by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
With forks and cameras ready, we here at EU set out to find the some of the area’s best food with a view, finding some of the prettiest or most interesting places to eat a meal. When we go out to eat, sometimes we’re looking for more than a feast for the mouth and stomach. Sometimes we’re greedy and want a feast for the eyes as well.
Situated Downtown, Burrito Gallery (21 E. Adams Street. 904-598-2922) has more than one view. In addition to all the art on the walls inside, the walls of their courtyard are covered with a mural of our cityscape painted by mactruQue. If you raise your eyes above the walls, you’ll see…the actual cityscape. It’s kind of fun to be encased by an artistic representation of something and then realize that the representation is encased by the reality.
For a truly spectacular aerial view of our Downtown cityscape, you’re going to have to go private or have a friend with access to high places. These high places are the two Downtown premiere private clubs, The River Club (One Independent Drive. 904-354-1111) and The University Club (1301 Riverplace Boulevard, Suite 2516. 904-396-1687). The River Club is situated in the Modis building on the 34th and 35th floors. This great height gives the members who dine there a gorgeous view of Downtown and the river. The University Club, across the river on the Southbank, in the Wachovia building, also has a beautiful view of the city. Members can enjoy gourmet food while gazing down at the city.
For a view of Hemming Plaza, its fountains and the many characters that roam the city’s center, you might want to pop in for lunch at Café Nola (333 N. Laura Street. 904-366-6911). If you can find the Museum of Contemporary Art on Laura Street, next to the library, you’ll be able to find Café Nola. Tucked away inside the museum with huge picture windows, it has a view of the fountains in Hemming Plaza and the bustling life out on the sidewalk. From school tours to groups of businessmen hurrying along, there’s always a slice of Downtown Jacksonville life to keep you entertained. Your dining experience starts with a muffin shaped roll and creamy butter. Each day, they mix the butter with a seasonal fruit such as blueberries or raspberries. Asparagus goat cheese salad, sexy sandwiches and other seasonal entrées round out the menu.
On the Downtown corner of Laura and Monroe you can catch lunch at the Magnificat Café (231 N Laura Street 904-353-3588). It’s “catty-corner” to Hemming Plaza, and affords a decent view of Downtown life behind black wrought iron. This French-style café serves only lunch, Monday through Friday. They’re known for their homemade soups, including French onion and carrot ginger. They also serve a variety of sandwiches, including their crab cake on a croissant and country pâté.
Sometimes a river view is synonymous with a Downtown view, because the St. Johns meanders through our Downtown area. This is true at the Landing’s (2 Independent Dr.) various restaurants, where you can get a double dose of food with a view. Koja Sushi, with its great sushi dishes, is often a picturesque choice for dining at the Landing. Those looking for a Japanese meal experience ought to know that Koja features a strong Korean influence in their other dishes. Locals know to ask for the excellent kimchi, a traditional Korean dish of fermented veggies. The dish is truly for the adventurous diner. Koja is known for that dish (which isn’t on the menu) and for their lunch and dinner boxes. Mongo’s Flat Hot Grill, on the second floor of the Landing, goes for gimmicky dining. Their concept features a Mongolian grill in which patrons choose from a large variety of raw meats, vegetables, oils and seasonings. Give your concoction to the grill master and your selection is grilled right in front of you. It’s an all-you-can-eat joint, so you’re guaranteed not to go home hungry.
I can’t think of a single restaurant at the Landing that doesn’t have at least an interesting view, even if you can’t see the river.
Across the river from the Landing is one of Jacksonville’s most frequented Sunday brunch stops, the River City Brewing Company (835 Museum Circle. 904-398-2299). They’ve got their own microbrewery as well as a romantic view. Ah, beer and romance…have I mentioned that they have a decent wine list as well? The food is fairly high-end, with standards that include lobster and prime rib. On Sundays, folks like to enjoy a little post-church upscale brunch. The restaurant layout appeals to the eye, with a koi pond running through it and a lovely view of the marina and the river.
A family favorite, Singleton’s Seafood Shack (4728 Ocean Street, Atlantic Beach. 904-246-4442) gives the scenery-hungry diner a bit of Ocean flavor. While technically on the St. Johns River, it’s so close to the sea that it’s within view of Mayport’s shrimp fleet. The place definitely has an Old Florida fish-camp ambiance, so expect things to be rustic. The shrimp, we’ve heard, is fresh off the boat.
Try Plantains Restaurant (1 Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Beach. 904-249-7402) at the Sea Turtle Inn, for a view of the Ocean. You’ll have to sit out on their deck for the full effect, but you’ll be able to see the ocean and the pool area of the Sea Turtle Inn.
I’m a sucker for kitsch, and if there’s one restaurant chain built on kitsch, it’s Joe’s Crab Shack (#6 Beach Boulevard, Jacksonville Beach. 904-249-6160). This seaside seafood eatery has a prime location right on Jacksonville Beach. The outside consists of battered-looking whitewash boards and colorful outdoor lamps. They’ve festooned the place with fisherman’s nets, fake fish and some of the more interesting (but not disturbing) things you might find washed up on the beach. Bad jokes are part of the decorating scheme, like the “Serious Case of Crabs” hanging from the ceiling- a pink suitcase covered in plastic red crabs. In the daytime Joe’s draws lots of families, assorted beachgoers and locals. One great feature is Joe’s Sandlot, which is basically a fenced, sand-filled area where the kids can frolic while you eat on the patio. At night, the crab shack draws the sports bar crowd. If any staff can get you to dance with them, it’s the crew at Joe’s. I can’t say that the seafood is top quality, but it passes muster for this type of establishment.
The Reef (4100 Coastal Highway. 904-824-8008) might be called “casual oceanfront dining”, but we’ve heard their food meets a much higher standard. Their prime rib is reportedly the best in the St. Augustine area and their seafood (like the Thai Chili Snapper) is known to be delicious, fresh and innovative. The prices are a little steep (dinner entrées average about $22) but worth it for a delightful meal right on the ocean. Each table has a fine view and full-moon dining is recommended.
The Conch House (57 Comares Avenue, St. Augustine. 904-829-8646) isn’t actually on the ocean (it’s on a body of water called Salt Run) but it feels like you are in a place that can only be described as a Floribbean resort. (Floribbean, if you didn’t already know, is a combination of Florida and Caribbean). It’s really very Key West. The eatery is attached to a Marina resort, right next to a pool and the water. The Seminole Raw Bar and Everglades Dining Area, complete with a live alligator exhibit, are the newest additions to the resort. Food selections include Caribbean Chicken Pasta, Fried Oysters and Butter Rum Scallops. Expect to pay an average of $24 for a dinner entrée.
You just haven’t experienced North Florida if you haven’t been to a real fish camp. Clark’s Fish Camp (12903 Hood Landing. 904-268-3474) is tucked away in Mandarin with an exclusive view of Julington Creek. The view inside, with hundreds of stuffed and mounted exotic animals, is certainly one of the most unique views any area restaurant has to offer. If you’re looking for an adventure in taste, go straight for the section entitled “Call of the Wild Appetizers.” For the scant price of around $7.50-$9, you can try a taste of turtle, quail or ostrich, among other things. Clark’s has perhaps the largest menu in the area, so ask your server what they recommend. We loved their Brinda’s Seafood Bake. Fresh crab, tender shrimp, pillowy scallops and fish are baked in a divinely rich white wine cream sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese. Excellent garlic toast comes with the bake, so you can pile it on and eat it up!
Another classic fish camp choice is Whitey’s Fish Camp (2032 County Road 220, Orange Park. 904-269-4198). They started out as a gas station for boats in 1963 that served cold sodas and sandwiches from a cooler. They’ve expanded considerably since then, with multiple rooms, decks and a full kitchen for their full menu. Try the signature swamp onion, with Whitey’s own swamp sauce. Made fresh from scratch, the creamy swamp sauce has a bit of a bite with its ranch dressing base flavored with horseradish and cayenne. Also not to be missed—Whitey’s loaded potato chips. They’re a massive mound of warm potato chips fresh from the fryer and loaded with cheese, shredded bacon, sour cream and green onions. For an entrée, you might want to give Whitey’s famed catfish a try. These catfish aren’t farm raised but are wild and fresh from the river.
Cap’s on the Water (4325 Myrtle Street, St. Augustine. 904-824-8794), located on the Intracoastal Waterway in St. Augustine, started as a fish camp but has since become more upscale, with white tablecloths and a wine list. It’s still family friendly, with such amenities as a changing table in the woman’s restroom. For a less formal experience than the dining room has to offer, you can sit out on the deck, at the bar, or on their floating dock. They’ve recently added their “Sunset Oyster Bar” to their deck, overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. Raw, steamed and a variety of baked oysters are served, as well as Dungeness crab, mussels and Mayport shrimp.
Also on the Intracoastal Waterway in the Jacksonville Beach area is Billy’s Boat House Grill (2321 Beach Boulevard, Jacksonville Beach 904-241-9771). This rustic boathouse eatery is right up against the docks with a view of the marina and its boats. Take a seat on the upper deck bar or sit in their skinny dining room with its picture windows for the best view. Billy’s serves all the standard seafood and steak selections. A popular appetizer favorite is the Wheelhouse Dip, a mixture of spinach, garlic, bacon, fresh Parmesan cheese, and crabmeat, served hot with toast points. Under entrées, seafood lovers can get a bit of everything with their Boat House Platter- a large load of shrimp, clams, oysters, and fish, along with a crab cake and homemade hushpuppies. In St. Augustine, the Santa Maria Restaurant (135 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine 904-829-6578) currently overlooks the Matanzas Bay and the under-construction Bridge of Lions. Sometimes the wait can be long at this touristy restaurant, but it’s all worth it. This place has openings where you can throw food to the fantastically huge and ravenous catfish that lurk beneath the pier. For novelty and a view, Santa Maria’s is hard to beat, however, they’ve garnered a reputation as an overpriced tourist trap. The locals tend to steer clear of it because the food and service have been known to be, well, not so good. We’ve heard the place recently changed management, so it’s reputation may change, but so far, all of our experiences have been in line with the locals.
Salt Water Cowboy’s (299 Dondanville Road, St. Augustine. 904-471-2332), also in St. Augustine, looks like a shack surrounded by salt-water marshes. It’s got a great sunset view and serves up some of the best Jambalaya in the area. Try some cooter (soft-shell turtle), barbequed ribs, fresh seafood or their Minorcan Clam Chowder, which won 1st prize in the 20th annual Great Chowder Debate.
It’s all-American cuisine at Harpoon Louie’s (4070 Herschel Street, # 9. 904-389-5631), known for their excellent burgers, Fresh Catch Salad and view of Fishweir Creek. The service tends to vary widely, sometimes excellent and sometimes not. It’s the view, the food and the pitchers of beer that bring people back. Try their Student Loan Special- a basket of wings and a pitcher of beer.
There are a few places in Five Points where you can people-watch. There’s Hovan Mediterranean (2005-1 Park Street. 904-381-9394), which serves fresh tabbouleh salad and entrees like lamb kebabs and gyro sandwiches. With its strategic location, you can see the shopping district of 5 Points and all the fascinating alt-scene folks, artists, hippies and yuppies who walk through.
If you sit near the front of Ragland’s (1023 Park Street. 904-598-5271) as you munch on what they call “food without a map” you can watch the passersby in 5 Points. They serve all kinds of pasta dishes, couscous, and a decent selection of Panini sandwiches icluding their four-cheese, beef horseradish and cheddar, turkey and cheese, Italian, and Cuban. For dinner, try their Black Angus Rib Eye.
In San Marco, you’ll have another opportunity to people-watch when you sit outside at the chic Café Carmon (1986 San Marco Boulevard. 904-399-4488). We’ve heard that the desserts here are outstanding.
For more casual dining and a New York-style pie, try Pizza Palace (1959 San Marco Boulevard (904) 399-8815). Pizza is the main pull for Jacksonville locals, but you can also order a host of other Italian favorites like spaghetti, Stromboli and calzones. The dog-friendly outdoor seating affords a view of San Marco Square and all the passing shoppers.
In the Avondale Shopping area, the best view for people-watching is the Brick (3585 St. Johns Street. 904-387-0606). Other restaurants on the street might have outdoor/indoor seating with a pretty view, but most of those offer a fairly insular experience. Seating at the Brick encourages diners to look out at the picturesque, oak-lined street and the people in Avondale, whether it be a man walking a massive Dalmatian or a woman pushing a double stroller of twins. As an added bonus, the outdoor area of the Brick has misters, keeping diners cool in the heat of the summer. Lunch diners often opt for their popular Cuban Panini, while at dinner they choose to feast on the maple-glazed salmon.
Of course, not every people-watching experience has to involve pedestrians. The West Inn Cantina (3644 St. John’s Street. 904-389-1131) might not get as many passersby as the Brick, but there are plenty of interesting people inside the restaurant to watch, provided you’re discreet. (My Mom taught me that staring is rude, unless you’re sneaky about it.) This neighborhood bar and restaurant attracts a wide variety of people, like college age girls laughing over margaritas, businessmen watching a Jaguar game, thirty-somethings discussing trips to India, older couples playing backgammon and families playing a competitive game of billiards. It’s a fusion of people as delightful as the food. The kitchen excels in their use of cheeses and sauces, relying on Southwestern cuisine as the jumping-off point for their fusion-filled dishes. Try their Five-Treasure Chicken entrée for an intriguing and scrumptious study in fusion. Served with a pepper cream sauce that flawlessly blends spices of India with the West, the chicken is coated with crushed tortilla shells and breadcrumbs. The portion of chicken cutlets is very generous, and the Five-Treasure Chicken makes for tasty leftovers.
Since shopping tends to bring out scads of people, it’s no surprise that several other restaurants in a shopping area made our list. At the St. Johns Town Center (4663 River City Drive), most of the restaurant seating is indoors, but you can opt for patio seating at a few places. In the heart of the Town Center, just off of the pond display, are Ted’s Montana Grill (904-998-0010), Maggiano’s (904-380-4360) and the Healthy Way Café (904-642-2951).
Ted’s specializes in buffalo steaks and is known for an emphasis on the quality of their meats rather than relying on seasonings. Chow down on one of their buffalo burgers for lunch.
Maggiano’s is known for its savory delivery of favorite Italian dishes. Ladies like their chicken spinach manicotti, while the guys go for their beef medallions, served with sautéed Portobello mushrooms, crispy onion strings and a side of mashed potatoes. Out of the three, Maggiano’s has the best view, because the outdoor seating is right in front of the cute little artificial pond where dozens of parents bring their toddlers. These toddlers gasp in delight and fascination as they watch turtles swim with huge koi.
At the Healthy Way Café, you can people-watch as you enjoy your Salmon Wrap, a delicious combination of wild salmon, organic romaine lettuce, tomatoes and sprouts. But the food isn’t the whole story here; even the seemingly plastic knives and forks are made of a “potato-plastic” that biodegrades in less than two months in a compost heap. The clear cups are also made of another biodegradable material, derived from corn, though they look and feel like conventional plastic. Their biodegradable meal pack containers are made with processed sugar cane stalks. With Maggiano’s across the street and Starbucks on their left, everyone who’s doing serious shopping in the Town Center is going to walk past the Healthy Way sooner or later, making it a prime spot for people-watching.
Lots of restaurants can claim pleasant little courtyards with a garden atmosphere, so we’ll highlight a few of the local places with great courtyards.
Bistro Aix (1440 San Marco Boulevard 904-398-1949) has different seating areas with very different atmospheres. If you’ve never walked all the way to the back of the old section of the bistro, you’re missing out on their stylish little courtyard. It’s got a great romantic and intimate look, complete with an oh-so San Marco wall fountain and climbing vines, without being too formal. Since it is often deserted during the day, savvy moms make sure they’re seated there if they have a toddler who needs to move around or a baby who’s a little cranky. But during the evenings it’s certainly quieter than the busy restaurant can be. Bistro Aix has a reputation for upscale cuisine and top-notch ingredients, so it’s a Jacksonville favorite for those very special evenings out.
Courtyard romantic seating is an integral part of St. Augustine’s Cortesses (172 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine. 904-825-6775). We recommend their artichoke soup and (despite the upscale manner of the place) their burgers.
The Casbah (3628 Saint Johns Avenue. 904-981-9966) is certainly worth mentioning as far as courtyards are concerned, because theirs is set under large oaks in the picturesque Avondale shopping area. Enjoy a hookah on their courtyard while you nibble on authentic Middle Eastern favorites. The courtyard is also a relaxing place to people-watch, as all sorts of characters wander in and out of this late-night hotspot, from belly dancers to punk-rockers searching for a hookah.
While it’s a bit difficult to people-watch from the deck of the Mossfire Grill (1537 Margaret Street. 904-355-4434) in 5 Points, plenty of folks like to relax with one of their legendary fish tacos on a clear day or breezy night.
Sushi has certainly proliferated in Jacksonville, particularly in the 5 Points area. For a view of park-side greenery, try an old favorite of sushi-lovers in the area: Sushi Café (2025 Riverside Avenue 904-384-2888). It’s located in the Publix shopping center but faces out towards the street, rather than inward towards the parking lot. Directly across the street is Memorial Park. During lunch hour, those who stop to nosh at the café can sit outside and take in the trees and neighborhood ambiance just off the 5 Points Shopping District. Their Rainbow Roll is delicious. If you aren’t into the raw stuff but you like sushi, try their Jaguar Roll, a combo of barbecued eel and avocado deep-fried to delicious perfection. Also for non-sushi eaters, hibachi items, teriyaki chicken or steak and katsu are some of the items available. Lobster, filet mignon, steak and scallop preparations are also on the menu.
Sometimes the view inside a restaurant is worth mentioning. The First Coast has more than its share of restaurants with interesting art on the walls and rotating galleries. If you start paying attention on your eating excursions, you might notice the original art on the walls, particularly at family-owned or non-chain eateries.
In the Murray Hill neighborhood, you’ll want to check out Moon River Pizza for fresh art and fresh toppings on your pie. Out the beaches, head for Atlantic Beach’s Ocean 60 for fine dining, an exquisite crème brûlée and art. Their rotating gallery is in the bar area. Newer to the art and food scene is Zhänras: Art & Eats in St. Augustine. The always artsy Five Points has Ragland’s, where they serve up “food without a map” and the art of Clair Hartmann. Two places to check out Downtown during the First Wednesday ArtWalk are Burrito Gallery and London Bridge Pub.
For a more extensive listing of eateries that also serve up art, see our “Artful Eating” dining guide side bar on pages 13 and 14.
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