The French Pantry

Some secrets are hard to keep. It's so tempting to be selfish and leave this stone unturned but, alas, I found out about this hidden treasure from the almighty Urbanspoon anyway so I guess there's no harm in enlightening a few more people.

On a street you'd probably never think to turn down and hidden in what looks like a warehouse (although it may be easy to spot due to the massive line of eager patrons), is a real anomaly within Jacksonville's dining landscape, The French Pantry. I had no idea this place existed until I became actively involved with and reliant upon Urbanspoon to share and discover great places to eat around town. As of now, The French Pantry is #6 on Jacksonville's Best 100 Restaurants. At the time I first saw it on that list it was a little higher and was the only entry in at least the top 15 that I had never heard of. The glowing reviews and enticing menu put it at the top of my list of places to visit but the hours of operation, Weekdays from 11am to 2:15pm, meant that months passed when I had no opportunity to go or, on a rare holiday, I tragically forgot.

But on a recent holiday we decided to try this hidden marvel and judge its awesomeness for ourselves. Despite it being fairly close to home and the directions being quite clear, it was a little hard to spot at first until we saw the enormous line of people waiting outside. We were in line for approximately 45 minutes, maybe an hour. Regardless, it was a long time. I was told that, because it was a holiday, it was a bit busier than usual but a wait is to be expected. Under normal circumstances it would have been easy to complain about such a situation but those were definitely not normal circumstances. We were, after all, at the doors to Jacksonville's best kept secret.

Betraying the unappealing, government warehouse look of the exterior, The interior of The French Pantry is, for lack of a better term, terrifically cute. It's almost like walking into a country cottage and when you're inside you truly forget the incongruous external surroundings. As you slowly make your way to the counter you have plenty of time to look over the large menus by the door and drool over the wonderful looking desserts. Even in the face of my general dislike of sweet things and confections, I was incredibly tempted to sample some or all of the cakes.

But finally we made it to the counter and put in our order: one Portabello Panini and one Rare Beef and Boursin Sandwich. Clocking in at an average of $9 per sandwich, one is inclined to get a bit of sticker shock but, as an added bonus, you get a basket of bread with some olive oil and herb dipping sauce to hold you over while you anxiously await your sandwich. But sandwich or not, I wouldn't have felt too hard done to had I just paid $9 for the bread and dipping oil. That was honestly some of the best bread I have ever tasted. Not-so-coincidentally, the French Pantry is also a wholesale bakery, supplying amazing bread to some of the area's restaurants, hotels, and country clubs but there's nothing like eating it fresh from the source. If you're as blown away as I was, considering picking up a loaf or five to take home.

Despite feeling wholly satisfied with our pre-meal, the sandwiches finally arrived and it was time to see if the appetizer was a fitting prelude and all the praise was well warranted. Now, I've eaten some pretty incredible sandwiches over the years and throughout the world but none that I can remember have been quite as impeccable as what was placed on the table before me at The French Pantry. Fresh, delicious ingredients on amazing bread, all in a perfectly balanced combination. Both sandwiches were delightful and far too much to finish in one sitting and even after a day they still held up.

I would gladly eat at The French Pantry every day but, unfortunately, that's not an option. Again, they're only open weekday lunches from 11am to 2:15pm and you're likely to confront long lines and crowds but it's worth every grueling minute. A true hidden gem, an anomaly in this region. Justifiably a little pricier than what you're used to but also far more delicious than you could imagine. I cannot wait until the next time.



The French Pantry
6301 Powers Ave
Jacksonville, FL 32217
(904) 730-8696

Espeto

A Brazilian Steakhouse is not the type of place to visit on a whim, you've got to prepare. At least, this is what I'd been [rightly] led to expect. For years I heard the tales of these mythical restaurants where succulent morsels of meat are in infinite supply, a buffet on steroids, a carnivore's ideal restaurant.

Finally gathering the courage to give one a try, we figured Avondale's Espeto seemed like a good place for our first experience. If you get there during the daylight and are fortunate enough to get seated alongside the large windows, the view of the water is quite nice and looks particularly glorious during colorful sunset.

The salad bar is quite delicious. There are a few real treats like the spinach-strawberry salad (a favorite of mine, I must have eaten a couple pounds of it), Waldorf salad, and a mango salad. If you just eat the salad bar there's still a hefty $19 charge but, even so, I'd seriously consider going back for some more of those three aforementioned delights.

But really, if you're going to a Brazilian Steakhouse and you're not a vegetarian who has been reluctantly dragged along by her husband, you're probably interested in the endless meat. When you sign up for the Full Service Rodizio you're given a coaster sized card. One side is green and says "Yes Please" while the other side is red and reads "No Thanks". Initially this doesn't seem too important but when the meat starts flowing you'll quickly learn the value of this little token. Men with large knives and even larger slabs of meat are constantly stopping by to offer you a slice of any one of fourteen different cuts of meat. I tried to sample them all but it became a bit too much. My favorites would probably be the Rib Eye, juicy and full of flavor, and the Leg of Lamb, because I do love lamb, particularly when there's a little bit of charring involved.

The wait staff and the Gauchos were all incredibly friendly. But considering the size and razor sharpness of the knives they were wielding, I can't help but think that there may have been something a little sinister behind those smiles.

Ultimately, after what was certainly far too much food, I succumbed to the inevitable meat overload. Defeated, I flipped my card from the green to red side both in the physical sense and in a metaphorical sense as it pertains to my life in general. The food was great and the experience unique but due to the insane amounts of meat I consumed I vowed to seriously limit my meat intake; reverting to vegetarianism not seeming like such a strange idea anymore. I picked up my plate and went back for some more of the spinach and strawberry salad, a wonderful dessert and the shape of my future diet.



Espeto Brazilian Steak House
4000 Saint Johns Ave Ste 40
Jacksonville, FL 32205
(904) 388-4884

Brick

Believe it or not, there are still plenty of people in Jacksonville who have never been to Brick. Until recently, we were some of the tragic fools among them. Believe me, it wasn't a lack of desire or intrigue. The too-perfect brick exterior is perfectly matched by the too-perfect brick lined interior adorned with perfectly spaced booths and tables, sun-lit through the spotless glass facade. In terms of ambiance, this has got to be our giant city's ultimate location for a pleasant meal.

Perhaps it was this impeccable appearance that put us off of going for so long. "I don't feel pretty/handsome enough today to grace the insides of such a place." It was definitely something beyond the mere "I'm too cheap to pay for the prices I expect they're charging" attitude since the thriftiness is often nullified by the promise of genuinely good food. Regardless of the reason, one visit made us regret our years of putting-it-off.

We stopped in for lunch one cool, sunny Sunday. The place was buzzing with the brunch crowd but, despite the density of the patrons, it's hard to feel crowded in this place. The tables are far enough apart and the booths spacious enough that a full house doesn't mean a tight squeeze and the volume doesn't necessitate shouting.

I ordered the Turkey Sandwich. Definitely not one of their more adventurous items but I was in the mood for something simple and somewhat wholesome. The ciabatta bread was fantastic, on par with the best I've had whilst traveling in Europe. A simple yet fantastic sandwich to say the least. I greatly appreciated the choice of couscous salad as a side, a delicious and welcome deviation from the standard potato heavy sides.

The dear lady ordered what turned out to be "the best veggie burger ever." Moist, flavorful, and… just delicious; that's the best explanation I could elicit but sometimes wonderful things are hard to describe. The french fries also received rave reviews and I can also back up the claim since I did steal quite a few (despite already finishing my meal and hence eating too much).

Great meal, great experience, great service. The thought of the food and the comfortable atmosphere makes me yearn for another visit, perhaps next time for dinner. But then again, it's going to be hard to resist the attraction of that lunch.




Brick
3585 Saint Johns Ave
Jacksonville, FL 32205
(904) 387-0606

Sam Won Garden Restaurant

With only two authentic restaurants, Korean cuisine is criminally under-represented and under-appreciated in Jacksonville's food scene. While it doesn't strike me as being too odd, per se, this is perhaps a bit tragic since there are some strong stylistic parallels between Korean cuisine and that of the great American barbecue with its heavy focus on meat and plethora of side dishes.

Perhaps the oversight is due to innocent ignorance, perhaps its that these places are so hard to find. Sam Won Garden, the only Korean restaurant I've tried in the area, looks more like a strip club from the parking lot and is right next to the Duval County Tax Collectors office; definitely not some place one voluntarily travels. Even inside, the intoxicating scent of charred livestock and the tables with cooking appliances do little to dispel the suspicion that at any moment the place could erupt with an explosion of lights, debauchery, and dollar bills. But in spite of the strange ambiance, an excellent meal awaits any who dare enter.

However, I must issue one warning. Beware the soju. Soju is a Korean spirit traditionally made from rice with an alcohol content that can land anywhere between 20% and 40%. It's similarity to sake and it's inherent sweetness can deceive the curious consumer and you may find yourself far more inebriated than you'd planned.

It's easy to experience a slight tinge of sticker shock when glancing at Sam Won's menu. Most of the prices really aren't that high and, when you consider the amount of food you end up with, you're actually getting quite a deal.

A great place to start is the kalbi, a meal highly recommended for any lover of good barbecued beef. Kalbi, or galbi, is a dish made with beef (or pork, but it's just beef at Sam Won) short ribs marinated in a ganging (Korean soy sauce) based sauce. It would be far too arduous a task to accurately describe how delicious this dish is but it's enough to make a borderline vegetarian question their aversion to consuming meat. The kalbi can seem a bit pricey at first but there's enough food for two and, of course, there's also the sides.

Korean cuisine is famous for its variety of side dishes. At Sam Won, the side dishes are included with the meal and can essentially be replenished until you're satisfied (come on now, let's not be too greedy). There's the traditional kimchi (pickled and fermented vegetables, usually cabbage), sprouts, various vegetables, tofu, squid, and an assortment of other small offerings. While not quite the same as coleslaw, potato salad, and baked beans, one can easily see the parallels drawn to American barbecue.

Another great dish to try is the ‪Dolsot Bibimbap‬. The literal translation of bibimbap is mixed rice and my first encounter with this traditional Korean meal took place thousands of feet above the surface of our pleasant little planet. Although I quite enjoyed the first experience, I knew full well that airline food always pales in comparison to meals available at ground level so I was compelled to try it again on my next visit to Sam Won.

Dolsot bibimbap is served in a VERY hot stone pot, so hot that the meal continues to cook for minutes. In addition to the rice (which is pleasantly caramelized around the edges because of the extreme heat), the dish contains beef, mushrooms, cucumber, zucchini, bean sprouts, daikon, sea weed, lettuce, and some other vegetation. An egg is cracked on top and quickly fries in the heat. The flavor is complex and rich and the meal is wholly satisfying; the perfect remedy for a deep hunger.

The next time you're in the mood for barbecue I'd suggest a slight deviation towards the Korean variety. But beware, one taste of kalbi and you may never again be able to stomach Sonny's or Bono's monotony.




Sam Won Garden Restaurant
4345 University Boulevard South,
Jacksonville, FL 32216
(904) 737-3650‎