I think it's a winner

Learning learning learning, every single day. Boy have I been learning a lot here in Jacksonville! What have I learned you ask? 

I have learned that you can no longer keep lunch leftovers in your car (Florida is hot), you also cannot expect your dishes in your cupboards to be clean (there are a lot of bugs here), people who work for Comcast down here think the abbreviation 'bldg' is pronounced 'buh-luh-duh-glog' and that a fish camp is not an aquarium. 

Oh boy. Fish camps.. just another word for seafood restaurant... and I am sure glad I figured that out soon enough- because for a seafood lover, they are a dream!

Last weekend, my aunt and uncle were visiting so we decided to head to the beach and grab some dinner around the area. We were walking around and couldn't help to notice how crowded North Beach Fish Camp was! The entire area on Ocean Blvd is cute and pretty active, but with the crowded tables we knew we had to try out this fish camp. 

We were very excited at all the fresh seafood displayed at the front of the restaurant and couldn't wait to try a sampling of the menu. The three of us all got different dishes so we could try a little bit of each!

Seafood Pasta

Pan seared cod

Fried fish sandwich

Yum! I got the seafood pasta and was very excited for the fresh assortment. The pasta was tossed with some garlic-y olive oil and some crushed red peppers so it definitely had a great zing! There was an abundant amount of seafood on the plate although slightly overcooked. 

The pan-seared cod was delicious. Perfectly cooked (with a lot of butter), I would say that this might be the healthiest thing on their menu (or at least it sounds like it would be) but the butter really gets ya (in a good delicious way, of course) The fresh fish was undeniable.

The fish sandwich was good, but nothing too spectacular. It is what you would expect of a fish sandwich- but made with real fresh fish, of course!

The food was good and the service was OK as well. The place is really crowded, even late into the night! I really liked the freshness of the food and I am excited to bring my family back again- maybe I'll bring Zeusy bear too!

I will definitely return again, I might not go back if it wasn't right on the beach, but since it is, i think it's a winner. 

Price: $$

Food: B+

Service: B

Ambiance: B+

It should have been New York City quality

Upon moving to JAX, my obvious first question I had for locals here was "where should i go eat". I've gotten a lot of responses, but it seems like Salt Life and Mellow Mushroom was a big winner with many. I knew I needed to try both!

I was really excited to go to lunch with Mr. Andryc, and when he suggested Mellow Mushroom, I got even more excited! I've been craving some good pizza for the longest time, and I couldn't wait to try the place out.

The pizza menu was pretty interesting, and after careful thought, I chose the Bayou Bleu, a spicy bleu cheese pizza with shrimp and andouille sausage- how interesting!

Before I ordered, I of course had to make a snide remark about how I'm from NY (aka, I know pizza). I had to make sure that my pizza came out at its best because... well.. I'll be judging. 

Hmmmmmmm pretty interesting pizza. Definitely not your traditional pie (not that I was expecting it to be). The shrimp on the pizza were pretty big and the overall flavor was great! The garlic parmesan crust was perfectly crunchy while the blue cheese base added a good overall kick. 

I took the leftover to my aunt and uncle who ended up loving the pizza. I guess if it gets their approval, it gets mine. 

To be honest, it wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be, but then again, I am a bit picky. Nice try Mellow Mushroom, I may or may not be back.

Not bad pizza, but for the New York City price, it should have been New York City quality. 

Either way, I had a great first lunch with Alan- let's keep them coming!

Price:$$

Ambiance: B

Service: B

Food: B-