Local Hero Shannon Miller Sure, she’s a former Olympian, a multiple gold medal winner, and the most decorated gymnast in U.S. history, but the 34-year-old isn’t resting on her laurels. A mover and a shaker in her own right, Miller created her own healthy-living business (Shannon Miller Lifestyle), married one of the local GOP’s big guns (John Falconetti) and created a buzz around such social issues as childhood obesity (via the Shannon Miller Foundation). After giving birth to son John “Rocco” in 2009, Miller was stunned earlier this year by a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Following surgery and a grueling round of chemotherapy, Miller is back on the exercise and healthy-living promotions circuit. “This is such an amazing honor,” Miller says of being named Local Hero. “The support I received throughout my recent cancer diagnosis and personal journey back to good health was humbling.” — KP
Best Thing to Happen to Northeast Florida in 2011 The Election of Mayor Alvin Brown
Best Local Scandal Sheriff John Rutherford removing police scanners from newsrooms
Jacksonville was ready for a change after eight uninspired years of the Peyton Administration — Peyton himself could hardly contain his excitement at leaving office — and Alvin Brown certainly represented change. The city’s first Democratic mayor in 20 years, the first African-American mayor ever, Brown’s victory inspired even those who didn’t vote for him. It also offered a kind of affirmation that even in the midst of a fierce economic downturn, the city could look to its future, instead of turning to the relative comfort of the status quo, as embodied by Brown’s opponent. The road ahead could hardly be more daunting for a mayor, and his moves so far have been more conservative than game-changing. But Brown’s very presence on the 4th floor of City Hall says something to the city about its potential, and its capacity to change. — AS
Boneheaded, arrogant and repressive as hell, Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford’s decision to remove police scanners from newsrooms offered evidence of just how media-averse he has become in his years in office. Though police radio scanners have been a tool of reporters for decades, and are essential to letting folks in the community know about emergencies, crimes and disasters, the sheriff decided to pull them, initially citing cost as a reason. When newsrooms offered to buy the scanners, Rutherford changed his story, arguing that reporters interfered with crime scenes. When that, too, failed the truth test, he dredged up an obscure legal opinion (bit. ly/qRcmuS), saying that reclaiming the scanners was required by law. That argument failed to convince the city’s news directors, who are now left waiting to receive whatever “newsworthy” tidbits this press-contrary sheriff deigns to share. — AS
Worst Thing to Happen to Northeast Florida in 2011 The election of Gov. Rick Scott
Best Power Play Peter Rummell & GOP’s support of Alvin Brown
Ushered into office in a most unlikely election (one in which his own party initially campaigned against him) and a most unusual political cycle (in which other Tea Party candidates of Scott’s ilk won by huge margins), the ousted former head of Columbia/HCA (the fraud-plagued health care company fined $1.7 billion for ripping off taxpayers) wasted no time unveiling his slash-and-burn approach to governing the state. Whether it’s destroying public records, privatizing state parks, defunding public schools, dismantling the state growth management agency, vilifying welfare recipients or inviting an unprecedented five lawsuits in his first year for unconstitutional mandates, Scott has managed to horrify even onetime supporters. Scott’s approval ratings hit a nadir of 29 percent before his team began what has laughingly been called a “charm offensive.” Offensive, according to Folio Weekly readers, doesn’t begin to describe it. — AS 14 | folio weekly | OCTOBER 11-17, 2011
A stunner. The front page news last April that GOP stalwart and political rainmaker Peter Rummell was backing Alvin Brown’s mayoral bid caused jaws to drop at breakfast tables all over Northeast Florida. Not only was it a Republican supporting a Democrat, and a white conservative backing a black progressive, it was a split from the status quo that proved a gamechanger. Rummell’s unimpeachable conservative bonafides — the former head of St. Joe Co., member of the exclusive “NonGroup” — convinced other conservative Republicans that it was acceptable to not support Mike Hogan, but instead choose a less stodgy, more visionary future. In so doing, Rummell shaped not just the outcome of one election, but possibly future political dialogue in the city. Brown’s tenure thus far (a no-taxes pledge, a conservative budget) hasn’t differed markedly from what one might expect of a moderate Republican (if such a creature still exists). Is a nonpartisan election format possible in Jacksonville? Maybe. — AS
Best-Looking Local Politico Alvin Brown Whether it’s the chocolate-drop eyes, the vaguely chipmunk-like cheeks, or just his skill at rockin’ a power tie, there’s no question that Mayor Alvin Brown has raised the aesthetic bar for Jacksonville elected officials. Of course, his attractiveness goes beyond just the physical, managing to appeal to those across the political spectrum (see “Best Power Play”). But with at least a couple of grim budget years ahead, an uncertain future for the Jags and likely a political fight to get funding for his stated priority of deepening the JaxPort channel, Brown is unlikely to emerge on the other side looking refreshed or rejuvenated. For the sake of the city in his care, one hopes he’s a lot more than just a pretty face. — AS
Best Thing to Happen to Northeast Florida in 2011: The Election of Mayor Alvin Brown
Local Zero Mike Hogan To the extent that not winning a major city election makes one, by definition, a “loser,” then Hogan fits the bill. But while this magazine joined others in Jacksonville’s progressive community in believing that a Hogan mayorship would’ve been a mistake, it’s hard to argue that, in defeat, he was anything but a gentleman. Hogan conceded the race with equanimity, and has since declined any opportunity to weigh in or tear down his former opponent. In truth, his ranking as Local Zero appears to stem more from his conduct during the race, both in his refusal to attend candidate forums and his serial gaffes, like cracking jokes about bombing abortion clinics. If there is one thing the Hogan race taught Northeast Florida, it’s that arrogance and inaccessibility don’t win votes — in elections or in Folio Weekly’s Best of Jax readers poll. — AS
Best Environmental Activist St. Johns Riverkeeper Neil Armingeon For eight years, the St. Johns River had Neil Armingeon. He lectured us. He fought. He kept himself sane by laughing at the absurdity around him, while still being fearless about calling out polluters. He memorably named one of JEA’s sewer pipe breaks “Condom Creek,” and he’s fought Georgia-Pacific at its own slick PR game, dubbing his anti-pipeline website “CleanerGP.com,” a dig at the company’s propipeline site “CleanerStJohns.com.” Armingeon rallied an army of hundreds to protest the downriver siphoning of water, sounded the alarm about annual algae blooms, and has made clear that the proposed JaxPort dredging could forever change the river’s salinity and health. It’s bittersweet to acknowledge Armingeon as the winner in this category, since he’s stepping down in 2012. He devoted eight years of his life to shaking us awake. “For the river,” we thank you, Neil. — AS
Best Local Volunteer Effort HabiJax
oq4fY8), but the new Duval County Courthouse is finally almost complete. The project that former Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton dubbed “snakebit” initially seemed like it would never get built, and costs rose from a promised $190 million to a cool $350 million. For all that money, the courthouse has forever tainted the otherwise popular Better Jacksonville Plan, delivering a big, squat, super-sized McMansion — 800,000 square feet with numerous columns and mostly faux architectural details. After 11 years of waiting, the new county courthouse fills taxpayers mostly with buyer’s remorse. — AS
Best Local Trend The Locavore Movement When Slow Food First Coast organized a tour of 24 local farms and community gardens this year, more than 8,000 people turned out. Although Folio Weekly readers voted the Locavore Movement the best trend, true believers hope it’s more than that — a giant turning away from the international agro-industrial manufacturing and delivery of our food. And, in fact, many local restaurants have made buying from local farms the centerpiece of their menus — whether it’s small-scale community establishments like ’town in Avondale and The Floridian in St. Augustine, or large-producing corporate kitchens like Chef David Scalise’s Augustine Grille at Sawgrass Marriott. For Northeast Florida consumers, the change is not just a question of taste, but priorities. And once you’ve tasted fresh blueberries picked in season or a locally grown tomato, there’s just no going back. — SE
Best Local Wacko The Tea Party We kind of got a clue about this when our
Since 1988, this local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity has built homes for 1,800 Northeast Florida families, working from a philosophy that potential homeowners who don’t have cash are often willing to invest energy, time and sweat equity into building their own home. Since the collapse of the housing market in 2008, and the subsequent housing glut, HabiJax has refocused its efforts on neighborhood stabilization instead of new home construction, buying and repairing vacant and abandoned homes, particularly in Jacksonville’s New Town neighborhood. But the goal is the same, helping families willing to help themselves put down roots and build a secure future. — SE
Best Money Pit The Duval County Courthouse This massive, eternally beige behemoth covers three city blocks and hasn’t won any fans in the local architectural community (see bit.ly/
Best Local Wacko: The Tea Party OCTOBER 11-17, 2011 | folio weekly | 15
Best Farmers Market: Riverside Arts Market
2010 Cover Story “Tea & Little Sympathy,” by Hal Crowther, generated scorching hate mail, boycott threats and phone calls that sent us running for the hand sanitizer. While the party has gone “mainstream” in the past year, pushing the successful candidacies of several dozen lawmakers and even our state’s own governor, it has also done as much to destabilize the federal government as the collapse of the mortgage industry and two costly wars. The policies of “no” advanced by Tea Party acolytes pushed the debt ceiling debate to near catastrophe, nearly forced three government shutdowns and thrust an already-partisan Congress into intractable paralysis. But the Tea Party continues to thrive, steeped in its own inimitable brew of fear and righteousness. — AS
Best Local College University of North Florida The University of North Florida receives all kinds of accolades. Princeton Review named it one of the best colleges in the Southeast. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching awarded the college its 2010 Community Engagement award. Just last month, the Sierra Club dubbed it one of the “100 coolest schools in America.” But for students, the best things about UNF these days are the many amenities, including a new LEED-certified student union, student housing that features a “lazy river,” and classrooms like those in the new $40-million Biological Sciences building, which features a rooftop greenhouse for plants, living corals and marine life. And since UNF is located on 500 acres of natural habitat, with 12 miles of nature trails and an 18-acre freshwater lake, students can check out tents, canoes, kayaks, sleeping bags, stoves, backpacks and coolers and go on camping trips. In the region’s battle for “best college” cred, UNF is the big man on campus. — SE
Best Local Environmental Abomination Georgia-Pacific Pipeline For 64 years, the Georgia-Pacific paper mill in Palatka dumped its wastewater into Rice Creek, polluting it with cancer-causing dioxins and spawning fish with sex deformities. When it became clear that G-P’s effluent simply could not be cleaned up enough to comply with federal Clean Water Act guidelines, the mill and 16 | FOLIO WEEKLY | OCTOBER 11-17, 2011
state regulators jointly came up with a “solution” — moving the outfall pipe from tiny Rice Creek to the much larger St. Johns River. Genius! Despite years of protest from river advocates, and the alarming results from a 2008 study that showed dioxin readings in the effluent far exceed any “safe” level, the paper mill and the state Department of Environmental Protection are moving ahead with plans for the 4-mile pipeline. To learn more, or sign the petition opposing it, go to cleanergp.com. — SE
Best Righteous Crusader Tracy Collins If you have nothing to do, Tracy Collins will say, “It’s your own [damn] fault.” She’s done her part by appearing all over television and up and down the radio dial, on a Times-Union blog and as her slightly akilter alter ego Tracy Dot Com, all to shout out her one big question, “Are you ready for the weekend?” She joined Action News in 2011, and she appears on Fox 30’s “Action News This Morning” on Fridays at 7:45 a.m., still committing her energy and creativity to compiling encyclopedic lists of great music, theater, dance, charity walks, sing-a-longs and dog-friendly goings-on — singularly devoted to “anything that will get your butt off the couch.” — SE
Best Tourist Trap St. Augustine If you live in or near St. Augustine, chances are you’ve probably run the gamut of touristy things to do. There are trolley tours, ghost tours and carriage tours. There are acres of mini-golf, alligator swamps and T-shirt shops. And there is some seriously “old school” entertainment — the Old Jail, the Oldest House, the Oldest Wood School House, the old (we’re talking 1672 old) fort. But “trap”? That depends on your point of view. But we’ll just point out that the No. 1 destination for people visiting Jacksonville is — wait for it — the Ancient City. Your tourist trap slurs don’t hurt the Aug Dog’s feelings, man. It’s got history on its side. — KP
Best Farmers Market Riverside Arts Market What once seemed like a pipe dream has become a weekly success story. Every Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., May to
the acres of tomes on the usedbook store’s shelves, Chamblin’s is unquestionably a great place to spend gobs of uninterrupted time on the World Wide Web, with plenty of refreshments and dietary reinforcements close by. — SE
Best Righteous Crusader: Tracy Collins
Best Reason to Love Northeast Florida The Beach
December, a crowd of some 5,000 hits the Riverside Arts Market under the Fuller Warren Bridge. Folks sample food from vendors (potato roll hot dog, anyone? vegan slaw dog?), say hello to neighbors, and buy artwork, clothing and a wealth of produce from area farmers. Now in its third year of operation, the market offers everything from fire jugglers and local music to chocolate croissants and cheddar bread. RAM does more than offer stuff for sale, though. As a community, it completes us. — SE
Best Wifi Spot Chamblin’s Uptown Starbucks may have the edge on coffee sales, but Chamblin’s has Ron Chamblin, a business owner and bibliophile who’s endlessly unpacking cartons of used books by day and whom one might spot after hours sitting in his bookstore/ coffee house reading Voltaire, Thomas Paine or Molière. Ron gives the place an unaffected air that welcomes all, whether it’s a group of advertising reps plotting strategy, a day-trader gaming the market or a Star Trek book collector poring over his most recent find. Aside from
Sun, sand, surf. Northeast Florida has some 71 miles of shoreline, from Fernandina Beach to just this side of Marineland. There are beaches with history, like the African-American-owned enclave of American Beach in Nassau County. There’s a beach with sculptural, sea-burnished skeletons, like the driftwood-dotted sand of Big Talbot Island. There are coquina outcroppings and towering oak trees. There are horse-friendly beaches, dog-friendly beaches and even (a few) car-friendly beaches. For surfers, there are the Poles at Mayport. For skimboarders, there’s the perfect shore break at Vilano Beach. And for anyone who just wants an ocean view and the roar of the waves, there’s one great, uninterrupted coastline. — SE
Best Reason to Hate Northeast Florida The Traffic Sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Atlantic or Beach or Normandy boulevards is so soulsucking, it probably ages motorists more than sun and cigarettes combined. Forget the fumes, the road ragers, the heat (on those days when it’s clear your compact car’s A/C was designed for a Minnesota summer) — the worst aspect of NE Florida traffic is the willy-nilly maze of pastel strip malls, car dealerships and abandoned big box stores. The result? A nightmare labyrinth designed by urban planners from hell, punctuated by DOT-approved stoplights and accessorized by earbud-wearing sign-wavers. — AS
Best Tourist Trap: St. Augustine
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Whether she’s chasing the scent of FCAT cheating scandals, misspent taxpayer dollars or phony pain clinics, Jackelyn Barnard is an unrelenting investigative reporter. And don’t think others haven’t noticed: Barnard won an Edward R. Murrow Award in 2005 for a series she did about a 14-year-old girl who ran away to be with a 57-year-old neighbor, and her 2008 series on corruption and abuse in Florida’s prisons played a major role in forcing overhauls of the compromised correctional system. But Barnard is at her best when she fearlessly stands her ground in tough interviews, as she did repeatedly last year when reporting on waste in the city’s Risk Management Office (bit.ly/o7mAql) and grilling then-Mayor Peyton about workman’s comp irregularities (bit.ly/rphHo1). In an evershrinking media landscape, Barnard continues to dominate — and lead her peers by example. — AS
Best Local TV Anchor Donna Deegan, First Coast News Best Local News Story of 2011 The Election of Mayor Brown It’s not often the city gets to rally around a piece of positive news, and still rarer that the news seems to speak to our best hopes for the future. But the election of Jacksonville’s first AfricanAmerican mayor was one such event, putting a smile on the faces of even his opponents, and tears in the eyes of many who doubted such a thing could happen in their lifetimes. Whether you attended Brown’s impromptu speech on the steps of City Hall the day after the election or watched his inaugural speech on TV, the coming together of Republican and Democrat, white and black, young and old was a feel-good moment for the ages, and a hopeful sign that the wounds of the past may yet heal. — AS
Best Folio Weekly Cover Story of 2011 Water Hogs Call it schadenfreüde. Call it voyeurism. Call it environmental backlash. Whatever the reason, Folio Weekly readers capital-L-o-v-e our annual Water Hogs issue. In addition to listing the Top 50 residential water users in JEA’s service area, the issue offers the year’s Hogs a chance to explain their overconsumption, provides updates on excessive water users from previous years, and gives tips to ordinary folk about how to limit their own aquatic footprint. But enjoy the issue while it lasts … the annual shame-o-rama is fueling pressure on state lawmakers to make data about this public resource private. Future Hogs may well wear a cloak of anonymity. — AS
Best Local Blog Flog (Folio Weekly’s Daily-ish Blog) Blushing! Founded by former Folio Weekly staffer Owen Holmes, Folio Weekly’s blog, www.flogfolioweekly.com, covers a range of news, from breaking updates on the state’s foreclosure mess and T-U cutbacks to lighter coverage by Folio Weekly TV columnist Steven Humphrey. Whether you’re interested in local weirdness or national perspectives on local weirdness, FLOG is your one-stop bookmark for Northeast Florida’s offbeat heartbeat. — AS
Best Local News Website Jacksonville.com While the newspaper side of The Florida 18 | FOLIO WEEKLY | OCTOBER 11-17, 2011
Times-Union has taken a savage beating this year in terms of staff, those hearty souls who remain continue to pump out timely accounts of the day’s news on the newspaper’s website. Whether it’s traffic updates, live blogging from School Board meetings or the latest info on restaurant inspections, jacksonville.com sets the standard for concise and reliable news in the greater Northeast Florida area. — AS
Steady, plain-talking and refreshingly free of phony TV mannerisms, Deegan has emerged as the community’s premier TV news anchor. Sharing the WTLV/WJXX desk at 5:30 and 11 p.m. with Phil Amato and Shannon Ogden, Deegan exudes concern without sacrificing her professional edge, and warmth without tipping into an Ann Curry-like gushfest. Though her work as an author, runner and breast cancer advocate have boosted her professional profile, Deegan maintains the heart of a journalist and a head that does way more than “talk.” — AS
Best Local Twitter Account @jaxdotcom
Best Local TV Newscast WJXT Channel 4
For those whose daily news diet would be incomplete without a steady stream of Tweets, @jaxdotcom offers a mediated feed of both straight news and observations (including a blow-by-blow of plays during Jag games). From the unexpected death of a prominent local official to news of a breakdown on the Buckman Bridge, the @jaxdotcom Twitter account does a fair job of living up to its tagline: “Like the Times-Union, but in 140 characters!” — AS
The team is as familiar as our family — Tom Wills, Rob Sweeting, Mary Baer, Sam Kouvaris, Bruce Hamilton — but if some of them show up at your door (here’s looking at you, Jim Piggott!), you know you’re in trouble. For the past 60 years, the station has been a community touchstone. And while its fortunes seemed uncertain when it lost its CBS affiliation, the station held on and managed to redefine itself in an increasingly busy news market. Today, in fact, with freelance media in ascendancy, and the station’s news footprint as visible as ever, its early road to independence seems less a liability than a kind of prescience. — AS
Best Local Investigative Reporter Jackelyn Barnard, First Coast News
Best Local TV Anchor: Donna Deegan, First Coast News
Best Local Radio Personality: Melissa Ross, WJCT 89.9 FM
Best-Looking Talking Head Nikki Preede Kimbleton, WJXT Channel 4 As anchor and consumer reporter for WJXT Channel 4’s The Morning Show, Nikki Preede Kimbleton is like your besty from high school, the sorority sister at college you most admired, the neighbor girl who could water ski, ride dressage and went by in a bright blonde blur. She doesn’t have the sculpted cheekbones or the pinched profile of some TV personalities positioning themselves in a business where most of them have a use-by date. Kimbleton takes her job seriously but still owns her girliness. She covered the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 — and then went shopping. The megawatt smile she turns on the world feels genuine: She looks good, but still has what your mom called “pretty from the inside out.” — SE
Best Local TV Weather Forecaster Richard Nunn, WJXT Channel 4 On his Facebook page, Richard Nunn describes himself as “an All-American nerd” and “a weather dork.” In reality, Nunn is a bit of a meteorological dreamboat, with mad knowledge about storms and such, and a deadpan humor that keeps the news from seeming too dire. A Hollywood, Fla., native with Gator roots, he’s now assigned to WJXT Channel 4’s early morning weather report, beginning at 4:30 a.m. Amazingly, he’s on his game at that ungodly hour. And props to him for not quizzing Miss Florida Teen USA and Miss Jacksonville USA about bad hair days. Instead, during a recent appearance, he invited them to be weatherpeople for a day, read his report and push the buttons to change the graphics. — SE
Best Local TV Sports Anchor Sam Kouvaris, WJXT Channel 4 Northeast Florida sports freaks have relied on the news prowess of Sam Kouvaris for two decades. How old school is this father of three? In 1983, Kouvaris was the voice of the Jacksonville Tea Men, the now-defunct soccer team that was part of the North American Soccer League (also now defunct)! And Kouvaris’ pigskin peers think highly of the longtime WJXT sports director/managing editor: He’s a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a voter for both the Heisman Trophy and College Football Hall of Fame. His regular segment, “Stump Sam,” shows that this onetime three-sport varsity athlete can walk the walk,
not just talk the talk. Since the segment began, Sam’s been right on the money 80 percent of the time. Dude is a bonafide sports guru, and Folio Weekly readers offer a dutiful salute. — DB
Best Local TV Morning Show The Morning Show, WJXT Channel 4 Once again, the unstoppable combination of Bruce Hamilton, Staci Spanos, Ayesha Faines, Melanie Lawson, Jason Law, Nikki Preede Kimbleton and meteorologist Richard Nunn have squashed the competition in the 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. local morning news slot. Is it their topnotch, up-to-the-minute reporting? Witty repartee? Bruce’s hypnotic smile? Staci’s love of Bob Marley? Richard’s salacious wit? Regardless, Folio Weekly readers turn to WJXT Channel 4 when they want to knock back a few dozen energy coffee drinks and get their wakeme-up news fix. — DB
Best Local Radio Personality Melissa Ross, WJCT 89.9 FM With a background in PR and TV news, Ross came to the public radio world as an unknown quantity. In the two years since taking the helm of her weekday radio call-in show (9-10 a.m.) “First Coast Connect,” however, Ross has proved a formidable presence, squaring against elected officials, tracking daily political developments and “opening the phones” to a diverse range of callers. The result is a community dialogue that’s more penetrating and more unpredictable than any in city history. And while her sonorous delivery is an occasional soporific, her guests have learned never to get caught napping. A bolt-from-theblue question or a surprise audience Tweet ensures that both interviewer and audience are in for a thoroughly caffeinated morning. — DB
Best Local Sports Radio Personality Dan Hicken, 1010XL Does Dan Hicken ever sleep? Local sportsfans can catch this UF grad every weeknight on WTLV at 6, 7 and 11 p.m., along with his Sunday night sports final at 11:35 p.m. and listen to his sports updates on his Sports Final Radio show between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on OCTOBER 11-17, 2011 | FOLIO WEEKLY | 19
Best Local Sports Radio Personality: Dan Hicken, 1010XL
WJXL. Yet this married (sorry, ladies!) father of three makes time for his charitable side as well. When Hicken’s not covering big-shot events like The Players Championship, the Daytona 500 or Jags games, he somehow finds the time to help out with the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, which helps families of children with leukemia, and lends a hand with the MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation, which promotes positive mentoring through tennis. But look, Dan, if you ever feel like crashing out, Folio Weekly always has a table in the breakroom with your name on it, brah. — DB
Best Local Radio Station 1010XL Former Pres. Richard “Tricky Dick” Nixon once said, “I don’t know anything that builds the will to win better than competitive sports.” With the Jags, the Suns, the World Golf Hall of Fame, roller derby and now a professional lacrosse team, there’s plenty to talk about when it comes to Northeast Florida sports. So it’s no surprise that 1010XL Jax Sports Radio has been voted Folio Weekly’s Best Local Radio Station. They’ve got all of the kooky, sportsoriented personalities like Lex & Terry, Mike Dempsey, Frank Frangie and Rick Ballou mixed in with hours of ESPN Radio for good measure. Need your sportsfix? Nothing fits like XL. — DB
Best Local Radio Show “First Coast Connect,” WJCT 89.9 FM No surprise here. When it comes to local radio, WJCT has devoted itself to capturing the
essence of Northeast Florida. And “First Coast Connect” manages to be all things to all people — a place to monitor city issues, hear live performances by emerging musicians, call in to question elected officials about everything from tax hikes to sex ed, and learn how national issues play out on the local turf. Helmed by Melissa Ross (see Best Radio Personality), the show is nonetheless a collaborative effort, showcasing the best of the station’s talent and intent. At a time when public radio is increasingly imperiled, “First Coast Connect” is a reminder of how powerful — and indispensable — local radio can be. — AS
Best Lawyer The Law Office of John M. Phillips When Casey Anthony was found not guilty in the death of her daughter Caylee, WJXT Channel 4 asked Jacksonville attorney John M. Phillips if he was surprised. (He was, and he wasn’t.) On his website, knowthelawyer. com, Phillips lists his Anthony commentary among his more than 100 media appearances, including on “The Today Show” and 1010XL. A skilled self-promoter, with a dizzying array of areas of expertise — including canine law, forgery, mail fraud, shoplifting, breast implant litigation, food-borne diseases, bicycle product liability, manslaughter, murder and sports injuries — Phillips says he won a $939,276.78 verdict from a Jacksonville jury for a woman rear-ended at a stoplight on Atlantic Boulevard in 2008. Best of all, when he secures settlements, he delivers the checks himself. — SE
Best Local TV Morning Show: The Morning Show WJXT Channel 4
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of the area’s musical pride and joys. Inspired by Lynyrd Skynyrd and soul greats Otis Redding and Toots Hibbert, Grey has helped mediate the rift between the traditional Southern rock heritage and its more progressive quarters, fusing environmentalism and hometown pride in equal measure. More than that, he’s parlayed his talents onto a national stage, playing local gigs from The Florida Theatre to St. Augustine’s Café Eleven well as countless national festivals like Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Hangout Festival and Fuji Rock in Japan. Could it be that world domination is just a stone’s throw from Maxville? — KP
Best Place to Attend a Concert St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Best Local Artist Jim Draper Artist and educator Jim Draper has been a longtime presence on the local and statewide arts scenes. Much of his work deals with the natural beauty of Northeast Florida and the Southeast, rendered in immersive colors and compositions as epic as they are contemplative. This Riverside resident’s latest work, “Pascua Florida: Feast of Flowers,” is a grand project celebrating the 500 years since Ponce de Leon first landed on Northeast Florida shores. “It’s a natural history of what the land was like before Ponce de Leon’s arrival,” Draper says of the 20 6-by-9-foot canvases that will also be published as a book. Draper (jimdraperart.com) is equally excited about his new studio space at the CoRk Arts District warehouse. “There are some good things happening right now,” says Draper. Folio Weekly art lovers agree, making this local creator the readers’ Best Local Artist. — DB
Best Art Exhibit of 2011 Howard Finster at MOCA Jax Outsider Art received an overdue local celebration when the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville hosted the 150-piece exhibit “Stranger in Paradise: The Works of Reverend Howard Finster,” considered by many to be the definitive collection of this visionary artist’s work. In his lifetime, the self-taught Finster (1916-2001) created some 46,000 paintings, ranging from the playful to apocalyptic, made after the Summerville, Ga. resident heard what he believed was the voice of God commanding him to paint. Finster also created a veritable Garden of Eden by turning his home into a junkyard Shangri-la he called Paradise Gardens. Folio Weekly joined forces with MOCA for a series of lectures to accompany the show, including an intimate evening with his daughter Beverly Finster-Guinn, who told stories of her father’s life and capped off the night with a touching gospel music performance. — DB
Best Museum Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens opening its doors, and it’s hard to imagine the Northeast Florida arts scene without the beloved landmark on the St. Johns River. What began with Ninah Cummer’s collection of 60 pieces has been
Whether it’s the magic of twilight, or the sensation of watching great music in the great outdoors, the St. Augustine Amphitheatre has become Northeast Florida’s favorite place to catch a show. In 2011, the venue (built in 1965, augmented with donations from various patrons completely refurbished in 2002) saw huge acts over the years, with the current permanent come to town, including Toby Keith, Alison collection featuring more than 6,000 works of Krauss, Selena Gomez, Further and Miranda art spanning 8,000 years. This past year, the Lambert. The Amphitheatre seats nearly 4,100 Riverside museum was honored by the National and is located on 16 acres of maritime coastal Register of Historic Places, as it reopened the hammock land between A1A and Anastasia restored Tudor Room and featured impressive State Park. Is there anything better than a midexhibits like “The Wark Collection of Early questions, please call your advertising representative at Duran Duran show with a cold beer, cool Meissen Porcelain,” “On the Silk Road and High ForOctober breeze and PROOF your dancing We think not. Seas” — a noted collection of Chinese ceramics,FAX YOUR IFshoes? POSSIBLE AT 268-3655 — KP along with the current education-themed display, promise of benefit sUpport Ask for Action “One in Three: Solve our Dropout Crisis.” Best Concert of 2011 — DB
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Best Gallery Vault Gallery + Artspace While this new gallery is almost hidden in its curious location in the former underground bank vaults of historic Atlantic National Bank building, Vault Gallery + Artspace has made no secret in hosting some of unique shows and singular creative events in Northeast Florida. This year alone, the space on downtown Jacksonville’s West Forsyth Street featured painters like Jeff Whipple, Morrison Pierce, “Deformance artist” Liz Gibson, a show dedicated to Mayor Alvin Brown and, most recently, a collection of photographs by Folio Weekly’s award-winning photo editor, Walter Coker. Our only gripe? The lack of A/C in this basement salon can give art lovers an unwanted sauna-like experience! — DB
Best Art Walk First Wednesday Art Walk Any locals who like to bellyache how there’s “nothing to do” in Northeast Florida — on a weeknight, no less! — apparently haven’t checked out First Wednesday Art Walk. The first Hump Day each month, downtown Jax becomes a veritable bazaar of creative denizens as bars, galleries, museums and eateries host events ranging from metal at Burro Bar to a show highlighting one of Southlight Gallery’s featured artists, and even some spontaneous fire dancing. While each month’s self-guided tour features a different theme, local artists and art lovers are encouraged to freak freely! — DB
Best Local Musician JJ Grey & Mofro When JJ Grey sings about “Orange Blossoms,” “Lochloosa” or living in a “Country Ghetto,” he’s talking about home — Florida, but mostly Northeast Florida. The Jacksonville native is one
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Old Crow Medicine Show
An old-timey string band out of Nashville, Old Crow Medicine Show is a satisfying concoction of bluegrass, Americana and alt-country — just one of the reasons their May 23 gig at Mavericks at The Landing was our readers’ favorite show of 2011. Fronted by the loveable Ketch Secor, OCMS is best known for their tunes “Wagon Wheel,” “We’re All in This Together,” “Caroline” and a rendition of a song made famous by the Rolling Stones — “Down Home Girl.” With their last album, “Tennessee Pusher,” released in 2008, OCMS gives fans a reason to hope for a lot more material and Northeast Florida visits. — KP
Best Live Music Club Freebird Live By far the most eclectic live music club in the area, Freebird Live’s 2011 roster has seen tour stops from the likes of indie rappers Atmosphere to blues guitar legend Johnny Winter to California reggae outfit Rebelution. Located in Jacksonville Beach, the two-story venue is just a block from the Atlantic Ocean, can hold around 700 and is owned and operated by the family of Lynyrd Skynyrd founding member Ronnie Van Zant. Go, enjoy a show and a nice mixed cocktail, but just remember: It’s still not appropriate to shout out “Freebird” to every band that graces the stage — even if that’s the name of the place. — KP
Best Dance Club Mavericks Whether they’re laying down B-boy moves, line dance grooves or moshpit action, Folio Weekly readers choose Mavericks as the top place to shake a tailfeather. Located at The Jacksonville Landing, Mavericks offers 21,000 square feet of floor space that allows plenty of room for both the foot-tappin’ wallflower and the full-blown Kevin-Bacon-in-”Footloose” tribute dancer. OCTOBER 11-17, 2011 | folio weekly | 21
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This honky tonk-themed hall also hosts some killer concerts, with bands like Yellowcard and Cage the Elephant featured last year and upcoming shows scheduled for country artist Easton Corbin and local faves JJ Grey & Mofro. — DB
Best Gay/Lesbian Club The Metro When gays and lesbians are accepted outside the military like they’re now officially accepted inside it, The Metro bar may represent a nostalgic time when lesbians and gays created a parallel world — out of the closet but still out of sight. Meantime, The Metro is a monument to every bar trend to come down the pike, from Mad Men piano bar cool to the crack of the pool hall to disco ball dancetorium. There’s also a Sappho lounge, a Boiler Room for the “man’s man,” female impersonators and lesbian indiegirl burlesque. Along with making Jacksonville nightlife gay and lesbian welcoming, and doing it for the past 18 years, The Metro has also supported the broader community through helping the River City Pride Parade, PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and JASMYN, the organization for Northeast Floridaarea gay, lesbian, bi and questioning youth. — SE
Best Gentleman’s Club Gold Club Once again, Jacksonville’s Gold Club, located on Gen. Doolittle Drive, gets Folio Weekly readers’ gold star for the best place to, uh, admire the female anatomy. While the blacklight-covered stage surely draws the most attention, the Gold Club also features manly amenities like VIP booths, happy hour, food specials from The Steakhouse, and even Foxy Boxing for you sporty types. But wait a minute … Hey, Gold Club? What about free Wi-Fi?! — DB
Best DJ DJ Bobby Laredo DJ Bobby Laredo is the exclusive deejay at Mavericks Dance Club and Concert Hall at The Jacksonville Landing. With 14 years in the club business and a thousand private parties and weddings deejayed, Laredo explains, “I continue to tour the state of Florida, covering for club owners who want to add ‘a punch and a kick’ to their already hot lineup of live country bands.” Laredo is also known at Mavericks for his steady stream of giveaways like concert tickets, T-shirts
and CDs. “Until you understand the energy,” he says, “you’re just the guy running the music.” — KP
Best New Club Suite When it comes to a premium lounge and dining experience that combines service, hospitality and some sophisticated, high-falutin’ ambience, Folio Weekly readers have named Suite the sweetest place in Northeast Florida to chillax. Club-hoppers and jetsetters alike can belly-up for an impressive array of premium libations, while high-toned foodies can sample a variety of menu offerings like lobster tacos, a lamb burger or savory black cod miso. Suite also features live bands and DJs during the ever-popular themed nights, like Tapas Tuesdays and Working Women’s Wednesdays. — DB
Best Comedy Club The Comedy Zone Who doesn’t love a good laugh? (Besides Gov. Rick Scott when he hasn’t had his breakfast bowl of puppy blood and tears of the innocent?) While the past few years have seen local comedy offerings growing at a fast clip, Northeast Florida humor lovers and mirth-chasers still know The Comedy Zone as the place to go to experience gut-busting, side-splitting humor. Located in Mandarin’s Ramada Inn, the club hosted such har-har heavy-hitters as “420”-friendly comedian Doug Benson, Shawn and Marlon Wayans, Don “DC” Cheadle and adult-themed hypnotist Rich Guzzi, just this past year alone. — DB
Best Local Actor/Actress Ashley Greene When it comes to knocking out local thespian competition, Jax native Ashley Greene is Folio Weekly film fans’ returning champion. Last year, this 24-year-old starlet reprised her role as Alice Cullen in “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” — and fear not, fang fans, she also stars in the upcoming hyped-to-the-max “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn,” the final (finally!) installment in this bloody, beloved series. The onetime Wolfson High School student was also named one of People Magazine’s “World’s Most Beautiful Women of 2010,” while starring along with Alanis Morrisette in the indie film adaptation of sci-fi guru Philip K. Dick’s “Radio Free Albemuth.” Tight work! — DB
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Best Athlete in Northeast Florida Maurice Jones-Drew It’s not surprising that MoJo has won the hearts of Jacksonville football fans. The 5-foot-7-inch running back is somewhat undersized for the market, but plays with more spirit than ballers twice his size — a sort of metaphorical appeal for the small-market Jags. MoJo’s also got a soft spot for his hometown team, which picked him after all 32 teams passed him over in the first round of the 2006 draft, mostly because of his stature. (He picked his jersey number — 32 — to remind himself of the slight.) But MoJo has risen to the top of local squad, and is even more indispensable this year, as rookie QB Blaine Gabbert struggles to find his footing. — AS
Best Place to See Live Sports EverBank Field Just in case you forgot the name, EverBank went out of its way to plaster a few hundred extra reminders around the interior and exterior of the stadium. Seriously. It’s even pulled down a Jaguars sign to put up one of those irresistible, colorful “EverBank” signs. Apparently it’s working. The stadium is the most popular place to see live sports, even though it hasn’t had much promotional help from its signature NFL team. In fact, the folks at EverBank would doubtless like Folio Weekly readers to parlay this award into actual ticket purchases, so that they could for once sell out the blanking stadium everyone claims to love. But seriously. No pressure. Just buy a freaking ticket. — AS
Best Place to Canoe or Kayak Amelia Island The drive north on A1A — over the Ft. George River, through the state parks of Little Talbot
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and Big Talbot islands, and finally into the 200-acre Amelia Island State Park — is a breathtaking testament to the collective efforts of former U.S. senators, Florida governors, local public officials and private land owners. Great swaths of Atlantic Ocean beach, hundreds of acres of maritime forest and winding tidal saltmarshes have been dedicated as public park and lands. Kayak Amelia is the official canoe and kayak rental and guide service for the seven parks in the Talbot Islands State Park, and there is simply nothing quite like it on the East Coast. — SE
Best Camping Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park This city of Jacksonville park on the Atlantic Ocean stretches over 450 acres in Northeast Florida, just south of Mayport Naval Station. It includes 1.5 miles of oceanfront, a 60-acre freshwater lake with a children’s splash park, 344 grills and 20 miles of unpaved bike trails in a dense maritime forest. The park’s 300 campsites are laid out to take advantage of Hanna’s natural contours, along the ocean, beside the lake and nestled down short paths inside a buffer of trees. In addition to accommodating RVs and tents, there’s a handful of primitive but air-conditioned cabins (cots and toilet not included), a camp store, airconditioned bathrooms and 24-hour security. — SE
Best Bowling Alley Latitude 30
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Wouldn’t it be great if somebody built a brandnew bowling alley, with neon-lit lanes and comfy couches for chillin’? And a room filled with video games and prizes? And a room for watching sports on plasma screens. Oh, wait — and martinis! Fortunately, somebody did. The latest addition to Northeast Florida’s funlovin’ landscape, Latitude 30, offers all this plus a full menu, party hosting and a range of other perks. No surprise that this new adult-and-kidOCTOBER 11-17, 2011 | FOLIO WEEKLY | 23
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friendly funzone has won this year’s Best of Jax props from Folio Weekly readers. — AS
Best Surf Spot Jacksonville Beach Pier The fact that the pier continues to be a top contender in this category only hints at a longstanding Beaches area controversy. See, surfing is prohibited at the Jax Beach pier, within 400 feet either side. The goal is to keep surfers and fisherfolk apart, in observance of their often-bitter turf war. But the surf break caused by the pier is just too good for most surfers to give up. The pier’s structure does magic to a wave, changing the speed at which it moves along the ocean bottom, and the surfer who catches a wave as it begins to peel from the collision with the pier can ride the breaking crest like a pull on a zipper. Now at 1,320 feet long, the Jax Beach Pier is a whole 303 feet longer than it used to be (and 303 feet sweeter for Northeast Florida surfers). — SE
Best Skate Spot Kona Skatepark In 2007, Kona celebrated its 30th anniversary — remarkable in itself, given the rise and fall and rise of skating. Kona is now the only remaining skatepark in the U.S. built during the skateboarding craze of the 1970s. Skate legend Tony Hawk competed here and included the park in the fourth iteration of his Pro Skater video game in 2002. This summer, Kona left Hawk with snaggly shredding when he crashed during a demonstration on Aug. 23 by his Birdhouse Skate Team, knocking out one of his incisors. Street cred? Kona’s got it in spades. — SE
Best Place to Bike Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park
wrong — whether it’s riding an economic boom into insolvency or ordering residents to weed the city’s medians if they want them pretty. But give the city fathers a nod for being damn accommodating when it came to Hanna Park. It occupies a huge tract of land, at the intersection of a densely populated part of Jacksonville and Atlantic Beach. Despite real estate pressures from the recent boom, Hanna Park has remained a public park par excellence — with a Frisbee golf course, miles of bike trails, a 60-acre freshwater lake. Surfing at the Poles. Oh, and there’s that little amenity called the Atlantic Ocean. Most other places in Florida, 1.5 miles of sandy shoreline is the basis for full-color allure with tropical poetics spritzed all over it. In Northeast Florida, it’s just an ol’ 447-acre city park that the locals love. — SE
Best Outdoor Festival Jacksonville Jazz Festival For the past 30 years, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival has gone from a crazy dream (“Jazz?! Right here in River City?!”) to a successful reality that’s made it the second-largest jazz festival and one of the best in the nation. This year’s festival was no exception, with stages around the greater downtown Jacksonville area offering legendary performers Herbie Hancock, George Duke, McCoy Tyner and Natalie Cole along with local faves Gary Starling, JB Scott’s Swingin’ Allstars, Ray Callender and Tropic of Cancer. — DB
Best Community Theater Players By The Sea Tucked away on an innocuous side street in a building that was once a Laundromat in Jacksonville Beach, this community theater has set the standard for local dramatic productions for nearly five decades. This past season was no exception, with productions such as Horton Foote’s “Dividing the Estate,” and a high-energy staging of The Who’s rock musical “Tommy” vying for top billing alongside a tribute to Fats Waller and the indie theater of The Fringe Festival. The upcoming season offers dramatic delights such as “Chicago,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and even the pot-fueled satire “Reefer Madness.” — DB
Trails.com gave Hanna Park an award for best bike trails in the category of “Most Difficult Close to the Sea.” Granted, there probably weren’t a whole lot of competitors. But in addition to the mile of trail that tracks along the Atlantic, the park offers about 10 miles of off-road, unpaved trails that run straight through its maritime forest. There are courses with easy slopes for the beginner and more difficult trails marked for intermediate riders, with promises of gut-wrenching drops and hairpin turns on routes with names like “Switchback” and “Devil Stick.” But, hey, it’s mountain biking in Florida, and there Best Athlete in just aren’t that many spots you can claim Northeast Florida: to have done that. Maurice — SE Jones-Drew
Best Fishing Spot The Atlantic Ocean Folio Weekly fisherfolk vote the ocean the best fishing spot, and who can argue with them, given the hours that most anglers spend ruminating about fish? Of course, the proof is in the catch, and Northeast Florida ocean waters remain bountiful with red snapper, grouper, cobia, pompano and mahi mahi. Throw that action on the grill, crack a cold beer and suddenly, whatever questions you might have had about fishing seem … well, unimportant. — SE
Best Park Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park The city of Jacksonville gets so much 24 | folio weekly | OCTOBER 11-17, 2011
Dive offers a retail scuba shop, lessons, training and boat charter service to local dive spots like Clayton’s Holler, Floyd’s Folly and Montgomery’s Reef. — KP
Best Wine Store The Grotto Wine Bar & Shoppe Famed Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Wine is bottled poetry.” We couldn’t agree more. Whether it’s a crisp Toad Hollow Unoaked Chardonnay from California or an inky Domaine du Garinet Malbec from Southwest France, the folks at The Grotto Wine Bar & Shoppe on San Marco Boulevard know what’s up. Open six days a week, The Grotto serves tapas, and beer and wine by the glass or bottle. There’s also a retail store, so if you fall in love with a Chateau Ampelia Bordeaux while noshing on wild mushroom crostini, grab a bottle to take home. — KP
Best Liquor Store ABC Fine Wine & Spirits From St. Augustine to Jax Beach to Fleming Island, Northeast Floridians turn to ABC Fine Wine & Spirits when it’s time to stock up on grog and other libations. Looking for a nice bottle of cabernet sauvignon for that dinner party? Need to get your boss a holiday bottle of Johnny Walker Green Label? Just picking up a refreshing six-pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade? ABC is where it’s at. — KP
Best Bike Shop City Cycle “The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man,” wrote philosopher Iris Murdoch. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.” For all you greenies, hipsters and Lance Armstrong-lovers, the votes are in. City Cycle on Park Street in Riverside is the place to go for frames, tires, tubes, wheels, pedals and garb. It’s open six days a week, too. Check out the shop’s site (worldfamouscitycycle.com) for info on group rides and philanthropic causes. — KP
Best Surf Shop Sunrise Surf Shop Actress, model and California girl Jolene Blalock once said: “Surfing is such an amazing concept. You’re taking on nature with a little stick and saying, ‘I’m gonna ride you!’ And a lot of times nature says, ‘No, you’re not!’ and crashes you to the bottom.” The “little stick” is a staple for many Northeast Floridians, and when they’re ready for a new board, they turn to Sunrise Surf Shop’s “Blue Room” in Jax Beach to get one. For more than 35 years, Sunrise has sponsored some of the area’s best surfers like Cody Thompson, Asher Nolan and Justin Quintal. — KP
Best Skate Shop Skate Bomb Historically, the word “bomb” has had negative connotations. But the folks at Skate Bomb on Third Street South in Jax Beach are working to kick-flip the script. Established in 1997, Skate Bomb outfits grommets and
Best Local Florist Kuhn Flowers grownups alike, who know they can get all their skating and alt-recreational needs met. Which is why Folio Weekly readers chose Skate Bomb as 2011’s Best Skate Shop. Quite simply, they are da bomb. — KP
Best Record Store Music Matters
the masses when he starred on the TV series “Sea Hunt.” Bridges played a Navy-frogmanturned-undersea-investigator and inspired thousands of viewers to take up recreational diving. In Northeast Florida, aspiring Jacques Cousteaus have spoken: The place to stock up on gear is Atlantic Pro Dive in Jacksonville Beach. Established in 1974, Atlantic Pro
When a man buys a woman flowers, he’s giving a glimpse into his soul. Is he a redroses-and-babies-breath kind of guy, or does he create a hand-selected bouquet brimming with hydrangeas, orchids and tulips? Whatever the case, Kuhn Flowers proves to be a favorite way to say “I love you,” “I’m sorry” or “Way to go!” for Northeast Floridians. Since 1947,
Everyone keeps talking about the demise of independently owned record stores, but music fans still love the idea of buying a compact disc, ripping into the outer shrink wrap, eyeing the cover art and having a tangible object that plays music when inserted into your dashboard. The folks at Music Matters in St. Augustine get it. Established in 1989, Music Matters has been hawking new and used CDs, vinyl, DVDs and more for more than two decades. Looking for the latest Björk import, Lil Wayne’s sophomore attempt or some obscure Phish live album? The dudes at Music Matters love nothing more than making your musical dreams come true. — KP
Best Dive Shop Atlantic Pro Dive Fun fact: Between 1957 and 1961, actor Lloyd Bridges introduced scuba diving to
Best Surf Shop: Sunrise Surf Shop OCTOBER 11-17, 2011 | folio weekly | 25
Health of Northeast Florida continues to rise to the top of Folio Weekly’s readers poll, recognition of the hospital’s health-focused mission and continual strivingfor excellence. — SE
Best Nurse Heather Pinter, Wolfson Children’s Hospital Being in the hospital can be scary. Being in the hospital and being a kid is doubly scary. That’s why patients, their parents and, well, just about everyone around her appreciates the hard work of Registered Nurse Heather Pinter at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. With Wolfson since March 2004, Pinter works on the fourth floor and is a mentor and leader in a Pediatric Medical Unit. “Her communication with patients, families and other team members is top-notch,” says Nurse Manager Sharon Simmons of Pinter. “Heather has a true heart for children. She is devoted to caring for patients and families. She is a true example of professional nurse and I am proud she is a nurse on a unit which I manage.” — KP
Best Local Bookstore Chamblin Bookmine Best Record Store: Music Matters this family-owned-and-operated florist, now with three locations in Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine, has been a fixture for flower-loving locals. — KP
Best Vintage/ Consignment Store Vintage Recalled
Located in the St. Johns Town Center, Karl’s offers high-end brands like Ravazzolo, Canali and Baroni, along with onsite custom-tailored suits that can make any slob have the threads to hobnob. — DB
Best Hospital Baptist Health of Northeast Florida
Whether you’re looking for rainbow-striped platforms, an old Girl Scout uniform or vintage concert Ts, Vintage Recalled is the place to go for “vintage and retro clothing of yesterday, today and tomorrow!” Situated in 5 Points on Lomax Street, Vintage Recalled has been open for a little over a year and is already a favorite among locals. Though it buys some items (by appointment only), Vintage Recalled prides itself on being much more than a thrift store, picking through the chaff to find the treasures. So if you’re in the market for dreamcatcher feather earrings or Members Only jackets, Vintage Recalled is a fashion lover’s one-stop shop. — KP
Winning top honors in this category means overcoming some stiff competition. Northeast Florida is home to a Mayo Clinic, a trauma center and the new University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute for cancer treatment. Baptist
Best Clothing Store Karl’s Clothiers If the ZZ Top Fashion Dictum that “every girl’s crazy about a sharp-dressed man” holds true, then the ladies will lose their dadgum minds when they bear witness to a dude outfitted in the finest of fashion from Karl’s Clothiers! 26 | FOLIO WEEKLY | OCTOBER 11-17, 2011
Best Health Food Store: Native Sun Natural Foods Market
Ron Chamblin opened his first used-book store in Jacksonville in 1976, offering customers credit in trade. In the intervening 35 years, Chamblin has pieced together a series of spaces on Roosevelt Avenue into a store so big and rambling, there are floorplan maps at the front register. And they’re not some cutesy gimmick. The first few times one enters that warren of bookshelf-lined rooms, it’s both dizzying and disorienting. The family’s new store, Chamblin’s Uptown in downtown Jacksonville, does just as well with a coffee bar, wraps and salads, free Wifi and two stories of mostly used books. When Borders declared bankruptcy this year, pundits said it might signal the end of the bookstore as we know it. But the new Chamblin’s and the mothership on Roosevelt remain vital examples of real world destination retail. — SE
Best B&B in Jacksonville: The Riverdale Inn
Best Jewelry Store Underwood Jewelers In 1949, Carol Channing sang the tune “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in the original Broadway production of ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” In 1953, Marilyn Monroe gave the song legendary status when she sang it in a film adaptation of the play. For more than eight decades, ladies and gents in Northeast Florida have turned to Underwood’s for their bling and specialty gift shopping. With locations in San Marco, Ponte Vedra Beach, Avondale and at The Avenues Mall, the shop’s selection of one-of-a-kind diamonds, pearls, sapphires, blue topaz and other gems continues to dazzle. Looking for a bit more ice? Ask to see a 5.35-carat oval diamond ring with micro-pavé diamond bezel and shank. Now that’s what we call a girl’s best friend. — KP
Best Smoke Shop Island Girl Cigar Bar With two locations — Gate Parkway in Jacksonville and First Street in Neptune Beach — Island Girl Cigar Bar is the place to light up. The upscale smoke lounges feature a walk-in humidor with some 600 different cigar facings, including Don Diego, Cubao, Fonseca, Tatuaje and Rocky Patel. Are you sick of all of those dirty looks when you’re puffing away in a public space? Then head to Island Girl where your vice is celebrated, congratulated and much appreciated. — KP
Best B&B in Jacksonville The Riverdale Inn With room names like Margaret’s Window, Roosevelt, Bishopgate and Lancaster, you know you’re stepping back in time the moment you enter The Riverdale Inn. During its heyday, the inn was one of 50 mansions that lined Riverside Avenue, known then as
“The Row.” Today, only two of these historical homes remain. Built in 1901 by William Kelly, a wealthy turpentine baron, The Riverdale Inn is refurbished, featuring 10 historic guest rooms with modern amenities. Many characteristics of the mansion remain, including original beveled glass, heart-of-pine floors and fireplace tile. There’s also plenty of places to hit in a five-blocks-or-less radius: The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Memorial Park, the St. Johns River, Five Points and a slew of boutiques and restaurants. — KP
Best B&B in St. Augustine Casa de Suenos Nestled on Cordova Street in historic downtown St. Augustine, Casa de Suenos is a two-story Mediterranean inn built in 1904. Literally translated as “House of Dreams,” Casa de Suenos boasts a red tile roof, arched doorways and multiple palladium windows. With just five guest rooms, the B&B is all about personal service. On weekend evenings, innkeeper Kathleen Hurley hosts a social hour with nibbles. Each morning, she offers a full breakfast in the sunlit dining room. Hurley also prides herself on everyday luxuries like an extensive video library, cable TV and free WiFi access. — KP
Best B&B on Amelia Island Elizabeth Pointe Lodge When Travel and Leisure Magazine deems your Bed and Breakfast one of “the 50 great beach resorts” in America, you’ve got to be doing something right. Such is the case for Elizabeth Pointe Lodge, an oceanfront boutique hotel on Amelia Island. The inn features 20 guestrooms in the main house, four suites in the Ocean House and the Miller Cottage, a private two-bedroom, two-bath house. Innkeepers David and Susan Caples pride themselves on pampering guests, with treats such as a full breakfast served oceanfront, evening wine and hors d’oeuvres OCTOBER 11-17, 2011 | FOLIO WEEKLY | 27
receptions and 24-hour room service, in addition to a variety of special celebratory package deals. Where do we sign up? — KP
Best Hairstylist Jon-Michael Hall, Aura Salon Spa Finding a hairstylist is a lot like finding a therapist. You need to build trust, establish an open line of communication and pay someone to listen to your problems. Jon-Michael Hall, a stylist at Aura Salon Spa on Southside Boulevard, is a master of all three. Oh, he’s good at hair, too. Hall graduated from the Aveda Institute in Charlotte, N.C. and has been at Aura for nearly two years. Owner Chad Pereira says, “He’s a fantastic hairstylist with a personality that’s just bigger than life. He’s a really special person and people are drawn to him.” At just 25, Hall’s already proven a young talent in coloring, styling and cutting. — KP
Best Tattoo Studio Iron-Clad Tattoo American writer Jack London, who authored greats like “Call of the Wild” and “White Fang,” said, “Show me a man with a tattoo and I’ll show you a man with an interesting past.” To be sure, Iron-Clad Tattoo in Jax Beach can offer a friggin’ schooling in interesting. Artists here aim to deliver more than visual clichés, and according to Folio Weekly readers, they do so with aplomb. Open every day, this Third Street North establishment’s Facebook reviews include a photo gallery featuring a bearded lady, redand-white-striped lighthouse, lipstick lip mark and even a leopard-tatted lady’s head. Ouch! — KP
Best Yoga Studio Yoga-Den Studio According to those who track such things, 2011 has lured a gaggle of celebrity converts
Best Jewelry Store: Underwood Jewelers
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to the yoga mat — including, but not limited to, Lady Gaga, Russell Simmons, Jennifer Aniston, Sting, Bon Jovi, Adam Levine and Michelle Williams. In Northeast Florida, yogis have spoken and their favorite joint is Yoga-Den Studio on Plummer Cove Road in Jacksonville. There, students choose from a variety of classes like Mind~Body, SUN Power Yogalates, Power Hour and Yoga Basics. Whether you’re an amateur practitioner or trying to perfect your half-moon pose or a downward dog position, it’s decided: Yoga-Den Studio is the place to be. Namaste. — KP
Best Health Food Store Native Sun Natural Foods Market A frequent Best of Jax winner, Native Sun Natural Foods Market is the go-to spot for organic produce, hormone-free and antibioticfree meats, sustainable seafood, organic pet food and a slew of yummy, fresh smoothies. But it’s also got unbeatable service and a staff as committed and knowledgeable as any in Northeast Florida. Established by Jacksonville native Aaron Gottlieb in 1997, Native Sun now boasts two locations — the original in Mandarin on San Jose Boulevard, and the new, somewhat larger version at Baymeadows Road and 9A. In addition to offering periodic seminars on healthful eating, and hosting holiday and Earth Day festivals, Native Sun maintains one of the best fresh-food-to-go delis on the First Coast, serving everything from wraps to vegan chocolate cookies to organic quesadillas. — KP
Best Plastic Surgeon Loren Clayman, MD, Dr. Clayman’s Plastic Surgery Center Much-beloved and well-endowed country songstress Dolly Parton says, “Plastic surgeons are always making mountains out of molehills.” And Dr. Loren Clayman has been constructing molehills for decades. Owner of Dr. Clayman’s Plastic Surgery Center & Miracle Spa, this is his 18th year in a row winning
Best Tattoo Studio: Iron-Clad Tattoo
Best Plastic Surgeon. That’s a lot of nips, tucks, lifts, chisels and fillers. “Not only is he an expert in the fields of plastic surgery and otolaryngology,” says Alexandra Stolyarsky, CME at Dr. Clayman’s Miracle Spa, “but he also makes sure he is available to patients and his employees 24/7. Dr. Clayman’s generosity, kind heart and willingness to go the extra mile in order to help everybody wins our love.” — KP
place to go to kickbox, cycle, power pump, Zumba and stretch it out in Pilates and yoga. Owned and operated by brothers Don, David and Darryl Bailey, Bailey’s offers everything from personal training sessions and group fitness classes to corporate memberships, babysitting and even 24-hour access. No wonder Bailey’s has grown by leaps and bounds. As a wise Australian pop singer once urged, “Let me hear your body talk.” — KP
Best Day Spa Ponte Vedra Inn & Club In July 2010, US Weekly tracked songstress Jessica Simpson and her then-boyfriend, football player Eric Johnson, to Northeast Florida, noting “[the couple] made time for some serious PDA at the modest, family-friendly Ponte Vedra Inn & Club at which they were staying.” Apparently, nobody on staff at US Weekly has ever visited the luxury establishment. Opened in 1928, the oceanfront Ponte Vedra Inn & Club spans 300 acres and features 250 guest rooms, a golf course, numerous restaurants, 15 tennis courts, four heated pools and a full-service spa. Um, and did we mention the spa? With a mere 30,000-square-feet of room for massages, facials, pedicures and coconut sugar scrubs, this is one spa that doesn’t fall short of Hollywood standards. — KP
Best Gym Bailey’s Powerhouse Gym With nearly a dozen locations around Northeast Florida, Bailey’s Powerhouse Gym is the
Best Nurse: Heather Pinter, Wolfson Children’s Hospital OCTOBER 11-17, 2011 | folio weekly | 29
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why patrons at Salt, an upscale restaurant situated in The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, will get an absolute schooling in good ol’ NaCl. At Salt, Chef Richard Laughlin creates seasonal menus featuring seafood, meat and vegetarian dishes paired with some of the most rare and interesting salts from around the globe. — KP
Best Restaurant in OP/Fleming Island Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers Mellow Mushroom sounds more like a hookah lounge than a franchise pizza joint, but they sure can make a mean bruschetta or steakand-cheese calzone. A pizzeria formed in Atlanta in the mid-’70s by two Georgia Tech roommates, Mellow Mushroom now has more than 100 locations throughout the country. According to Folio Weekly readers, Mellow Mushroom on Town Center Boulevard is where it’s at. Open seven days a week, the eatery boasts live music, trivia night, daily beer specials and, of course, lots of righteous fungi. — KP
Best New Restaurant The Pier
Best Restaurant in Jacksonville Ragtime Tavern Seafood & Grill
Best Restaurant on Amelia Island Salt, The Grill, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
Since 1983, this Atlantic Beach restaurant has been satisfying diners looking for the best in Cajun-influenced dining along with ever-popular handcrafted beers. But the menu isn’t the only thing that has kept locals coming back and transformed what was once a corner side bar and into an area landmark. Ragtime is known as the ultimate Beaches hangout, where milestones are celebrated while the world’s problems are solved over gumbo and beer. — DB
Not everyone can say they’ve tasted fleur de sel — a salt collected from the top layer of famous French salt ponds (known in the biz as the caviar of salts). And most people will readily admit they’ve never even heard of yakima, a salt from the Yakima Valley in Washington State, with a subtle fruitwood flavor. That’s
Best Restaurant in St. Augustine Gypsy Cab Company Founded by Ned Pollack in 1983, Gypsy Cab Co. has been a St. Augustine staple for nearly two decades. Situated on Anastasia Boulevard in the shadow of the St. Augustine Lighthouse, Gypsy draws on influences ranging from Italian, German, Cajun, Mediterranean and classical European to Floribbean. While the menu changes frequently, local favorites include the portabella melt, Santa Barbara salad, seafood fra diablo, hazelnut icebox cake allan and a full brunch served Saturday and Sunday. All in all, Gypsy is a casual, neighborhood restaurant with seriously good food and a fun, lively atmosphere. — KP 30 | folio weekly | OCTOBER 11-17, 2011
Best Bartender: Marc Selph, Mavericks
Located just south of the Jax Beach Pier on First Street North, The Pier Restaurant & Lounge is Northeast Florida’s new favorite place to grab a drink, watch the surfers and remind yourself why you live here. Commandeered by Chef Tony Corrente, The Pier’s oceanfront dining room serves an eclectic menu, including a tempura salmon crunch roll, shrimp ’n’ grits and panko-crusted chicken roulade. The soothing yet modern décor of blues and browns give it a perfect balance between casual and upscale dining. And keep an eye out for happy hour specials, live music and special events, like Jags’ games and trivia night. — KP
Best Restaurant to Impress a Date Orsay Located in historic Avondale, Restaurant Orsay is a funky composition of exposed beams, painted brick walls, delicate lighting and whimsical, floral murals. But honestly, if you’re sitting in front of a plate of Prince Edward Island mussels and pommes frites,
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you’re probably not paying much attention Sales Rep rl to the décor. Established in 2008, this Snail of Approval-inductee (for its “slow food” movement ideals) knows a thing or two about French cuisine. Check out the summer vegetable shepherd’s pie, lobster risotto, 2011 roasted oysters and phenomenal dessert selection, including cherry frangipane and homemade s’mores. Delicieux! — KP
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Best Restaurant When Someone Else is Paying Ruth’s Chris Steak House Eating is fun. But eating is way more fun when someone else picks up the tab. That’s why Ruth’s Chris, a steakhouse founded in New Orleans some 45 years ago, is a favorite among Northeast Floridians. Today, the chain has grown to boast locations all over the world — from Taiwan to Durham, N.C. — including a spot on Jacksonville’s downtown riverfront and off A1A in Ponte Vedra Beach. So if you’re looking to indulge and know you won’t be reaching for your own wallet, try a five-pound whole Maine lobster, a crabtini appetizer, veal osso buco ravioli or bread pudding with whiskey sauce. Actually, what the hell. Order all of them. — KP
Best Meal for $10 Whisky River Beer & Wings Just because food may be cheap doesn’t mean it can’t be good. At Whisky River, a bar-slash-eatery-slash-music-venue owned by NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. located at St. Johns Town Center, most items on the menu are under 10 bucks. Check out the fried shrimp basket with fries ($8.99), tiny baby corndog appetizer ($4.99), blackened chicken salad ($8.49), Dale Jr. burger ($7.49) or the BBQ brisket sandwich ($8.99). Open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Whisky River is the place to grab a stiff drink and a cheap meal — just try to not throw it all up as you ride the mechanical bull. — KP 32 | folio weekly | OCTOBER 11-17, 2011
Best Chef Chef Kenny Gilbert, Nippers Beach Grille An audience favorite during Season 7 of Bravo’s popular reality show “Top Chef,” Jacksonville resident Chef Kenny Gilbert made a name for himself nationally and in the local culinary community. As executive chef and partner of Nippers Beach Grille in Jax Beach, Chef Kenny creates a variety of dishes with Southern, international and Caribbean influences. Check out the Snacks menu (candied spiced pecans and roasted edamame) and the Land and Sea selections (grilled Spanish octopus and braised chipotle beef brisket tacos). “I love the culinary profession,” says Chef Kenny, “because it is an avenue for me to express my creativity through a commonality that people share — food.” — KP
Best Waiter/Waitress Candice Mullins, Metro Diner Since 1992, Metro Diner has been serving up eclectic greasy spoon fare with sophistication and style — from the pastrami omelet to banana granola pancakes and a chipotle grouper wrap. And just since January, waitress Candice Mullins has been delivering it with a smile. Mullins, a full-time student at University of North Florida, opens The Metro’s San Marco location (the other’s in Mandarin) — at 6:30 a.m., four times a week. “Candice started as a hostess here and really got to know the customers,” explains Assistant General Manager Britney Schank. “At only 20, she juggles a lot with work and school and we always really appreciate how energetic and positive she is.” — KP
Best Caribbean Restaurant Nippers Beach Grille Nippers Beaches Grille offers up a winning combination of Caribbean and Southern-style cuisine, waterfront dining with maximum Jax Beach chill vibes, and even live music along with the Great Guana Tiki Deck. Chef Kenny Gilbert brings 17 years of award-winning culinary
expertise, combined with a dash of celebrity bling after being one of the top contenders on the hit reality TV show “Top Chef.” — DB
Best Italian Restaurant Vito’s Italian Café After a decade, Vito’s Italian Café at The Jacksonville Landing has survived as surrounding eateries have come and gone. The reason is obvious: Owners George and Josie know that people keep coming back for ever-popular signature dishes like rosato vodka and chicken teresa, and classics like chicken carbonara and linguini with clam sauce. They even offer Vito’s combo: a heaping portion of lasagna, chicken parmesan and baked ziti, baked under mozzarella cheese (for those indecisive diners who don’t want to be left out of this delicious, carb-loading extravaganza!). Add to that feast an impressive wine list and succulent desserts and you may be asking, “How do I say ‘nap under the table’ in Italian?” — DB
Best Chinese Restaurant P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
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P.F. Chang’s creator Philip Chiang dabbled in dishes from all over China when he created the restaurant’s bistro menu. Moo shoo pork, moo goo gai pan and sweet and sour pork are comfort food in most U.S. diners, as familiar as meatloaf and mashed potatoes. So Chiang went beyond the staples, adding a menu of Asian 2011 street food to dim sum steamed dumplings, Asian tacos and spring rolls. Cocktail choices include Asian pear mojito and organic agave margarita, a selection of wines from the restaurant’s custom wine label Vineyard 518, and sake by the jar. With P.F. Chang’s dependable and forthright preparation, edamame steamed dim sum or slow-braised pork on an Asian taco are worth a nibble and a try. — SE
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Best Thai Restaurant Indochine Above the Burrito Gallery on East Adams Street in downtown Jax, Thai-curious diners who climb the wrought iron stairs are rewarded with a memorable culinary experience delivered in Indochine’s mellow vibes. Spiced accordingly, the curries, drunken noodles and Prik Pow are surefire ways to check one’s heat index, while seafood lovers reel in the Sea of Indochine combo and the Asian soul food Haw Mok, a steamed catfish cooked to perfection in a red curry, with collard greens and veggies. A full bar, killer wine list and plenty of vegetarian options help make Indochine Folio Weekly readers’ favorite in local Thai dining. — DB
Best Mexican Restaurant Casa Maria Aye Carumba, dude! Casa Maria takes top prize with Folio Weekly readers who go for authentic Mexican dining washed back with ice-cold cervezas and signature margaritas. Classic appetizers and entrées like fajitas, enchiladas and the gnarly good especial burritos on plates hotter than Georgia asphalt. Seafood dishes, classic desserts, a full bar and three locations including St. Augustine make Casa Maria the 2011 numero uno Mexican joint! — DB 34 | FOLIO WEEKLY | OCTOBER 11-17, 2011
Best Indian Restaurant India Restaurant
Best Middle Eastern Restaurant: The Casbah Café
Once again, this Baymeadows eatery wins Folio Weekly readers’ highest accolades for their favorite place to nosh on Indian delectables. The daily buffet is always a crowd-pleaser, offering sumptuous options like tandoori chicken, aloo gobi, pakoras and naan breads as well as plenty of veggiefriendly dishes like the mind-bendingly good saag paneer. Beer and wine, mango lassis and an always-welcoming vibe from owners the Singh brothers makes India Restaurant a surefire stop for healthy, tasty down-home Indian cooking. — DB
Best Japanese Restaurant Koja Sushi Koja Sushi fans like the view of the St. Johns River from their perch at The Jacksonville Landing, and rave about the Bento boxes. Owners John and Tony — in the sushi game for more than 10 years — offer sushi, sashimi and Japanese, Asian and Korean cuisine, along with hard-to-find items like baby octopus salad. Add to all that a choice of indoor or outdoor dining and a full bar, and it’s no wonder Folio Weekly voters chose Koja Sushi as the Best in Jax. — AS
Best Middle Eastern Restaurant The Casbah Café Ahhh. Fresh-faced urbanites. An order of hummus and fried jibnah. A cold Brooklyn Lager. Lounge on the floor cushions and take a puff from the hookah? Honey plum with orange honey tobacco sounds nice. Admire the Avondale crowd, eager to see and be seen. Watch the bellydancers shimmy. Feel the possibilities. Whether you’re from around here or just visiting, Casbah Café makes all comers right at home. — SE
Best Vegan/ Vegetarian Restaurant The Present Moment Café There’s something to be said for an establishment that can make fettuccini Alfredo from fresh zucchini pasta, pesto, sun-cured tomatoes and a pinenut “parmesan” taste way better than anything you could get at most Italian restaurants. Welcome to Present Moment Café on West King Street in St. Augustine, an innovative vegan, vegetarian, organic and raw restaurant. Trust us, you could never imagine how delicious no-bean chili, a sunlight burger or a brownie sundae with cashew vanilla ice cream could possibly be. — KP
Best Organic Restaurant Native Sun Natural Foods Market Sure, Native Sun Natural Foods Market is known for hawking organic produce and freerange meats, but did you know they’re also the bomb-diggity of prepared foods? The in-store deli and hot bar include a range of customer favorites like chicken del Rey, stuffed chicken pita with arugula and tziki sauce and a big fat Greek salad. There’s also a deli case with tubs of harvest apple and spelt berry salad, tabouli with quinoa and vegan potato salad. Thirsty? Check out the juice and smoothie bar for an Iron Lion (carrot, parsley, spinach and beet) or Q’s Quench (carrot, apple, beet, celery and ginger). With seating available inside or out and a full grocery story besides, Native Sun is the total package. — KP
Best All-You-Can-Eat China Buffet These trying economic times need not lead Northeast Floridians into a gastric depression! “Nay!” say Folio Weekly readers, who choose China Buffet on Atlantic Boulevard when it comes to dining for content and quantity. With authentic Chinese flavors, a 75-plus-items lunch and dinner buffet and prices so low we can turn a blind eye to that third portion of roast duck, China Buffet, in the heart of Regency Mall, is like an oasis of sanctioned gluttony. — DB
Best Coffeehouse Three Layers Café
Best Pizza in St. Augustine: Carmelo’s Marketplace Pizzeria
Springfield’s Three Layers Café has taken the neighborhood coffee shop to dazzling new heights. In addition to classic coffee offerings, wine and beer and the signature thick-sliced cakes, featuring three layers in flavors ranging from red velvet and chocolate expression to co-owner Jeff’s latest, caramel butter cream, Three Layers is also quickly becoming the heart of the Springfield community. Should you feel a little alert after consuming all that sugar and caffeine, just go chill outside in the Zen Garden or groove to the sounds of touring and local OCTOBER 11-17, 2011 | folio weekly | 35
singers and musicians like multi-instrumentalist Goliath Flores. — DB
Best Deli Sun Deli Once again, Folio Weekly sandwich lovers (“Sandwichists”?) have named this South Jax Beach surfer and locals hangout the best in serving up deli classics like the Reuben, chicken or triple-decker club and tuna salad, along with signature munchables like the Radical Side and “Not on the Menu” creations that get weirder and weirder (and more edible) over time. — DB
Best Fish Camp Clark’s Fish Camp Tucked away at the tail end of Hood Landing Road in Mandarin, Clark’s has evolved over the years from a bait-and-tackle shop to a full-fledged restaurant, stuffed to the gills with taxidermized animals and a menu nearly as wild. (Among the daily offerings are kangaroo, rattlesnake and antelope.) There are also plenty of ordinary Southern favorites, ample boat dock space and beautiful views of Julington Creek. What more could you want from a fish camp? Fried green tomatoes, you say? Well, they’ve got those, too. — AS
Best Tapas 13 Gypsies The word “tapas” describes a wide variety of appetizers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. There are various renditions including olive plates, cheese platters, a bowl of fried baby squid or a generous helping of chorizo a la sidra (chorizo
Best Waiter/Waitress: Candice Mullins, Metro Diner
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sausage slow-cooked in cider). We just call them yummy, and 13 Gypsies on Stockton Street has them aplenty. Open five days a week (closed Sunday and Monday), 13 Gypsies’ menu is an insane array of Quixote-style beef, seafood salad, pork kabobs and curried cauliflower. Just be ready to share. Duh, that’s the point. — KP
Best Seafood Salt Life Food Shack What started as a sticker has really stuck on local seafood lovers, with Salt Life Food Shack taking top honors for the best seafood for the second year in a row. This Jax Beach hotspot features a full bar and tasteful maritime décor, but locals keep coming back for killer “teaser” appetizers like the shrimp and chorizo nachos, the freshest sushi this side of Davey Jones’ Locker and one-of-a-kind signature dishes like the beer can chicken and Caliche’s poke bowl. — DB
Best Sushi Yummy Sushi The human population is divided into two kinds: those who eat real sushi (aka octopus, eel, raw tuna, quail eggs) and those who eat the wussy kind (California Roll, Seattle Roll, Tampa Roll, Philadelphia Roll). Whatever category you fit into, Northeast Florida has spoken and the best sushi is at Yummy Sushi in the Shoppes of Deerwood Lake on Southside Boulevard. Make sure you check out the Kaniko Salad (crabmeat, cucumber and fish egg with a spicy mayonnaise sauce), the various hibachi offerings and nearly a hundred kinds of sushi including mackerel, conch, flying fish egg, sea urchin and surf clam. — KP
Best Thai Restaurant: Indochine
Best Burger on Amelia Island T-Ray’s Burger Station
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When you take a chair inside T-Ray’s Burger Station, you’re sitting at the intersection of humanity and community — where people who still smell like dollar bills even though their real estate on Amelia Island Plantation has plummeted in value meet up with people who stink like mullet and tidal flats. Eavesdrop and people-watch and join the constant buzz of conversation. T-Ray’s thrums with life, but the key to a place like T-Ray’s — which occupies an old gas station and is furnished with mismatched dinette sets — is a thick slab of fresh ground beef grilled just right, with a slice of melted cheese, a lettuce leaf, grilled onions and a tomato slice laid between soft white buns. — SE
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Best Burger in Jacksonville Cruisers Grill At Le Burger Brasserie Sports Grille in the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, the restaurant’s signature dish is the $777 Kobe Beef and Maine Lobster Burger, topped with caramelized onions, imported brie, crispy prosciutto and 100-year-aged balsamic vinegar, served with a bottle of Rosé Dom Pérignon champagne. Over-the-top? Absolutely. Here in Northeast Florida, Cruisers Grill satisfies the burger crave for common folk. For around six bucks, burger fans at any one of the four Cruisers locations can enjoy a half-pound patty with mustard, lettuce, pickle, red onion and tomato — add cheese for pennies more — in a family-friendly, down-to-earth atmosphere. — KP
Best Burger in St. Augustine Best Burger in OP/ Fleming Island Five Guys Burgers and Fries Five Guys Burgers and Fries continue its campaign for local burger domination, with a mouthwatering (and let’s get real — sinfully 38 | FOLIO WEEKLY | OCTOBER 11-17, 2011
greasy) take on the burger. The fact that they locked down the Best Burger title in two areas of town suggests they may yet take over the world. From the basic hamburger to the insanely good bacon cheeseburger, unadorned or all the way, it’s no wonder this chain deals out 350,000 burgers in hundreds of stores each day. But it’s the straight-up, no-muss, no-fuss version of this American classic that makes this burger joint Folio Weekly readers’ favorite place to stuff their faces. — DB
Best Pizza on Amelia Island Moon River Pizza According to Pizza. com, Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza a day, or about 350 slices per second. For Folio Weekly readers, Moon River Pizza on South 14th Street is the place to go to find the finest version of the beloved staple. Open Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday), Moon River offers hundreds of topping combinations including pesto, breaded eggplant and anchovies. If you’re not feeling creative, check out one of the specialty pizzas like the T-Rex (all meat, double cheese) and the Maui “WOW”EE (ham, pineapple, cheddar with your choice of jalapeño or banana peppers). Of course, pizza’s just part of the experience at Moon River, which offers fresh funky vibes to go with the freshly made dough. For those who haven’t made the trek to Fernandina Beach to try it, Moon River has an Edgewood Avenue location in Jacksonville as well. — KP
Best Pizza in Jacksonville Al’s Pizza Not just delectable (crispy crust pies loaded with your favorite topping) and dependable (voted Best Pizza in Jacksonville from 1995 to the present), Al’s Pizza has also been pretty dang responsive to the current economic climate, offering 2-for-1 specials, buck-a-slice specials
Monday-thru-Friday, and dollar pints of beer on Thirsty Thursdays. Plus, Al’s Club members can sign up online for a variety of coupons and deals. Of course, there’s more than just pizza on the menu at Al’s six Northeast Florida locations, including mussels, calamari and big salads, but once you see a pie carried past your table, it’s pretty hard to choose anything else. — AS
Best Pizza in St. Augustine Carmelo’s Marketplace Pizzeria There’s something to be said for a pizzeria located inside a gas station that wins Best Pizza in St. Augustine. They must really know how to make a pie. But this handmade, New York-style brick oven pizza is no fast-food fare. Create your own Sicilian or thin-crust pizza with dozens of different kinds of toppings like feta cheese, pineapple, artichoke hearts, bacon, grilled chicken and sun-dried tomatoes. Carmelo’s also offers salads, subs, paninis, calzones and strombolis. A longstanding favorite of students of nearby Flagler College, Carmelo’s (home of a 24” pie) is now a force to be reckoned with. — KP
Best Pizza in OP/ Fleming Island Mellow Mushroom No mere pizza place, Mellow Mushroom is a self-described “immersive experience of color, art, music and light, providing a delicious escape from the mundane.” If you count yourself among the OP/Fleming Island crowd, you just call this multiple Best of Jax winner “Yummy!” Located on Town Center Boulevard in Fleming Island, and serving innovative pies like the special (pepperoni, sausage, applewood smoked bacon and more) or the mega veggie (with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, black olives), Mellow Mushroom proves that pizza isn’t just a food. It’s a state of mind. — KP
Best Chicken Wings Whisky River American singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie drawled, “Left wing, chicken wing, it don’t make no difference to me.” More recently, OutKast intoned, “Ain’t No Thang But a
Chicken Wing.” True dat, so true. At Whisky River at St. Johns Town Center, employees of this Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned enterprise offer bipartisan Killer Wings served by women in leather vests that leave little to the imagination. Ain’t no thang, tho. Get your wings any way you want: fried or grilled, ranch or bleu cheese, with a heat of your choosing and in batches of 5 or 50. — KP
Best Smoothie Tropical Smoothie In the late 1960s, smoothies first appeared in the United States — the sole province of health food stores. Today, smoothies are mainstream, and so varied they almost warrant their own food group. According to those living between Ft. Clinch and the Matanzas Bay, Tropical Smoothie is the place to go for all of your healthful, yummy frozen beverages. With locations all over the country, Tropical Smoothie proves a favorite stop for the Blimey Limey, Jetty Punch, Mocha Madness, Get Up and Goji or Muscle Blaster. — KP
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For questions, please call your advertising representative at 260-9770. rUn dAte: 101111 Best Yogurt Shop Mochi Frozen Yogurt FAX YOUR PROOF IF POSSIBLE AT 268-3655 In the often cutthroat realm of frozen yogurt promise benefit shops, there can only be one winner. And of Folio Weekly readers have chosen Mochi Frozen Yogurt for their sweetly cool and healthy offerings. Serving nonfat yogurt made from natural spring water and live, active cultures, Mochi offers flavors ranging from mango and green tea to coco-nilla and taro, topped off with everything from granola (hippies!) and kiwi fruit to Rice Krispies Treats and Fruity Pebbles! Yeah, baby. Breakfast-cereal style. — DB
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Best Soup Panera Bread One might think that interest in the Best of Jax soup category would be diminished by the freaking unmerciful heat, but the competition was fierce. At times, it seemed like the voting was a mere hairsbreadth away from sheer, broth-based anarchy! Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and Panera Bread
Best Chicken Wings: Whisky River OCTOBER 11-17, 2011 | FOLIO WEEKLY | 39
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Best New Restaurant: The Pier
drowned the competition with savory offerings like hearty baked potato or all-natural steak chili and cornbread. While Folio Weekly readers love them some Panera as much as the next altweekly fans, their Lottery Dream is to take those millions, buy up every Panera Bread franchise, add a “T” to the name and unleash “Pantera Bread — the World’s Only 24-Hour Nonstop Metal Bakery.” Let them dream, people. — DB
Best Hot Dog Hot Dog Hut According to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, the top hot dog consuming cities of 2010 were Los Angeles, New York, San Antonio, Washington, D.C. and Chicago. Jacksonville didn’t crack the top 10, but Hot Dog Hut on Third Street South in Jax Beach ain’t cryin’ about it. That’s because 2011 is the fifth year in a row the eatery’s won Best Hot Dog. Open daily for breakfast and lunch, Hot Dog Hut offers everything from the Arizona Dog (fried jalapeno peppers, onions and garlic) to the California Dog (cucumber, tomatoes, onions, parsley and ranch dressing) to the Chicago Dog (pepperocini peppers, onions, tomatoes, celery salt, pickle, spicy mustard and relish). Maybe next year, Jacksonville! — KP
Best Sub Angie’s Subs In the last couple of years, this Jax Beach haunt has become just as well known for the owner’s staunch Tea Party views (generally posted on the sign outside) as for its delicious sweet tea. But political incorrectness can’t trump the appeal of Angie’s Subs, which have won over fans on both sides of the ditch for going on 30 years. Whether your tastes run to the vegy tuna, a baked meatball-and-sausage or the bestselling Peruvian sub (ham, genoa salami, bacon, Italian sausage, provolone), you too might find your distaste for Michele Bachmann 40 | FOLIO WEEKLY | OCTOBER 11-17, 2011
(who spoke here in August)s overcome by your desire for a truly delicious sub. — AS
Best Dessert bb’s Now as famous for its desserts as its tempting menu items (beef tenderloin, caramelized onion and brie sandwich? Seriously, stop us before we eat again), bb’s has turned each visit into an excruciating exercise. Not in will power; that never stood a chance. No, bb’s forces a painful choice on every visit: Oreo mousse cake or crème brûlée topped with a blackberry compote? Apple crumb pie served warm with ice cream, or old-fashioned coconut cake? White chocolate raspberry cheesecake cake or a simple tiramisu? You can see our dilemma. It’s OK, though. We’ll get through this. — AS
Best Breakfast Metro Diner Did someone say steak and eggs? Or crab cake benedict with a side of hash browns? Whether you’re curing a hangover or just feeding your soul after church, Metro Diner has a breakfast menu capable of sating your every need. For you breakfast purists (any of you annoyingly fit morning cyclists), there’s seasonal fruit or yogurt with granola. For old-fashioned types, there are 12-inch pancakes, creamed chipped beef and Belgian waffles. For unabashed Southerners, try grits, cheese grits, country ham and cornbread. And with two Metro Diner locations now open — on Hendricks Avenue in San Marco and San Jose Boulevard in Mandarin — your most important meal of the day just got that much more convenient. — AS
Best Bagel Healthy Bagel Spoiler Alert: If you’re on the Atkins Diet, you may not want to read this. Around for centuries, the bagel is a dense, chewy, doughy
construct — not quite carb-friendly. Whatevs, folks! They’re also friggin’ delicious. Whether it’s for poppy seed, onion, salt, cinnamon raisin or jalapeño, Northeast Floridians head to The Healthy Bagel Company on University Boulevard to fulfill their weekly bagel requirement. It’s not just about the bagel, though: check out the veggie salad, cashew chicken, pepperoni supreme bagel pizza or the Canyon Cooler smoothie. These folks are slinging more than cream cheese. — KP
Best Burrito Burrito Gallery Beloved not just for their XXL, save-half-forlater burritos, and the unimpeachable quality of their ingredients (this operation even let a FW reporter work in their kitchen a few years ago), Burrito Gallery also has a fond place in the hearts of all downtown advocates. The gallery kick-started a new period of interest and activity downtown, serving as a gathering place for downtown workers, a hub during artwalk and, hell yes, a great place to grab a burrito. — AS
Best Barbecue Mojo BBQ Taste of hickory wood smoked “low and slow” into the meat? Check. Pulled pork really cooked for 12 hours, then hand-pulled like the menu says? Check. Five barbecue sauces right on the table to complement meat served totally unadorned? Check. Mojo man Todd Lineberry offers it all, exactly like you want it, which is why Folio Weekly readers have voted Mojo and its four locations Best Barbecue year after year. It’s just damn good. — SE
Best Martini: Suite
Best Steak Ruth’s Chris Steak House Sorry in advance to our soy-swilling, tempehtasting brothers and sisters, but when it comes to straight-up meat served at the level of High Art, Folio Weekly readers give Ruth’s Chris top honors. Granted, bringing the sizzle to a perfectly cooked steak don’t come cheap, but with cuts like the classic filet, cowboy ribeye or the gigantic porterhouse for two, money is no object (especially if someone else is buying!). While a full bar and wine list, appetizers and desserts are further incentives, this acclaimed franchise knows that it’s their signature steaks that get carnivores coming back for more. — DB
Best Neighborhood Bar on Amelia Island The Palace Saloon When your neighborhood bar claims to be “Florida’s oldest continuously operated drinking establishment,” you know you’ve landed someplace special. Louis B. Hirth pronounced the Palace Saloon Florida’s fanciest gentleman’s club in 1903 after he installed English oak bar fixtures, a 40-foot bar and a stamped tin ceiling. Hirth kept the place open until Prohibition dawned, and until he figured every other club in the state had closed its doors. That’s why it claims to be the state’s oldest bar. He reopened with a liquor license when Prohibition ended. The Palace Saloon today is nice in the late afternoon, when it’s mostly empty, and you can imagine 42 | FOLIO WEEKLY | OCTOBER 11-17, 2011
sharing a libation with Alfred J. DuPont or John D. Rockefeller before heading over to Cumberland Island. OK, reality check: Folks like that didn’t drink with folks like us. But when Hirth died, he left his Palace Saloon behind. So raise a glass to our own Great Recession and the belief that we’ll still have a seat here when the current circumstance is ancient history. — SE
Best Neighborhood Bar in Jax Intuition Ale Works Drinking and driving is always just a short distance from a serious legal headache, and often much worse. Which is why it’s a good idea to find a hip watering hole nearby. For Jacksonville residents in a certain ZIP code, Intuition Ale Works Brewery & Taproom is the place to hang your hat and blow off a little steam. Along with onsite brewed and bottled suds like People’s Pale Ale, I-10 IPA, Shotgun Shack Black Rye Ale and Shape Shifter Saison, Intuition also offers tours, VIP membership in the Mug Club, plus kegs and growlers. A wine menu is available, but if it’s food you’re looking for, you’ll have to get your own. According to the website, Intuition encourages patrons to order from a number of local pizzerias and other eateries — just ask your bartender for a gander at their stash of delivery menus. — KP
Best Neighborhood Bar in St. Augustine No Name Bar Located across the street from the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, No Name Bar on Castillo Drive South offers everything from a full bar to indoor and outdoor seating to grub to local live music. According to a recent informal survey (i.e., a brief Facebook page query), patrons love the anonymous watering hole for “its good view, good beer, most of the time good bands and the ring game.” It’s also refreshingly anti-corporate (“No Name Bar”? How the hell do you brand that?) and open daily until 2 a.m., which doesn’t suck in the least. — KP
Best Neighborhood Bar in OP/Fleming Island Mellow Mushroom Although Mellow Mushroom is best known for their thick, flavorful pies, for FW readers in Fleming Island and Orange Park, it’s also the Best Neighborhood Bar. Located on Town Center Boulevard near Eagle Harbor, Mellow Mushroom offers more than 30 beers on tap like Hazed & Infused, Magic Hat, Rogue Dead Guy Ale and Terrapin Hopsecutioner Woodchuck Amber (try saying that three times fast!). And it doesn’t stop there — M.M. has a few dozen yummy bottled beers to quench a case of the Mondays. Oh, and they have food, too. After your boss reams you out for screwing up the TPS report, what’s better than
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Best Restaurant on Amelia Island: Salt, The Grill, The Ritz-Carlton, promise of benefit Amelia Island
a Sierra Nevada Big Foot and a fresh dough pretzel with cinnamon and honey? — KP
seven La Nop locations, the salvation of a little salt and lime is never too far away. — SE
Best Bartender Marc Selph, Mavericks
Best Martini Suite
A Jacksonville native, Marc Selph at Mavericks Dance Club and Concert Hall has been in the food/booze service industry for more than a decade. According to those who work with him, Selph’s Southern charm and boyish good looks have helped him reach celebrity status in the Northeast Florida bartending community. A sports fan and outdoor enthusiast, Selph likes to keep up with the latest liquor trends and enjoys quoting Ol’ Blue Eyes: “I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.” As well as being the area’s favorite bartender, Selph has been a manager at Mavericks since the establishment’s inception in 2007. Bottoms up! — KP
Suite’s martinis are as sleek and sophisticated as that lovely girl who seemed to part the velvet rope by magic. Suite offers a Slim List menu prepared for premium taste at a low calorie count, including the Nancy Lopez (104 calories), inspired by the Hall of Fame golfing legend. At the other end of the spectrum, Suite creates chill drama with the N-tinis, infused with liquid nitrogen and taken down to minus 320 degrees, before being served as a swirl of smoke liquefies into something like the Orange Crush — Grey Goose L’Orange, triple sec and fresh orange juice in a sugar-rimmed martini glass. — SE
Best Beer Selection European Street Café At their four Northeast Florida locations, European Street Café pours 200 different beers in a round-the-world tour — intrepid customers sign up to imbibe country by country. European Street has arranged the list alphabetically, from Australia’s Black Wattle Superior to a long roster of beers made in the U.S.A., like Stone Arrogant Bastard. In addition to more than 150 bottled beers, each European Street location taps into an array of 20 beers on draft daily, which varies slightly from place to place. Good beers all, made better by a side of bratwurst, sauerkraut and German potato salad. — SE
Best Margarita La Nopalera The kick behind La Nopalera’s frozen margaritas is Jose Cuervo. By the pitcher and by the glass, these cold and delicious beverages are a beloved ritual during our area’s hot, hot summers — and warm falls, tepid winters, balmy springs … you get the idea. With
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Best Mojito Dos Gatos This lounge across the street from The Florida Theatre on East Forsyth Street in downtown Jacksonville advertises itself as the city’s only real cocktail lounge for people who like to drink. The mojito is a classic Cuban cocktail, and Dos Gatos’ version comes close to perfect — refreshing with a blast of lime and simple sugar, white rum, club soda and muddled mint. And even at the height of the mojito craze, Dos Gatos bartenders were cocktail snobs, refusing to substitute ingredients or touch an abominable mix. Folio Weekly readers give them respect for that. — SE
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Best Bar Food Kickbacks Gastropub In addition to a whopping 84 beers on tap, this Riverside hotspot offers a menu so extensive it’s like five restaurants rolled into one. Folio Weekly readers contend that everything is good, too. At lunch, Kickbacks lists 29 sandwiches, and the menu is fronted by 23 appetizers. Want an arteryclogging breakfast? How about three eggs, two sausage patties or slices of bacon, homefries, toast and a side of pancakes, waffles or French toast? Kickbacks’ menu includes a retro section, including Alphabet Soup and Hamburger Helper. Recent dinner specials included two tasty sixOCTOBER 11-17, 2011 | FOLIO WEEKLY | 43
ounce pork loins topped with a mushroom cream sauce, and an elegant ribeye over a scrumptious lettuce and fruit salad. Open Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m., any time is the right time to kickback and fill up. — SE
Best Wine List The Grotto Wine Bar & Shoppe The folks at this intimate San Marco wine and tapas spot offer great advice when you’re buying by the bottle, but even better service tableside, where the wood and brick of the long narrow space echoes a wine cellar, and the plush couches beckon candlelight comfort. The menu features a range of tastes designed to work the flavors of the wines, including kalamata olives, wild mushroom and manchego empanadas and chocolate fondue. The shop hosts periodic tastings, including the upcoming not-to-be missed champagne and sparkling wine tasting on Dec. 9 from 6-8 p.m. For more information, go to grottowine.com. — AS
Best Pub or Brew Pub Engine 15 Brewing Company Did you know that the term “cenosillicaphobia” means the fear of an empty glass? Heavy drinkers usually experience it, but any amateur sipper may feel the effects from time to time. At Engine 15 Brewing Company in Jax Beach, the goal of the suds-savvy bartenders is for every patron to maintain a full glass. Located on Beach Boulevard, Engine 15 has an everrotating selection of microbrews like Great Divide’s Smoked Baltic Porter, Lost Coast’s Tangerine Wheat, Southern Tier’s Crème Brûlée and Cigar City’s Jai Alai IPA. Open every day but Monday, Engine 15 is FW readers’ favorite place to grab a full pour, play some darts or video games and nosh on pub-appropriate fare like pigs in a blanket and beer brats. Sláinte! — KP
Best Sports Bar Sneakers Sports Grille Earl Warren, the 14th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, once said, “I always
turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people’s accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man’s failures.” Although Warren was referring to a newspaper, we get the point. Sports — whether you enjoy watching or not — bring pride for communities, cities and countries. For local fans, Sneakers Sports Grille is the place to celebrate. With two locations — one at Jax Beach, the other off 9A on Ponte Meadows Drive — Sneakers offers walls of flatscreen TVs, trivia, Bar Bingo, waitresses dressed like cheerleaders and sexy referees. Did we mention the waitresses? Oh, and they have alcohol, too. — KP
Best Bar After Work Dos Gatos Inspirational author H. Jackson Brown Jr. wrote, “Find a job you like and you add five days to every week.” For the rest of us, there’s always Happy Hour. After surviving another nine-tofiver, the area’s young professionals prefer to blow off steam at Dos Gatos, a downtown drinking establishment located across from The Florida Theatre. The swanky candlelit lounge — complete with exposed brick walls, chandeliers and black leather booths — has something for everyone. For those of you in the mailroom, try the $5 Blue Plate Special — a Pabst Blue Ribbon and a shot of bourbon. If you’re in upper management, spring for a District 9 — 1792 Ridgemont Reserve whisky with elderflower, lemon and an Absinthe rinse on the glass. — KP
Best Bar When You’re Out of Work Pete’s Bar Downturn? What downturn? Pete’s Bar in Neptune Beach has been a safe place for the jobless for years — whether you’re truly out of work or just blowing off a soul-sucking shift. Part of the appeal is the cheap beer and pool, sure, but a bigger salve is the bar’s inimitable aura — timeless and nonjudgmental, the kind of place you can lose yourself for a few hours or find yourself after a couple of years. — AS
Best Neighborhood Bar on Amelia Island: The Palace Saloon 44 | FOLIO WEEKLY | OCTOBER 11-17, 2011