Review: French Pantry

One of my favorite lunch spots in all of Jacksonville is The French Pantry. Located in what looks like an old warehouse, this place is truly a treasure.

Only open from 11-2:15, Monday thru Friday, there is almost always a line that goes out the door. Seating inside is at French farmhouse tables, and more than likely, you will be sharing your table with others. Your menu choices of the day are featured on 3-4 chalkboards. As you wait in line, you can check out the menus, French Pantry is well known for their Bruscetta, which is unlike any you've had! They also have salads, sandwiches, and sometimes soup. The best part is that they feature items that change daily. Sometimes you can get lucky and they will have the crab cakes or Bang Bang shrimp salad. Two things NOT to miss if you see them. This is also the kind of place where everything is made fresh for you, to order, and once they are out of that item for the day, it gets wiped from the blackboards. Drinks to choose from include water, brewed iced tea, Diet Coke, regular Coke, or Sprite. They do have coffee and espresso available.

Once you place your order, you will be directed to a table, and fresh bread quickly follows you to your table. A steamy loaf of bread served with a bowl of dipping spices, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar is yours to share with your table mates. Your food is brought out very quickly, faster than most table service restaurants. At our table that day, there was very little talking, the only sounds you could hear were sighs and groans of contentment. My party ordered the Chicken and Artichoke bruscetta with goat cheese, the Fried Shrimp and Green tomato salad, and I got the Ar

tichoke, Prosciutto, and mozzarella Bruscetta. Most items are served with a small mixed green salad. Food is never scarce here, you will be stuffed if you eat it all!

The French Pantry also has a delicious selection of desserts to choose from, and it changes daily. Popular items are the Strawberry Cake, Carrot Cake, German Chocolate cake, and the White Chocolate Cheesecake. Make sure you ask for it when you order, because if you think about it and try to get it later, it may not be available anymore! You can also purchase freshly baked bread and rolls while you're there. Some choices include French baguettes, 7 grain, whole wheat, goat cheese and sun dried tomato foccica, and their delightful goat cheese rolls.

Menu items range anywhere from $8-$12, and desserts are $5.50 a slice. Definetly check this plac out for lunch one day, trust me, you'll be hooked!

Review: Cozy Tea, Jacksonville

Recently, my co-worker and I were discussing how Jacksonville has such a lack of small cozy cafes in which you can get around with your gal pals, have a little snack, and a little bit of gossip. She then told me of a tea shop in 5 Points that she stumbled upon with her sister while shopping in the area. She said they had a huge selection of tea, and great lunch foods! We planned a trip for the next week for a visit!

Walking into the shop, I was immediately put in a better mood. I could see the selection of chocolate truffles and fresh baked scones in the glass counter. Our hostess then led us to a table. As I looked around the cafe, I noticed how cute and quaint the eating area was. The tables were all set with mismatched china and chairs. This isn't a bad thing! It just made it seem that much cozier. We then browsed through the massive selection of teas, and I finally decided on a black strawberry tea. (around $3.50 per pot, includes 1 refill)

When the individual pot of tea arrived, I was totally smitten. They even had a tag telling me it was my tea. Once I poured the first steaming hot cup, I could immediately smell the fragrant strawberry scent. The menu recommended adding sugar to the black teas to bring out the fruity flavor, so I added a teaspoon. I took a sip, and it felt like my world had just been rocked. I had never tasted a tea as exciting as this one before. I savored cup after cup of that tea, as each teapot holds 3 teacups worth, and a refill is also included in the price.

We then checked out the lunch menu, and after a hard decision, I finally decided on getting the sausage pastry roll, served with a Sour Cream Potato Soup and side salad with my choice of dressing. Other things on the menu include tea sandwiches, like turkey, chicken salad, or cucumber. You also choose just a salad, just soup, or their selection of savory pastries, which are the sausage roll, curried chicken salad, broccoli cheddar quiche, and a few others. My combo was only $8.95, a bargain for the amount of food I got! Most of the items range from about $6.00 to the $8.95 combo. The dessert menu include bread pudding, carrot cake, scones, blueberry pound cake, and chocolate tuffles, and those range from $1.25 per truffle, to about $4.99 for the cakes.

If you'd like to visit Cozy Tea, it's located in Riverside at 1029 Park Street. They are open for Brunch on Sundays, and have a full British High tea service in the afternoons. Once a month, the owner hosts an Indian dinner for $25, reservations are highly recemmonded.