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"

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.

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.