Native Sun

A little while ago I got e-shouted at; not for something I said, but rather for an inexcusable omission. Admittedly, I deserved being reprimanded for making such an oversight, particularly considering the goal of this little weblog to aid in introducing Northeast Florida residents to the unique and interesting things their region has to offer.

In early January I posted an entry on the newly opened Whole Foods. Prior to that time I hadn't intended to include supermarkets in our online menagerie of local attractions, eateries, and other local-ish places of interest but this was a new breed of supermarket; a species of which Jacksonville had not yet seen.

So I was criticized by a friend for having covered Whole Foods while completely ignoring Jacksonville's very own, homegrown Native Sun. Ironically, I received the email upon returning from one of my regular shopping trips to their Baymeadows location and immediately begged for forgiveness, promising to rectify my error and give Native Sun the shout-out it deserves.

Aaron and Erica Gottlieb opened Native Sun in 1997 at their Mandarin location and have been one of the only providers of fresh organic produce and other healthy foods in the area. In mid-2006 they opened up a new store at the intersection of Baymeadows and 9A.

Fresh produce, packaged goods, coffee, grains, bread, frozen items, nutritional supplements, household supplies, beer, and more; there's precious little on your grocery list that you won't find here and anything missing will surely have a healthier substitute. There's also coffee/juice/smoothie bar and a deli providing healthy, fresh-made meals, snacks, and sides.

The extensive bulk food section is something I haven't really seen at other grocery stores and don't remember encountering at Whole Foods. You can buy grains, nuts, coffee, beans, dried fruits, mixes, etc., all by the pound. The prices are typically significantly lower than what you would pay for the same pre-packaged items and there's the added benefit of being able to purchase the exact quantity you need.

My most regular purchase, and I may give myself away to some of the employees who no doubt already think I'm strange enough, is the Ezekiel Bread (bread made from freshly sprouted organically grown grains). Being delicious, nutritious, and having a low glycemic index makes this my exclusive bread of choice. It's regularly rather expensive but Native Sun always has either the original or sesame seed variety on sale, thereby making themselves a crucial part of my grocery expeditions.

Recently the Baymeadows store has been serving brunch on Saturdays. For $6.99 you get a pound of food and there's plenty of variety to choose from. If that sounds a bit dear, please note that we left there completely stuffed and only packed away 1.1 lbs between us so it really is a great deal. I highly recommend the Tofu Scramble.

They offer the same setup for weekdays with a different cuisine being represented each day. The price during the week is $8.99 per pound except for Wednesdays when it drops down to $6.99. Check out the Hot Bar section of their website for more info. Looking over the menu and reminiscing about my Saturday brunch, I'm definitely making plans to sample some more of what they're dishing out.

So with all this praise and adulation, I think I can afford to step back and moan about one slight detail. There is one thing that has caused me to occasionally shake my fist in the general direction of Native Sun over the years and that, dear reader, is the puzzling fact that they are not open on Sundays. Sure, I should be able to work around this but when do I find myself wanting to go to Native Sun most often? Sunday. When is my "I can't believe I forgot to buy x" where x is a grocery available only at y and y, in this case, is Native Sun? Sunday. And I'm sure Sunday is grocery freak out day for many of you out there as well. And I'm sure that, if you don't already frequent Native Sun, you will on some future Sunday need to go there or perhaps even drive all the way to the store only to realize that they are closed for business on this one day of the week. C'est la vie. At least they don't close for two hours during lunch like the supermarkets in many parts of Europe.

And was I right to say that Whole Foods is unlike any supermarket in the area? Yes, and I still stand by that statement. Whole Foods is a glitzy, glamourous, new spectacle; a novelty in a way, playing up its deviation from the supermarket norm. Native Sun, on the other hand, is an unpretentious adherent to quality that values customer satisfaction over wow-factor.

Regardless, it's a great place with great food and they do their best to help their customers and work with the community. Support your local scene, maintain a healthy lifestyle, be all that you can be, and can you please pass me one more loaf of Ezekiel Bread? Thanks.

Native Sun
email: customerservice@nativesunjax.com
Native Sun Blog
@nativesunjax on Twitter

11030 Baymeadows Rd.
Jacksonville, FL 32256
904-260-2791

10000 San Jose Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32257
904-260-6950

The Present Moment Cafe

Living in Jacksonville must be rather hard if you're a vegan or vegetarian. Long ago I was forced to abandon my vegetarianism, mostly due to the fact that I was training to be a cage fighter, but I have always since tried to eat a healthy and balanced diet. The wonderful individual who introduced me to TacoLu, a vegetarian herself, once again came through with a winning suggestion: The Present Moment Cafe in St. Augustine.

The Present Moment Cafe hit the downtown St. Augustine scene in late 2006. It was opened by Yvette and Nathan Schindler who have studied under some renowned raw food chefs and put their education to use in serving "live, vegan, organic and unprocessed food" to similarly dedicated or simply curious customers alike.

So what exactly is this Raw Food movement all about? Going further beyond the vegetarian and vegan ideals of cutting out meat and other animal products from one's grocery list, raw food proponents (for the most part) advocate the consumption of "live" foods that are un-cooked and un-processed. There are some within the community that include raw meats, eggs, and milk in their diet but the most popular approach to the raw food lifestyle is a vegan diet consisting primarily of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouts. There is plenty of information online about the raw food diet and its potential health benefits but, as always, I recommend taking a good dose of skepticism before delving too deeply.

But back to the Present Moment. We were greeted by a friendly waitress armed with a decanter of water. Looking closely I noticed a slice of cucumber and and a slice of lemon floating within the room-temperature fluid that brought to mind my cucumber lemon zest martini at Orsay. Very refreshing indeed, I think I shall have to commandeer that trick for my own personal uses.

Despite the fact that some may consider the prohibition of cooked food a limiting factor, the menu here is large and varied, boasting far more than the salads and smoothies us culinarily-unimaginative folk might expect. You can order hamburgers, burritos, tacos, chili, pasta, sushi and more... well, in name at least. There's certainly a resemblance in the appearance, texture, and even taste of these dishes but the ingredients are purely plant based and, of course, uncooked. But let me assure you, the absence of the defining meat or processed starches from these dishes is anything but a drawback. Additionally, the ingredients are organic and often locally grown meaning that the meals on this seasonal menu are as fresh as can be.

We ordered the "Viva Burrito" (dehydrated tortilla filled with pine nut-chili and walnut pate, guacamole, coconut sour cream and jalapeno vinaigrette) and the "No-Bean Chili" which were, for lack of a better word, amazing; fulfilling, wholesome, and inhabiting a level of unparalleled deliciousness. The chili bore all of the best aspects of its namesake without the oily, sloppiness that is often an unwelcome addition. The burrito consisted of a tasty, grainy tortilla of sorts packed with a smattering of fresh veggies, seeds, grains, topped with a coconut based sour cream analogue and served with a side of fresh salad greens. I would gladly abandon cooked food if I could eat meals like this every day.

Although we don't typically indulge in a post-meal sweet, the dessert menu here was simply too enticing and intriguing to pass up. We settled on a their version of a mocha, the "Cacaocha" (I know, it's not raw, they do make some exceptions), and the "Warm Live Pecan Apple Cobbler" that was served with homemade cashew-vanilla ice cream. The delightful flavor and absence of post-dessert self-disgust is still fresh in my mind. Oh, and upon being told that the pansy was also edible, I promptly ate that as well. So we left stuffed and, as an added bonus, the cost didn't exceed what you would encounter at establishments serving food of a far inferior quality.

In addition to offering amazing food, there is also a small store where you can buy raw-food literature, ingredients, and healthy pre-made treats. Occasionally they hold classes or play host to guest speakers. A list of upcoming events can be found at their website. I'd love to go to the Uncooking Class on Sunday, March 1 so I might have to scrounge up the $55 fee and see if there are any open slots. Any excuse to go back and indulge in some more of that amazing food.

The Present Moment Cafe
224 W King St
St Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 827-4499
MON - SAT: 7am - 9pm

O'Brothers Irish Pub

Ethnically, I'm an anglo mutt. British, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh with some mainland European thrown in for good measure. My wife's descendants were all full blooded Irish and she's even got the stereotypical red hair to prove it. Perhaps then it's our genetics that account for our attraction to the pub scene. Or I could dispense with that line of utter bollocks and instead attribute our fondness to living and traveling in places where such establishments are far more prevalent. But while our city is still pretty slim in the traditional pub department, we now have one more location to add to the collection.

O'Brothers Irish Pub was formed from the ashes of Avondale's Preservation Tap & Chophouse and Dona Maria's Mexican Restaurant in ownership and location respectively. The $35,000 needed to renovate the space was raised through unconventional means. Prior to opening, the owners offered 100 "patron packages" at $350 a piece which included an O'Brother's T-shirt and $100 in food gift certificates per month for six months. Sounds like a pretty good investment deal for rabid pub patrons.

And while there are some deviations from the traditional pub setup (you don't order at the bar and I can't seem to remember seeing a dart board) this is about the closest you can get to a pub around here. Looks like a pub, tastes like a pub, I think it's a pub. The large menu combines traditional stodgy pub food, like the Bangers and Mash and Irish Breakfast we ordered, along with some creative twists, like the Shrimp and Chicken Curry, in addition to standard American restaurant fare. What we tasted was deliciously authentic and the prices were reasonable.

Another great feature of O'Brothers is the availability of beers not typically seen in these parts. I had the London Pride and quite enjoyed it. I'd be forced to make my visits more frequent if they began offering my favorite British beer, Tetley's English Ale, but I'm still impressed with the refreshing variety they have on tap.

Hours are Monday - Saturday from 11am until all of the drunks leave but they're closed on Sundays so you're going to need to find an alternative location for your Sunday Shepherd's Pie fix. Oh, and one word of caution: some of the staff might try to fool you with an affected brogue when they're really no more Irish than a box of Lucky Charms cereal, but don't blame them for trying.

O'Brothers Irish Pub
1521 Margaret Street
Jacksonville, FL 32204
904-854-9300

5 Points Theatre

Last October saw the opening of Jacksonville's newest and oldest movie house, the 5 Points Theatre, a welcomed addition to the small number of independent theaters in the area that show the quality films that the plethora of large cinemas often unjustly ignore.

Built in 1927 and originally called the Riverside Theatre, this building has a long, tumultuous history and has undergone many closings, re-openings, remodeling efforts, and changes throughout its 80 year existence. It was the first theater in Florida and the third nationwide that was equipped to show talking motion pictures (talkies). More recently, during the 90s and early 2000s it became Club 5 and then the Marquee Theater which both played host to many a wild musical act. In 2007 it was purchased by the Mike Shad Company and renovated to include retail space along the street and offices and lofts above. Now the 5 Points Theatre is once again in the business of showing movies.

Like The San Marco Theatre, the films you'll find playing on the theater's single screen are often those overlooked or underplayed by the bigger cinemas around; from small, art house films to quality blockbusters. We saw "Slumdog Millionaire" there and they're now playing "Milk". Next up is a free matinee showing of a local production called "Doable" on Sat Feb 14. Also like the San Marco Theatre, the concession stand serves draft and bottled beer along with the traditional movie theater food.

The picture quality was good, sound was clear, and the ambiance fitting. Tickets are $8.50, a little higher than usual, but worth it to avoid the screeching masses huddled into the larger theaters around town. I believe the place is still undergoing renovations and the balcony is currently off limits but I think there are plans to open it up in the near future.

5 Points Theatre
1022 Park Street
Jacksonville, FL 32204
(904) 358-0605

TacoLu

I've been reaching out to friends recently and asking them to donate ideas for places to go, things to do, etc. around the area. Basically I'm asking them to do the hard work here and find me good content. I could be a great manager. The downside to these pleas for assistance is that I'm essentially forced to tell them about my little web log and then, to my great horror, they actually come here and read it. So recently a friend told me about a new CaliMex restaurant that opened up on the beach end of Beach Blvd. I've broadcast my indifference towards the sloppy, refried variety of Mexican food many times throughout these electronic pages but I was assured that TacoLu was of a different breed. Spicy AND fresh? Excitedly, I scheduled a visit for the following day.

As far as I can tell, TacoLu is a one-of-a-kind restaurant yet still has that same level of professionalism and attention to presentation that chains like Tijuana Flats excel at. Nice website, clever copy, good graphic design on the menus; all the signs that would lead you to expect to find a TacoLu in every major city but it looks as though we've got the only one. TacoLu takes a proud stance on its tacos, arrogantly and rightfully proclaiming that anyone seeking a "regular" taco can run down the street to [$ YOUR CORPORATE FRANCHISE NAME HERE! $] for a sloppy mass of prepackaged near-food. Here they make almost everything fresh and prefer to take novel approaches to the art of el taco, specializing in the use of atypical ingredients like fish (I know it's becoming more common but [$ YOUR CORPORATE FRANCHISE NAME HERE! $] still doesn't offer it), lamb, and brisket.

I had been led to expect a more gaudy atmosphere but there was really nothing unusual here, pretty much your typical nouveau CaliMex set up.

I came precariously close to an embarrassing outburst upon my initial scan over the menu.

"No burritos? This is ridiculous!"

Luckily my morning coffee had worn off and my energy levels were low from not having eaten in for a couple hours so these exclamations deteriorated into a weary mumble by the time they reached my mouth. So, tacos it was, but what a selection. At $2.95 a pop for the "regular" kind and $3.50 for the specialties, ordering two or three will get you a reasonably sized (and priced) meal.

I opted for the Baja Fish Taco (Beer battered Mahi, served on a homemade corn tortilla, with cabbage, pico, crema, cilantro, lime) and the Chingona Chicken (spicy chicken with a tomatillo/chiles de arbol salsa on a freshly made corn tortilla, plus diced onion and cilantro). My wife ordered the Suizas Stacked Enchilada (freshly made corn tortillas layered with pulled, roasted chicken, topped with a creamy tomatillo sauce and Monterrey Jack cheese) which I gladly helped consume despite not being too fond of the typical enchilada.

The food was amazing. Seriously. Far exceeded our expectations and more than made up for the long drive. Although it looks like a freezer section fish stick, the fried fish on the Baja Fish Taco is actually quite tasty and the Chingona Chicken Taco was incredible. I'm tempted to go back and order one of each taco on the menu because if they're any where near as good as the two I had then it will be worth the money and extra calories.

Hands down, best Mexican inspired food I've had in the area. But if you're still not convinced you ought to give it a try then get this: I didn't see it on the menu when I was there but they have a drink that combines a glass of PBR with a shot of tequila. What's it called? The Dirty Sanchez. Go. Now.

TacoLu Baja Mexicana
1183 Beach Blvd.
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
(904) 249-TACO(8226)