Intuition Ale Works - Hip Hops - Hooray!

Now Brewing in Riverside

Jacksonville native Ben Davis shares his new line of locally made brews with you at the tap room at his Intuition Ale Works - which opens to the public today at 720 King Street in Riverside!

Come celebrate the Grand Opening - Saturday from 1:00pm to 10:00pm - with a variety of draft and cask ales - and wood-fired pizzas from  Pele’s Fire Catering.  

Sign up for the Intuition Ale Works Mug Club while you're there - benefits include discounts on beer and merchandise, special access to limited release brews, invitations to exclusive Mug Club events, and a bag of Intuition Ale Works gear.

After the Grand Opening on November 20th, the Intuition Ale Works tap room will be open from 1:00pm to 10:00pm Wednesdays to Saturdays.  Takeaway kegs and growlers will be sold from the tap room.  Pele’s Fire Catering will be parked outside the brewery Wednesday to Friday from 4:00pm to 10:00pm and Saturday from 1:00pm to 10:00pm and will sell pizzas, dips and salsas from their mobile wood-fired oven. (Y'all - no lie - these wood-fired pizzas and their dips and salsas are amazing - and what goes better with beer - right?)

Intuition Ale Works has teamed up with Movember Jax to support men’s health throughout the month of November.   
On November 24th the brewery is hosting a Stache Bash and will donate 50 cents from every pint sold in the tap room to Movember.  Donations benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  

Here's the IAW lineup:

People’s Pale Ale
IAW's flagship beer is an American-style pale ale inspired by the hoppy pale ales of the West Coast.  Features two-row malted barley, caramel malt, and wheat malt.  Magnum hops for bittering and the traditional pale ale hops of Centennial and Cascade for flavoring and crisp, citrus aromas.

King Street Stout
This is a Southern-style imperial stout brewed with two-row malted barley, a variety of roasted and caramel malts, and brown sugar y’all. (I got a sneak peak of this one last week - It's sweet and mellow like a caramel macchiato, only better, because this one's made with BEER!)

Wild Child Wheat
This is an easy-drinking wheat beer influenced by the Wits or “White Ales” of Belgium.  Brewed with Belgian Pilsner, flaked wheat, malted wheat and flaked oats.  Czech noble hops compliment the traditional Wit spices of coriander and bitter orange peel on the nose of this incredibly delicious beer.

I-10 IPA
The West Coast comes to Jax with this extremely hoppy, true India Pale Ale. Our two-row malted barley and caramel malt come to life with a ?@!#-ton of Northwest hops.  It’s music to your nose.

Imperial Red Ale
An aggressively hopped, high gravity red ale.  Brewed with two-row malted barley, caramel malt, and chocolate malt.  Magnum hops for bittering and Simcoe hops for flavoring, aroma, and dry-hopping.

Pollo Tropical Comes to Town Center

Pollo Tropical, famous for its citrus-marinated grilled chicken and Caribbean flavors, is bringing a taste of the tropics to Jacksonville with the grand opening of its restaurant at 4863 Gate Parkway at the St. John's Town Center.

Be one of the first customers in line November 22, starting at 10:30 a.m., and receive a free voucher for a Family Meal - featuring a whole grilled chicken, choice of two sides and rolls.

Chicken lovers can take advantage of free Pollo Tropical offers by texting "POLLO104" to 30241 or logging on to www.pollotropical.com/contest to sign up for Pollo Reward$. Everyone who signs up between November 20 to 29 will be automatically entered for a chance to win Free Chicken For a Year.

Serious Sandwiches - Pork Arepa - Mi Pueblo Bakery

  

If you haven't been to Mi Pueblo Bakery on Beach Boulevard - you're missing some mighty fine fresh pastries, breads, etc. - Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Columbian, they've got it. GREAT prices, friendly, knowledgeable proprietors.

We stopped in this morning for a breakfast treat. LOVE their Pork or Chicken Arepas and Empanadas, but my favorite is their Bunuelos.

Love soft, warm, cheesy buñuelos? Your search ends here, mi amigo!

Guava and cheese filled pastry

They have many regional specialty pastries and cookies.

Empanadas de Carne are filled with warm shredded beef and soft potatoes.

Mi Pueblo Bakery

11969 Beach Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32246

One Fish, Two Fish, Lunch Returns To Blue Fish!

Woot! Great news! 

The Blue Fish in Avondale is 

resuming lunch service 

Monday November 15!

11:00 - 2:00 Monday - Saturday. 

See you there!

Celebrate: National Donut Day!

It's National Sandwich Day! Eat UP!

Creating a Stir - 27th Annual Caring Chefs

Wow. Last weekend was one for the books. The 27th Annual Caring Chefs event at The Avenues Mall in Jax - featuring scores of tastings from local restaurants - raised $104,220 for the children and families served by the Children's Home Society of Florida's Buckner Division.  Want an idea of how many people it takes to get a project like this event off the ground? If you were there - congrats for a job well done. If you missed it, get it on your calendar for 2011. Seriously! Check out their list of sponsors and participating restaurants!

I love this event - I always find new places (and old favorites) to visit based on who we met and what we tasted there. Because they cared enough to take time out of their busy weekends to really embrace the spirit of this event, I am looking forward to my next visits to culinary standouts Bistro Aix, Blue Bamboo, bb's, Cafe Nola, The Grape, Galangal Thai, The Reef, Soul Food Bistro, Tacolu - and more! 

Chef Tom Gray and the Crew from Bistro Aix served a luscious lamb risotto  with butternut squash puree - a pure taste of autumn.

Roy's Hawaiian Fusion delighted me by bringing along my new fave appetizer - Golden Lobster Potstickers! According to a fellow taster - it's like a little lobster doused itself in butter and exploded in your mouth.

The folks from The Grape brought these amazing lamb chops and their killer Lobster Mac & Cheese. I almost had to wrestle someone to make sure my friend Jodi from Eat Jax got a taste of this. If you haven't tried it, run, do not walk to The Grape, at the St Johns Town Center.

Shellfish stew from The Reef was salty-sweet and generous. LOVED the brothy, briny goodness.

Taco Lu was out in full force with a fabulous beef taco - such great, fresh flavors. GREAT to see the BEACHES rep'd so nicely there!

Tacolu gets into the spirit with their Dia de los Muertos display. Looking for a place to honor and celebrate lost loved ones this weekend? Taco LU!

bb's proffered this elegant bite of braised meat with pearl barley and pomegranate "risotto" - another harbinger of fall.

Galangal Thai offered tastes of their Chicken Yum Salad and lovely Steamed Sea Bass.

Blue Bamboo's Dennis Chan was serving his Hip Asian Comfort Food - I loved the sweet heat in this cold noodle salad.

Jacksonville Golf and Country Club chefs brought their molecular gastronomy exhibit, and among the standouts in the dessert category was this little semifreddo cone - flash frozen on demand. Yum!

See you next year, beasties!

Farm To Table Dinner - Supporting Beaches Local Food Network

There are a few spots left - Join the Beaches Local Food Network at their Farm To Table Dinner Fundraiser to support their proposed Children's Gardening Program! 

This celebration of local foods will be an evening to remember. The five course meal will be created by five outstanding local chefs using locally-sourced ingredients.  Also included are hors d' oeuvres and organic wines and the opportunity to get to know your farmers personally!

Check out the lineup here

Saturday, November 6th 

Augustine Grille, Sawgrass Marriott 

$150 per person
Supports:  BLFN's Children's Gardening Program
Contact:  Gretchen Ferrell, beachesgreenmarket@yahoo.com; (904) 270-0273

Mambo's Cuban Bistro - Eat Your Heart Out, Fidel.

Thanks to Amy Lyn for recommending this great new Cuban joint in Jax Beach! LOVED the Media Noche De Pierna - I'll be back soon to try the Cuban Sandwich!

Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

Octoberfest at RAM

I'm off - to stalk (in a nice way, natch) Celeb chef La Moulton at the Aetna Healthy Food Fight cookoff at the Riverside Arts Market 

PLUS - it's Octoberfest, so BEER ALL DAY at the market - the good kind, too!

Woot - see you there, Beasties!  

Aloha Roy's - My New Happy Place

Aloha Hour at Roy's - Fresh Hawaiian Specialty Cocktails are $5 each!

Earlier this week, someone suggested that blogging about food must be a glamorous job. First, let me say, the food is great, but sitting alone at the keyboard, nibbling on toaster pastries and trying to conjure up the words to describe last night's dinner is far from glamourous. And then there is the fact that this isn't actually my job. While some people do make a living at this, I am not one of them. That having been said, it is not without its rewards. Like the opportunity to visit with a friend while we sample our way through an entire appetizer menu, sip some swanky cocktails and snap pics of absolutely everything without fear of our fellow diners looking down their noses at us.

Even better, nirvana, in fact, is when each and every item we sample is spot on super-fabulous. The highlight of last week was just such an experience - courtesy of the fine folks at Roy's in Jacksonville Beach.

General Manager JP Diedrich and Chef Patrick "Opie" Crooks made us feel like a couple of culinary queens as they treated us to a taste of Aloha -  samples of every dish on their Aloha Hour menu - specialty cocktails, glasses of featured wines and menu items for just $5 each - served Sunday through Friday 4:30pm - 6:30pm in their bar. My thanks to them, the amazing Jodi behind the bar, and the whole Roy's crew for a great, dare I say even glamorous experience! From the minute the invite came, we were hotly anticipating the event - in large part because two of the items feature one of our favorite ingredients - the humble LOBSTER. Yes, it deserves all caps. 

LOBSTER California Roll sounds sweet and luscious - and it is just that. Beautiful little rolls of sweet chilled LOBSTER filling, smooth avocado, the cool crunch of cucumber - the textures combine to create a great little bite. As is true of most of the items in this post, but let's just say this once, this and a cocktail would make a great light meal. 

HOWEVER - you might want to go with both sushi offerings on the Aloha Hour menu - just to experience the great contrast in texture and tastes.



The Tempura Crusted Ahi Roll is so rich - still  slightly warm from the fryer - the soft, savory crunch of the crust and the sweet sticky rice, the richness of the Miso butter sauce - I'm looking at my watch right now and wishing it were closer to Aloha Hour.

Crunchy Golden Lobster Potstickers, Togarashi Miso Butter

Once we got through with our "sushi course" a lovely duo of Calamari and Crunchy Golden LOBSTER Potstickers graced the table. Pardon my use of all caps when referring to LOBSTER. Have you ever ordered a dish with LOBSTER as a featured ingredient and finished it wondering where in the heck they stashed it in the mix? This is definitely NOT one of those dishes. It's a mouth full of buttery, delicious warm LOBSTER. When I got my first full taste, my eyes flew wide open and my mouth sang the Crustacean Chorus. The only disappointment is that they come three to a plate, which is plenty because they are so rich, but when you're sharing, the temptation to stab your table-mates with a fork to keep them from nabbing that last one is just too great. Luckily my friend Jodi from EAT JAX was resourceful enough to suggest we split it. They are just that good. Seriously, if you love LOBSTER as I do, get your own, and guard it with your cutlery.

Sharing the next dish was much easier and quite enjoyable. The Salt and Pepper Crisped (fancy culinary speak for fried) Calamari surprised us both with its light, tender texture and the savory, citrusy sauce that just coats it without collapsing those lovely crunchy rings. It was billed as "Unique Hawaiian Fusion Sauce" so naturally we were compelled to ask for details.

Apparently the sauce can change with the season and may be different from location to location as well. Chef Opie makes this one with a combination of lemon and lime juices, fish sauce, Thai chile sauce and water, then hits it with some sliced red onion and an herb chiffonade. I was more than pleased with the result but I won't be attempting to recreate it at home any time soon, since I can just pop in to Roy's at Aloha Hour and get more!

Roy's Exhibition Kitchen - it's like porn for foodies!

 One of my favorite aspects of Roy's is the open "exhibition" kitchen - glowing and sleek - it is the heart of the room. I love to watch my food being prepared whenever I have the chance - it gives me a deeper appreciation and understanding of the dish.

Our knowledgeable bar manager Jodi (I didn't get her card,  so I don't know if I'm spelling her name right) walked us through most of the preparations and suggested pairings from the extensive wine and specialty cocktail list. Indulgent offerings, yes. Expensive? Not during Aloha Hour! At just $5 each, most of the specialty drinks are more than half-off from 4:30 - 6:30 pm. I'm seriously putting Roy's on the rotation for at least a weekly pop-in.

Szechuan Grilled Beef Tenderloin Skewers, Kim Chee

Should the dishes described thus far leave you wondering "Where's the beef?" - this next section is just for you.
Roy's Szechuan Grilled Beef Tenderloin Skewers rest on a little pile of freshly prepared Kim Chee - and the meat is some of the tenderest tenderloin you'll ever taste. Savory and sweet from the light glaze, they are complimented by the peppery-hot-salty-tangy bites of Kim Chee. I'm thinking a robust red wine or a craft beer would make a great pairing here. I polished it off with a Pomegranate Patrón Mojito - Tangy pomegranate shaken with Patrón Silver Tequila and mint. 

Wagyu Beef Sliders with Garlic Sweet Potato Fries

Lastly, as if we had room left in our stomachs at this point, came the tender and flavorful Wagyu Beef Sliders with Caramelized Onions, Chipotle Aioli and Garlic Sweet Potato Fries.  The beef in these little gems just melts in your mouth. Here I go again, but for $5 - this is a meal in and of itself. I couldn't help thinking "suck it, Mickey D, I'm eating Roy's Waygu beef sliders from here on in." Ask for some extra Aioli for the perfectly cooked and seasoned fries - it takes them over the top.
 
Well, what's left to say about the whole Aloha Hour experience? Just get there and get yourself to a happy place. Don't worry about trying to choose the right thing - they are all good - or as Jodi put it - "there's not a clunker in the bunch." It had been a while since I've been to Roy's, despite the fact that I live close by. Yet always in the back of my mind lurked the pleasant memory of Roy’s Original Hawaiian Martini - with those luscious infused Maui pineapples, SKYY Vodka, Stoli Vanil and Malibu Coconut Rum. The Aloha Hour menu will keep me coming back. 

Treat yourself to a taste of Aloha soon, and say Aloha to your friendly neighborhood blogger-chick if you see me in there sipping and munching away - and you will.

Roy's
2400 3rd St S
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
www.roysrestaurant.com

27th Annual Caring Chefs

 THE food-tasting event that started it all! 

Proceeds benefit the Children's Home Society of Florida.

Visit more than 50 of the best restaurants in town all in one night - Besides some great food and wine, there's much more entertainment including three live bands - be there or be a dodecahedron!

Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010

7-9:30 p.m.

The Avenues Mall

Get your tickets NOW!

Lunch At Jackson's - Go Big Or Go Home!

A welcome addition to the lunch and dinner options on King Street in Jacksonville's Riverside neighborhood is Jackson's.

When I lunch I'm not always watching the clock, so I've come to consider Jackson's a place to come and relax for a leisurely lunch. I read or catch up on my active Words With Friends games and enjoy the relaxed ambiance.

Service is friendly and the kitchen pumps the food out fast enough considering its all made from scratch on the premises.

Let's start with the burgers - 8 oz of handcrafted USDA Black Angus beef - served with all the fixin's and a piping hot side of fries - it's to die for.

I love the Blue Cheese Burger - $7.75  Thick and delicious and stacked with fresh toppings.

The "NY Style" Reuben (pictured above)is a bargain at $7.95

For the Chicken lover - there is a seriously HUGE Chicken Salad Sandwich  - $7.95 and something called the Snow Bird - with thick slices of chicken breast and avocado.


Salads, soups, wings, rings and fried 'shrooms round out the pub-grub menu.   

On each visit I've been treated to a lagniappe - usually a tasting portion of their "guaranteed" chicken gumbo. And every time, I really want to like it. But it breaks down like this - thick, brown roux with the occasional shred of chicken or sliver of onion. The flavor is "brown" and texture is what I imagine concrete to be like before it is set. We ordered a cup of it on one visit and couldn't get even halfway through it. Not that it's bad, its just too, well, beige. No matter - the real star of the show at Jackson's is their delicious sandwiches.

The building renovations at Jackson's have revealed a warm interior with exposed brick walls and mosaic tiled floors. Warm wood tones, black tablecloths and prints of vintage sports teams complete the urban casual look and feel of the place.

They were open for breakfast for a brief stint, and we hope they will be again some time soon. Until then we'll settle for lunch at Jackson's - meet you on King Street!


 

Kentucky Hot Brown - A 1920's Classic!

The creation of Chef Fred Schmidt of the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY, the Hot Brown is an open face sandwich featuring turkey and bacon, smothered in Mornay Sauce and cheese, then baked or broiled until bubbly hot and browned. Tomato adds a light note to this truly decadent and SERIOUS SANDWICH.

Special thanks to old friend, photographer extraordinaire (and fellow foodie) David Francis of Lexington, Kentucky, for this mouthwatering photo of a classic Hot Brown from Spud's Tavern in Lexington.

Apparently the Hot Brown is the American cousin to the Welsh Rarebit. I first encountered it when I lived in Cincinnati - where it was referred to as a "Kentucky" Hot Brown. I gather that in Kentucky they just call it a Hot Brown. I call it over-the-top cheese-a-licious.

Serious Sandwiches

Seafood Summer has come to an end, although it is still pretty warm here in Ponte Vedra, and let's face it, seafood is always in fashion at the beach!

My new favorite thing to obsess over is: SANDWICHES!
Who know there were so many great ones out there? I'm gonna do my best to share some of my faves with you - and I hope you'll do the same!

Jacksonville and the Beaches - Where do you go for a great sandwich?

And for my out-of-town friends - If the beasties came road-tripping through your area - where and what is the one sandwich they should seek out?

Saucy Mama's Cubanitos

Just for fun - we entered an online recipe contest and developed these delicious party noshes - a take on the traditional cuban sandwich, using not one but THREE Saucy Mama products from the folks at Barhyte Foods and the Saucy Mama Cafe! The pics were a hit on facebook so we thought we'd share here. Enjoy!

A saucy take on a Cuban classic starts with slow roasted  Saucy Mama Peppered Pork Loin

3 + pounds boneless pork loin

1 bottle Saucy Mama Cracked Pepper Marinade
juice of one lime

Puncture meat all over to create openings for marinade. Pour one bottle of Saucy Mama Cracked Pepper Marinade and the fresh lime juice in a large plastic zip top bag along with the pork loin, close and shake to coat. Set the bag in a shallow pan and marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning a few times to allow marinade to permeate. When ready to cook, bring to room temperature. 

Remove pork from the bag and place in a shallow glass baking dish. Pour on the remaining marinade and bake in a 350 degree oven until internal temperature has reached 165 (approx. 2 hrs.)  Remove from oven and allow to rest until meat is cool enough to slice. You could do this a day ahead – If so I recommend thinly slicing the meat, returning it to the pan to absorb the juices and brown peppery goodness, then storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. Bring to room temperature before you proceed.

Assemble the sandwiches. 

Cuban Sandwiches

3 + loaves Cuban Bread
2 lbs thinly sliced deli ham
2 lbs sliced Swiss cheese
1 Jar Saucy Mama Chipotle Mustard
1 Jar sliced pickles - your favorite
1 Jar Saucy Mama Jalapeno Stuffed Green Olives
24 small wooden skewers

Authentic Cuban loaves work best but if you can’t find them, French baguettes will do.

Slice the loaf lengthwise and flatten both halves slightly with your palms or a heavy skillet. You may want to remove some of the white bread from the inside top of the loaf, to allow more room for the delicious fillings. Brush each cut side liberally with Saucy Mama Chipotle Mustard, and lay them cut side up on the board. Line with fillings –sliced swiss cheese, peppered roast pork, sliced ham, then the pickles. More cheese on top, then pull the two halves together and cut into two equal pieces (to get into the press or skillet). 

Toast sandwich in a panini press or large skillet (oil if needed for your cooking utensil – I don’t add any and it comes out fine as long as you watch and don’t scorch it). You just want a good crunch on the bread and melting of the cheese.  Once it is toasted to your liking, remove the halves to the cutting board and skewer them through the top with short skewers topped with a Saucy Mama Jalapeno Stuffed Olive. Each half loaf can be cut into four small slices of sandwich – each with a skewer to hold it together. 

For 24 pieces you will need to use 3 whole loaves of bread – but I caution you – you’ll want leftovers!