Picasso's, Dos Vatos, Rue Saint Marc, Manny's Cuban and more: Jacksonville restaurant recommendations
Spring has sprung. I kicked off a month of good eating with a sunny day trip up to Amelia Island for an outdoor lunch at Tasty’s Fresh Burgers, followed by craft beers at local First Love Brewing. My first time at Tasty’s called for a savory Tasty’s melt with provolone and sauteed onions, plus parmesan herb tater tots. At First Love, I liked that the "Piper" red IPA was a fun twist on a traditional IPA, and my "Laugh in the Sunshine" cryohop IPA went down entirely too easy.
I met up with a girlfriend at San Marco’s Rue Saint Marc bar for weekday happy hour small plates and craft cocktails. We couldn’t get enough of the artfully plated royal red shrimp with almond puree, tempura cauliflower and poached apple appetizer, though Rue’s rabbit and pork pate was a close second favorite.
My mom and I grabbed an early Saturday dinner at Picasso’s in Mandarin, a tried-and-true spot in our rotation. We both ordered the same new-to-us entree (served with warm breadsticks!): homemade penne pasta with spicy arrabbiata sauce. I added broccolini and a meatball, and she opted for sausage.
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Visited Manny's Cuban on food truck visit; Taco Tuesday at Taqueria Cinco
In the spirit of trying new things, I feasted upon Manny’s Cuban for a recent food truck Friday. Its flavorful picadillo and rice with tender sweet plantains were a hit. I do enjoy a healthy dose of Cuban comfort food!
Celebrated Taco Tuesday after work with a friend on the back (cactus-filled!) patio of 5 Points’ Taqueria Cinco. Esquites (Mexican street corn off the cob topped with mayo, lime, cheese and chile), veggie tacos, happy hour flautas, and chips and salsa made for an easy dinner under a blue, cloudless spring sky.
Sometimes I just need a good sandwich for lunch. This month I chowed down on a pepper bacon BLT and side of parmesan-topped crinkle cut fries at new spot, The Southern Italian Deli (off St. Augustine Road not far from University Boulevard). The menu itself may be on the small side, but trust that the sandwiches are big — and filling.
A trip across town led my husband and I to an early Saturday dinner at Dos Vatos tacos on Atlantic Boulevard followed by sour beers at Mayport’s Reve Brewing. This was my second time to Dos Vatos. I can’t stray from at least one seared scallop taco topped with sweet-and-salty bacon jam. We also split queso and chips and salsa.
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On a Thursday night I caught Abstrakt Filipino Essence food truck outside The Strand in San Marco. Chef Jojo Hernandez’s pork belly sisig topped with a runny yolk egg is the best, and I make myself save half for the next day’s lunch — win-win. My love of ube runs deep so I snagged dessert: a slice of ube macapuno cake.
A relaxed Friday evening in Avondale led my husband and me to the bar at Mellow Mushroom for pizza – thin crust, artichoke-topped for me — and salads with Mellow’s addicting Esperanza dressing.
Caron Streibich is an avid food-lover who reviews restaurants in the Life section. Follow her dining adventures at facebook.com/caroneats and #caroneats on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville restaurants worth try: Picasso's, Rue Saint Marc, Tasty's
