boards opened just recently on King Street in the city’s historic district. They specialize in small plates, light bites like tapas and charcuterie, in addition to a full bar stocked with craft beer, vintage wine and locally distilled spirits, of which there always seems to be new stuff. Of course, there are plenty of entrees and desserts, as well. Highlights include the foie gras en croissant, chorizo meatballs and the jambon et gruyere flatbread. The owners also run Ancient City Brunch Bar, which is set to expand once it moves down to the same block. Live music is a major part of their vision, particularly jazz. Recent weeks have seen sets by Yael ZaZa Flamenca, Russ DeFilippis, the Marc Dickman Quartet, Jim Johnston, Jonathan Dotson, the Bottom Feeders, Taylor Roberts and the Kelly/Scott Jazz 5Tet.
Also in St. Augustine is Chez L’Amour, located on San Marco Avenue. They’re open Wednesday through Saturday, 4-11 p.m., with happy hour and brunch service also on deck. The menu reads so well, it might as well be edible itself, but highlights include salmon carpaccio, coconut curry popcorn chicken, prosecco butter prawns, peri peri chicken skewers, plus a whole slate of desserts that definitely defy description. Chez L’Amout also leans heavily on local music, and they’re picking some pretty great stuff. For example, Joshua Bowlus, whose new Christmas jazz album is out now on Bold City Records, will be playing there on Dec. 2, and Ramona + The Riot will be holding it down for New Year’s Eve. They have live music four nights a week, with recent acts including Doug Carn, Alberto Cebollero, Yael Dray, Cortnie Frazier, SouLo Lyons, Leelyn and Danielle Osborn, Ulysses Owens Trio and The Raisin Cake Orchestra.
Are these restaurants expensive? Maybe — it depends on who you are. But Florida loves to flex — that’s why we go to London for football games, even when the Jaguars aren’t very good. What better way to show your peers who’s really the coolest than with a couple choice selfies at some place they’ve never even heard of? And if you love good music, all the better!
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