Nate Mayo
If you know me, then you know I eat out every single day. Here are nine of my favorite things that you should eat here in Jacksonville, Florida.
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1. “The Nateivore” from Pie95 Pizza
Where: Pie95 Pizza is a mobile food truck. Check their Instagram: @pie95pizza to find out their schedule.
Why: Evans Eriksen custom built his food truck with a 3,000-pound oven imported from Italy. The first time I had his pizza, it was so good that I told him immediately that I was doing an article on him. Since then, I’ve been back more times than I can count, and everyone I know has been there. He has a Michelin-star background and is making the best pizza in Jacksonville. The Nateivore is the Herbivore plus all the meats, a supreme-like pizza. It’s not on the menu; just ask for it.
Instagram: @pie95pizza | Facebook: pie95pizza [/box]
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2. Pulled Pork Tacos from Blue Pacific Tacos
Where: Blue Pacific Tacos is a mobile food truck. Check out their Instagram: @bluepacifictacos to find out their schedule.
Why: Owner Izzy Tahil makes some killer tacos. He’s been selling tacos out of his truck since February 2014 and is about to open his brick-and-mortar restaurant in April near Kazu Japanese in Mandarin. The description on the menu reads: “Best Seller” Slow-cooked Pulled Pork Taco. It’s been sold out every single time I have gone there, and now I know why. I was talking to Izzy while he was putting some tacos together behind his food truck. When he opened a crockpot, a cloud of porky goodness slapped me in the face. I knew that I needed it in my life. The pulled pork is cooked low and slow for 10 hours. It also comes with coleslaw, fried BBQ onions, potato straws, scallions, and chipotle mayo. The bang bang shrimp used to be favorite, but now this is the chosen one.
Instagram: @bluepacifictacos | Facebook: BluePacificTacos [/box]
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3. Truffle Lobster Mac & Cheese from Seachasers
Where: 831 First Street, Jacksonville Beach
Why: 3 reasons!
- a) They give you a pan-size, fat-boy portioned, cast-iron skillet of Lobster Mac & Cheese.
- b) Seachasers does not skimp on the lobster (see picture).
- c) Queso blanco, lobster stock, shredded parmesan cheese, bacon, and herbs!Instagram: @seachasers | Facebook: Seachasers | www.seachasers.com [/box]
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4. Banging Brisket Curry Fries from Butt Hutt Jax
Where: Butt Hutt Jax is a mobile food truck. Check out their Instagram: @butthuttjax to find out their schedule.
Why: I’m from San Diego and Carne Asada fries is one of the most sinful dishes you can get. There’s something about meat, cheese, and fries that just works. The description alone will get you shaking in your boots. Bangin’ curry-rubbed fries, onions, peppers, cheese, pecan-smoked beef brisket, topped with garlic cream sauce, and coconut curry honey mustard! That wasn’t enough, so they added bacon. If you eat anything on list, this is it.Instagram: @butthuttjax | Facebook: Butthuttjax | www.butthuttjax.com [/box]
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5. The San Marco Platter from The Bearded Pig
Where: 1224 Kings Avenue
Why: It consists of: ¼ Rack Ribs + ¼ Chicken + ¼ lb each of 2 Meats + 2 Sides and 1 Roll (if you want it). Guess how much this monster meal costs? Whatever it is, you’re probably wrong. It’s $25! This is the perfect meal to split 2 ways and be completely satisfied. I did this other day with my girlfriend, and it was so good that we did it again the next day. No shame! We were dipping fries in one of their four sauces. I could do that all day long. They have this new jalapeño cilantro aioli that needs to be added as their 5th sauce.Instagram: @thebeardedpigbbq | Facebook: TheBeardedPigSanMarco | www.thebeardedpigbbq.com [/box]
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6) Bandeja Paisa from Happy Ending Latin Fusion
Where: 14333 Beach Boulevard, Suite 22
Why: It’s a Colombian platter with steak, sausage, pork belly, rice, beans, sweet plantains, avocado, corn cake and a fried egg. It’s like going to a Brazilian steakhouse without going to a Brazilian steakhouse. Plus you get plantains, avocado, corn cake, and a fried egg.Instagram: @happyendingjax | Facebook: happyendingjax | www.happyendingjax.com [/box]
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7. House-cured Steelhead Salmon from Black Sheep 5 Points
Where: 1534 Oak Street, Jacksonville, FL 32204
Why: There are two things that I’ve become addicted to this year. One is salmon lox bagels, and the other is avocado toast. This is what would happen if the two had a baby. It consists of: Lil’ Moo cheese, caviar, shaved beets, dill pollen, avocado puree, and Community Loaves rye toast. I could eat a thousand of these. Just line them up like dominoes, and I’ll “pac-man” them.Instagram: @blacksheep5points | Facebook: blacksheep5points | www.blacksheep5points.com [/box]
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8. Deep-fried Snickers Chimichangas from Nacho Taco
Where: 751 Stockton Street
Why: I was at Nacho Taco talking to the owner, and he said they were testing a Snickers chimichanga. Let’s just say I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and came back later for it. Cream cheese and Snickers wrapped in flour tortilla and deep fried, rolled in powdered sugar, and drizzled with chocolate syrup. Yes, please! I had three other people try it, and it’s instamenu material.Instagram: @nachotacojax | Facebook: nachotaco751 [/box]
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9. The Bam! Yo Yo from Maple Street Biscuit Company
Where: Multiple locations, but I went to the San Marco location: 2004 San Marco Boulevard
Why: I hadn’t been to Maple Street in years. My girlfriend and I were in the San Marco Square, and it was either an acai bowl from Ajeen & Juice or chicken biscuits from Maple Street. She had a gift card, so chicken it was. We studied the menu for 15 minutes, and she chose The Five and I chose The Farmer. Then, I saw a plate of chicken and waffles walk by. I knew at that moment that I needed it in my life. The Bam! Yo Yo is a house-made vanilla bean waffle with asiago and pecanwood-smoked bacon baked in, topped with fried chicken, honey butter, and hot sauce maple syrup.Instagram: @maplestreetbiscuitcompany | Facebook: MapleStreetBiscuits | www.maplestreetbiscuits.com [/box]
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