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Eating Around the World in Jax • Wizarding World of Harry Potter • Local Art Collectors free monthly guide to entertainment & more | july 2010 | eujacksonville.com 2 JULY 2010 | eu jacksonville monthly contents JULY 2010 feature page 4-8 dining around the world join EU on facebook! dish page 9 organic shopping page 10 dish update + events page 11 queen of sheba restaurant review page 11 antojitos colombian bakery life + stuff follow us on twitter! page 12 family events page 12 on the river Look for @EUJacksonville and page 13 july 4th events on the cover page 14 have kid will travel @EU_Music where you The cover image is a variation of the original page 15 wizarding world of harry potter Music Video Revival poster design by Varick can get daily music and Rosete. Varick is a designer / illustrator page 16 local shopping entertainment updates and the current president of our local AIGA page 17 reading strange chapter. See page 25 to read about the Music Video Revival and page 21 to learn more about AIGA. arts + culture eu staff page 18 theatre & cultural events page 27 sound check managing director page 18 aurora black arts festival page 27 spotlight: wild life society Shelley Henley page 19 cinderella at the alhambra page 28 featured music events creative director page 20 why art matters page 29 album review: honey chamber Rachel Best Henley page 21 AIGA: part 4 - the boardroom & page 29 album review: dan sartain copy editors Kellie Abrahamson the business suit page 30-35 music events Erin Thursby page 22 collectors choice at the cummer page 31 concert series at snyder memorial music editor food editor page 23 art events Kellie Abrahamson Erin Thursby on screen chief photographer music page 36 july movies Daniel Goncalves page 24 weird al yankovic interview page 37 special showings contributing photographer page 25 fi lmmakers and musicians join forces page 38 view from the couch Richard Abrahamson Ezra Marcos page 25 music video revival page 38 netscapades contributing writers Brenton Crozier Anna Rabhan Jack Diablo Shea Slemmer Rick Grant Alina Kodatt Emily Moody Tom Weppel Dick Kerekes Madeleine Wagner Liza Mitchell Liltera Williams Published by EU Jacksonville Newspaper. P.O. Box 11959, Jacksonville, FL 32239. Copyright 2010. Repro- duction of any artwork or copy prepared by EU Jack- sonville is strictly prohibited without written consent of the publisher. We will not be responsible for errors and/ or omissions, the Publisher’s liability for error will not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error. Articles for publication are welcome and may be sent to info@ entertainingu.com. We cannot assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. For in- formation concerning advertising phone 904-730-3003 or email [email protected]. eujacksonville.com | JULY 2010 3 Casbah, photo by erin thursby dining around the world Jacksonville sprawls, and we’re sometimes deceived into thinking our neighborhood is the only place to be. But restaurants representing cuisines from around the globe are scattered all over our fair city, often in places you’d never suspect. While the Westside has more than its share of culinary beauties, the Southside, for instance, which at fi rst glance seems blatantly commercial, is home to a plethora of independently owned restaurants, fi xing food from around the world. We’ve gathered some of Jacksonville’s hidden gems and best representatives of particular cuisines from around the world. If you crave the exotic, we hope you’ll fi nd something new to try here. by erin thursby ies are remarkably easy to fi nd in Jacksonville. The oft heard Africa Rd, 646-4455) and PK Noodles (11925 Beach Blvd, 646- lament is that most of the Thai food in town is priced higher 0707). Pho Cali, though it’s humbly situated inside a Rama- than it is in larger cities where Thai takeouts and holes-in- While African infl uence can sometimes be found in an da, is the choice for many pho fans. Bowl of Pho promises wall joints are common. But that’s because it’s popular. occasional restaurant’s dish, there’s only one place devoted excellent pho and they do deliver fragrant, steaming pho One of the newer, fancier places, Lime Leaf (9822 Tapestry to African cooking entirely. That’s The Queen of Sheba goodness. PK Noodles also serves pho and, of all things, Park Cir, 645-8568) in Tapestry Park, already has devotees. (10214 Atlantic Blvd, 721-1001). It’s all about Ethiopian Vietnamese sub sandwiches. Their boba tea is apparently It’s true that Thai in Jacksonville is served, by and large, in cuisine there. Read about that dining experience on page 11. notable, though limited in fl avors. swankier settings, but there are exceptions. Even in one of For Korean food, the most popular place to nosh is the more casual settings, such as the family-owned Taste of Sam Won Garden (4345 University Blvd S, 737-3650). Like Thai (4317 University Blvd S, 737-9009), most of the time Asia many of these ethnic fi nds, it’s in a strip mall. Korean bar- you should expect to pay around $10 and up for an entree. Three places immediately spring to mind when think- beque is excellent, so do make sure you order the pork ribs If you like Thai you’ll eventually fi nd your own neighborhood ing about Vietnamese food in Jacksonville: Pho Cali (5624 (called kalbi or galbi). favorite, and praise it profusely. While each Thai restaurant Cagle Rd, 730-7333), Bowl of Pho (9902 Old Baymeadows Though hardly as ubiquitous as sushi joints, Thai eater- has its own particular fl air, the most consistent Thai food 4 JULY 2010 | eu jacksonville monthly I’ve found is Lemongrass (9846 Old Baymeadows Rd, 645-9911). Blue Bamboo (3820 Southside Blvd, 646-1478) doesn’t focus on a par- ticular Asian country. Instead, the chef pulls from various countries, mixes in a little East meets West fusion for some delish dishes. It’s one of my favorite up- scale restaurants in Jacksonville. Europe As our culinary roots are European, seeking out Euro dining is both refresh- ing and not as far of a stretch for those who are less adventurous. We do have plenty of swanky Primi Piatti, photo by erin thursby restaurants that look to France as an inspiration- Bistro Aix (1440 San Marco Blvd, 398-1949), Orsay (3630 Park St, 381-0909), Pastiche (4260 Herschel St, 387-6213) -however there are only a few in the area owned or run by the French. French cuisine has an upscale reputation, but we should remember that the most popu- lar restaurants in France are tiny, affordable cafes. In the spirit of that, French Pantry (6301 Powers Ave, 730-8696) is pricier than fast food, but it’s still an affordable lunchtime treat for offi ce-workers in the Bowden, Lakewood or Southpoint areas. The secret is out and it can be densely crowded come lunch. Because of the bread ovens and the small size of the place, in the summertime I highly recommend ordering to go. But the food is so fantastic and fresh that I’d sweat at a table for it, elbow to elbow with other diners. JJs Bistro de Paris (7643 Gate Pkwy, 996-7557) is French owned. The other locale in Ponte Vedra is called JJ’s Liberty Bistro (330 A1A North Suite 209, 273-7980). Among other things, the French Onion soup is fantastic. (continued on page 6) Pisco’s, photo by oliver dodd eujacksonville.com | JULY 2010 5 RESTAURANTS! Athen’s Cafe, photo by erin thursby Be a part of EU’s Summer & Family Dining Guides. Contact us at [email protected] While there are lots of neighborhood joints that serve American- Mediterranean & Middle Eastern ized Italian, true Italian cuisine is rarer than you might think. The clos- est we come is the pricey and exclusive La Cena (211 Laura St N, When it comes to this region, Jacksonville doesn’t lack for eater- 633-9255) and the fabulous Primi Piatti (2722 Park St, 389-5545). ies serving up tasty (and sometimes even authentic) regional cuisine. Good German food is hard to fi nd in Jacksonville, though there Zaitoon (13475 Atlantic Blvd, 221-7066) has a Jacksonville ad- is a dubious German place that also serves pizza (which shall remain dress but it’s but not far from the Intracoastal on Atlantic. You’ll fi nd nameless and inexplicably has a rating above 80% on Urban Spoon). it in a classy strip mall (yes, there is such a thing) called the Harbor Village Shopping Center, behind a Fresh Market. It’s an upscale choice 13 Gypsies (887 Stockton St, 389-0330) should always get a for a pan-Mediterranean experience. Their wine list is also excellent, mention when it comes to European fare, though they tend not to so plan on drinking! focus on just one country. Waffa & Mike’s, photo by erin thursby 6 JULY 2010 | eu jacksonville monthly chef profi le: dennis chan Blue Bamboo pulls its menu from a host of Asian cultures, mixing things up with a little American and local influence. What is your family background? My grandparents are from Canton, China. What inspires the menu? The food that we do is Hip Asian Comfort Food, and that’s what we are inspired by on our menu. After going to school at the Culinary Institute of America, and being ex- posed to so much good food from all over the World, we do our ver- sion of great local favorites. What’s the most popular item on the menu? Our most popular dish on our ever-changing menu currently is Red Curry Shrimp and Grits.