The latest venture of Jacksonville’s Medure Brothers (the minds behind Matthew’s Restaurant and Restaurant Medure), M Shack, is working to establish itself as the place to visit for creative burgers at the beach. The airy space includes a full bar and fits well with the beach location. The menu is displayed on large chalkboards on the wall–but FYI, you don’t have to stand back from the counter to decide on your order, there are smaller printed menus there too.

M Shack

M Shack interior

With promises of competitively-priced, high quality burgers, I had to go see what they had to offer. And once I caught wind of their menu a few weeks before opening, I knew what I’d be ordering: The Medurable, an M burger (fairly standard cheeseburger) topped with foie gras and bacon onion compote, $18. Mario had the much more affordably priced The Sunrise Burger (bacon, farm egg, American cheese and Shack Sauce):
Read the rest of this entry »

This post is a tale of two cities…or two Smashburgers in two cities. I made a trip to Atlanta last weekend to hang out with Mario and do some “official” last hurrah-type activities (mani/pedi at my most favorite nail shop, my favorite cupcakes, etc). After a half day of furniture shopping, I was really hoping to get my last Bocado burger for lunch but forgot that they are only open for dinner on Saturdays. Bummer. So we decided instead to visit one of the newer burger joints in town, Smashburger. Just a few days later, I got an invite to the opening of the 1st Jacksonville Smashburger location at Neptune Beach. I guess the fact that I accepted means my first visit went well!

The folks at Smashburger are doing some rapid expansion as of late, trying to fill the fast-casual space that they say is wide open (and maybe it is, in places other than Atlanta). How they determined that fast-casual burger joints are lacking is a mystery to me, but if you’re executing well I guess more is ok. Direct competition for them is, of course, the also-expanding “multiple men” burger joint.

We liked the open and airy feel of the dining area (very Chipotle-like) and the friendly staff members at the register where you order before grabbing a seat. The menu is largely customizable, from bread to cheese to protein (beef, chicken, and black bean), but also contains some “pre-fab” burgers. These pre-fabs are one way Smashburger aims to specially recognize each local market–one burger that is only sold in that area. Jacksonville’s burger is the Sunshine Bacon & Cheese, with orange citrus bbq sauce, bacon, cheddar, and haystack onions:

Sunshine Bacon & Cheese

Read the rest of this entry »

Ok, Jacksonville, it’s been a month. I can handle your blazing hot summer temps because of the coastal breeze, and I love being able to go sit on the beach pretty much whenever I want. However, the sprawl here is headache-inducing and gas-guzzling (it’s the largest city by landmass in the U.S.), which makes it tougher to find locally-owned restaurants, especially in my area–near a large mall. But happily, I’m 4 for 4 on identifying pretty good ones. This ain’t Atlanta fine dining, but I’m optimistic about the [smaller] food scene here. P.S. Expect me to compare Jax to ATL for the next 6-8 months. Sorry.

The first restaurant I visited while Mario was still in town helping me move in was Picasso’s Pizzeria in Southside. I’ve spoken before about my aversion to strip mall eateries, but it seems I’ll have to get over it in my new residence, as many restaurants seem to be located in them. I feel like Picasso’s name is a bit of a misnomer–while about half of the menu is occupied by pizza options, the other half contains a wide variety of dishes: from shrimp & grits to shepard’s pie to oysters Rockerfeller. Often such a menu inspires wariness (“Never order a burger from a taco stand!”), but we have been pleasantly surprised by everything we’ve tasted. Oh, and there’s a burger. One that rivals the best in Atlanta. But I’ll get to that later. On our first visit, I decided to try the shrimp & grits (Mayport shrimp sautéed with applewood-smoked bacon cubes, fresh tomato, shallots, and garlic), while Mario went with their signature steak (“Da” Steak: seared premium aged Black Angus rib-eye with fries and Mama Sauce).

Shrimp & Grits

"Da" Steak

I thougt it fitting to write my last post before Thanksgiving on one of my last meals in Charlotte. I’m finding this bittersweet–sweet because Mario has now made a permanent move back to Atlanta, but bitter because I was actually kind of liking Charlotte and my monthly trips there. On this trip, Mario was being particularly generous in letting me pick restaurants I was interested in blogging about. After taking in a Bobcats game with friends, we decided to check out a new-ish addition to South End, The Liberty.

The Liberty

We decided to stop because of their sign outside the gastropub touting “Best Burger in Charlotte.” Aside from now-closed The Counter, we hadn’t found any much to go in Charlotte’s Best Burger category. Mario of course ordered The Liberty Pub Burger (natural beef, sweet grass cheddar, apple smoked bacon, herb aioli, hand cut fries), while I decided to order from the small plates menu and try the pork belly sliders (apple-vanilla butter, tomato jam, soy-ginger glaze, spicy slaw):
Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve actually eaten at one of the newer restaurants on the Westside, Bocado, many times, but have never written a blog post on it. This is partly because ~80% of my visits consist of me ordering their delicious burger.

Bocado

Delicious Burger

On one of the most perfect days we’ve had in a while (beautiful weather and the start of college football), Mario and I visited Bocado after GT made a decisive rout of South Carolina State in our home opener. Mario couldn’t pass up the usual burger (no pickles, add bacon), but I decided to step outside the box and try a lobster roll. Now, this is important news because I was just one more bad lobster away from finally conceding that I just don’t like lobster. All my experiences with the crustacean have yielded a lukewarm, slightly rubbery, unseasoned piece of tail meat. I will partly chalk this up to the fact that I grew up eating crawfish, and lobster, I’m sorry to say, is an inferior substitute for perfectly seasoned crawfish. Bocado’s lobster roll, however, turned my assumptions on their head.
Read the rest of this entry »

I had almost forgotten about writing this post until I clicked through some photo albums on my computer and saw the pictures from the meal. It would have been a real travesty if I hadn’t caught it, because I enjoyed my meal at Serpas True Food so much.

Serpas Restaurant

Serpas is located in the Old Fourth Ward and is situated midway between Lotta Frutta and the Irwin St. Market. The head chef, Scott Serpas, hails from South Louisiana (instant check-plus for that) and worked in restaurants from Texas to The A before opening his own in 2008. Mario and I stopped by for dinner on a weekday evening. We immediately loved the wide open space of the restaurant, which has probably 15′ ceilings (don’t take my word for that, I’m terrible at estimating measurements) and is dominated by a wall of windows on one side. First off, I have to comment on our AWESOME service. Our waiter was one of the most enthusiastic I’ve ever had and clearly enjoyed the food at Serpas. He deftly fielded our questions, made recommendations, and gave insightful comments on what dishes were his favorites and why. Unfortunately, I don’t remember his name, but if all the servers at Serpas are as passionate as he is, you’re in for a nice night.

Now then, the food. We had a My Daily Thread coupon (like a Groupon) to spend, so we did our version of a “splurge” and ordered an app, entrees, AND dessert. To start, I ordered the flash fried oysters (pickled chilies, mirliton) and actually got picky eater Mario to try one!
Read the rest of this entry »

I love how Atlanta has hidden pockets of awesome. I felt I had discovered a new one on my first visit to The Shed at Glenwood. The Glenwood Park neighborhood is one of those live/work areas that is full of gorgeous single-family homes, condos, and neighborhood restaurants, like The Shed. Mario and I decided to check out their $3 slider night one Wednesday.

The Shed at Glenwood via Zagat.com

We thought the entrance was a little awkward, as you walk in and are basically standing in the dining room–no real host’s stand separates the room. A hostess did appear promptly, found our reservation, and led us to our table. You may or may not need a reservation though; while we were there, the dining room remained full, but not crowded. Our waiter brought over an interesting starter for us to share: popcorn! We also got an amuse of parmesean-stuffed dates and an olive:
Read the rest of this entry »

After an afternoon farmers’ market run and before a Mayweather/Mosely fight party, Mario and I decided we needed something to eat. Since we were driving through downtown Decatur, I suggested the newest purveyor feeding Atlanta’s burger frenzy, Farm Burger. Farm Burger’s claim to fame are its locally-sourced, 100% grass-fed, 2-week dry aged, daily ground burgers (which are as much of a mouthful as this sentence). We stepped into the lengthy line during what I assume was about midway through the dinner rush. It took us 30-45 minutes to reach the counter and place our orders and another 15 for the food to arrive. The line never got any shorter during this or the other 30min-1h it took us to eat. All I’m saying is, go prepared for a wait.

Farm Burger (via Farmburger.net)

Farm Burger offers a $6 “base burger” to which you can add toppings ranging from free to $3. There are also pre-made selections you can order fast-food number system style. We were told at the counter that all burgers are either cooked medium or well-done, and the cashier suggested everyone try medium to start. I believe this is a departure from the “medium only” rule that Farm Burger started with, and I’m guessing the change is due to customer complaints. Not everyone likes pink burgers. I’m a medium-well kinda gal, but I decided to go with what was suggested and was happy with the temperature of the meat. I decided to order a No. 1, the “Farm Burger” (grafton smoked white cheddar, caramelized onions, FB sauce) to try out the signature offering. Mario put together his own burger with cheddar and bacon:
Read the rest of this entry »

While I’m talking about New Orleans, I suppose I should mention what was served at my Saintsbowl party on February 7, 2010, the day the SAINTS won the Superbowl!! Yeah, I was excited. Anyway, my New Orleans-themed party was complete with jambalaya, king cake, and hurricanes for sippin’. I tried to keep my prep simple and my cooking to a minimum so I could fully enjoy the game, so one of the few “from scratch” items I made was meatball sliders:

Meatball Slider

These were quite easy to make, and more important, quite delicious.
Read the rest of this entry »

Before I get started, I must disclose that this meal was comped. Apparently the FTC can now fine me thousands of dollars for not letting my readership know about freebies. Mario and I were invited to Piedmont park-side restaurant The Nook by one of the owners, Adam, to check out new executive chef Michael Gogolin. Gogolin is former Chef de Cuisine at the Marlow’s Tavern franchise (which I hear good things about) and was head chef at the Vinings location. I hear The Nook has not gotten good reviews on its food in the past, but when Mario and I stopped in one drizzly evening, we were not disappointed.

The place was not especially busy when we came in, so we got a good look at the space, which we both liked. The bar area is the room’s focal point, with booths lining the walls for those who want a more “nook”-like experience. The main attraction is likely the large patio, which was available (though enclosed and equipped with heaters) that night, but we only saw one small group braving the cold outside. We decided to start with an app of “Ooh Ooh Bread” (topped with creamy Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic and mayo that is lightly toasted and served with homemade marinara sauce), which I think we chose based on the name alone:

Ooh Ooh Bread