What a romantic town

So I recently heard the news about Mizz Paula Deen. I was just at her store in Georgia and felt compelled to buy a souvenir......... I'm sorry I gave her that $12.95.

Yes, that's right- I drove up North for 2 hours to visit the beautiful town of Savannah! Eric and I were getting a little bored in Jacksonville, so we thought we'd take a little road trip to explore more of the South.

We decided to head to Savannah to experience the beautiful sights and try the delicious food (boy, do we miss good food). We had a blast. We stayed at the Westin on the River and took the free ferry to the main town area and got to spend a good 2 full days in this beautiful town.

In addition to our private horse carriage ride, long walks around the majestic town and stuffing our faces with snacks and yummy southern food (and sweet tea!), we ended the trip with a beautiful dinner at Local 11 Ten. I don't mean to toot my own horn but... boy do we know how to end our trips well.

Local 11 Ten sources their ingredients and produce from local farms- so we definitely wanted to visit to taste delicious and fresh local items in our dishes. We looked at the menu and originally had a hard time choosing, but we finally narrowed it down to the quail, strawberry and blue cheese salad, scallops and the duck.

 Roasted Quail stuffed with blue cornbread stuffing

 Fresh Arugula Salad with local strawberries and blue cheese

 Seared Scallops with local peas, pearl onions and capers with a lemon vinaigrette

 

 

Seared Duck Breast with red wine reduction

 Ok, we really didn't narrow, we just ordered everything. And everything was good.

We started with the salad and quail. Eric's salad was light and fresh and the strawberries were so sweet and succulent! The quail was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The cornbread stuffing definitely made me feel like I was in the South!

My scallops were cooked perfectly, and again was very refreshing and light. Eric's duck was the heaviest dish of the night. It was cooked well and was very tender. Eric always gets his duck rare so I couldn't try too much of it. I prefer my duck a little more cooked.

The service was OK while the decor and ambiance was amazing. With the gorgeous huge panel windows that give you a view of the quaint street/homes and the abundance of natural lighting that the restaurant gets, the entire meal and experience was so refreshing!

The most interesting part of our dining experience was when the girl at the table next to us burned her hair on the table candle (she was fine). One of the servers walked through the entire restaurant with a sizzling pan of olive oil and rosemary and waved the rosemary plant all around and instantly removed the burnt hair smell- ingenious!

Not only did I have a good meal, I learned something too. What else could you ask for?

We ended that night with a stroll back to the ferry and a kiss by the water. What a romantic town :)

Lunch at Belford's and Sons

Price: $$$

Ambiance: A

Food: A-

Service: B

It will do for now

Almost 3 months in and I'm getting accustomed to good ol' Jacksonville! It's been a quarter of a year, and I'm moved in, settled at work and exploring all the different restaurants around the area. What a life! I've been getting a bit home sick, but with my family visiting every other weekend, I really can't complain too much. I still miss the food though.....oh the food...

Angela and I have been texting each other back and forth about our Chinese food cravings, and decided that enough was enough and that we had to go get some. We heard that there was a chinese restaurant nearby the asian grocery store- Jax Oriental Market (apparently its the same owner) and heard it wasn't half bad- so off we went! Peony Asian Bistro!

We decided to invite a few friends so it ended up being a group of 5. The more the merrier (and the more dishes you can order)

 

Angela and I were in charge of the menu and we got some roast duck, fried shrimp, Beef Chow Fun, some veggies, seafood/tofu soup and a whole steamed striped bass. The striped bass was my fave.

Before going, I had to set some expectations with myself. I knew that none of this stuff was going to be as cheap or delicious as what I am used to in New York. No matter how hard they tried.

....but.. it wasn't too bad!

All the dishes were pretty delicious! Although the duck was a little bit too fatty and not meaty enough (definitely not as fresh as NYC), i would say the shrimp and fish were great! The soup was definitely the best priced, while the fish was very pricey (yet very delicious). The vegetables were crisp while the noodles were fine, but nothing too outstanding.

What a great find, and a great meal! But even better, I'm really glad I got to meet some new friends and share this experience with them.

If I ever go back (which I am sure I will), I will make sure to steer away from the noodles and poultry and stick with the seafood. Afterall, I am in Florida!

I'm so glad I came here with some new friends and did some family style. Although it isn't New York quality, it will do for now.


Price:$$
Ambiance:C
Food: B
Service: B-

Ocean 60

What's better than 80 degree weather in Florida? Enjoying the 80 degree weather by the beach! 

The more I get to know Florida, the more I realize that I live in such an awesome place- the beach is only minutes away! 

I love taking visitors to the beach to relax and get some dinner- the vibe is great and I love the choices of restaurants!

Eric came to visit for some job opportunities and we decided to head to the beach for some dinner at Ocean 60. I've been here on a few occasions, and I've always enjoyed their changing menu.

We weren't particularly hungry, so we just got a few appetizers to share. We got a Goddess Salad, Caprese Salad, Pork Belly with Crispy Brussel Sprouts and Fish and Chips... ok maybe we ordered a little too much for not being hungry :)

 

Goddess Salad

 

Pork Belly with Crispy Brussels Sprouts

 

Caprese Salad

 

Fish and Chips

The Goddess Salad is my absolute favorite out of the 4. This is my second time ordering the salad and I love it! The corn, bacon, cranberries and goat cheese is the perfect combination of sweet, salty and creamy. The light dressing pulls it all together and makes this a great starter.

For those of you who know me, you know I absolutely hate salad. So for me to order this on two different occasions is really saying something!

The Caprese salad was different as it was a little warm. It had a lot of balsamic vinegar which was a little bit overpowering. 

The Pork Belly dish was also OK. The pork belly itself was dried and not very tender but the brussels sprouts were roasted to perfection! The dish overall was a bit salty, but I'd still eat it again, just for the sake of the brussels sprouts! (Eric hates brussels sprouts and even found it to be delicious)

I did not like the Fish and Chips. A little overpriced for what we got, the fish was cooked well but there was no flavor. The pieces of fish were perfectly crispy, but the lack of flavor was very off putting and the chips itself were lackluster. I would skip this one.

Ocean 60 has great live music, but wouldn't be a place for you to relax and enjoy your company (or at least not in the martini bar room). The lively atmosphere was fun and the ambiance is great. 

I would return to Ocean 60 again, but I am hoping to visit other restaurants on the beach and find something even better!

Price:$$

Food:A-

Ambiance: B+

Service: B

After all, we all can't live in New York!

So far so good. I've been in Jacksonville for 2 months now and I've been getting used to the neighborhoods and culture down in the South!

I still miss the good food a big city like New York can offer, but I haven't been too disappointed with what I have seen so far. After all, we all can't live in New York!

I met up with a new friend who is also a big foodie and she took me to Orsay- a cute little french bistro!

We went for brunch and I was very excited about all the delicious items on the menu! With such variety, I was very torn. I really wanted to get the Troie Foie Mousse, but after realizing that it didn't suffice as a full brunch meal, I resolved to go with the Duck Confit Hash instead. Don't worry, I'll get the Foie Mousse next time!

Duck Confit Hash

Quiche Du Jour

What a great brunch! Not only is it one of my favorite meals of the day, the food was fresh, organic and locally grown- how can it get better!

The Duck Confit Hash wasn't what I had expected it to be. I was thinking more of a traditional corned beef-like hash (think Pamela's in Pittsburgh) but really, it was huge chunks of delicious confit duck with two fresh eggs on top. 

I really liked the flavors of the dish but I did find the duck to be a bit tough. The side tabasco rouge sauce was great as it helped tie the dish together, but without it, I really ate each component separately, which really didn't feel right. 

Never the less, I had a great time. The bread before hand was amazing and the food was still very delicious. I am eyeing other parts of the menu and I hope to return for dinner or lunch next time. The service was attentive (and although the restaurant started to get busy, they never rushed us) and the ambiance was wonderful- it had a great rustic feel. I definitely will come back again and I can't wait to try more!

It was great having brunch with a new foodie friend, and I can't wait to explore more options together!

Next stop- who knows, but you can sure bet it's going to be good!

Food:B+

Ambiance: A-

Service: A

Price: $$

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-

I miss you already

I miss you already. Yes, you.

This past weekend was a blast, and I can't wait to have more weekends like this to come!

After a long and tiring (but fun) weekend of Disney and outlet shopping, Nina, Krishna and I had dinner in St. Augustine. It was a great ending to a fun-filled weekend and the food was superb! Kudos to Nina for picking the restaurant- Collage.

I didn't know what to expect as Nina had done the research and made the reservations without consultation, but I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere and unique twists on their dishes.

We started off with some fresh baked sourdough bread that came with a whole head of roasted garlic. The garlic was pungent and sweet and the warm soft bread was the perfect compliment. I almost ate the entire garlic head. Delicious.

I saw Foie Gras on the appetizer menu, so I of course had to get it. I was also intrigued by the cashew butter sauce- which ended up being delicious. 

They called it a PB&J foie gras dish, which sounds a little strange but it ended up being amazing. The light nutty flavor of the cashew butter with the sweet sauce (which you find a lot on foie gras dishes to balance out the heavy fattiness anyway) was perfect. The crunch of the large baked crouton and the mango chutney on top of the foie gras was lovely! The only thing bad about this dish, the foie gras itself. Way to use low-quality foie gras, Collage. It was almost impossible to cut clean with all the veins running through the liver! I suggest Collage invest in some higher quality foie, especially for this intricate dish that needs to be maneuvered very carefully!

Since I was a party pooper and got something that I couldn't share too easily, Nina and Krishna got the Brie for Two appetizer. The nutty brie with the flaky phyllo dough was great! Thanks for sharing, guys.

As for our entrees, Krishna got the only vegetarian option available- Butternut Squash Ravioli with winter vegetables. Nina got the Lobster Ravioli (with a 5 oz. lobster tail on top) and I got the Shrimp and Scallop All' Imperiale!

Butternut squash ravioli

Lobster Ravioli

Shrimp and Scallop All' Imperiale

Our entree presentations were nice (but not spectacular) and our food was pretty tasty. Krishna's ravioli were soft, fluffy and light while the cream pesto sauce over Nina's ravioli gave it a buttery decadent texture. My pasta dish was good- not too creamy. The seafood were also cooked perfectly. I would say Nina's dish won for the night- I love lobster.

Of course, Nina insisted on getting a dessert. Their signature Bougainvillea dessert.

The dessert had vanilla ice cream on top of sauteed, warm strawberries in a baked phyllo dough cup. The Phyllo was the most memorable part- so flaky and buttery.. mmmmmm

Although this place wasn't bad, I wouldn't say it was spectacular. The food was tasty, the protein was cooked correctly and the ambiance is nice. I would return again, but only after I've tried all the other great places in St. Augustine- I can't wait!

I also need to get used to the slow service down here in the South....

I'll miss you both- best of luck to Krishna on his epic adventure! Like I said, I miss you already.

Price: $$$

Food: B+

Ambiance: B+

Service: B

Frog and The Peach

Ohhhhhhh boy. I am in Florida. Yes. Florida. As great as I hear the seafood is, I'm pretty sure nothing is going to beat the food in the Tri-State Area. Boy am I going to miss the food......

But more importantly, I am absolutely going to miss the people! I moved down to Jacksonville,FL so quickly that I barely had the chance to hang out with some close friends. Good thing a few are coming to visit soon!

Nina Bina is coming for a Melina weekend tonight and it made me reminisce about our last meal together- lunch at the Frog and The Peach.

Nina and I decided to skip the lunch at our last ITLDP training one day and head to the Frog and The Peach for a real meal. Anything but Christopher's. 

The Frog and The Peach is a nice French restaurant that had a reasonably priced lunch menu- I've been dying to try it for the longest time! I got the winter vegetable soup to start and the seared day boat scallops as an entree.

Winter Vegetable Soup

Seared Day Boat Scallops

To be honest, I was expecting it to be better. I mean, it was my last meal in New Jersey! The soup was OK. For those of you who know me, I am a huge soup fan. This one was a little too much pumpkin and squash and not enough... savory and salt, if you know what I mean. The texture was extremely thick and grainy and it was very hot for a long time- we could barely drink it! I didn't end up finishing it, which is a travesty in my book. 

The scallops were also.. OK. Although it was perfectly seared, the miso vinaigrette with the sesame peanut noodles were a little underwhelming. The hot seared scallops with the extremely cold/refrigerated noodles takes you by surprise. I'm not sure if they meant to do it this way, or they just were in a rush (to be fair, we told them we had to be done with the entire meal in 45 minutes). The miso vinaigrette was good- although a bit too salty, but the cold noodles and slaw could have been better. 

We ended the meal with a pretty delicious dessert- a coffee creme brulee. Although it was small, to me it was the perfect portion for a light lunch. I've had many creme brulees before but the intense espresso flavor infused with the sweet cream of the dessert was the perfect ending- and a good pick me up after a long morning of training!

I would say that I had higher expectations for this place. It could be that I just didn't get the right stuff, but I was hoping for more savory fatty goodness (that the french is so famous for) than a light, asian inspired lunch! The greatest thing was our very attentive and understanding server- very good service!

In the end, the meal was perfect because I was with the perfect person. 

So excited for Nina to visit- time for Disney tomorrow!

Food: B

Service: A-

Ambiance: A

Price: $$$

If it's good enough for Mr. Big Burrito, I guess it's good enough for us

I have had the ultimate meal. And yes, it was at Umi again. Oh Umi. It's strange how I haven't talked to anybody that has even gone to Umi and I really have to say that you are all missing out. Mr. Shu is an absolute genius, and if you really appreciate good food, I would say forget about damn Soba and head upstairs for something soooo much better!

We finally did it. We did the 'Trust Mr. Shu' omakase. We've had the regular $85 omakase a bunch of times, then upgraded to the $125 omakasse, and we finally decided that we'd go all out and have one of the best meals ever!

There were 16 courses so I'm not going to go into detail, and I of course can't remember. But I hope these pictures speak for itself...

Kumamoto Oysters with special sauce

Uni on top of tempura

Raw Kobe Beef Carpaccio with special sauce

Kumamoto Oyster with foie gras and a side of fried eel, with foie gras

Whitefish Sashimi

Spanish Mackeral with a light citrus sauce

Lobster Sashimi with special sauce

Salmon two ways: One with spicy sauce, and another piece of nigiri topped with foie gras

Salmon Belly

Spanish Mackeral seared with hot sesame oil

Lobster sashimi spoon with foie gras, sashimi topped with Uni

Raw Scallops with special sauce

Yellowtail with mushroom paste and truffle oil

Black Cod Miso

Lobster Sashimi with raw scallops on top

Soft shell crab tempura topped with O Toro

Just looking at these pictures is agonizing. Each dish was spectacular and absolutely perfect. I would say the dish I liked the least was the soft shell crab with the toro. But, really, it was still amazing. 

To top it all off, we sat at the sushi bar and had this great meal with the owner of Big Burrito! He was celebrating his birthday with his son Max (the reason Mad Mex is named what it is) and it was great to know that we were having the same meal as him! If it's good enough for Mr. Big Burrito, I guess it's good enough for us. 

I don't know the next time I will have this meal (probably never) but I can say that it is one meal that I don't mind paying for. If you are new to Umi, I would suggest to bite the bullet and go for the simple omakase and then build you way up to 'Trust Mr. Shu', but I promise- whatever you go with you won't be disappointed. 

Seriously, go to Umi and get the Omakase. 

And say hi to Drew for us!

Price: $$$$

Service: A+

Food: A+

Ambiance: A-

Almost there Class of 2011!

First off, I hope all is safe from Hurricane Sandy! Please let me know if you need a place for refuge as I am currently housing the Russian and so the more the merrier! We have power and heat and lots of food!

To be honest, as great as it is to hang out with Yulian all day, I really wish I was at work and things were back to normal! I miss my lunch excursions and can't wait to have my next one! (Too bad EVERYTHING is closed around here)

A few weeks ago, Pooja decided to visit Titusville and so Jackie and I thought we should visit Paulie Anna Rose for some lunch. Oh the good old days.. the days when you can get lunch at a restaurant......

We had a great time together and I was really happy that Pooja came to visit! I wasn't too happy with the food though. 

Penne Ala Vodka

Pooja and her sandwich

Jackie and I both got the Penne ala vodka while pooja got the grilled vegetable sandwich. Both portions were huge and enough for two meals, but the flavor itself was not huge. 

My penne ala vodka tasted more like a tomato based mac and cheese. The creamy, heavy, sticky sauce was almost even yellow! It wasn't awful, but it definitely isn't something I would pay for again. Very heavy and oily, I would say that I probably ate 2000 calories- and I only ate half!

Although the food was a bust, the lunch itself was not! It is always great to see Pooja and being all the way in Titusville, Jackie and I love visitors!!!

We can't wait to venture out to more places for lunch once everything from the hurricane settles down. As final placement comes rolling around, I can't wait to try as much as I can out here before we possibly leave! 

Almost there Class of 2011!

Food: C-
Service: C
Ambiance: C
Price: $$

Yes, the vegetarian chose a steakhouse

I am officially experiencing Vegas withdrawal. ACK.

Maybe it's because it's all the way on the other side of the country, or that it feels like you are in an alternate reality, or that I am an addict, or that it's all of the above, but whatever it is, I want it again. 

So a few weeks ago, I took yet another trip to Vegas with a few co-workers. Yes, I went to Vegas without Eric. And to be honest, as much as I love Eric, I had a blast with my co-workers. Some were Vegas veterans and some were new to this world (Jackie),  but I would have to say that all of us had a great time!

The one thing about Vegas is that you can never get bored. No matter how many times you've been there (I would say that I've been there almost 20 times in my life- it's really too many to keep track of nowadays) you can always have fun and always experience something new. 

Thanks to Krishna, I was able to get my first breathtaking view of the Strip from the Rio Casino. All of us were on a quest to get as much out of the town in the short 3 days we were there. Especially since Jackie had never been-we wanted to show her everything!

Krishna was in charge of planning our 'fine dining' experience one night, and he chose VooDoo Steak. Yes, the vegetarian chose a steakhouse. He justified his decision by telling us that he had heard about the amazing view at the Rooftop Night Club- and boy did he make a good decision! The view was AMAZING. 

It truly was spectacular, and with just the view alone, I would say that you should visit VooDoo Steak (so you can get the free access to the rooftop)

The food wasn't bad either- I was pleasantly surprised!!

The menu at VooDoo Steak was pretty classic and so of course, I got the foie gras to start and the scallops for my entree

Seared Foie Gras with Fruit Compote

Pan Roasted Sea Scallops with Braised Short Rib

The foie gras was perfectly seared and was balanced well with the tartness of the fruit compote. Buttery and not oily, I would say the foie gras was executed very well- I wish it was bigger!

When the menu described the scallops as being paired with some braised short rib, I was expecting a round rib bone to be on my plate. However, it was just some thin slices of meat, and I think I liked it better that way. The scallops were crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, and was not overcooked. The light aroma of the mushrooms paired with the tender short rib meat was perfect. The crisp salad on top also added some great crunch and contrast to the tender proteins on the plate. What a great dish- what a great meal!

The only thing I did not like about this place was the service. It turns out that if you are a Total Rewards member you get a few discounts off the menu. Once the server heard about our discount he was completely rude and was not attentive at all. Not only was he rude near the end of the meal, his ability to coordinate the order placements of our drinks and our entire meal was laughable. We ended up sitting with the huge menus on the backs of our chairs because he didn't know how and when he should take our orders. It's not hard buddy. 

Besides the poor service, the food and view were absolutely amazing. I am so happy that I got to experience something new in Vegas. Thanks Krishna!

Price: $$$

Food: A-

Ambiance: A-

Service: C-