“Eat” listings
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Soup’s On
Soup is comfort food for some, but at this hot spot it’s fit for gourmands, whether it’s a spicy Thai sweet potato or chilled mango avocado, a hearty cream of red potato or a chilled cherry lemon and almond dessert soup. The menu changes daily and includes salads, breads and desserts. $ (09/2011)
1526 King St
904-387-9394
soupsonjax.com -
Casa Marina
Dine on Chef Aaron Webb’s “new beach” cuisine, which features local seafood, while watching the waves on the Atlantic. Grab a lunch of crab cakes, goat cheese salad and mahi calypso—then burn it off with a stroll along the surf line. $$ (08/2011)
At Casa Marina Hotel 691 N First St, Jacksonville Beach
904-270-0025
casamarinahotel.com -
Nippers Beach Grille
Chef Kenny Gilbert of Top Chef fame offers Caribbean cuisine with a Southern bent. Try the fried green tomatoes and conch fritters with your crispy ginger beer pork belly. For dessert, there's no question: the guava duff cake. Also, don’t miss the pig roast the first Sunday of every month. $$ (08/2011)
2309 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach
904-247-3300
nippersbeachgrille.com -
Take Away Gourmet
Chefs Matthew and David Medure’s daily-changing menu features candlelight-worthy meals to people on the go. Innovative offerings like braised beef short ribs, roasted eggplant panino and crab-stuffed tilapia can be purchased as meals or by the pound. (05/2011)
2103 San Marco Blvd
904-398-6676
tagjacksonville.com -
Mixx
Can’t decide what to eat? Neither could the owners, so they found a way to combine all their favorite foods into a single concept. Mixx it up yourself with a wood-fired pizza topped with wild mushrooms and quail eggs with a side order of chipotle tuna sashimi and tiramisu for dessert. It sounds crazy, but it works. $$ (03/2011)
1611 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach;
904-249-7787
mixxfl.com -
BEACH ROAD CHICKEN DINNERS
Jeet yet? The chicken, steak, fi sh, okra, squash, onions and potatoes are all fried, Southern style. The peas are creamed, the biscuits hot, the iced tea sweet and the banana pudding homemade at this family dining institution, open since 1939. $ (01/2011)
4132 Atlantic Blvd
904-398-7980
beachroadch...dinners.com -
TAVERNA
This bistro takes ordinary pizza and kicks it up a notch. How about a slice topped with soppressata salami and fried egg? For dessert, try the bread pudding with rum raisin ice cream when it’s available. $$ (11/2010)
1986 San Marco Blvd
904-398-3005
tavernasanmarco.com -
JULIETTE’S BISTRO
This bistro bills itself as Southern, but its eclectic menu draws from Italy, Thai, French and Japanese cuisines. Get your fried-green tomatoes topped with crème fraîche or a caprese salad on mizuna. Sweeten the deal with an orange crème brulée. $$ (09/2010)
245 Water St
904-355-6664
omnihotels.com -
BLUE FISH
Chef Richard Grenamyer’s newest creation in upscale Avondale is a restaurant and oyster bar with a Southern accent. Get the catchof- the-day crusted with pecans or order the shrimp with stone-ground grits. $$$ (07/2010)
3551 St. Johns Ave
904-387-0700
bluefishjax.com -
SLIDER’S SEAFOOD GRILLE
Get into a beach mood with a feast at this low-key seafood house. Try the oysters or the specialty fish tacos, which come with shredded cabbage, salsa and jalapeño tartar sauce. $ (05/2010)
218 First St, Neptune Beach
904-246-0881 -
PASTICHE
A French restaurant with a Southern drawl, this spot offers dishes that range from crispy duck confit to artichoke-parmesan fritters and sweet-potato fries. $$ (03/2010)
4260 Herschel St
904-387-6213
mypastiche.com -
SAN MARCO GRILLE
This lunch destination specializes in dishes that feature the local bounty. Try the spinach salad, topped with blackened chicken, oranges, coconut and honey-lemon dressing. $ (01/2010)
1523 San Marco Blvd
904-399-0444
sanmarcogrille.com
