A new Nicole's location

A recent Times Union article mentioned that Nicole's On The River will be closing soon. They will be opening a new restaurant in Lake Asbury. (Nicole's On The River is owned by the same people who run Nicole's Cafe In The Country in Middleburg.) The third location will be at 2808 Henley Avenue in Lake Asbury. That address is where the old Pulcinella Italian restaurant used to be. I've had great meals at both Nicole's Cafe In The Country and Nicole's On The River, so I'm expecting more good food at the Henley Road restaurant, too!

*8/27/13 update: The Lake Asbury location will not have a buffet like Nicole's On The River did.

*9/10/13: The plans for a Lake Asbury location have been scrapped.

*2/19/14: A new Nicole's location is officially open. Nicole's On The River / Nicole's In Orange Park is on Jefferson and Blanding, across from Wendy's & Burger King. Same menu as Nicole's In The Country in Middleburg (which is staying open).

Your Pie, Fleming Island, FL

1545 County Road 220, Suite #125

Fleming Island, Florida 32003

904-375-9771

Spotted in Fleming Island today: A new pizza restaurant under construction called Your Pie. It's on the right corner of the Winn Dixie shopping center. Your Pie's Facebook page says they'll open in March of 2013. Their menu of salads, paninis, custom pizzas, sorbet and gelato sounds tempting! Seeing vegan, vegetarian  , dairy free and gluten free options on Your Pie's menu is further incentive for me to try it out. 

*02/19/2013: The opening date will be March 15, 2013. 

"Your Pie. Express Your Inner Pizza"

Bad saganaki

I had lunch at a restaurant today (we'll call it Restaurant X). I ordered Greek saganaki as an appetizer, because I've been craving it since I was in Norfolk over the Christmas holiday (I didn't get a chance to visit my beloved Orapax for my usual saganaki fix.) What arrived at my table was a culinary catastrophe: the greasiest, saddest lump of low quality cheese I've ever seen. The saganaki looked like someone fished a hunk of cheese from the bottom of a deep fryer. I had two tiny bites and couldn't eat more. It was just a mouthful of oil. Gross. This was nothing like the hot, delicious saganaki I eat at Orapax, which is set aflame table side and extinguished with fresh squeezed lemon.

Restaurant X took the appetizer off my bill, which I appreciated. But I will never order saganaki from them again. I'm going to stick with Orapax when I want freshly prepared saganaki. Substitutions = no dice, buddy.

Spotted at a restaurant

A friend and I were waiting in a parking lot for a restaurant to open for lunch. We were the only customers around. I noticed the truck pictured below a few feet away. I said to him "Look over there. Is that rolls of quarters on the dashboard?" I got out of the car to look, because I thought I must be seeing it wrong:

Yep, a dashboard full of rolled quarters. Hope that money doesn't belong to the restaurant 0_0 I'll refrain from naming the restaurant; don't want someone to get fired (it's not one of the restaurants I've reviewed on here). I'm just saying, be a little more careful about not leaving money sitting out, Mr / Mrs Truck Owner. 

Nicole's Cafe: Middleburg, FL

Nicole's Cafe In The Country
2216 South Mimosa Avenue 
Middleburg, FL 32068

As a follow up to this post : I had breakfast at Nicole's. I ordered French toast, bacon, eggs and hash browns. Here's the break down:

-French toast = Homemade and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Definitely not pre-made French toast from a box! It had a cinnamon scent
- Bacon = two super long, crispy strips cooked just right
- Eggs = Large portion of fluffy scrambled eggs. If you have a big appetite, you'll be mighty pleased!
- Hash browns = Big helping. Hot and crisp

Nicole's has a very good breakfast. It was hearty, down home and filling, without being heavy or greasy. Definitely worth having breakfast there again.

*11/04/2012: The cheeseburgers at Nicole's are huge and delicious. You could split one with a friend or take half of it home. Their moist carrot cake is homemade. The bottom of the cake has a satisfying slightly sugary crunch. It is topped with cream cheese frosting made from scratch. This is not that sad box mix carrot cake you've had at Golden Corral, where they've tossed in some carrot strips and called it a day.

*11/16/2012:
-Grilled shrimp and grilled catfish = Delicious and well seasoned. Shrimp were plump. Fish was tender and tasted fresh. Comes with two hushpuppies.
-Banana pudding = Not homemade. But then again, I've yet to see any restaurants out here that make it from scratch anyway.
-Big plate of tuna salad and chicken salad = Served with greens, carrots, broccoli, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. Plentiful portion. Very tasty salads. Not too dry or too mayonnaise-y. Only suggestion is that they should add in a pinch of nuts and fruit to the chicken salad.
-Field peas mixed with green beans = Seasoned with ham pieces. It's got just the right amount of salt in it. Perfect for the cold weather.

Nicole's Cafe: Middleburg, FL

Nicole's Cafe In The Country
2216 South Mimosa Avenue
Middleburg, FL 32068







Clay County readers will be interested to hear that a new restaurant is opening. It is called Nicole's Cafe In The Country. The restaurant is in the building previously occupied by B's Family Restaurant & Smokey's BBQ. A drive to Nicole's Cafe confirmed that it isn't open to the public yet; however, a workman at the back door said his men were putting in the hoods today and he expected Nicole's to be open in one to two weeks.

B's and Smokey's both left big shoes to fill. Hopefully the food at Nicole's can match or exceed the quality and friendly service of their predecessors. Working in their favor is the fact that Choo Choo Bar-B-Que shut down their public restaurant ages ago. And the service at Stone E Cabin BBQ down the street leaves a lot to be desired.

I'll add more updates as they come in.

*10/28/2012: Nicole's is open now. Someone brought me a piece of Nicole's mandarin orange cake today and it is to die for X D I'll post a review once I eat inside the restaurant

*11/4/12: Updated post

Monroe's Smokehouse, Jacksonville, FL: Review 3

Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
4838 Highway Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32254
904-389-5551,
Fax: 904-384-3323

Today I ate lunch at Monroe's Smokehouse, as a follow up to my January and June reviews.

Homemade Potato Salad
The potato salad is different from what was served in January. It is chunks of potato with a sort of salad dressing coating & celery seeds. The consensus at the table was "That's not really potato salad. And it isn't very good."

Collard Greens
The greens are no longer served soupy and greasy. I was given a beautiful, tasty order this time. However, the greens were gritty. The grit / dirt had probably not been properly washed before cooking. Monroe's did replace my greens with the black eyed peas, though, which I appreciated.

Savory Black-eyed Peas
The black eyed peas at Monroe's were decent enough on previous visits. But now they are excellent. The peas are served thick and well seasoned, with pieces of bacon mixed in. Absolute heaven X D

Bbq Bacon Cheeseburger
The bbq burger was perfect. The bun was warm and toasted. The meat patty was huge and cooked to perfection, with crisp bacon, fresh lettuce, tomato, onion slices and a drizzling of bbq sauce. I could only eat half of the man-sized burger. Definitely worth ordering again!

Memphis Deluxe Pulled Pork Sandwich
No complaints about this sandwich. Monroe's is still making the Memphis Deluxe as great as before.

Keystone Inn Family Restaurant, Keystone Heights, FL

Keystone Inn Family Restaurant
Highway 100
Keystone Heights, FL
(352)473-3331

On Sunday, I was this close to eating store brand lasagna for dinner. You all know how much I hate that idea. So I suggested the AMW family try the Keystone Inn Family Restaurant. We had passed it the last time we drove through Keystone Heights. Thank goodness I had jotted down the name!

The first thing I noticed about the Keystone Inn was the grandmother on their sign and the checkered curtains on the windows. As I got out of the car, I could smell fresh biscuits & fried chicken. Best smell ever!

Upon entering the restaurant, I could see it was L-shaped. To the right were several tables with blonde wood chairs. Straight ahead were darker wooden chairs, more tables, the buffet & the kitchen. The walls had wooden parrots & nautical items attached. The building resembled a former walk up ice cream stand that had been added on to; the kitchen had a drive-through window indoors & an outdoor faucet was under a table.

After we sat down, a blonde woman in a purple shirt & an apron quickly ran to our table. She hastily slung napkins, forks & knives at the table. Her comment was "Here's your silverware. I didn't have time to wrap it, but it's clean, so it's good enough."

The menu had a choice of various sandwiches, salads, seafood, meats, desserts, plus the buffet / salad bar. We ordered two buffets and a seafarer's treasure. Here is the breakdown:

Seafarer's Treasure - $12
Choice of two seafood items (oysters, shrimp, deviled crab, etc) & 2 sides (coleslaw, grits, baked potato, etc)

I ordered the deviled crab, fried shrimp, hushpuppies & lettuce salad. Before the seafood arrived, our waitress scurried over to ask "Would you like different sides ? They're out of it. *drops voice* The lettuce is very tiny." I said hushpuppies & a biscuit would be fine. Before the starch police show up, I just threw out the first things that came to mind. I was trying to not be picky & difficult. She said "welllll, you'd have hushpuppies and a biscuit..." I then asked for hushpuppies & a baked potato instead. She was happy with that & went back to the kitchen.

What arrived were two deviled crabs, eight pieces of shrimp, two hushpuppies, a biscuit, a baked potato. On the side were two lemon slices skewered on a toothpick, over a teeny, limp strip of lettuce.

The deviled cakes were too small for my taste. The filling had red peppers, celery, sage flavored bread & the occasional square strip of faux crab meat. The crabs had too much stuffing & lacked enough meat.

The biscuits were Pillsbury.

The hushpuppies lacked flavor. Only one had a tiny sliver of onion. It is crucial that hushpuppies have plenty of onion.

The shrimp were fresh & delicious. They were large, plump & fried in a crispy, golden batter. These were well worth ordering!

Buffet & Salad Bar - 7.98
Fried chicken = Crispy, moist, buttery. The chicken had the same yummy coating as the shrimp.

Green peppers stuffed with rice & beef = I took a bite of the beef from someone else's plate. I did not realize it was from the green peppers. Upon tasting a green pepper flavor, I quietly spit it into a napkin (I'm allergic). The others loved the stuffed peppers, though.

Okra & tomatoes - I had never tasted okra before. Those tasted of celery filled with black eyed peas. Yuck!

Black eyed peas = Cooked perfectly

Carrots & green peas = The carrots were crinkle cut. The peas were dingy, army green & from a can.

Mashed potatoes = Obviously boxed. Skip them

Green beans = Thick, dark strips. Very enjoyable. They had a slight collard green taste.

White corn = I do not eat corn, but took a bite anyway. Points for the corn not having that milky, nasty taste of canned corn

Collard greens = Extremely mushy & bland. Definitely needed some salt pork.

Biscuits

Lettuce

Dressings

Shredded cheese

Bacon bits

Canned pineapple chunks

Beets

Vanilla pudding

Tuna salad = Did not try it

Coleslaw = Didn't try it. The coleslaw looked finely chopped, almost to the consistency of cous cous.

Potato salad = Appeared to be creamy & homemade. It contained mayo, red peppers, celery & relish. Their potato salad needed eggs, mustard & more relish.

Carrot salad with raisins = Freshly made & chopped instead of grated. This salad would've been better with a creamy base (sour cream or mayo)instead of the slightly sweet liquid dressing.

Pasta salad = Same ingredients & issues as the potato salad

Drinks
Keystone Inn's iced tea is good & strong. Thumbs up!

Desserts
Desserts at the Keystone Inn are homemade.

Cherry pie

Pecan pie

Apple pie = Not available that day

Key lime pie = A loosely sprinkled graham crust. Judging by the filling's texture, the pie appeared to be made with evaporated milk. The filling was also tarter than pie made with bottled Persian lime juice, but not as tart as ones with freshly squeezed key limes. My guess is bottled key lime juice. The key lime pie had a tart, pleasant aftertaste.

Slice of cake = None available. Our waitress commented "We only have pie today. I think it was like that yesterday, too."

Blueberry cobbler = The topping was a crispy piece of cake. The bottom was a congealed purple blob of blueberries & pudding. It looked & tasted gross. That's the first time I've seen anyone screw up blueberry cobbler.

Random notes
A sign at the register noted "We cannot add tips to credit cards." Remember to bring cash for a tip.

We arrived at 1:50 PM on a Sunday afternoon. The place was packed with after church diners. It was mostly empty by 2 PM. So I suggest showing up later in the day.

The Keystone Inn does not have a breakfast buffet. I think they have breakfast items on the menu, though. I'll check next time I'm out there.

I highly recommend the Keystone Inn Family Restaurant to you. The down home food is amazing! Another Sunday lunch in Keystone Heights is in order : )

Monroe's Smokehouse, Jacksonville, FL, Review II

Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
4838 Highway Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32254
904-389-5551,
Fax: 904-384-3323

A few months ago, I posted a review of Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que. I was fairly pleased with their food. And I've since been back many times for weekend lunches. However, my meal at Monroe's today was not up to par with their usual standards. Here's how lunch went:

- I normally order the pork chop special if Monroe's has them. They're tender, juicy and smokey. Although the pork chops today fit that description, they were also covered in an unpleasant, heavy, Creole-ish spice.
- The collard greens are no longer sweet. I received a cup of greens with orange grease running down the sides. They were swimming in a spicy, greasy brown & orange liquid. Another customer asked the counter girl to find out "what kind of grease does he (the owner) use for the greens ?"
- The red cole slow is no longer being sold. We were told "The owner stopped selling it. Nobody was ordering it. It was just going to waste back there (in the kitchen) when we made it."
- Macaroni was not available. ("We're out of macaroni. There'll be a 45 minute wait before it's done.")
- Lemon slices were not at either of the two drink stations. The containers usually holding lemons were covered with dust & crumbs.
- The banana split pie was a huge disappointment. Normally it is the perfect ending to a meal at Monroe's. This is how I described it before:

"Monroe's has banana pudding on it's online menu. So I was surprised to see banana split pie on the menu board instead. Let me tell you, I am so glad I ordered the pie. It was thick vanilla pudding, banana slices, pineapple, walnuts, a cherry and whipped cream on a graham crust. I'm still riding the high from the yummy sugary goodness. I want this pie for my birthday dinner. Take note, people."

The slice of pie I received was so sad looking. Our group did this when dessert arrived ---> "Whoa 0_0 That's not how the pie normally looks : P" The slice was sitting in a noticeable puddle of water. There was a crust, a thin layer of chocolate attached to the crust (hardshell chocolate ?), a layer of something cheesecake colored with a ricotta texture, mushy, gray bananas, teeny pineapple bits, several inches of whipped cream, a pinch of chopped walnut & a cherry on top. Very unappetizing. All of us took one bite, made a face & put the forks down. That's the first time the AMW family has left a piece of Monroe's pie unfinished.

I was wondering what would cause such a drastic change at Monroe's. Then someone overheard the cashier commenting "Oh, this is just a sideline for us. Our main focus is catering." Hmmm. I'll try to go back soon, to see if today was a fluke or a sign of a downslide.

Rocky Mountain Grill, Green Cove Springs, FL

Rocky Mountain Grill
2853 Henley Road
Green Cove Springs (Lake Asbury), FL 32043
904-282-3334

Today I headed to Lake Asbury for lunch, after spotting Rocky Mountain Grill in a coupon magazine. I was interested because their ad mentioned pizza and the vague phrases "appetizers" and "entrees."

Decor

Rocky Mountain Grill is rather nondescript on the outside, aside from the blue sign above the front door. The inside of the restaurant has brown tile, brown walls with faux staining and wooden hutches. The indoor seating consists of tables, booths and a bar. The outdoor seating is in back of Rocky Mountain Grill, with the Winn Dixie Shopping Center behind that. There were a few framed nature photos scattered around.

Chili

A very bland mix of ground beef and kidney beans. It lacked any seasoning.

BBQ Burger With Barbecue Sauce, Bacon and Cheese
Mushroom, Onion and Bacon Burger

Both burgers had a smokey, grilled taste. Very thick and juicy!

Pesto Bites Appetizer


A basket of pesto bites is five large lumps of dough, drizzled with pesto sauce and olive oil. You can get cheese sprinkled over that, too. It came with a side of marinara sauce. The pesto bites were pretty good.

Our waitress came over to say "I'm sorry, it seems the pesto bites will take a bit longer than expected." She was told that was okay. Cue a couple more trips to repeat that. Later she said "I am so sorry again. The cook is now making them from scratch for you." That was a little puzzling. Our table was to the right of the kitchen window and the cook was there the whole time. Plus the restaurant was not crowded at all, just three other tables besides us. Again, we said it was not a problem. The pesto bites arrived a few minutes after our sandwiches.

Meatball Sub


The meatballs were rather large on this sandwich. They had a nice thyme seasoning. The bread and marinara sauce were uninteresting.

French Fries

One of our sandwiches came with french fries. The waitress said there was a choice of chili, cheese or both on top. Chili and cheese were requested. Upon bringing the fries, she commented "Wait. You asked for chili and cheese, right ? These just have cheese. I'm so sorry. I will get you another order." She was assured that cheese alone was fine and the fries didn't need to be exchanged. The waitress replied "Oh, no, he (the cook) is making an order of chili cheese fries right now. I'll bring you those. You keep these, too. I am so sorry!" Oy vey.

If you order fries at RMG, specify "Just a handful on the side." Otherwise the fries come in huge bowls with enough to feed four people.

Bananas Foster Bites


The white part tasted like cheesecake. The brown bit reminded me banana bread. The outer crust had a French toast flavor. This dessert didn't remind me of bananas Foster at all, but it was delicious none the less.

The dessert course brought yet another round of apologies. Our waitress commented "He overcooked the bites. So he's making another batch for you right now." She brought us a basket of six perfectly fine, not overcooked bites. "Here is your dessert. I'll be back with the new basket." So we received two identical baskets of dessert bites. I have no idea what was wrong with the first batch.

Other items available

Blue corn chips, pizza, chicken sandwiches, salads, lots of items with Italian meats, brownies

A few problems:
- There's a lack of pictures and keywords on the menu. The listings are organized but need something that makes a diner go "Wow, I want to order that!" Table tents would probably help, too.
- The restaurant is missing personality, warmth and charm. It's a few nature photos, beer buckets along the bar top and a sea of brown.
- RMG fails to inspire a "Let's come back again" feeling. The food is good and the prices are super low; but other places in Lake Asbury already sell the same things. Duke's BBQ, located behind them, has the inexpensive barbecue and sandwich menu. And Pulcinella down the road has the Italian food for nice evening outings.
- Rocky Mountain Grill doesn't have a signature entree to be known for.
- They need a new cook and better training for the wait staff. I like free food as much as the next person; but there was no reason to remake our orders and send "fixed" seconds. That's too costly for the owners in the long run.

Rocky Mountain Grill gets neither a thumbs up or down, just a "meh" from me. It isn't even one of those "If I happen to be in the area anyway" restaurants. I probably won't be going back. I do not see Rocky Mountain Grill lasting very long in Lake Asbury.

Santioni's Cucina Italiana, Orange Park, FL

Santioni's Cucina Italiana
3535 Highway 17, Suite 15
Fleming Island
Orange Park, Florida 904 32003
904-264-1331

A few months ago, I spotted an ad for the recently opened Santioni's. I walked away without eating when I saw the super expensive prices posted outside. Several friends had a similar experience. The handful that actually dined inside said "I liked the food, but I am not going back. That was way too expensive."

Right before Christmas, I saw another ad for Santioni's in a coupon magazine. The ad had much lower prices than before. I stashed it away in my purse until yesterday, when the choice came down to Burger King, Olive Garden, Woody's or Santioni's.

Upon arriving, the comment our group made was "Um, yeah, let's check the prices. Make sure it isn't bait and switch." Fortunately, the lower prices were the same ones in the ad. So we decided to give Santioni's a try and headed inside. We passed through a foyer with two desks and displays of Santioni's coupons, take out menus, catering menus, etc. Our group almost decided to leave because there were no servers to be seen for two minutes. And we only saw one table of customers in the restaurant. But a chef soon appeared and took us to our table once he spotted us.

The first thing I noticed about Santioni's was the decor. It was gorgeous. The whole place was decorated in creams, reds, and greens. There were Italian pictures on the walls. The tables and chairs were dark cherrywood. The soft Italian music playing added to the ambiance.

Chef George started us off with a round of iced tea. (That's how the owner referred to him. More on that later). Then he brought us a basket of diamond shaped rolls and a bowl of herbed olive oil. The bread was amazing. It tasted similar to the Ramadan bread I made in October. I'm not sure what spices were in the olive oil, but it was a good pairing. George told us "We mix up both (the bread and olive oil) ourselves here."

Later in our meal, the owner of Santioni's joined Chef George to serve the food. I did not catch his name but I assume he's named George, too. One of the flyers I grabbed said "George [last name too blurry to read], Chef and Owner." Both men were friendly and helpful. Our group enjoyed talking to them.

Here's a breakdown of the menu:

Salads

The lasagna and eggplant both came with salads, as part of the early special (a drink, salad, bread and entree for one price). The salads were very pretty! The tomato slices were thick and sweet. George the owner said "Those are our bruschetta tomatoes. We slice and marinate them each day, then use them for the bruschetta."

Lasagna: Our fresh baked pasta with meat sauce, mozzarella, ricotta and parmigiana cheese

All of us loved the lasagna. The meat sauce was thick, rich and delicious. The noodles were succulent. The lasagna also had a perfect mix of cheeses.

Eggplant Parmigiana: Lightly breaded eggplant, pan fried and baked with tomato sauce and topped with melted mozzarella cheese; served with spaghetti marinara.

The eggplant was thick but nicely crispy and well seasoned. So good!

Smoked Salmon and Capers Pizza

This was ordered in the individual size. The pizza also had chopped tomatoes and feta. It was well worth ordering. The salty taste went well with the sweetness of the tomatoes. If you don't care for salmon and capers, I recommend ordering this pizza with just the feta and tomatoes.

Spumoni

The spumoni was served in a large ice cream sundae glass. It was drizzled with chocolate sauce. Two of us loved it. A third person said "I've had better spumoni at other places. This didn't have the licorice taste I like."

Crème Brûlée

This was served in a small, rectangular glass dish. The burnt sugar glaze was wonderfully sweet and crunchy. It was topped with whipped cream and sliced strawberries. The custard layer was cool and creamy.

Other desserts available

Mocha chocolate cheesecake, tirarmisu, cannoli, plain cheesecake

Needless to say, I was very impressed with Santioni's. The service was wonderful. The food was flawless. I plan to visit Santioni's again very soon.

Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, Jacksonville, FL

Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
4838 Highway Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32254
904-389-5551,
Fax: 904-384-3323

I had lunch at Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que this afternoon. I decided this after reading a review of the restaurant at Tripp Eats Lunch .

Decor

I loved it all. The framed records, cowboy items and the Andy Griffith Show poster made me go "Who got in my head and stole my decorating ideas ?" What, I like that stuff. Don't laugh.

Carolina Pork Platter
Pulled pork with Monroe's Carolina style vinegar sauce

I really liked this sandwich. The meat was had the perfect amount of vinegar.

Beef Brisket
Monroe's signature slow smoked beef brisket, dry rubbed and smoked for 12 hours

This meal included four big slices of brisket and Texas toast. It was fall off the bone tender. Everyone at our table loved it.

Memphis Deluxe

The Memphis Deluxe is a pulled pork sandwich topped with creamy coleslaw. It had a good helping of meat inside. Thumbs up for this sandwich, too.

Sauces

Mustard = Nice and sweet
Monroe's Mustard = Sweet, with a vinegar kick
Spicy Mustard = Tasted like taco seasoning mix + mustard sauce. Yuck.
Monroe's BBQ = Very good. Not too sweet or too smokey.
Sweet BBQ = So-so. Reminded me of sweet and sour sauce mixed with bbq sauce.

Homemade Potato Salad

The potato salad was creamy, but not terribly good. The loads of celery bits did not help the flavor. It was just meh.

French Fries

The fries were thick and sprinkled with Cajun fry seasoning. They were really great dipped in the mustard sauce.

Simmered Southern Style Green Beans

Normally you couldn't pay me to eat green beans. The smell alone makes me gag. But these were well seasoned and delicious! I'll definitely order these on my next trip to Monroe's.

Red Cole Slaw

Too much vinegar, not enough flavor otherwise.

Banana Split Pie

Monroe's has banana pudding on it's online menu. So I was surprised to see banana split pie on the menu board instead. Let me tell you, I am so glad I ordered the pie. It was thick vanilla pudding, banana slices, pineapple, walnuts, a cherry and whipped cream on a graham crust. I'm still riding the high from the yummy sugary goodness. I want this pie for my birthday dinner. Take note, people.

I will definitely go back to Monroe's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que. I was very pleased with the prices, the friendly staff and the quality of the food.

Gainesville Ale House, Gainesville Florida

Gainesville Ale House / Miller's Ale House
3950 S.W. Archer Rd.
Gainesville, FL 32608
(352) 371-0818 Phone
(352) 371-0812 Fax

Decor

The Gainesville Ale House has wood floors and wood booths. It's decorated with sports memorabilia and big screen televisions. The seating options are booths, the bar, and a covered outdoor patio.

CHEF SALAD: Fresh Greens with Chicken Ham Bacon Bits Cheese Tomatoes Cucumbers & Egg

This salad was large. You could easily split it with two people. It was skimpy on the bacon, but otherwise good.

BEER BATTER ONION RINGS: Served with Cajun Ranch for Dipping

The onion rings were thick, crispy and served hot. I did not like the dipping sauce; it had a Dorito-ish aftertaste.

SHRIMP & CRAB QUESADILLA: Shrimp, Crab, Fresh Spinach, Pico de Gallo and Jack & Cheddar Cheeses Served with Salsa, Sour Cream and Black Beans & Rice

This appetizer was big enough to be a meal by itself. There were five big, crispy slices of quesadilla that took up half a large plate. The crab and shrimp part was a shredded mixed of meat, with a few whole shrimp tossed in. It was pretty decent.

BRITISH BURGER: Topped with Swiss Cheese and Bacon Strips

None of us ordered this. We just wanted to know why Swiss cheese = British. Anyone ?

PHILLY CHEESE STEAK: Thinly Sliced Top Round with Grilled Onion and Melted Cheese on a Toasted Steak Roll

The cheese steak had loads of very dry meat.

The desserts:
Capt'n Jack's Buried Treasure: Delicious Homemade Ice Cream Cake with Oreo Cookie Crust, Caramel, Chocolate Fudge and Heath Bar Crunch

Capt'n Jack's Nutty Brother: Brother of the Best Ice Cream Cake In Town! Nutter Butter Cookies, Fudge & Vanilla Ice Cream, Topped with Chocolate & Peanut Butter Sauce

Brownie Hot Fudge Sundae
Key Lime Pie
Apple Crisp
Carrot Cake

The first two did not sound appealing to our group. They seemed like an overload of flavors and ingredients. There was a picture of the ice cream cake on the coasters; it solidified the agreement of "Um, pass. Let's find dessert some place down the road." The last four just didn't sound interesting enough to bother.

The food was not amazing, but it was good enough. Our servers were friendly and prompt. I would consider Gainesville Ale House to be a back-up plan restaurant. If other restaurants were closed for the night and the choice was McDonald's or Burger King, I'd go there again. It's just not the most interesting place to eat in Gainesville. Over all, I would rate this meal as a B.

Choo Choo Bar-B-Que & Seafood, Middleburg, Florida

Choo Choo Bar-B-Que
County Road 218, next door to Wilford Propane Gas Co.
Middleburg, Florida
Take-out: 904-406-0539

Today I noticed a grand opening banner for Choo Choo Bar-B-Que on CR 218. I had seen their mobile concessions trailer parked there several times before, but never stopped to check it out.

The first thing I noticed was the dimness of the restaurant, due to the gray walls. The decorations included two deer heads, various nautical pieces and a hutch with trophies. The overall feel was a dreary multipurpose room one might see in a church. What I liked were the small black cauldrons on each table for salt and pepper packets. I thought those gave a more homey feel to the restaurant.

Decor aside, I really enjoyed the food at Choo Choo Bar-B-Que and Seafood. I also found the owners to be very friendly and enthusiastic. With a minor amount of tweaking, this restaurant has the potential to become a Middleburg favorite.

Here is a breakdown of the menu:

Grilled shrimp with 2 sides
This meal was listed on a menu board near the counter. It included 6 large shrimp on a skewer. Each piece was plump and fresh. Very good!

Greens
What was brought out was bbq beans. When the error was pointed out, our server's answer was "We don't have greens. That was a misprint on the menu. Can I get you a different side ?" On the menu was a listing for bbq beans and another for green salad, with the salad crossed out and "greens" written underneath. So yeah, none of us thought that made sense. But the offer of a replacement side (french fries) was accepted. The fries were hot and lightly salted, so we weren't entirely displeased about the mix-up.

Coleslaw
The coleslaw had shredded carrots and a pinch of black pepper. It was the right amount of of creaminess.

The Cannonball Combo
1/4 lb pork sandwich with 1 side and a drink
The pork sandwich was delicious! The meat was tender and smoky. It was served on a hearty sized bun.

Green onion potato salad
The potato salad was bland. It desperately needed pickles. The green onions did nothing for the potato salad.

Desserts
Choo Choo's has no dessert menu at the moment. We hear they are working on that and may have desserts later.

Drinks
The unsweetened tea was good. However, the cola tasted flat. It was poured from a liter bottle, which is probably the cause.

There's a charge for refills. This aspect probably won't go over well, as other barbecue restaurants in this area don't do that.

Takeout menu
The takeout menu had a cluttered, disorganized look. This was caused by words written sideways and an abundance of stars and exclamation points. The takeout menu needs a focal point to guide the reader. Hopefully this will be fixed at some point.

Other items available
-Stuffed flounder with crab meat, Mayport fresh fried shrimp, fresh fried oysters, catfish and hush puppies, fried fish

-Smoked chicken, Brunswick stew, St. Louis style ribs, baby back ribs, 1/2 lb ground steak with au jus

-Cucumber and tomato salad, country fried sweet corn, pole beans, fried okra, fried squash, onion rings, ribbon fries, buffalo wings (original, hotter and suicide), shrimp appetizer meal

- Children's menu: Includes fries and a small drink. Popcorn shrimp, chicken tenders, corn dog, hot dog

-Listed on the menu board: Macaroni and cheese, chicken and ribs combo

*6/27/09 Update: Choo Choo Bar-B-Que appeared closed shortly after my one visit. I have called the number on their menu a few times, but nobody ever answered. Their mobile bbq trailor is still parked there most weekdays, though. Anyone know for sure what happened ?

*8/19/09 Update: A new grand opening sign was put out about two weeks ago. The chainlink fence around Choo Choo is now gone. I have to say that's a huge improvement, because it gave the impression of "this is private property, do not enter."

*7/04/10 Update: Did Choo Choo Bar-B-Que close again ? There is a sign out front saying "Future home of the (local lodge club)"

B's Family Restaurant, Middleburg, Florida

B's Family Restaurant
2216 S Mimosa Avenue,
Middleburg, FL 32068
(904)406-4408

If there's one thing Clay County lacked until this year, it was a restaurant that had good down-home cooking. I couldn't name one non-chain restaurant here that served delicious fried chicken and all the fixings. Good news, Clay County: I've found such a place!

B's Family Restaurant moved into the former site of Smokey's Barbecue in Middleburg late this year. Their breakfast menu has simple, homestyle meals. I have not visited them for breakfast yet. (If anyone else has, let me know what you thought of it).

The lunch and dinner menu has a great selection of old Southern favorites. I highly recommend their fried chicken and macaroni. Both are as good as my homemade recipes! If you're not in the mood for fried chicken, try their hamburgers and fries. The burgers are juicy and mouth-watering. The fries are served piping hot. Finish off your meal with their delicious banana pudding, chocolate cake, lemon cake or orange cake.

I found the food to be outstanding. And the staff at B's was friendly and outgoing. Thumbs up for B's Family Restaurant!

*11/16/2012 update: B's is no longer in business.

Arby's Mint Chocolate Swirl Shake

Arby's
896 Blanding Blvd
Orange Park, FL 32065
(904) 272-1225

"Creamy mint chocolate flavored shake with a chocolate swirl"

Today I went to Arby's to try their mint chocolate shake. It should've been a red flag when the girl making our shakes yelled "HEY (co-worker's name), I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE THESE SHAKES !" What we received were two vanilla shakes with a puddle of green coloring and mint flavor at the bottom. The sides of the cups looked like someone played paintball with brown paint. Thumbs down for Arby's Mint Chocolate Swirl Shake.

T.G.I. Friday's, Orange Park, Florida

T.G.I. Friday's
1301 Wells Road
Orange Park Mall
Orange Park, Florida 32073
(904) 215-7030

Cobb Salad

Chilled and diced fire–grilled chicken, crisp bacon, avocado, Cheddar cheese, egg, black olives, tomatoes and bleu cheese on salad greens. Tossed with your choice of dressing.

The Cobb salad was very good. It had the right amount of eggs, bacon and cheese.

Order of onion rings

The amount of onion rings was skimpy.

Chipotle Grilled Steak Sandwich

Tender Cajun–rubbed skirt steak served on toasted ciabatta with a blend of Colby and Monterrey Jack cheeses, roasted plantain slices, lettuce, tomato, onion & Chipotle mayo. Served with beer–battered onion rings.

My first impression was "This sandwich is kind of small." But it was much more filling than I expected. The bread was soft and flavorful. The skirt steak was tender and perfectly grilled. I didn't taste any Cajun rub on the meat. It had just the right amount of Colby and Monterrey Jack. I would recommend asking for the mayo and lettuce on the side; the mayo and the heat of the steak made the lettuce limp and soggy. The three plantains slices were put inside the sandwich; I should have asked for them on the side, too. For some reason, the onion rings and the plantains all tasted like French toast. I guess they were cooked in the same oil. I was given a rather tiny amount of onion rings, just like my dining companion.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Peanut butter graham crust filled with layers of chocolate ganache and fluffy peanut butter mousse topped with whipped cream and a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

The peanut butter pie cost $4.89. What our waitress brought was a 3 inch wide, 1 1/2 foot long rectangular plate with a teeny, tiny sliver of pie. Most of the plate was just pudding (excuse me, mousse) drizzled artistically. The pie was tasty. But you can bet I won't buy desserts at T.G.I. Friday's again. What a ripoff.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Orange Park, Florida

Five Guys Burgers and Fries
1910 Wells Road, #C02D-5
Orange Park, FL 32073
904-6370414

I'd heard about Five Guys Burgers and Fries on various food blogs, but never tried their food. There seemed to be two camps of thought: the long-time fans ("It's the best burgers ever !") and the nonplussed newcomers ("Um, I don't get the hype.")

Recently, Five Guys opened a location at the Orange Park Mall, next to Maggie Moo's. There were four of us dining that day: two major fans and two newbies. We were assured "You don't know what you're missing. So yummy !"

I'll note this up front: If you're allergic to peanuts, Five Guys is not the place for you. There is a warning about peanut oil and peanut dust on the front door. Upon entering, I noticed sacks of peanuts and potatoes stacked around the restaurant. There was another peanut warning sign posted, asking customers not to take peanuts outside the building.

This location was very noisy. I have a high tolerance for loud music, but the volume of their radio was beyond ridiculous. The employees kept trying to greet us across he room, but the music drowned them out ("WELCOME TO FIVE GUYS !" "WHAT ?" "WHAT CAN WE GET FOR YOU ?" "WHAT ?").

The employees were very friendly, once we were in hearing distance. They pointed out the sacks of potatoes were for homemade french fries. When asked about the brand of hot dogs, both employees shot each other panicky looks. Then they answered "kosher beef." No kidding, I could see that on the menu board.

The wait for the food was rather short. Kudos for that. Our group had 3 drinks, 3 burgers, 1 hot dog, 1 order of plain fries and 1 order of Cajun fires. The hot dogs were worth trying. They were juicy and plump. The fries were hot, crisp and fresh. The hamburgers were hot, fresh and properly cooked. Although we newcomers commented "I'm not impressed with the meat itself. I've had this hamburger at street fairs. Meh." The price tag for this meal was $31. Ouch.

My overall reaction: Five Guys gets an A for the concept, simplicity and efficiency. The service we received was quick, friendly and efficient. The fan girl hype is over the top, but the food is good. I might go back for a hot dog. I wouldn't order a burger again, though, due to the price. Also, I would be happy if Five Guys added a simple dessert option to the menu.

Venice Pizza & Italian Cuisine, Orange Park, Florida

Venice Pizza & Italian Cuisine
Fleming Plaza
1605 County Road 220
Orange Park, FL 32003

904-269-7900

As I've mentioned before, I tend to stash restaurant coupons and bring them out when the family gets bored. Today was definitely another "please, not the same old hangout" day. So we drove out to Venice Pizza in Fleming Island, next to Player's Grille.

When I stepped through the door, I was struck by the mediocrity of the decor. I had expected to see either the candle lit, romantic decor of an Italian restaurant or a laid back, bright pizzeria. What I saw was darkly lit, with bland artwork that blended into the background and no music playing. That should've been a red flag to me.

Let me take your through our menu choices:

Soup of the day (limited quantities)

I understand that (1)We're in Florida and soup isn't in high demand and (2)sometimes items just run out. But it's not a good sign when "limited quantities" is on a menu. When I asked what soups were available, the waitress replied "we don't have any soup."


Pizza by the slice (when available)
I know many restaurants only have pizza by the slice at certain times. That's fine. However, I would've preferred Venice Pizza put on the menu "available after 5 PM" or "Monday through Thursday only." Our waitress just said "we don't have it right now." I still don't know what day(s) or times their slices are available.

Veggie Pizza: Onions, Mushrooms, Olive, Green Peppers, Spinach, Broccoli, Fresh Tomatoes, Extra Cheese
The toppings on this pizza were good. It was a little skimpy on the mushrooms, but otherwise fine. The tomato sauce was thin and unremarkable. The crust was unremarkable as well.


White Pizza: Our homemade white sauce, mozzarella cheese, spices, fresh tomatoes
The toppings on the white pizza were outstanding and had a nice garlic flavor.


Eggplant Parmesan sub

I had to choose between an eggplant sub and the eggplant dinner. The dinner would've included tossed salad, homemade garlic bread and a side of spaghetti. However, I think it was a good idea I didn't order the dinner. I say that because my dining companions received garlic bread with their dinners, consisting of buttered, toasted sub rolls mysteriously missing garlic. My sub came with the same bread. The slices of fried eggplant inside were crispy but void of flavor. The bread and sauce had nothing interesting for the palate.

Lasagna: A tasty homemade combination of beef, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese

The lasagna set before us was a burrito of sorts. It was a big noodle wrapped around beef and covered with tomato sauce. There was a bit of cheese sprinkled on top, but mostly covered by sauce. I don't know about the ricotta being in the lasagna. After leaving the restaurant, I said to everyone "Did that lasagna have ricotta or cottage cheese or anything like that ? I didn't see any." Not one of us remembered tasting or seeing ricotta. And that was before I whipped out the take-away menu to double check. All of us found the lasagna semi-soggy, under spiced and terribly disappointing. I've had better lasagna in school cafeterias : P

Tiramisu

The tiramisu was rich, creamy and delicious. It was a bright spot in an otherwise half-hearted presentation.

Would I return to Venice Pizza ? Probably not. This restaurant lacked the personality, warmth and charm that make for an outstanding dining experience.

Kristin's On The River, Jacksonville, Florida

Kristin's On The River
2511 Blanding Blvd [Blanding and Lake Shore Blvd]
Jacksonville, Florida
(904)425-6003

Open Tuesday through Sunday

I first heard about Kristin's in a local coupon magazine a few months ago. I clipped out the ad and left it in my purse. I forgot about it until last weekend, when the AMW family became bored with the usual restaurant choices. So off to Kristin's we went.

The first thing we noticed was a sort of hole at the front entrance. There was a big chunk of rock missing in that area. We each sidestepped that to get inside.

Upon entering, we were greeted by a friendly hostess. She seated us indoors, which proved problematic due to the thick smell of plastic and fresh paint. Also, the interior boasted garishly bright colors. Both proved too much for the three of us and we moved to the outdoor seating. The outdoor tables were much better, with cooling fans, high tables and a good view of Cedar River. But then we noticed the windows behind our table us had big cracks, which seemed unsafe.

One of us ordered the 2 Jamaican Jerk pork chops from the Hearty Portions selections. Two of us ordered the 2 crab cakes from the Light Portions side. Each entree came with a salad, vegetable of the day and mashed potatoes or rice pilaf.

One person found the pork chops to be thick, juicy and delicious. The other two thought they were too tough and that the seasoning was too sausagey. Also, the chops lacked any spicy heat.

The crab cakes got a thumbs up from all three. Two for each person was more than enough, even for hearty eaters. The crab cakes were neatly cut in high, thick circles and lightly breaded.

One person had the vegetable of the day, which was steamed broccoli. The other two asked the waitress if anything else was available. She offered fried eggplant and we took that option. The thing about eggplant is that most people make it mushy, thick and unpalatable. What was brought to our table was pure heaven, though. Each plate received three large disks, lightly breaded, thinly sliced and golden brown. So good ! The person who ordered broccoli was made fun of ; )

One person had rice pilaf. The other two had the mashed potatoes. Those were really good mashed potatoes, in fact. There were thick and creamy. Yum !

As for dessert ? Well, Kristin's dessert menu was not that large. It listed cheesecake, carrot cake, something with chocolate mousse and maybe 2 other items. When asked about dessert, our waitress replied "We're out of everything today, except butter pecan cheesecake. And brownies. Maybe brownies. I'd have to check and see if we have any left." We respectfully suggest Kristin's amp up their dessert menu. Those really good entrees were just begging to be paired up with super yummy desserts.


Hopefully Kristin's will fix their walkway, windows and dessert menu soon. We would definitely like to eat at this restaurant again.