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by erin thursby
scopes1925@msn.com
There’s no lack of dining options in the San Marco area, but if you have a taste for fine bistro cuisine, you should look no further than Bistro Aix. When I first moved to Jacksonville and asked where I should be dining, a friend immediately suggested Bistro Aix. I was impressed by the provincial décor and excellent food. Each time I’ve gone to the restaurant I’ve found the service and food to be outstanding, making it one of my top picks for bistro style food here in Jacksonville.
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There are several distinctive areas to dine or drink, each of which has their own feel and flavor. As you enter the establishment, you’ll see a warm brick-lined décor with cozy black leather booths and a French/Mediterranean bistro sensibility. When the restaurant is busy, this area can get a little loud. Those looking for romance or a quiet table should try to come during off-peak hours, or ask to be seated somewhere with less of a noise factor. Towards the back of the restaurant is a pleasant courtyard, compete with an oh-so San Marco wall fountain and climbing vines. The courtyard is great for romantic dining when the weather is nice. Some of the fans of Chef Tom Gray like to sit at the marble bar that faces the kitchen so they can watch the master chef at work. Further down, the bar curves around to where the local who’s who drink their cocktails and wine on a Friday. Private dining rooms are available for events such as a rehearsal dinner, business lunches and birthday parties. On the left side of the restaurant is a surprisingly bright, hip bar and dining room, offset by the dim and dark-wood laden right side. The bar features faux Lucite marble, glowing with a light from within.
The chef, Tom Gray, has an extensive culinary resume. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and has trained in Napa Valley, among other places. His menu at Bistro Aix has even caught the attention of national media, with a full color spread in USA Weekend’s holiday food issue.
Although Bistro Aix has a reputation for upscale cuisine, there are tasty options on the menu for under $20 and they have half portions available on many of the selections, something I’m grateful for, since I like to have a little taste of everything! Even if you’re on a budget, the fine food at Bistro Aix can be within your grasp, if you’re careful about what you select.
Soup lovers shouldn’t miss the bistro’s signature creamy French onion soup. The salads, which are prepared with an eye towards presentation and marvelous juxtaposition of flavors, also deserve the attention of any food lover. All of the dressings are made in-house and are geared to enhance the flavor of each individual salad selection. My favorite is the proscuitto and goat cheese salad, which is paired with an outstanding fig balsamic vinaigrette. All of the soups and salads are available in half portions.
Because I hadn’t explored their entire menu, I asked my server about the pasta selections. He recommended their shrimp tagliatelle, which was rich in flavor without being heavy and cloying, as some pasta sauces can be. The butterflied shrimp was intensely tender and added just the right notes of flavor and texture to the dish.
I don’t think I’ve been to a restaurant lately that doesn’t have its own version of a seared tuna appetizer. Bistro Aix is no different in that respect, but I have to say, it’s the only item on their menu that has ever disappointed me. The presentation was beautiful, but the cabbage mixture it was presented on was simply too vinegary, so much so that it overpowered the tuna and all the other flavors (such as the bacon and the spicy harissa), destroying an interplay of flavors that could have been really incredible. It disappointed more than it would at most places because Bistro Aix has set the bar so high.
Even pizza goes chic at Bistro Aix. Their crisp, thin wood-fired pies are an adventure in rich flavor and exotic pizza toppings such as caviar. Cheeses range from a fresh mozzarella to goat cheese. I sampled the delectably delish mushroom and fontina, which features a puree of mushrooms. Pureeing the mushrooms unexpectedly opened and enhanced the flavor of the mushrooms in a way I hadn’t experienced before. That and the use of truffle oil made this an exceptionally superior upscale pie.
I made sure I saved room for dessert, because the desserts at Bistro Aix are worth it. They’ve also got a decent selection of dessert wines and ports. When it came time to choose a dessert, I was a tad conflicted. I’m sucker for crème brûlée and the classic crème brûlée here is quite excellent. Still, I needed to try something different—if only for the sake of my readers. I chose the chocolate banana bread pudding. With the first bite, I forgot in an instant all my sentimentality and longing for their crème brûlée, reveling instead in the warm chocolate center, sugar glazed banana slices and whipped cream.
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