We started with a special scallop ceviche amuse, PEI Mussels (steamed in a zesty marinara sauce and served with grilled ciabatta), and Tandoori Chicken Skewers (with mango chutney and cucumber herb raita):

Scallop Ceviche

PEI Mussels

Tandoori Chicken Skewers

We also tried the Maple Leaf Farms sesame duck chop salad (not pictured, apples, mint, cranberries, butternut squash and toasted pecans) and the organic tomato stack salad (blue cheese, crispy chopped bacon, arugula and balsamic glaze), an impressive-looking (and tasty) spin on a caprese salad:

Tomato Stack Salad

For dinner, I unknowingly chose basically the same thing I had on my first visit–stuffed shrimp–though this time with a roasted artichoke stuffing and a different selection of veggies, along with a side of spinach & Parmesan-stuffed mushrooms:

Roasted Artichoke-Stuffed Shrimp

Stuffed Mushrooms

The finale was a selection of mini indulgences. It was hard to pick a favorite, but I have to go with their lighter version of red velvet cake:

Mini Indulgences

Red Velvet Mini

Seasons 52 at the Town Center already seems to be a popular destination. Not surprising–Jax residents have to be beach-ready all year long!

www.seasons52.com

M Shack

M Shack interior

With promises of competitively-priced, high quality burgers, I had to go see what they had to offer. And once I caught wind of their menu a few weeks before opening, I knew what I’d be ordering: The Medurable, an M burger (fairly standard cheeseburger) topped with foie gras and bacon onion compote, $18. Mario had the much more affordably priced The Sunrise Burger (bacon, farm egg, American cheese and Shack Sauce):

The Medurable

The Sunrise Burger

I was shocked to see such a HUGE slice of foie gras on the burger. Though there’s little to complain about when foie gras is involved in any dish, my only hang-up was the lack of a nice sear on the outside of the slice. However, judging from other photos of the gourmet burger I’ve seen popping up around the web, M Shack has rectified that issue. If you’re wondering about the taste, the foie is thick enough to get the earthy, buttery texture and flavor, but still acts much as a “sauce” for the burger with its rich fattiness. I know that was not at all confusing.

I thought the house-ground “Black Angus blend” patty was delicious. Cooked to medium (unless otherwise specified–but you really shouldn’t get much more cooked than that), the juicy burger is a tad small, but its freshness makes it one of the better burgers I’ve had in Jax. Mario was satisfied with his burger, but not overly impressed. I think it was missing foie gras

The fries were a major disappointment. Though M Shack says everything is made in-house, the fries tasted no better than frozen. We didn’t go for any of the gourmet options (truffle parm, queso cheddar, “Ultimate” [Queso, Prosciutto, Cheddar, White Truffle Oil and Fried Farm Egg]), but with the fries we had as a base, we felt any of the dressings would be wasted. I hear nearly unanimous praise about M Shack’s milk shakes, but didn’t try one on our visit.

I enjoyed the food (aside from the fries, which need improving) and community atmosphere at M Shack, and look forward to more visits. The majority of the menu is quite reasonably priced for such a quality burger.

www.mshackburgers.com

I first visited Chew during Jacksonville’s Downtown Restaurant Week with some co-workers. On that visit, I thought that conceptually everything was good–fresh, local ingredients in creative dishes–but that it just didn’t all pan out (for example: tough, dried-out pork belly chicharrones). I chalked this up to it being restaurant week, during which time the place was churning out the same dishes over & over and maybe not paying as much attention to detail. Since I was still convinced that those details could make something good, Mario and I gave it another try more recently. This visit made for much more exciting dining.

We happened to be famished the evening we stopped in, so I decided an appetizer was in order. Plus, I really wanted to try poutine, a dish I’ve heard much about but never tried. What a great introduction:

Short Rib Poutine

Potato Gnocchi

Seared Chicken Breast

Mac & Cheese

I loved the pillowy gnocchi and was surprisingly pleased by the lemon/olive flavor combination. Mario devoured his chicken breast (which was really nearly half a chicken) and somehow even got through nearly all of that mac & cheese. Maybe we should get him into a treatment program?

After that dinner, I was itching to try some of Chew’s lunch menu, but it’s a bit far for a regular workday trip. So before we left town for Christmas, we decided it would be a perfect lunch before hitting the road. I went for the duck bahn mi (pickled vegetables, jalapenos, cilantro, spicy mayonnaise), while Mario had the grilled chicken sandwich (smoked bacon, tomato, butter lettuce, house made pimento cheese on ciabatta). And we got a bowl of Chew’s housemade chips as a complimentary starter:

Potato Chips

Duck Bahn Mi

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

This was a pretty good bahn mi interpretation. The duck meatballs played well with the spicy mayo, and the pickled veggies (+ lots of cilantro–FYI for you cilantro haters) added a nice crunch and all the right flavor notes. Mario liked his chicken sandwich as well, but thought the cheese flavor was too light (more pimento!).

I’m hoping that Chew’s new location comes with a liquor license, because a hip mixologist is all it needs to become a great Atlanta-like (yep, still doing that) spot. But I’m finding there are more than a few restaurants with excellent chefs using local ingredients in Jax. More to come!

www.chewrestaurant.com

French Fry Heaven

We visited FFH’s soft open and have been back many times since. On our first visit, we tried a flock of three cupid-sized Angels & Saints (you see what they’re doing there?), GarlicParm Angels, French Quarter Angels (Cajun spice & remoulade), and Breakfast Saints (with maple syrup):

GarlicParm Angels

Breakfast Saints & French Quarter Angels

I love the texture of FFH’s Belgian-style fries, which are fried to order in a cool-looking hoodless, ventless auto fryer inside the kiosk. The sweet potato fries are especially nicely done–you won’t end up with any limp or soggy stragglers in your cone. The Breakfast Saints are our favorite Saint variety thus far; the maple topping is really not that sweet and highlights the fries well.

Along with the many sauce/spice combinations that can top your fries, FFH also offers gourmet sea salts for an extra $1. Cowboy Angels (topped with BBQ sauce) with “bonfire” (smoked) salt? GarlicParm Angels with black truffle salt? Yes please. At the soft open we tried that GarlicParm/truffle salt combo, and hit the French Quarter Angels with some ghost pepper salt. Yum! Fun fries + the very friendly staff make for a nice ordering experience.

My only complaint is the apparent transformation the popular GarlicParm topping has gone through. See that creamy garlic parm-y goodness on top of those fries? We’ve ordered those twice since, and the sauce is now more like a ton of minced garlic and grated Parmesan in melted butter (which just ends up pooled in the bottom of the cone). I asked through FFH’s Facebook page why they made the change, but supposedly there was none made. *shrug* There are many more varieties to try and love. Plus, they take suggestions for the flavor of the month. December: Baked Potato (ranch, bacon, & cheese).

www.frenchfryheaven.com

Steak Salad

My salad was just bagged spring mix topped with the warm steak strips and some Marzetti Simply Dressed Greek Feta dressing I received through the fine folks at Foodbuzz (my ad provider) from Marzetti. I love feta cheese and try to put it everywhere I can (the aforementioned dinner steak pita was topped with feta), so I chose this yummy Greek dressing over some of the other varieties available in the new all-natural dressing line–like Ginger Sesame, Blue Cheese, and Pomegranate. The cool dressing and warm steak were perfection together!

I think that constitutes my “full disclosure”, so here’s the marinade recipe:

I halved this for the 1lb of sirloin strips we had, and since I was just working with thin and already tender strips, I just went with a quick sauté (the stir-frying they were meant for) instead of grilling.

Savory Garlic Marinated Steak, Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 (1/2 pound) rib-eye steaks

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, honey, olive oil, ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, salt, liquid smoke, and cayenne pepper.
2. Place steaks in a shallow glass dish with the marinade, and turn to coat. For optimum flavor, rub the liquid into the meat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
3. Preheat grill for medium-high to high heat.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill steaks 7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Discard leftover marinade.

Restaurant August

I was also excited to finally dine at one of NOLA darling Chef John Besh‘s restaurants, as August is one of the 8 he owns in and around New Orleans (and 1 in San Antonio). Coincidentally, my dad had reservations for 2 weeks later with some lawyer buddies. When I mentioned where we’d be dining, he said the phrases “absolutely sublime” and “the best restaurant in New Orleans right now” were used to describe it to him. Cue intense anticipation.

My comments on the experience don’t go much further than “wow. wow. wow.” Mario was in full man-swoon by the 2nd course. Complaints: ~15 minute wait between seating and greeting by waitress (but otherwise, service was great). Duck entree didn’t really pack the flavor punch I was expecting (but everything else on the plate was fantastic). So I’ll just stick with a few photos instead of trying to come up with synonyms for “wow”.

First, an amuse-bouche from the kitchen (which I unfortunately don’t have proper descriptors for): Custard in an eggshell topped with caviar.

Amuse

Our appetizer, the chef’s specialty potato gnocchi with blue crab and truffles (and the dish that practically made Mario pass out from happiness):

Potato Gnocchi w/ Blue Crab & Truffle

Entrees: For me, Sugar and spice duckling with McEwen’s stone-ground grits, roasted duck foie gras and Chilton County peaches, & for Mario, La Provence Mangalitsa pork crispy tenderloin, slow cooked shoulder and cheek raviolo with sweet corn, purple plums and chanterelle.

Sugar & Spice Duckling

Pork Three Ways

Finally, a sort of “dessert amuse” of chocolate cups, raspberry gels (not the proper name), and pecan candy (aka pralines):

Dessert Plate

If you’re planning a trip to New Orleans anytime soon, MAKE A RESERVATION HERE. For our one night in NOLA, this meal was perfection. And if Restaurant August needed any more cool points, they display an understanding and appreciation of their host city by offering a $20.11 three-course prix fixe menu (as well as an $80+ 4-course degustation) so residents & visitors from all walks of life can sample some gourmet cuisine.

www.restaurantaugust.com

French Pantry

French Pantry apparently supplies much of the fresh baked bread to restaurants in town. You can also pick up small items like loaves of bread, packages of rolls, or boxes of cookies from their display cart after your lunch. I’ve visited a handful of times now and always end up ordering one of their famed bruschettas, which are not your typical tomato/basil/olive oil-topped bread rounds. These are topped with a cheese and protein and served over salad:

Shrimp, Artichoke, & Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Proscuitto & Mozzarella Bruschetta

My favorite bruschetta at French Pantry starts with their fresh baked crusty bread topped with delectable goat cheese: creamy, tangy, and served slightly warm. They then add artichoke and a protein (shrimp is pictured, but I love the chicken too) and arrange them around a simple salad with a mild vinaigrette and juicy tomatoes. The result is a mouthwatering mix of textures and temperatures and most importantly, delicious flavors. The mozzarella and prosciutto combo was also great, but there is something about that goat cheese…mmm!!

And then there are the desserts, of course. I’ve tried two now, the “wedding cake,” a multi-layer white cake with strawberries & cream filling (they don’t use a heavy buttercream frosting, so it’s surprisingly light), and the brown butter tart, pictured below:

Brown Butter Tart

Rich, but not sweet, so it showcases the berries and quality ingredients. Yummm. I’m trying to work my way through their dessert case (in between intense workouts). Next up is likely the white chocolate cheesecake, which some of my coworkers raved about!

I was kind of reluctant to write this post, because while I think everyone should try French Pantry…I don’t want any more of you in line! Follow the unwritten rules of the place (don’t try to grab a table before ordering–rude) and bring your patience along with you, and you’ll soon be plotting how many extended lunch breaks you can work into a week too.

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Sweet!

I went in on my own during their soft open to try some mini cupcakes (LOVE that they have minis…feels less sinful), while Mario decided to dispense himself a cup of frozen yogurt, which Sweet! also sells (yeah, yogurt is the new hotness in Jax, too):

Cupcake Minis

The minis are good for 2-3 bites and I was satisfied with 2 of them. The one in the forefront of the picture is the black & gold (yellow cake, dark chocolate frosting, caramel filling) which I felt was great in theory, but the caramel filling I was looking forward to was overpowered by the (definitely delicious) chocolate frosting. We also tried tiramisu, white chocolate raspberry, and cinnamon swirl. The white chocolate raspberry, with its flavorful not-too-sweet filling, was my favorite of the bunch.

I was invited in a few weeks later for a blogger tasting of 15 of their cupcake flavors.

Mini Cupcakes

I was surprised to hear about the quality ingredients and techniques they use–a culinary school-educated pastry chef (wo)mans the kitchen. And you might think that in a bakery that pushes such volume, they always go the cheaper mass-production route, but, for example, their sprinkles aren’t the waxy, candy-like ice cream toppers you might recognize, they’re actually sprinkle-shaped pieces of chocolate (vermicelli), which are an added bonus on flavors like the Black Out (dark chocolate cake & frosting, chocolate vermicelli).

Before I tapped out from cupcake overload during the tasting (I went from sampling half-minis to quarter-minis to mini slivers), I picked out my favorites from the bunch: the PBJ (peanut butter cake, grape jelly, peanut butter frosting), which sounds weird but is made super delicious by the surprisingly creamy cake base; and the key lime (yellow cake, key lime frosting, graham cracker crust, lime filling), which I loved because of the crunch from the graham cracker base and tangy filling.

Sweet! by Holly runs specials throughout the week, including Mini-Mania Monday ($1 minis) and a yogurt discount on Tuesdays. Their outsourced frozen yogurt flavors include a fat-free Maple Bacon Doughnut. Yep.

www.sweetbyholly.com

A La Carte

Their “Authentic New England Style Lunch” served Friday-Tuesday features items such as fried clams, a Haddock sandwich, a “clam cake” sandwich, and the aforementioned Maine lobster roll.

Lobster Roll + Cape Cod Chips

Despite my less than stellar photo (good news: I recently invested in a fabulous Droid phone with a kickass camera…on-the-go photos should get much better) and the trappings of a to-go box, you can see the plentiful portion of lobster overflowing what was basically a sawed-off & toasted hot dog bun (which I understand is traditional. The roll was super simple: a ton of lobster, a little mayo, and maybe a little S&P. I loved it.

On my visit there were only two people working the slightly chintzy (in a beach shack sort of way) shop: a lovely lady taking orders and hollering them to the back, and the friendly cook who was taking orders and shuttling everything out. The cashier showed me to a room off the main dining room where I could pick my drink from their cooler, which also contained whoopie pies and specialty beverages from New England. Can’t wait to get back to try a whoopie pie with my next lobster roll!

Aside from the event catering and New England lunch, A La Carte also offers prepared gourmet dinners to go every day but Wednesday. They are “fresh frozen and ready to bake” and tend to the style of comfort food classics.

www.alacarte-jax.com

The folks at Smashburger are doing some rapid expansion as of late, trying to fill the fast-casual space that they say is wide open (and maybe it is, in places other than Atlanta). How they determined that fast-casual burger joints are lacking is a mystery to me, but if you’re executing well I guess more is ok. Direct competition for them is, of course, the also-expanding “multiple men” burger joint.

We liked the open and airy feel of the dining area (very Chipotle-like) and the friendly staff members at the register where you order before grabbing a seat. The menu is largely customizable, from bread to cheese to protein (beef, chicken, and black bean), but also contains some “pre-fab” burgers. These pre-fabs are one way Smashburger aims to specially recognize each local market–one burger that is only sold in that area. Jacksonville’s burger is the Sunshine Bacon & Cheese, with orange citrus bbq sauce, bacon, cheddar, and haystack onions:

Sunshine Bacon & Cheese

I like that the burger patties remain juicy despite being thin (and consequently well-done). The Sunshine burger had a little too much “stuff” for me, so I think I’ll stick to the burgers with fewer toppings, like the mushroom & swiss, but Mario enjoyed the BBQ, Bacon and Cheddar with peach bbq sauce in Atlanta:

Mushroom & Swiss

BBQ Bacon & Cheddar

Oh, those beauties next to the burgers are Smashfries and Sweet Potato Smashfries. I love that they use rosemary along with the usual S&P to season their fries, but I thought it worked better on the regular potatoes than the sweet potatoes. At the Jax opening, I also got to taste the fried pickles. Best I’ve ever had, no exaggeration (my previous favs were at Yeah! Burger in ATL). The seasoning in the batter was just right, and even after sitting out at the table for most of the lunch hour, they never got soggy.

In addition to the beef, chicken, and black bean burgers you can customize, Smashburger also offers salads and milkshakes (Georgia’s “special” is peach, Florida’s is orange cream). Because there were so many great burgers within 5 minutes of me when I lived on ATL’s Westside, I haven’t eaten a burger from Five Guys in a while anyway. Now that I’m not smack in the middle of burger heaven and with Smashburger on the scene…I may not want to.

Post Smash

www.smashburger.com