by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
The name of the Mossfire Grill sounds pleasant and cozy, but its origins are anything but. Originally called Tumbleweed, the owners wanted to tie the name to something with local flavor. They seized on one of the most defining moments in Jacksonville history: the Great Fire of 1901, which wiped out a majority of the city, especially the downtown waterfront. The fire originated at the Cleveland Fibre Factory, which processed the moss used to stuff mattresses in those days. During a drought, moss on the drying platform caught fire from a nearby chimney. By the time the fire department arrived, Jacksonville was ablaze.
Scooter and Drew Cavins opened the Mossfire in 1998 and the restaurant soon became a Five Points favorite. It’s a great place to go for a meal with a Southwestern flair and often has live entertainment on the weekends. Friday nights are particularly busy. Though I’ve found Mossfire to be fairly consistent in quality, when they are very busy their quality does seem to suffer a little, sometimes resulting in lukewarm meals. Servers tend to know the menu well and are great at recommending something for everybody. Mossfire is vegetarian-friendly, so if you’re vegetarian and looking for another place to go out, add this one to your list.
Their menu isn’t incredibly extensive, but everything they have on it, they do well and the prices are reasonable for the portions. One thing that makes the Mossfire a little different than most Southwestern style eateries is the fish selections. Besides the regular fish menu choices, they also offer a fish special which changes regularly. Specials in many restaurants aren’t always that special, but at the Mossfire, their special preparations are known to be exceptionally good, so don’t be afraid to venture off the regular menu.
The standout salad at Mossfire is the gorgonzola steak salad. With gorgonzola cheese, the kick-ass red chile vinaigrette, grilled sirloin and fried onions, it might not be the healthiest salad option, but it tops my list. In the sandwich section, my vote goes to the salmon BLT. I haven’t tried their burger, but I’ve heard it’s a respectable lunch choice.
There are three dining areas to choose from at the Mossfire: the upstairs lounge, the downstairs area and the outdoor patio. The outdoor patio is where smokers tend to congregate and the upstairs lounge has a cozier feel than the wide open downstairs area.
Starters at the Mossfire can be filling and are offered late into the night on weekends. For a twist on the usual Southwestern faire, you might want to give the tortilla crusted goat cheese and the Gouda cheese quesadillas a try. The tortilla crusted goat cheese is served warm, over spring greens with sun dried tomato, pesto and grilled floured tortillas. As a fan of goat cheese I’d recommend it! I also enjoyed the use of Gouda cheese in the quesadillas. The onions were nicely caramelized and contrasted with the smoky flavor of the cheese. My favorite appetizer dish by far is the crab cake (also available as an entrée). Most of the people I’ve queried about the best dishes at Mossfire immediately mention the crab cake. When I ordered it, I could taste why. The crab cake was nestled was atop a spring mix lightly doused in a piquant dressing, distinguished by the sweet corn kernels, fresh off the cob. Cob-fresh kernels are used in all of Mossfire’s preparations. Not all of the selections are distinctly Southwestern. Some, like the coconut fried shrimp, have a Florribbean flavor and others, like the chicken tenders and chicken wings are just standard bar food served with spice.
Another definitively Mossfire selection is Mossfire’s savory pork loin. This entrée is spice rubbed center cut loin, flawlessly grilled and topped with a cherry glaze. It comes with a side of either mashed potatoes and veggies or black beans and rice.
Because Mossfire does fish so well, I felt I had to order their fish taco. I had a tough time choosing between the salmon and the yellowfin tuna, but I finally settled on the yellowfin, once my server told me it was sushi grade tuna. I tried both the soft taco and the hard taco, but preferred the hard taco. I also tried both of the salsas available for the dish: the sweet but tongue-searing mango habanero sauce, and the standard medium salsa. Both salsas rated high and are what made the dish a spectacular choice. When you first get your taco, you might notice that the fish is on top, the shredded cheese is in the middle and the cabbage is on the bottom, contrary to the “standard taco” which places the cheese on the top. I liked this difference because there was less taco spillage (the fish held down those loose ingredients) and because the seared tuna made for a great presentation.
Desserts offered here run through all the standard choices like Key lime, cheesecake and chocolate cake. You may want to try one of the desserts made onsite like the Key lime, chocolate peanut butter and the pecan. The coconut cake isn’t made by Mossfire, but it is made by Let Them Eat Cake, so it’s sure to be incredible.
Mossfire is also a tequila bar with quite an extensive selection of over 40 tequilas. Hours are 11AM-close Monday-Saturday. Happy hour is 3-7; you get ½ priced well drinks, $1 off glass wine and $3 margaritas. Three dollar margaritas are also offered all day on Wednesday. The Tuesday night special is Smirnoff martinis $3 all night. If you haven’t yet tried the Mossfire Grill, be sure to stop by for a well-priced, freshly made, Southwestern style meal.
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