May started with an Italian feast at Tony D’s New York Pizza. I haven’t been to this Baymeadows place for many years. I ate Greek salad and pizza with bacon and artichokes, and my husband ate chicken Caesar salad and fried mozzarella sticks.
After moving to Riverside, I enjoyed an after-work solo dinner with savory green curry and crispy cod on rice at Foo Dog Curry Traders. Judging by the constant flow of takeaway orders, it’s safe to say that this is the best place in the area. Sweet goes best with savory, so I went to the new San Marco Dreamette (in the old Bold Bean Coffee premises) for a chocolate-vanilla swirl cone.
Stopping in nearby Avondale, I was delighted to see a few new Mediterranean-style Falafel x Bar menu items – I tried the shawarma salad and made the required ($3) trip to the toppings bar to buy feta crumbs, fried eggplant, cucumber, pickled vegetables, tahini and chickpea salad.
We have crossed the moat (aka Coastal Waterway) three times this month! I first traveled back in time to my UNF days for Angie’s Subs. Chicken salad with grapes and Peruvian sauce and sweet tea remained the same after all these years. Our nostalgic stop was followed by a trip to the nearby South Waves for a glass of craft beer.
The second time was a Saturday date. My husband and I headed to Neptune Beach where I had a dirty martini at One Ocean’s Azurea before heading to Doro for dinner and champagne. Burrata with tomato jam never gets old and I still dream of the crudo and schnitzel appetizers we ate.
The last trip was for Dos Vatos tacos. Scallop with bacon jam is my favorite dish, but on this visit I changed it and tried Korean-style short ribs with spicy cucumbers.
The city center was beckoning for Mother’s Day, as my mother chose Prati Italia. We feasted on salumi and cheese platter, mussels in a savory bath with shallots and white wine, and managed to save room for a Roman-style pizza with local mushrooms, truffle oil, garlic cream and green onions.
Stopped into a local 1748 bakery in Springfield for lunch. Tried the tarragon chicken salad with lemon tahini dressing, added local kimchi and pickles, then garnished it with a sweet pastry shop biscuit. I also enjoyed the local Pura Bean cappuccino.
A downtown business meeting took me to the Ground Level coffee shop in the Bank of America tower. It serves local Bold Bean coffee, as well as a variety of 1748 Bakehouse treats and Donut Shoppe donuts.
I also stopped by Mandarin’s Le Petit Paris for a brunch of scrambled eggs, prosciutto croissant and cappuccino. Aside from the drool-worthy menu offerings, I love the Parisian vibe of this store.
Parlor Donuts has made it to Northeast Florida! I was itching to pop into the new store in Fruit Cove (formerly Twisted Compass Coffee) for a puff donut. With over a dozen flavors, I settled on a donut with coconut cream and drip coffee. The donut was warm, not too sweet, and the layers are like a buttery, flaky croissant. Heaven!
Caron Streibih is an avid foodie who reviews restaurants in the Living section. Follow her food adventures on facebook.com/caroneats and #caroneats on Instagram.