jackson thrill

Reunions are fun.

Especially when everyone's all grown up... but hasn't changed a bit.

Officially kicked off the trip with a sunny Friday lunch on the patio at Pinegrove Market. Where Allison's CK's family has gone for generations... if I remember that correctly. Friday also means fish fry down in Jacksonville - and here I was thinking it was a Midwest thing I was introduced to 1.5 years ago. So I went with a humble platter of shrimp and grits because being by the ocean again means needing to order from the sea when possible.

I often forget Florida is more than Disney World and Miami... despite the fact that we went back to Gainsville many a time in childhood. I knew nothing about Jacksonville when I landed in their airport that has rows of rocking chairs in the waiting area, but everything we did felt so... Jacksonville.
Started by wandering through a knick knack shop not unlike the one I explored in St. Paul, where I tried to find all the creepiest things. Happened upon Troops of Time, where we marveled at the intricate details of hand painted figurines for history nerds... and one of the enthusiastic old men was a UNC alum and Danielle became their first Yelp reviewer regardless. Went trap shooting at Ash's not-that-serious suggestion, where Dom broke out the vest and gun and taught us all how to hold a shotgun. Explored the outside of Castilla de San Marcos in St. Augustine, where we cheated and got a free reenactment show with cannons and gun powder... but no actual cannon balls.

But okay, more about the food.

We stopped in at Orsay for happy hour while waiting for Christy's plane to get its shit together.
I'm gonna be honest - I didn't expect to eat fancy in Jacksonville. I was there to get my fill of home-y Southern comfort.

Orsay was definitely fancy. With lovely wall paper (and not so lovely music to match) and a waiter who remembered Al and CK from a year ago. I learned that everyone is basically obsessed with oysters. And that's the route I would've gone too if I didn't have oysters two nights in a row at home.
And if Alicia didn't propose we split two raw bar dishes I was already eyeing.

Sea scallop tartare with cucumber, jalepeno, lime vinaigrette, fleur de sel, and house made potato chips...
and the trois foie mousse with chicken liver, duck liver, fois gras, and red onion marmalade.

With my deliciously refreshing Fall in Florida (Reyka vodka, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, Genepy des Alpes, green apple puree, cardamom bitters) making an appearance in the upper left hand corner.
It was all great. Like a raw bar surf 'n turf. A bite of buttery indulgence, followed by a bite of crisp and clean, washed down with the sweet warmth of fall in winter.

I can foresee any day being a good day if it begins with a biscuit from Maple Street Biscuit Company (unless you find a baked in hair...). Too overwhelming to eat without a knife and fork. This is my Garden Bird with homemade pepper jelly instead of hot sauce. The fried chicken is hidden under there somewhere, I promise. You can see a bit of the tail on the right.

Then it was off to St. Augustine to find Amelia some coffee. Unfortunately it was found at a random, dark cafe that sold crepes and not at Crucial Coffee Cafe, which had a cute, eclectic outdoor garden. That butterscotch coffee that tasted only like milk was probably the only case of food regret I experienced, which isn't bad at all... but if I could go back and get a snickers cappuccino instead..

  Stumbled into Whetstone Chocolates, where their definition of strength is now my definition of strength. "The capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands...and then eat just one of the pieces." So in conclusion, I am weak. No surprises here. 

  Chase the chocolate with the liquor. St. Augustine Distillery tour lead by big personalities and involved much product pushing. But that's okay because we got samples. Too bad they didn't have anything suitable for carry-ons. 

I tried to learn facts for College Bowl while we waited for our time slot (still have yet to put them to good use). And then I touched what I wasn't supposed to and got black grease all over my hands. 

We went fancy once again at Il Desco. Where the bread comes in a brown paper bag and roasted garlic swims in the olive oil. Omg yes. I pretty much filled up on bread before my appetizer entre.

Until the grilled octopus with puttanesca, arugula, crispy garlic and squid ink was presented to me. All I remember is that I loved every meaty salty acidic bite. I rarely regret ordering the octopus. Maybe I should start an octopus quest in conjunction with the burger quest. A surf 'n turf quest of sorts.

Someone saw plates of beignet-like things go by our table, so naturally we asked and ordered. Bomboloni. I like this word. Italy's version of a sweet fried dough dish. With vanilla, pistachio, and hazelnut cream dipping sauces. I was unsurprisingly partial to the pistachio.

Finale brunch at Tres Leches where $20 gets you access to the grits/fruit/pastries bar and an entre. Like Gretchen's Comfort (stone-ground johnny cakes, bbq pulled pork shoulder, green bean fricase with bacon and onion). Not the most brunch-y meal because I was lacking eggs, but I was all over it anyways. And it's a pretty comfort plate.

And then I left my leftovers for the airport :( which stressed me out more than it should for any other normal person... these are where my priorities lie.

If you love something, let it go. I don't agree at all, but I can't fight it. Waiting for the second part of that adage.
Come back to me.

Until next time.