Cinda’s Cellar
Pesca Vilano: Coastal Cuisine at Its Best
Fine Dining, Fine Wines, and Fine Times By Buzz Thomas Experienced travelers can likely recall one of two experiences when the term hotel restaurant is mentioned. It’s either a bland, disappointing, no-name bar and grill, or it’s a memorable culinary journey (akin to Salt at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island). Pesca Vilano most definitely falls into the latter of those two categories. Allow me to introduce you to Chef Michael Lugo and his latest fine dining creation, Pesca Vilano. This visionary chef has deep roots in St. Augustine’s...
read moreGold Star Restaurants
Making Jacksonville a Foodie Destination Discovering new dining options and old favorites that offer exceptional quality and consistency is what makes our annual Gold Star restaurant list so remarkable. As we continue to explore the diverse dining options in our community, we are reminded of the incredible resilience and dedication of the restaurant industry. This year’s Gold Star list is a celebration of those who have embraced change and reinvented themselves in exciting new ways. We are honored to introduce you to some new...
read moreCity Grille & Raw Bar: An Unparalleled Dining Experience
By Laura Riggs For anyone who ever visited the Wine Cellar in San Marco, it was a sad day when they closed their doors after 47 years in business. The restaurant had been a downtown staple for fine dining and well known for its wine collection. Business meetings, prom nights, first dates, wedding proposals, anniversaries, and so many other celebrations had taken place in one of Jacksonville’s oldest upscale restaurants for almost five decades. A significant hole was left in the fine dining scene when the Wine Cellar closed in October 2021....
read moreHospitality: Taverna Oceana Delivers the Speed of a Diner with the Skill of Fine Dining
By Laura Riggs Sam and Kiley Efron opened Taverna in 2009 and have consistently won some of the best restaurant awards locally and nationally. The couple has brought a fresh perspective on Italian dining with seasonal menus focused on simple ingredients and an incredibly curated wine selection. Whether visiting for a special occasion, or an everyday meal, Taverna offers an upscale dining experience with an approachable atmosphere. It’s never pretentious and always inviting. Their second restaurant is no exception. Although it’s only...
read moreCongaree and Penn: A Craft-Farm Dining Experience
By Laura Riggs What started as a small rice farm in 2014 has quickly grown into an indispensable part of Jacksonville’s fine dining scene. Located 20 minutes northwest of downtown, Congaree and Penn thrives on their dedication to agriculture and culinary endeavors while inviting the community to enjoy both. Owners Scott and Lindsay Meyer decided early on to collaborate with restaurants to bring innovative flavors to Jacksonville while supporting the local food economy. Within a couple of years, they began hosting occasional chef-led dinners...
read moreBar Molino:
Enduring Favorites, Infusing Hospitality into Every Bite By Laura Riggs One of the hottest new restaurants in Jacksonville isn’t easy to find, parking is a challenge, and you may get stuck waiting for the dreaded San Marco train. Unless you actively seek out the opportunity to dine on unique flavors steeped in history, Bar Molino may never make it on your Resy list. Tucked away behind High Tide Burrito on Hendricks Avenue, this new concept is treating Jacksonville to old world Spanish tapas served with Southern hospitality. Although the...
read moreBELLWETHER: Enduring Favorites, Global Flavors, AND Exciting New Dishes
By Jeffrey Spear. Dining is always an adventure. Whether you’re looking for an exceptional mealtime experience, a few cocktails after work, a quick bite before showtime, or a comfortable place to connect with friends, you want to be well-fed and well looked after. Located in the heart of downtown Jacksonville near the corner of Laura and Forsyth Streets, Bellwether has you covered. For the uninitiated, Bellwether is part of the Black Sheep Restaurant Group, keeping company with Orsay and Black Sheep. While all three restaurants have earned...
read moreLemongrass Thai Bistro—An Enduring Legacy of Impressive Thai Cuisine
Lemongrass Thai Bistro, established in 2003, is one of those remarkable Jacksonville restaurants that has endured despite unprecedented challenges. When you consider its impeccably presented Thai cuisine, attentive service, and full-service bar with a focus on premium wines, it becomes easy to understand how this stalwart restaurant has maintained a loyal following for so many years and continues to impress newcomers.
read moreEmber & Iron —A Fiery New Dining Destination in St. Johns County
When it comes to well presented, enjoyable, and thoroughly delicious dining opportunities, there are lots of worthwhile destinations throughout Jacksonville. Considering it’s ranked among the fastest-growing cities in the United States, it’s not surprising that restaurants of note are beginning to pop up in some of the burgeoning communities in St. Johns County, especially along the east-west corridor along County Road 210 that stretches from Nocatee just east of the Atlantic Ocean over to Fruit Cove on the banks of the St. Johns River.
read moreLlama—A Remarkable Experience
Growing demand for newfound flavors and international cuisines are influencing the nature of restaurants throughout Northeast Florida. As detailed in the July/August issue of Arbus, Jacksonville has an incredibly diverse population, giving rise to a wide range of ethnically inspired restaurants that cater to these preferences. Of course, this trend is well established and growing just about everywhere you look, including in St. Augustine.
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