Jacksonville, FL

Finding a family-owned eatery anywhere is becoming increasingly difficult, but Jacksonville’s locally owned and operated Sweet Indulgence Café stands out among other restaurants for quality in service and food.

I’ve eaten there several times, and each visit has been a definite ‘sweet indulgence.’ My favorite is the Greek salad. I’ve also bought muffins and pastries too—the banana nut muffin is big enough for two people to share. The café offers traditional and specialty sandwiches, including a Vegetarian Delight with Provolone and Swiss cheese, leaf lettuce, tomato, cucumbers and red onions on wheat bread. Grilled Panini sandwiches are also on the menu, with the Portobello Milano a very tasty veggie treat. There’s also a Reuben sandwich, and the corned beef is tender, without that excess chewy stuff you find in a lot of other restaurants’ Reubens. The same goes for the Philly Cheesteak sandwich.

Diners may opt for fresh salads, both entrée sized and on the side, and a variety of soups like Broccoli Cheddar and Creamy Potato.

The café also serves breakfast until 11 a.m. Monday-Saturday, and until 12 noon on Sunday. Omelets, Belgian Waffles and French Toast are among the offerings.

The coffee is always fresh, and there’s a selection of desserts to tempt any palate, with the Brownie Cheesecake and Tiramisu especially sinful delights. A variety of ice cream flavors and specialty drinks like the Sherbet Fizz round out the sweets.

This café is a favorite of my family; my husband and his co-workers also eat there often.

On nice days, if you don’t want to dine inside, there’s ample seating outside. We really appreciate the fact the café stays open for the dinner hour. Catering is also available. Prices are reasonable.

Two branches make the café accessible to a wide area here in the River City, one at Reedy Branch Commons on the corner of Baymeadows Rd. and 9A, and the other at Durbin Crossing at the corner of Old St. Augustine Rd. and US-1.

So far, my positive dining rate there is 100 percent, and that qualifies Sweet Indulgence Café for a Restaurant Rave from your About Jacksonville FL columnist.

Recommended link:
http://sweetindulgencecafe.com/
Sweet Indulgence Café Web site; includes menu, operating hours, locations & contact numbers.

Ed. Note: Any restaurant or product reviewed in this column is at the columnist’s own expense. We do not accept free meals or free products for review here at About Jacksonville, FL. Restaurants are not notified prior to our writing a review.

(Photo Credit: Becky Day)

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I’ve written about Barbara Jean’s Restaurant for another site, but it’s worth repeating here.

Once a month or so, my husband and I set aside a Saturday for a beach date. We head to Mickler’s Landing for a long walk. This is our favorite beach in the area because it’s not very commercialized. Unless of course you count the mansions fronting the ocean. We usually go around 2 p.m. because chances are better for a parking space in the paved lot. There are outdoor showers for washing the sand off your feet. There’s also a lifeguard on duty now, for those who like to swim. It’s fun to watch the surfers who love to hit the water regardless of the weather.

I always get great photos at Mickler’s. One of my favorites is an elaborate sand sculpture—the creation looks like an alien. You can find pretty shells, and there are supposed to be shark’s teeth, but I haven’t found any of those yet.

After our walk, we head to Barbara Jean’s, a restaurant located at the old Ward’s Landing site on the intercoastal waterway. Southern Living says the crabcakes here are the best, and I’d have to agree. The she-crab soup is superb; great quality crab meat in a concoction seasoned to perfection. The menu offers a variety of seafood dishes. You could just about make a meal of the homemade bread—pumpkin bread, jalapeno corn bread and wheat rolls. You can pick sides from a large selection of homemade vegetable dishes; the squash casserole is my personal favorite. Dress is casual; prices are reasonable. Directions are available at the Web site.

Weather permitting, we sit on the deck and watch the boats cruise the waterway. Birds entertain us with their antics. The view from the deck offers a panoramic natural scene–there’s nothing developed on the shoreline across from the restaurant. We’ve often wondered why bugs aren’t bothersome when we eat out here–after all, this is Florida. I suppose the birds eat them all. After a glass of Chardonnay, we head back home and listen to music. I’ve made several CDs from selections at iTunes just for our beach days.

Nothing breaks the tedium like a beach date. It does a body–and the spirit–good.
(photos and text by Kay B. Day)

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Each week, I’ll post a “Restaurant Rave” here. I pay for my own meals at the restaurants I recommend, and I receive no compensation from the restaurants for my recommendations or review.

A Jacksonville institution, The Tree Steakhouse is one of those places you can count on to be consistent. If you’re after the best filet mignon or prime rib in the city, The Tree is the place to go.

Nestled beneath ancient oaks in a small shopping center on San Jose Blvd., the restaurant is popular with our city’s residents and visitors. The décor has a classy clubhouse feeling enhanced by dark wood and soft lighting.

If you’re not a beef eater, there are many other options, among them the sensational cashew-crusted grouper. The restaurant has a classic salad bar, or you can be lazy like I am and opt for the house salad. Favorite appetizers include the crab-stuffed mushrooms. For dessert, try the crème brulee.

The wine list is excellent, offering a range of choices. The prices are on par with other upscale restaurants.

Most weekend nights, there’s a piano player offering up different types of music in the bar. You can also eat in the bar; this comes in handy if you haven’t thought ahead and made a reservation.

The owner, whose name is Paul, has been there just about every time we’ve been there. And we’ve dined there a lot. I even took a Pulitzer Prize winning author there.

The servers are non-intrusive. They don’t grovel like servers in a lot of places; they’ve worked there a long time. They give good service and they don’t try to engage you in small talk. They don’t want to be your friend; they’re satisfied with being your server.

You can opt to choose your beef—it can be brought to the table for your selection.

What I really like about The Tree: it’s privately owned. There are two locations in Jacksonville, but the one we frequent is on San Jose Blvd. in Mandarin. The other location is at 725-6 Atlantic Blvd. in Atlantic Beach.

If you want a really nice dining experience, The Tree Steakhouse is my number one restaurant rave in the River City. It’s part of Jacksonville’s history and it will certainly last into the future.

Phone numbers
San Jose Blvd. location: 262-0006
Atlantic Blvd. location: 241-5600

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