GastroFest

There are more than a few buzz-worthy restaurants to try scattered around Jacksonville. Sometimes we get caught up in staying in our own neighborhoods–I’d bet there are people in who haven’t left in years except for road-trips, vacations, and possibly their commutes. Here are three newer places you might not have been to, some of which are in less-trendy neighborhoods. Pink Salt Well-priced and delish, Pink Salt in the Lakewood neighborhood on St. Augustine Road, serves up an excellent breakfast and lots of Caribbean and Caribbean-inspired dishes, such as oxtail and Jamaican fruit cake, but they also serve a mix …

GastroFest, which takes place on Saturday, March 23 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. at Friendship Fountain and The Museum of Science and History (MOSH), remains committed to their goal of giving the First Coast a food-oriented festival. “People come to GastroFest because they love food,” says GastroJax Executive Director Erin Thursby. She helped found the organization which runs Jacksonville’s annual premier food festival— GastroFest—in 2014. “We’re very selective about our restaurants, food trucks, and marketplace vendors. Even if they’re selling t-shirts or candles, they need to be food or beverage oriented.” She points to Hopcloth who is back at …

Florida’s identity is wrapped up in one fruit: the orange. It’s an industry that’s changed with the times, that’s changed with scientific and agricultural advancement, and that will keep changing. For the last year, I’ve been writing Florida’s Oranges: A Colorful History. In it, I’ve given the reader snapshots of this 500 year history and the various places around the state where oranges have been cultivated. What I’ve found is that orange history is messy, interesting, and bound around unexpected things, things such as gay rights, privacy law, immigration, even voting rights and past KKK activity in the state. On …

GastroFest 2018 happened last month at the beautiful Friendship Fountain in partnership with the Museum of Science & History! This year’s Judge’s Choice winners are: Candy Apple Cafe, Jax Diner, Sliders, Bread & Board, Black Sheep at Intuition, German Schnitzel Haus, Bold City Mobile Kitchen, Sunshine Grindz, Ibex Ethiopian Kitchen, Khloe’s Kitchen, and Orsay. The Hyatt has announced that they will be adding three restaurant concepts to open by late summer. There’s been lots of updates to their lobby, mainly because of Hurricane Irma, but they will also have a 24-hour market, a tavern, and a seafood restaurant. The market …

It’s been awhile since I’ve been to The German Schnitzel Haus, a few years to be exact. What put them back on the radar for me was the Impossible Burger. It’s a burger that is plant-based, but it smells and tastes like meat. It even bleeds red. But that’s not all they do at GSH. They have killer house-made pretzels, beef stroganoff, schnitzel, German pulled pork fries and even a whole Vegan menu. I sat down with Chef Steve and Lisa Thurston, the husband and wife duo behind GSH two talk all things food. Chef Steve didn’t go to culinary …

DELICOUSLY DUVAL The recipe for a successful food festival is simple. Never run out of food. Obvious food pun aside, producing an event centered around food is more than just a matter of taste and now in its fourth year, has proven to be more than a spread of local cuisine. It’s a carefully curated offering of vendors including food trucks, restaurants, mobile stand-alones, and caterers alongside free and ticketed workshops and tastings, catering to every palette from simple to sophisticated. It’s also vegan-friendly, offering a “food map” to direct vegans to specific vendors and events that meet their culinary …

COWFORD CHOPHOUSE OPENS We’ve been eagerly awaiting the opening of the for over two years, and it was worth the wait. Because of the historical nature of the building, which dates back to 1902, they’ve worked very hard to restore a lot of the architectural details (like the arched windows, exterior bricks, and metal cornice). The lead architect and designer for the Cowford Chophouse was Design Cooperative (DCOOP) and Danis Construction served as the contractor. The old pine in the building was repurposed throughout the building, and you’ll see the beautiful wood in the community tables. While parking after dark …

GastroFest 2017 Program Mark Your Calendars for March 18, 2017 from 11am-7pm in Hemming Park, because GastroFest is back and better than ever! GastroFest celebrates Northeast Florida food culture! In both 2015 and 2016, more than 30,000 people came out each year to Hemming Park. This year’s GastroFest will feature some great tastes from area restaurants ($1-3), a homebrew competition, locally brewed beer, chef demos, informative talks, and more. “Gastrofest puts our brand and product right at the center of the most happening, well-attended, food-related festival event in Jax.” – Charlotte Tzabari, Co-Owner GastroFest is a cash based food and …

When he was sixteen years old, an employer advised beekeeper to quit his job every five years. “Incidentally, that’s what’s happened,” says Leach. Yet the bee business seems to stick. These days, he’s on his third year of the honey product development side of with his wife, Christie, and their three children. Bee Friends produces over a dozen unique varieties of honey. Their most commonly harvested products include gallberry honey, a berry native to Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, and wildflower honey. Over time, Christie has developed and perfected Bee Friends Farm’s spreadable creamed honey flavors, including Chocolate (destined for …