Food + Drink

Local Murray Hill business owner Bernie Zitomer of Bernie’s Wine Stop says that a neighborhood like , sandwiched between industrial, commercial, and upscale residential, serves as a sort of “barometer of the economy.” Judging from the food providers and restaurants flourishing there, things are looking up for all of us. New to the neighborhood this year are Knead, , and . They have joined ranks with some of the most classic food destinations in Jacksonville. , which you might recognize as the bread provider for  in , opened up their own place in Murray Hill. They serve artisan sandwiches, bread, …

A personal beer mug that displays, in holographic form, the temperature of the beer within its confines, the beer’s alcohol content by volume (ABV), its International Bitterness Units (IBUs), your heart rate, blood pressure, family birthdays and bank account balance–along with the price you are paying for your selected brew. Sounds like Google Glass, huh? Where can you purchase such a beer mug? Wrong question. You should be asking when you will be able to purchase it. It doesn’t exist–at least not at the time this article is published. But I am sure somewhere, somebody is working on developing such …

Through Oct HAUNTED TRAILS Take a half-mile walking adventure through Apocalypse Alley, the Voodoo Gardens and the Old Spanish Trails Cemetery. Pass by the haunted house if you dare! Tours are held from 8-11pm every Thursday through Saturday during the month of October. Old Spanish Trail, 13535 W. Beaver Street, 257-9078, thehauntedtrails.net Thru Oct ZOMBIEFEST is a three-attraction event combining a haunted house with laser tag against live zombies, and a live zombie archery shoot out. Children must be 8 or older to play laser tag. The Haunted Laser Tag is rated PG, and Zombiefest is rated PG-13. Children ages …

You’d think they’d call it “Septemberfest.” The 2 ½ week festival held in  gets beer lovers thoughtfully reflecting upon how and where they will celebrate their own Oktoberfest (officially being held there beginning Saturday, September 20 and running through the first Sunday in October (Oct 5). Visions of lederhosen and dirdl dresses, strudel  and sauerkraut, decorative Bavarian beer steins and frothy Maßkrüge fill their imaginations anticipating this exciting beer-focused festival . You’ll find that some local establishments choose to celebrate in … well … October. Regardless, the month of September brings with it the advent of exciting fall beers! Be …

Five Points is the newest coffee shop to pop up in increasingly trendy , adjacent to  and across the way from Hawkers. The small space which it occupies is cavernous and rather dark in the back area, with a nice and open front area. The decor is uncomplicated, modern, and clean. There is a communal feel to the place, with bar seating and longer tables that encourage patrons to meet and talk to each other. Their menu includes coffee drinks, beer and beer cocktails, artisanal sodas, and toast. The coffee menu is primarily espresso oriented, with local  espresso featured along …

In March of this year, I attended a workshop on  at the . There were several very interesting presentations, but one in particular, “Grow Bucket Gardening,” really caught my fancy. According to the class description, using grow buckets would help me water more efficiently, reduce weeds, and reduce the costs associated with growing vegetables. The presenter, Kay Robbins, had used this approach for a number of years with consistent success. She was particularly fond of growing tomatoes in grow buckets, but she was quick to say that peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, okra, and squash would also work well. The concept is …

“Low hanging fruit” – that’s what I thought of when I learned this month’s EU edition would be centered on favorite summer foods. Easy pickins’ for me, it’s food paired or made with beer! I popped open the laptop, and then I realized the task was far more complicated than I originally thought. What food, what beer, would be best to enjoy during the hot summer weather? I turned my thoughts to what most folks like to do during the summer: vacations, barbecues, beaches, swimming, and relaxing. Here are a few suggestions for you to try: Keep it Sweetly Simple …