12/25/12

Northeast Florida’s News & Opinion Magazine • Dec. 25, 2012-Jan. 1, 2013 • 140,000 Readers Every Week • We Play Hard To Get FREE

2 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | DECEMBER 25, 2012-JANUARY 1, 2013

EDITOR’S NOTENew Year’s resolutions for Northeast Florida beyond 2013. p. 4

NEWSDoes investment in fi reworks and other events pay off for downtown Jacksonville? p. 7

BUZZNew license plate design chosen, helicopter cops honored and hacker sentenced. p. 7

BOUQUETS & BRICKBATSPacifi c Legal Foundation, JEA board and JU business students. p. 8

SPORTSTALKSports and Jacksonville’s civic identity. p. 10

ON THE COVERGet to know a few buddies behind the bar. p. 11

OUR PICKSMOCA’s Welcome to the Future, Astronautalis, The Waiting, Color in Motion 5K, Underbelly Indie Dance Night and the Inspirata Quartet. p. 19

MOVIES“Django Unchained”: Tarantino’s latest revenge fantasy stacks the body count high with a humorous script and DiCaprio’s villainous turn. p. 20

“Jack Reacher”: “Mission Impossible” star Tom Cruise embodies a new wisecracking, sharpshooting hero. p. 21

“Les Misérables”: Powerful voices and dramatic performances resonate on screen. p. 22

MUSICAt 87 years old, blues legend B.B. King still reigns supreme. p. 24

St. Augustine’s Rivernecks keep locally sourced, Southern-fried country-rock alive in the Oldest City. p. 25

Ignored by radio, mainstream media and the Billboard charts, these are the best overlooked albums of the year. p. 26

ARTSHere are 10 tips from local actors and directors on how to get involved in local theater. p. 32

BITE-SIZEDBlack Sheep, Derby on Park and others offer diverse menus in emerging hip foodie neighborhood of 5 Points. p. 36

BACKPAGETeachers are victims of negative typecasting. p. 47

MAIL p. 5THE EYE p. 17FILM LISTING p. 23LIVE MUSIC LISTING p. 27ARTS LISTING p. 34HAPPENINGS p. 35DINING GUIDE p. 37FREEWILL ASTROLOGY p. 42I SAW U p. 43CLASSIFIEDS p. 44NEWS OF THE WEIRD p. 46

Cover design by Elaine DamascoPhoto by Walter Coker

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DECEMBER 25, 2012-JANUARY 1, 2013 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 3

So this is ChristmasAnd what have you done?Another year overAnd a new one just begun.

John Lennon released “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” in 1971 as the culmination of more

than two years of peace activism with Yoko Ono. His declaration still resonates today. Beyond the anti-war message rise tidings of hope and renewal always on our collective minds at the � ip of each calendar year.

A new year is another shot at getting things right, whether it be losing those extra pounds or spending more time with your kids. It’s also an opportunity for a city to make changes that would “take it to another level,” to use Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown’s favorite phrase.

Usually, resolutions are limited to the next calendar year, but a survey by the Jacksonville Community Council Inc. (JCCI) invites people to decide what kind of community we want to have in 2025.

� e survey examines education, jobs, housing, transportation, health care, parks, safety, infrastructure, downtown, social services and government. Many invite open-ended comments. Most of the questions give you these options: very satis� ed, somewhat satis� ed, neutral, not very satis� ed or not at all satis� ed. � e whole survey shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes, depending on how extensive your answers are.

Because JCCI wants a broad perspective of people’s opinions, the survey also asks for your gender, ZIP code, age range, ethnicity, household income, education level and length of time you have lived in Jacksonville.

A survey is only as good as the people who respond and the thoughtfulness invested in their answers. With that in mind, here is a sampling of my responses. Perhaps these will encourage you to take the survey and make the data JCCI collects stronger.All things considered, how satis� ed are you with the quality of life in Jacksonville today?

Somewhat satis� ed, but I know so many people who would answer “not at all satis� ed.” � ey can’t � nd good-paying jobs, they have a hard time getting around our sprawling city, they can’t a� ord a decent place to live, their children have few choices for education. I am lucky enough to live in the minority when it comes to these problems.What do you like most about Jacksonville?

I appreciate being close to family and longtime friends in a city that is both familiar and constantly changing. � e water, from the ocean to the rivers, paints a beautiful interactive landscape. Cultural and entertainment options percolate everywhere.In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing Jacksonville today?

Racism, both personal and institutional, continues to have a stranglehold on Jacksonville. Many still deny it. Some are blinded by it. But until we deal with it honestly and productively, we will never move forward.

Downtown su� ers because a large majority of Jacksonville’s residents don’t recognize it as the rightful center of the city. � ey don’t see their connection to it the way suburbanites

in other thriving metropolitan areas do. Downtown also battles with real — and, even more problematic, perceived — issues with parking, crime and homelessness.

Jacksonville cannot bolster its infrastructure and create the added amenities needed because of an inadequate tax base created by a tax rate that is too low and the � ight of residents to neighboring counties creating sprawl and tra� c woes.

As one of the most spread-out geographic cities, Jacksonville is in dire need of real public transportation solutions.

Despite some truly world-class magnet programs, many of Duval County’s schools struggle with real problems, including a huge student population living in poverty.When you think about the future 12 years from now, what is the most important aspect about Jacksonville that you hope is preserved or maintained?

Access to all kinds of water should be maintained and improved, whether or not you can a� ord a waterfront home or a boat. Art and entertainment venues and events should be cultivated.If you could change or improve one thing about Jacksonville, what would that be?

We must invest in downtown — as a government, as business owners, as consumers, as a citizenry. A strong core creates opportunity and excitement for change beyond its borders.

Public transportation must be seriously addressed, not just for people who can’t a� ord cars, but to tackle congestion and pollution created by sprawl.Overall, how would you rate Jacksonville as a place to live?

Good, with the potential to be excellent. We already have a location and weather that others envy. We’ve got several pieces, but we’re missing the box with the picture — the overall vision — to help us complete the puzzle.

JCCI is asking every resident of Jacksonville to take the survey and participate in one of four community meetings scheduled over the next four months.

Meanwhile, a¢ er a year of challenges, we look forward to 2013 and strive to learn from the past.

Let’s hope it’s a good oneWithout any fear. �

Denise M. [email protected]/denisereagan

Resolve to Lend Your VoiceA JCCI survey dares you to help shape Jacksonville’s destiny

RESOLUTIONS What are your resolutions for Northeast Florida in 2013 and beyond? Send your thoughts to [email protected], and we’ll publish them.

JAX2025Jan. 11: Deadline to take the survey at jax2025.org. A series of Community Visioning Events will be held 9-11 a.m. at Prime Osborn Convention Center over the next four months. Register to attend at jax2025.org.Jan. 19: It’s your city! What will we be like in 2025?Feb. 2: A vision for JacksonvilleMarch 19: Measuring change: How will we know we did it?April 27: Partnerships: Who makes JAX2025 real?May 18: The release of the JAX2025 results


Check Your HateAG Gancarski wrote “so-called No. 1 team, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame” [“Sunshine Supermen,” Sportstalk, Dec. 4].

I’m never surprised at the frequent Southern hatred of Notre Dame, but I really think that those who have at least enough writing talent to be hired by a newspaper, albeit a free one, should know better.

I’ll take the school that graduates most of its athletes over the semi-literates who are happily taken by Southern schools any day.

Your hatred is almost palpable and you really should consider a look at your love of these Southern schools. You are embarrassing yourself.

Jack MurphyJacksonville via email

Make Our City Safer for Pedestrians and CyclistsWhat good is nice weather if you can’t take a walk?

Ron Word’s article “Collision Course” [Dec. 11] shines a light on a bigger problem that threatens our children and seriously compromises the quality of life in Jacksonville: a cultural paradigm of careless and discourteous driving.

One example is fresh in my mind. Every morning, I walk my big furry dog Meeko down Hendricks Avenue to the world-famous Metro Diner. As a part of what should be a lovely walk through a lovely neighborhood, Meeko and I greet Pat and Virgil, the crossing guards, and usually some kids in front of Hendricks Elementary, wait for the walk signal and venture across the street. � is morning, as on

many mornings, a driver, this time a woman in an older dark blue minivan (you know who you are) cruised right through the red light looking at her knees, oblivious to Virgil’s frantic signaling and me yelling at the top of my lungs. Mind you, this driver was so hurried or so distracted that she didn’t notice a red light in a school zone at 8:15 a.m. on a school day, not to mention a big, yellow-clad crossing guard waving his arms and blowing his whistle and a full-grown man with a huge black dog standing in her way. Had there been little children in the crosswalk, there’s no question in my mind that she’d have run right over them. � is is shocking, but it’s not at all unusual. Motorists

speed, run this light and blow through this crosswalk several times every single morning — and probably do at every other school crosswalk in the city.

� ese are not the elderly or in� rm or wasted souls in junk cars committing these crimes, by the way. � e typical crosswalk-runner in my neighborhood is usually younger than 50, driving a pretty nice car, in a hurry to get where they’re going and willing to push people out of the way to get there. I have lived in cities all over the country, and I can say without hesitation that red-light runners and drivers who ignore or even harass pedestrians and bicyclists in Jacksonville are the worst I have ever seen. It seems to be a cultural blind spot, an accepted habit or even a sport here, but it is a scar on our community, and it has to be stopped.

As is so o� en implied in the media, it’s not the fault of walkers and bikers, but of a culture of complacency. It’s also not the fault of a sheri¡ ’s o¢ ce that has not been given the resources to monitor school crosswalks or the crossing guards who have no tra¢ c enforcement authority. � is is our collective fault.

For the administration and parents of Hendricks Elementary and other schools or churches around the city, it’s just a matter of time before one of your kids is mowed down; please take vocal, assertive and creative action now. Maybe install your own cameras, take down license numbers and put up a Wall of Shame.

For all of the good drivers who witness the same drivers doing this on your daily commute, let’s take away their anonymity. Take down license numbers and report these folks. � ey might not get a ticket, but I hope that if the sheri¡ is reading this, they will at least get a phone call.

If they’re members of your family, neighbors, co-workers or the driver sitting next to you, have the courage to excoriate them for it.

For the aggressive, careless, distracted and otherwise self-important drivers who make a sport of pushing red lights and ignoring the safety of others, it’s only a matter of time before you kill someone, maybe even an innocent child. If you won’t change your sel� sh habits, it’s also only a matter of time before one of the rest of us calls your sorry butt out on the carpet.

For my part, I would cheerfully pay a few more tax dollars to give our law enforcement o¢ cers the tools and the manpower they need to keep pedestrians and school kids safe, and I hope you will, too. In the meantime, at home, at work, in your car and in your communications with city o¢ cials and council members, please speak out for the silent majority of good drivers in this town. Report violators, use tough love on the reckless drivers that are close to you and please support any and all e¡ orts to change our driving culture and make our city safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Bill HudsonSan Marco via email

Diversity of Opinions� e recent letter-writer who criticized Folio Weekly for a lack of diverse opinions [“Print More Balanced Selection of Opinions,” Mail, Dec. 4], evidently has not been paying much attention. While Folio Weekly’s opinions are le� of center, it has consistently published a large number of contrary letters, including many of mine, and even some Backpage Editorials with a conservative and libertarian slant. Its willingness to do so has shown that

I can say without hesitation that red-light runners and drivers who ignore or even

harass pedestrians and bicyclists in Jacksonville are the worst I have ever seen. It seems to be a cultural blind spot, an

accepted habit or even a sport here, but it is a scar on our community, and it

has to be stopped.


If you would like to respond to something that appeared in Folio Weekly, please send a signed letter (no anonymous or pseudonymous mail will be printed) along with address and phone number (for verification purposes only) to [email protected] or THE MAIL, Folio Weekly, 9456 Philips Highway, Ste. 11, Jacksonville FL 32256. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.

it remembers that “liberal” is also supposed to mean “open to other views.” is contrasts it with much of Andy Johnson’s now-defunct Jacksonville progressive talk radio station and e Florida Times-Union.

While I may disagree with what Folio Weekly says, I will defend its right to say it, and I think it will defend mine. Folio Weekly is to be commended.

Roderick T. BeamanJacksonville via email

Help Save a Life ank you for your Editor’s Note on the bene� ts of and the need for blood donations here in Northeast Florida [“ e Perfect Gi� ,” Dec. 11]. You’re exactly correct: It is a very simple procedure and doing so not only makes you feel better, it can help save a life as well. I’ve been donating most of my adult life, especially a� er I found out that my blood type, O negative with the CMV negative trait, is universally acceptable, including even for prematurely born babies.

I suspect the idea that one could be afraid of needles (and if you’ve donated recently, you know they’re a much smaller diameter now) would not apply if a loved one needed a transfusion or was injured in an accident.

Another nice bene� t of giving blood is that a� er a donation, your body regenerates a pint of 100 percent pure, clean blood a� er the blood bank has taken the one � lled with various impurities that we humans put in there. I donate three or four times a year, sometimes at these events, and other times a� er a reminder call or card from e Blood Alliance.

anks for drawing attention to this important cause, which doesn’t cost anything except a few minutes of your time, and by doing so can help save a life. I remember one donation I made when my drawn blood was immediately scheduled for a local operation right here in Jacksonville. �

Mike CorraoPonte Vedra Beach via email

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Prison for Posting PicturesA 35-year-old Jacksonville man will spend the next 10 years in prison for hacking into the personal email accounts of Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera and other celebrities and posting revealing photos of them on the Internet. Prosecutors were seeking only six years behind bars for Christopher Chaney, but U.S. District Judge S. James Otero said he was concerned Chaney wouldn’t be able to control his behavior.

Walmart’s New NeighborhoodsThe fi rst of several Walmart Neighborhood Market stores has received construction approval from the city, according to Financial News & Daily Record. A $1.59 million building permit to renovate the former Food Lion supermarket at Arlington’s Merrill Station is a go. Three others are planned for Mandarin, San Pablo Road and Atlantic Boulevard.

Finally, a RaiseOn Wednesday, Dec. 19, Jacksonville Port Authority’s Board of Directors unanimously named longtime maritime executive Roy Schleicher as interim chief executive offi cer, replacing Paul Anderson who’s been hired by the Tampa Port Authority. Anderson’s new three-year contract pays $350,000 a year. He’d been at JaxPort for about two years, at $320,000 annually. In September, JaxPort increased that salary by 5 percent and gave him a $50,000 bonus, but he declined both. Schleicher has been JaxPort’s executive vice president since 2011.Photo: Jacksonville Business Journal

New Hangar, More JobsThe Jacksonville Aviation Authority has agreed to build a new $27 million hangar at Cecil Airport for Flightstar Aircraft Services, which repairs and converts aircraft. The company will lease the 150,000-square-foot hangar. Construction will take about 15 months; company offi cials estimate it will hire another 350 to 400 workers. Building costs will be split between JAA and the Florida Department of Transportation.

The owners of downtown Jacksonville hotels, bars and restaurants are probably the ones

saying “ooh” and “aah,” while the city explodes some $20,000 in � reworks from a barge in the St. Johns River.

Most of the activity for the New Year celebration centers around the Gator Bowl game and the fans from Northwestern University and Mississippi State, who � ll up hotel rooms, frequent restaurants and imbibe at local watering holes.

Gator Bowl fans and tourists are expected to bring in an estimated $12.74 million in direct expenditures and $21.86 million in total economic impact to the area, according to Visit Jacksonville, which receives its � gures from the Gator Bowl Association.

Rick Catlett, Gator Bowl Association executive director, told First Coast News that the economic impact from the Gator Bowl week would make it a Top 20-ranked local company.

� e tourist organization says as many as 15,000 people are expected to watch the New Year’s Eve � reworks show and about 60 percent of them will be town for the traditional Jan. 1 game.

Katie Kurycki, Visit Jacksonville’s director of marketing and product development, said the eight major downtown hotels and others in the area will sell an estimated 25,000 rooms each night before and a� er the big game, compared with 23,900 last year and 27,161 in 2010, when Florida State and West Virginia played.

� e Hyatt Regency Riverfront, situated on the river, and other downtown hotels are sold

out or nearly sold out already.At midnight, 12 hours before the game,

� reworks will light the night sky in downtown Jacksonville above the St. Johns River.

“Fireworks in Jacksonville are very unique and show o� our river so well. � e importance of New Year’s Eve � reworks is that we can show these out-of-town visitors a unique Jacksonville experience and hopefully we can encourage return visitation,” Kurycki said.

“We want visitors to see all there is to see and do in Jacksonville by ringing in the New Year with a spectacular show over the St. Johns River,” Kurycki said. “We are showing o� some

of our best attributes. We want to show visitors that we roll out the red carpet for them here in Jacksonville, and we would love to have them plan another trip to come back and vacation in our city.”

Kurycki said the Gator Bowl also advertises for local residents to make the football classic a holiday tradition. Ads are shown frequently on local television channels, showing the excitement of a young boy receiving Gator Bowl tickets for Christmas.

“I do know that public-private sponsorship has funded the � reworks cost for last year and this year. Support from the Tourist Development Council, North Florida Hotel

& Lodging Association, One Spark, � e Jacksonville Landing, Visit Jacksonville and the Gator Bowl made the � reworks this year possible,” Kurycki said.

Tonisha Landry-Gaines, manager of special events for the city of Jacksonville, said that because of tight city � nances, the New Year’s Eve � reworks show had not been budgeted, but she expects the city to kick in about $5,000 as part of the total $20,000.

“It will be an abbreviated � reworks show — a 5 to 10 minute show. � at’s what it always has been,” Kurycki said, noting that additional barges, used for big occasions, such as July

Fourth, add as much as $5,000 more just for barge rental, plus the cost of the � reworks, which can vary, depending on the supplier and what kind of show the city wants.

Instead of two barges of � reworks in the St. Johns River downtown for such things as the Light Parade, there will be only one barge, which is typical for the New Year’s Eve � reworks display, she said.

� e city did not kick in any money for the Nov. 24 � reworks in the Light Parade, which cost about $51,000.

� e Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl and associated events have had a positive impact on the area’s economy, bringing in an estimated

Photo: City of Jacksonville

Bang for the BucksDoes investment in fi reworks and other events pay off for downtown Jacksonville?

“We want visitors to see all there is to see and do in Jacksonville by ringing in the New Year with a

spectacular show over the St. Johns River.”


$20.47 million in 2011 and $23.35 million in 2010, according to Visit Jacksonville.

� e teams playing in the big game, where their college is located, and their fan bases make a big di� erence, Kurycki said.

For example, Florida was pitted against Ohio State last year. Instead of spending nights in local hotels, many Florida fans just drove in town for the game and then went home, taking their lodging and dining dollars with them.

Rick Mullaney — founding director of the Jacksonville University Policy Center, former mayoral candidate and former general counsel and chief of sta� for then-Mayor John Delaney — sees value in the � reworks show.

“When the people come down from Chicago [Northwestern], we want them come to Jacksonville and have a beautiful experience,” Mullaney said.

Alan Bliss, a visiting professor of history at

University of North Florida, thinks events that draw people to the downtown area, even for � reworks, are bene� cial.

“Anything that attracts positive attention to the central business district is a good thing,” Bliss said.

Bliss, who also teaches urban history and incorporates Jacksonville into his course, has researched and lectured on the city’s history.

“Fireworks — bring them on,” he said.Mayor Alvin Brown has made revitalizing

Downtown one of his priorities and has pushed for activities in the Sports Complex.

“Make no mistake about it — unlocking the full potential of Downtown Jacksonville must be a common cause,” Brown said at a news conference on Aug. 27, when he signed a bill creating the Downtown Investment Authority. �

Ron [email protected]

S.R. 200, Yulee, Dec. 11

Brickbats to the Pacifi c Legal Foundation for asking the federal government to strip the Florida manatee of its endangered species status. The California-based group represents some Citrus County business owners who say boating speed limit restrictions harm the fi shing and tourism industries. Manatee biologist Pat Rose, executive director of Save the Manatee Club, said threats to the survival of the marine mammals, which are common in the St. Johns River, continue. In 2011, extreme cold temperatures and boat collisions caused the death of 440 manatees.

Bouquets to three Jacksonville University business students for beating Wall Street and getting a 22 percent annualized rate while investing in the Dolphin Fund at JU’s Davis College of Business. The students – Thomas “Trey” Douglas, Francesa Yong and Jimmy Murphy – managed to bring the fund up $19,000 in the third quarter that ended Nov. 30, for a 5.43 percent increase, annualized at about 22 percent. That compared to an S&P return of 0.68 percent, or annualized at 3 percent, for the same period. “Beating the market is a big deal,” said Dr. Bob Boylan, chair of JU’s Department of Accounting & Finance.

Brickbats to the JEA board for not showing up. Three times this year, the seven-member JEA board has had only four members at its monthly meetings, the minimum needed for a quorum. Its members, appointed by the mayor, aren’t paid, but they agreed to serve on the board controlling electric and water bills. They apparently had a quorum when they decided to give employees a $1,250 bonus.


NewsBuzz

Heroic Helicopter Cops HonoredThe Jacksonville Sheriff’s Offi ce honored two helicopter offi cers for their heroic action that saved the lives of three people in two separate incidents this year. Offi cer Steve Vaughan received the Medal of Merit and Steve Strickland received the Medal of Valor for their May 26 mission during Tropical Storm Beryl, rescuing two men in a rip current. As Vaughan hovered, Strickland jumped in the ocean to help the men to the beach. Vaughan received a second medal for a July 23 rescue of a woman in the Intracoastal Waterway. Photo: Dan Scanlan, The Florida Times-Union

Coming to a Rear End Near YouThe votes are in – Floridians have chosen a new boring license plate. A total of 50,124 votes were cast in the online poll and the winner, with 15,441 votes, is a plate with green bars above and below the word “Florida,” with an orange for the “O.” The runner-up design, with an orange in the upper left corner, collected 14,875 votes. Before the new plate goes into production, input from the governor, Cabinet and policy-makers is factored in with the people’s selection. The Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles is upgrading to add a digit to make it easier for red-light cameras and tollbooths to read the tags.


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Jacksonville know, the city has a seemingly perpetual identity crisis. Demographically, it’s a middleweight in terms of the pantheon of cities. No, it doesn’t punch like Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or London — and it’s foolish to expect it to, given the population and resource advantages those metropolises have. However, despite that, we aspire — and by “we,” I mean our duly elected public o� cials, like Mayor Alvin Brown.

If there’s one area in which Jacksonville consistently has battled with the giants, though, it’s professional sports. It is easy to bash the Jaguars for any number of reasons, many of them valid; however, the Touchdown Jacksonville e� ort that landed the team was notable because Jacksonville shocked the sports world, wresting a team from the favorites in declining cities like St. Louis and Baltimore, declaring to all that the Sunbelt was on the rise.

We’ve seen dramatic growth here since then: new construction, led by the conversion of swampland into St. Johns Town Center, corporations relocating and thriving here, and the acceptance of a big city identity. No one expects the NFL to bring the Super Bowl back; but the Jacksonville of this decade is better-equipped to handle such an event now than it was then.

We’ve seen successful marketing regarding minor league sports, as well. � e Jacksonville Giants’ hoopsters and the arena footballers of the Jacksonville Sharks have done quite well recently. � e same can be said for the local rugby squads. We’ve seen the emergence of lacrosse, too. A lot of sports thrive here in Jacksonville. When will the market reach its saturation point?

� e mayor’s o� ce believes that there is room to grow. “On Feb. 15, 2013, when the Philadelphia Union soccer team takes to EverBank Field for its � rst game of a three-year exhibition agreement, fans will get more than a game,” the mayor’s Dec. 11 blog entry states. “It’s a benchmark on a growing list of highlights that present Jacksonville as a major sports hub and an opportunity to promote the city as prime real estate for Major League Soccer in the Southeast.”

More than a game, indeed. � e mayor’s o� ce has a lot riding on this strategy. “Just like with Florida-Georgia, the Gator Bowl, � e Players [Championship] or the Jaguars, this is a

chance to create a strong fan experience — an experience that ramps up the excitement and re� nes the ‘brand’ of our city,” Brown said in his announcement. “� at’s why I elevated the sports and entertainment role at City Hall. It’s about making Jacksonville more vibrant and competitive. But this is also about diversifying our sports portfolio and giving the fans what they want.”

� e blog goes on to highlight the sports portfolio — the Gators-Hoyas November game

on the aircra£ carrier and the Davis Cup match coming in February. A£ er the success of the U.S.-Scotland men’s soccer match in May, the countries will send their women’s teams to play an international friendly at EverBank Field in February. � ese are all great things, and we can expect more.

One of the more exciting hires by the current administration was that of Alan Verlander as executive director for sports and entertainment. Verlander has brought in a lot of sports business, and we anticipate an increase in the future. With Verlander, it’s conceivable Jacksonville might have a better shot of hosting a college football playo� game down the road.

As a sports columnist, I have mixed feelings about all of this. Jacksonville has come a long way from the sleepy Southern town it was in the middle of the last century, when Florida-Georgia and the Gator Bowl (and the paper mill funk) were the cornerstones of our civic identity. Much of that growth was sports-related — everything from pro soccer to United States Football League’s Jacksonville Bulls. We have a tradition here, and we de� nitely have the capacity to handle whatever events Verlander and the mayor’s o� ce bring in. All that is great, as the economic impact of these events might be; but questions remain.

Can these sports draw over the long haul, once the novelty wears o� ? Will these events help fuel a thriving downtown, maybe bring more sustainable economic activity to town? Is there a way to turn these e� orts into something that brings more corporate money here? And will results from these e� orts be converted into re-election for the mayor, facing formidable challenges and challengers in the not-too-distant future? Betting on sports is a lot of fun, as long as one knows how easy it is to lose. �

AG [email protected]/aggancarski

Jacksonville has come a long way from the sleepy Southern town it was in the middle of the last century,

when Florida-Georgia and the Gator Bowl (and the paper mill funk) were the cornerstones of our civic identity.

Hub BubSports and Jacksonville’s civic identity


hakep

SUIt

Story by Claire Goforth \ Photos by Walter Coker

W ith New Year’s Eve around the corner, many will be looking for a libation on the town. From dive bars to hot dance clubs, beach bars

and hip joints, Northeast Florida has a bar for every occasion, be it a celebratory night out, a cocktail with the usual suspects or just a moment to pour out your heart and drown your sorrows with a good-time gang. And at each of these watering holes, there are some seriously talented mixologists crafting cocktails, doling out advice, winning hearts and making memories with their dedicated regulars and once-in-a-while revelers.

As a “cheers” to those who shake, strain and pour for the masses, we’ve profiled a handful of these cocktail aficionados who work hard every night of the year. Just like magicians, good bartenders never reveal the tricks of the trade — or the tales told at 2 a.m.

However, we managed to convince them to share one of their secrets, and it’s not what your significant other was up to last Friday. They’ve each shared a recipe to cure your year-end blues and help ring in the New Year. Read ’em and drink! And at the end of the night, they’ll happily call you a cab.

After fi ve years in the bar business and 15 in food service, some might feel that they’ve learned everything there is to know, but Karina Hungerford isn’t the type to settle for what she’s already mastered. She genuinely enjoys discovering new drinks and creating her own, so in her spare time, the single mother often studies new concoctions and techniques to bring to her craft.

“My motto with bartending is ‘the possibilities are endless,’” the 35-year-old said. “If you can think it, we can make it.”

Recently, she and some of her fellow bartenders at Latin dance hotspot Cuba Libre created a spin on an old favorite, which they named Sex in the Caribbean. For the new cocktail, they took the traditional flavors of Sex on the Beach and added tropical, fruity flavors like watermelon, coconut and banana. The drink made such a splash, customers kept requesting it after it was taken off the specials board.

Hungerford is never happier behind the bar than when everyone is dancing and having a good time. On occasion, she’ll even get out on the floor for a spin or two. And she never hesitates to encourage her customers, even those who might not feel confident in their dancing abilities, to bust a move. “The best thing about dancing is there’s no such thing as a wrong move,” she said. “It’s all about having fun.”

Though Hungerford enjoys the nightlife, this Nicaraguan-born, Jacksonville-raised woman is a doting mother, daughter and granddaughter. “I’m very family-oriented. I love to take care of my family, I’m very helpful with my kids, my grandmother, my mom.”

Hungerford remembers what it was like to be part of the

club scene, but now she enjoys being in the industry and helping other people have a good time. “I was on the other side of the nightlife, but it’s nice to actually get to be on the opposite side and get everyone else feeling good,” she said.

Karina HungerfordCuba Libre at Havana-Jax2578 Atlantic Blvd., St. Nicholas, 399-2262, cubalibrebar.com

Christmas in the Caribbean1 oz. coconut vodka • 1 oz. banana liqueur • 1 oz. watermelon liqueur • 1 oz. pineapple juiceMix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, strain and serve in a tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of orange or pineapple.


Anthony NortonGrape & Grain Exchange and The Parlour2000 San Marco Blvd., San Marco, 396-4455, grapeandgrainexchange.com

San Marco son Anthony Norton has spent nearly half his life honing the skills palpable and palatable in every cocktail he serves. The 32-year-old partner of the recently opened gourmet package store, Grape & Grain Exchange, and adjacent Prohibition-style speakeasy-slash-jazz-club The Parlour (set to open in January), is a 15-year veteran of the food and beverage industry. Norton, who is also a student of psychology at FSCJ, has spent the last seven of those years mixing drinks and offering (mostly) free advice in bars all over town, recently at Underbelly. He takes pride in creating scrumptious fl avors out of the freshest ingredients he can get his hands on.

“I enjoy mixing drinks, the mixology part of it, the different fl avor profi les,” said Norton, mixologist and music director of The Parlour. “You get to create these awesome things that people get to consume, and it gives them a buzz.”

Along with partners Jackson Somphonphakdy and Robert “Bob” L. Smith, Norton is working on a libatious spin-off of farm-to-table: farm-to-glass. The three longtime friends believe that it makes more sense to buy from a farmer down the road than a multinational corporation. Not only is it often cheaper (and tastier!), but it keeps a lot more money circulating in the local economy. So whenever possible, they buy local.

“We’re really trying to push the movement, farm-to-glass movement, and use nothing but local, fresh ingredients,” Norton said.

The partners recently visited Palm Ridge Reserve, a small-batch bourbon-style whiskey distillery in nearby Umatilla, Fla.,

to choose barrels to sell in both sections of the establishment.“I just think it’s the coolest thing in the world to have a

Florida whiskey,” Norton said. “You can taste the love in it.”But don’t think that fresh-squeezed juice means long

waits. Before service, mixers will be squeezed, pulped and pulverized in “the lab,” a prep area that boasts an assemblage of equipment including hotplates, blenders and juicers.

“I can’t stand to go to a bar and see some guy flippin’

bottles around behind the bar, and it takes 20 minutes to get a whiskey on the rocks. When it gets busy, it’s time for business, time to be quick and efficient and make everybody’s cocktail as quick and efficient and delicious as you can,” Norton said. “I’d rather show you my tricks in my flavor profiles.”

“I enjoy mixing drinks, the mixology part of it,

the different fl avor profi les … you get to create these

awesome things that people get to consume, and it

gives them a buzz.”

Rosy Cheeks3 oz. cider • ¼ oz. lemon juice • ¼ oz. orange juice • 1½ oz. Four Roses bourbon

Pour into rocks glass over ice. Garnish with sprig of rosemary.“You can taste the bourbon in it but drink a couple without falling off your barstool.”



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Audrey DollarDog Star Tavern10 N. 2nd St., Fernandina Beach, 277-8010, facebook.com/dogstartavern

Any given night, you might fi nd Audrey Dollar cracking jokes and dancing to the music of a live band as she slings drinks at Dog Star Tavern in Fernandina Beach. After wrapping up her anthropology studies at California State with an impressive journey that included stints in Southeast Asia, Indonesia and South America, the 32-year-old Oregon native came to Northeast Florida six short months ago to escape the cold. The Dirty ’Dina feels like home to her already.

“I thought I was only gonna be here for a couple months, but I fell in love with this little island,” she said. “I love it here – I never wanna leave.”

When she’s not making delicious cherry limeades and margaritas, the silver-and-spice-tongued barkeep is probably out somewhere enjoying the Florida sunshine. She’s an avid outdoorswoman, often camping with friends, kayaking (she also works at Kayak Amelia) and stand-up paddle-boarding.

During her eight years of bartending experience, Dollar has undoubtedly served every type of customer and cocktail imaginable, some more memorable than others. But six years after she served one customer in California, the woman is still impossible to forget. In fact, it’s probably fair to say the sound of her voice rings in Audrey’s ears to this day. The customer? TV and standup star Roseanne Barr. “It was quite a memorable experience; she’s just like she is on the show,” Dollar said, “I didn’t believe it was her until I heard her screaming at her child.”

Much like her most famous customer to date – though some would argue that one local who is affectionately and somewhat notoriously known as “Mayor Dicky” claims that title – Audrey isn’t the type to hold her tongue when a quick quip comes to mind. “Most [customers] would probably comment on my sarcasm and the fact that I think I’m very funny,” she said. “Sometimes they agree, sometimes they don’t.”

Peppermint Mocha Martini1 oz. Belvedere Vodka • 1 oz. Kahlúa • 1 oz. Baileys Irish Cream • Splash of peppermint schnappsPour ingredients into shaker tin filled with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.



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Meg McCuskerRipe Bistro & Social Lounge1097 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine, 471-3177, theripebistro.com

When Meg McCusker isn’t roaming the country, she’s behind the bar at the St. Augustine slow-food eatery, Ripe Bistro & Social Lounge, serving elixirs of fresh, local ingredients with an open ear and easy smile. The 24-year-old Flagler alumnus is originally from North Carolina but has done recent stints as far away as Boston, Hawaii and on the high seas, where she worked on a cruise ship. Still, St. Augustine is home.

“St. Augustine has always been the place I’ll come back to; it’s kind of an enchanting city that keeps pulling me back in,” she said.

Though she’s currently waiting to hear about officer candidate school with either the Coast Guard or the Navy – her dream is to work in rescue and disaster aid – McCusker is more than happy to serve drinks until the next phase of her life begins. “I feel bad sometimes that I get paid for it, honestly,” she confided. “You meet a lot of interesting people, especially in a town like St. Augustine where it fluctuates with tourists all the time. … You get to hear all their stories and their advice, whether you take it or not.”

She warmly recalls a recent customer who ordered an entire bottle of wine for herself. Curious, she struck up a conversation and learned that the woman had just taken the bar exam and was treating herself to a decadent six-week journey until the results came in. “When she said goodbye, I was probably never going to see her again, but it was cool to imagine her traveling around the world,” McCusker said.

She enjoys meeting travelers, but it’s also nice to see some familiar faces. “Ninety percent of our customers are local on the beach side; they come in regularly,” she said. “We know what day they’re going to come in, what wine they want.” And when they come in, McCusker is there with a ready ear and a fresh drink made just for them – at least until she sets sail on her next journey.

Santa’s Little Helper1 oz. espresso • ¼ oz. Baileys Irish Cream • ¼ oz. hazelnut liqueur • ¼ oz. Nigori organic unfiltered sakeCombine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with a fresh sprinkle of nutmeg.



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Randy MarkgrafGator ’s Dockside8650 Baymeadows Road, Southside, 448-0500, gatorsdockside.com

To call bartending a family tradition for Randy Markgraf is a serious understatement; the 50-year-old bartender at Gator’s Dockside on Baymeadows was born and bred in the business. At the tender age of 15 in his hometown of Antigo, Wis., Randy poured his first drink for a customer at his mother’s tavern, Mark’s Bar, just across the railroad tracks from his uncle’s place, Markgraf’s Bar. Laws at the time allowed 18-year-olds to drink beer and wine only, so Mark’s Bar sold spirits and Markgraf’s Bar stuck with beer and wine.

Today, Randy has even found love with a fellow career bartender, fi ancee Libby Jones, who works at a local Moose Lodge. “Between the two of us, we have 50 years of bartending experience,” Markgraf said proudly.

Any given shift, Randy’s customers line the bar to share stories, jokes and pieces of their lives with him. Most have been coming to see him for years. In fact, Markgraf has been pouring beers and shots for the same batch of regulars so long that now, he’s pouring the stuff for some of their children, which he counts as the best part of the job. “This place is like a ‘Cheers,’” he said, “People come in, you know what they drink. … You know people’s families.”

The beloved father of four and grandfather of eight probably knows more about some of his regulars than their own families do. Because, just like in the hometown tavern his mother owned for 27 years, when Markgraf’s working, customers, coworkers and friends become part of one large agglomeration that’s as much a family as any.

The bar business has changed in the 35 years since Randy poured that first drink at the little tavern right next door to his childhood home, but for Markgraf, it hasn’t been a change so much as a metamorphosis. “I’m at an age right now where I’m not into the frou-frou stuff – the shooters – now it’s about the people,” he said. Asked whether he’ll ever leave Gator’s, where he’s been a fixture since it opened 15 years ago, he grinned. “I’m here until Rick [the owner] fires me.”

Snowshoe Grog1 ½ oz. brandy (or bourbon) • ½ oz. peppermint schnapps Pour into rocks glass with ice, stir. Garnish with a candy cane. “Up north, we drank Snowshoe Grog during the winter.”

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020508

If you have two or more of these problems, chances are you have a condition known as poly-cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is the most common endocrinopathy known – it is

caused by the excessive production of male hormone by the ovaries. Until male hormone pro-duction is controlled, recurrent dark hair growth, acne, and weight loss are likely to beproblematic. Apart from cosmetic issues - individuals with PCOS are at risk for long term

medical problems, especially diabetes and heart disease.

The Center for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is the �rst private practice of its kind,focusing on the total health concerns of the PCOS patient. Kevin L. Winslow, M.D., Daniel M.Duffy, M.D., and Michael L. Freeman, M.D. are Board-Certi�ed Reproductive Endocrinologists,

Gynecologists who have gone on to do three more years of training in the area ofgynecological endocrine problems – they are uniquely quali�ed to deal with the medical

needs of the PCOS patient. The center has a Registered Dietitian as well as an experienced

Laser Hair Removal Technician.

CENTER FOR POLYCYSTICOVARIAN SYNDROMEFLORIDA INSTITUTE FOR REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE

Jacksonville, FL 32258

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For more information or to learn more about your treatment options call

904-281-0119

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Summer GordonMarker 3214549 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach, 223-1534, marker32.com

Summer Gordon has a hard time remembering the first time she stepped behind the bar. The second-generation bartender – now following in her mother’s non-skid footsteps – practically grew up behind one. But don’t think she’s one-dimensional. The Marker 32 bartender’s interests include jujitsu, gardening and making furniture. Oh, and charity work.

“I usually raise money every year [at Christmas] for a foster family, and all my regulars are big supporters of it; we always raise $3,000 to $4,000,” she said. A friend who works in the foster care system gives her information about a family with the greatest need, and 31-year-old Gordon works double time to make their Christmas memorable. To keep the family from being disappointed, they aren’t told about the fundraiser until the money is raised.

Summer also works with her black-belt husband teaching classes and balancing the books at the Atlantic Beach cross-training mixed martial arts gym, The Training Yard, which the couple has owned for four years. And when she’s not kicking

butt, raising money for the poor or garnishing drinks, she’s busy growing an impressive crop that includes a winter garden with lettuce and cow peas, a fig tree, avocados, Meyer lemons, peaches and oranges.

Gordon might be a bit of an overachiever, but behind the bar at local slow-food restaurant Marker 32 is where she loves to be. “Everyone’s really passionate and it’s a great staff. Everyone does their job and everyone likes being there,” she said. Gordon isn’t about to limit her options or shutter her dreams, though. “I would like to open my own bar. [Because] I’m also in the health field, it will be in the field of a juice bar or a booze bar.” For this native of the Florida Keys, bartending is home. She’s so passionate about her work, she even traveled to Las Vegas in recent years to enter a bartending competition with a tequila drink she concocted. “I love it,” she said. “It’s easy and fun and we have great clients.” �

Claire [email protected]

Lady Marmalade2½ oz. Herradura Reposado tequila • ½ oz. Cointreau triple sec • 2 wedges of fresh lime • 1 teaspoon of orange marmalade • Sprinkle of cinnamonCombine all the ingredients in a tin filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a twist of orange.


1. Ambur Carter 2. Candy Keane, Brema Ebbing, Bridget Maloney, Joy Bell 3. Jessabell Darlin’ 4. Ryan Mauldin and Marcus Perez as Bumblebee and Optimus Prime 5. Aubrey Garner, Ed Dansart 6. Ashley Smith 7. DJ Nes (right) 8. Nevado Karate Arts 9. Nelson Dorado, Joaquin D’Silva 10. Patrick Gilmore, Bridget Maloney 11. Jared Wheeler, Daniel Miranda 12. Andrew Cassell

Game PlayMore than 300 video-game fans attended the

Games, Art & Music Charity Show, which included a costume contest, dancing and a silent art auction, Dec. 14 at � e Museum in St. Nicholas.

Organizers estimate the auction raised $1,200-$1,500 for “Child’s Play,” a charity focused on improving the lives of children in hospitals. Pieces in the auction were donated by video-game companies and artists, who paid homage to classic games, including “Super Mario Bros.,” “Street Fighter” and “� e Legend of Zelda.”

� e event also featured a martial arts demonstration, music from DJ Nes and food and beer from Intuition Ale Works. �

Photos by Jessica Stevens and Mary Pine

For more photos from this and other events, check out the Eye link at folioweekly.com.

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HIP-HOPASTRONAUTALIS After fi nishing his Westward Expansion Winter Tour, Jacksonville-born hip-hop artist Andy Bothwell, better known as Astronautalis, pays a visit to his hometown. Now based in Minnesota, he’s here to unleash catchy beats with a fusion of indie rock, electro and – if you’re good – a little freestyling with audience participation. Universal Green and Horus Rising open. 8 p.m. Dec. 30, Jack Rabbits, 1528 Hendricks Ave., San Marco, $10. 398-7496. jaxlive.com

BENEFIT RUNCOLOR IN MOTION 5KThese colors do run. They also jog, sprint, gallop, scamper and hustle for health and to help Hubbard House. At this week’s Color in Motion 5K (3.1 miles), runners become human canvases as volunteers throw colored powder on them at each kilometer. An after-party includes music, dancing, vendors and, yes, more color. Proceeds benefi t Hubbard House, a local charity that provides safety and support for domestic violence victims and their children. 9 a.m. Dec. 29 in Nocatee, 110 Marketside Ave., Ponte Vedra, $50. No pets. Kids may participate with a waiver and accompanied by an adult. colorinmotion5k.com/event/jacksonville

TOM PETTY TRIBUTETHE WAITING Formed out of the retired Journey tribute band Frontiers, The Waiting captures the awesome sound and energy of a Heartbreakers concert. Yes, Tom Petty sang, “The waiting is the hardest part,” but he also proclaimed, “Coming down is the hardest thing.” Figure that one out as The Waiting performs hits from Gainesville’s favorite sons. 8 p.m. Dec. 28 at Freebird Live, 200 N. First St., Jacksonville Beach, $10. 246-2473. freebirdlive.com

Reasons to leave the house this week

NEW YEAR’S EVEMOCA’S WELCOME TO THE FUTUREThe future is now — almost. The Contemporaries, a group devoted to raising awareness of the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, throws a futuristic New Year’s Eve bash, with a DJ spinning, gambling among the artwork, a midnight countdown, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and desserts that are certainly ahead of their time. Tickets include a champagne toast, fully stocked bar and local brews. Black tie optional. 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Dec. 31 at MOCA, 333 N. Laura St., Downtown. $65-$90 per person, $113-$170 per couple. 366-6911. mocajacksonville.org Photo: Courtesy of MOCA

INDIE DANCE NIGHTQUIET PEOPLE, SEA CYCLES, SHYLIGHTS, VLAD THE INHALERA new cast of indie musicians drops in weekly for Ritual ReUnion Thursdays. Tallahassee experimental electronic trio Quiet People joins Northeast Florida favorites Sea Cycles (pictured), Shylights and Vlad the Inhaler on Dec. 27. On Jan. 3, Orlando’s Nightswim takes a dip with support from DJ Ritual Union. 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Dec. 27 and Jan. 3 at Underbelly, 113 E. Bay St., Downtown, $3. 353-6067. jaxunderbelly.com

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OPERAINSPIRATA QUARTETFour classically trained singers present the “Opera in a Box” concert in their mission to take opera to new stages and new listeners. Baritone Steven Jepson (from left), soprano Elizabeth Claxton, mezzo-soprano Cheryse McLeod Lewis and tenor Duane Moody belt out the best of “Carmen,” “La Bohème” and “Madame Butterfl y” with pianist Ben Blozan. The Inspirata Quartet serves as an outreach of the nonprofi t Opera Jacksonville. 8 p.m. Jan. 5 at Flagler College’s Lewis Auditorium, 14 Granada St., St. Augustine, $30. 797-2800. Photo: Ezekial Best


DJANGO UNCHAINED***G

Rated R

Is Quentin Tarantino’s highly anticipated “Django Unchained” a road movie, a buddy

� ick, a seriously twisted Western, a love story, a revenge fantasy, a revved-up exercise in exploitation or a loopy wish-ful� lment retelling of a shameful chapter of American history?

How about all of the above? � e � lm, a disturbing and provocative — if undeniably entertaining — blend of action, comedy and drama bolstered with sterling performances by Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz and Kerry Washington, also carries the distinction of being the most violent mainstream movie of the year. � e body count is awfully high, the murders are graphic and gruesome and the blood frequently splatters and spurts, in a manner reminiscent of the revered, once-controversial director Sam Peckinpah’s violent Western spree “� e Wild Bunch,” as well as his other less celebrated � lms.

“Django Unchained” is the most recent exhibit in the continued attack on ultra-violent movies, television and video games. Tarantino has begged to di� er with those suggesting direct connections between real-life carnage and the cinematic kind. And let’s not forget the � lm’s status as a big-screen project with an unusually liberal use of the N-word, which is uttered more than 100 times. � e language retains the power to shock, and rightfully so, yet it’s perfectly apropos for the characters in this setting.

It’s 1858, “somewhere in Texas,” as titles reveal at the start of another exercise in narrative expansiveness. With a running time of two hours, 45 minutes, it doesn’t feel that long. As is the case with so many Tarantino projects — lesser � lms like this one, as well as 2009’s far superior “Inglourious Basterds,” another ultra-violent revenge fantasy — the movie is fueled by a blend of movie-revisionist quirkiness and old-fashioned adrenaline.

� e � lm’s start reveals the beginning of a beautiful friendship, as Dr. King Schultz (Waltz), a dentist turned traveling bounty

hunter, uses his wits and astonishingly quick and accurate marksmanship to o� the overseers of a slave chain gang. Schultz, like the Nazi o� cer Waltz played in “Inglourious Basterds” (earning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), at � rst comes o� as an exceedingly genteel fellow, using his oddly modulating, German-accented voice to say things like “allow me to unring this bell” and “dubious proposition.” Moments later, he administers lethal gunshots. While Schultz’s sympathies are admirable — he abhors the practice of buying and selling humans — his motives aren’t entirely pure: He taps Django (Foxx) as an accomplice in a very pro� table bounty business.

A¥ er multiple murders, beautifully photographed Western landscapes and an extended comic sequence involving Jonah Hill and a group of hilariously clumsy and addled Ku Klux Klan types, the pals end up at a plantation called Candyland, run with an iron � st by pretentious, cruel Calvin Candie (DiCaprio). � ere, the two, seen as a strange European man and his freed-slave sidekick, pretend to be Mandingo merchants seeking to buy a black man tough enough to best others in � ght-to-the-death matches.

� eir true mission: � ey plan to buy, and then free, Broomhilda von Sha¥ (Washington), Django’s wife; the two were separated long ago when sold by another cruel plantation owner (Bruce Dern, onscreen for all of 30 seconds or so). � reatening to unravel the plan is old Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), a longtime Candyland house slave whose sympathies seem to lie largely with his master.

� e � lmmaker, working from his own typically smart, humorous script, keeps the action moving at a fast clip, clearly enjoying mashing up genres and styles, referencing everything from spaghetti Westerns to Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles” to the Ku Klux Klan sequence from D.W. Gri� th’s explicitly racist “Birth of a Nation.” Yet it’s all distinctly Tarantinoesque, stamped with a recognizable personal style that viewers tend to either love or love to hate. Hard to resist. �

Philip [email protected]

Unabashed, Uncensored, UnrelentingTarantino’s latest revenge fantasy stacks body count high with humorous script and a villainous turn by DiCaprio

King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) and Django (Jamie Foxx) are on a mission to rescue Django’s wife in “Django Unchained,” directed by Quentin Tarantino. Photo: The Weinstein Company


JACK REACHER***@

Rated PG-13

Tom Cruise has a pretty good track record when it comes to action � lms (“Mission

Impossible” series, “Knight and Day”).Lee Child has an equally impressive

pedigree in action � ction, with 17 bestselling Jack Reacher novels.

So the combination of the two, with Cruise bringing to life Jack Reacher, a former military police investigator turned vagabond guardian of the less fortunate, seemed promising.

And the movie proves to be as a solid action thriller.

� is adaptation of Child’s ninth Reacher novel, “One Shot,” holds true to the plot of the book (a refreshing change from movies that make its book origins unrecognizable, like the recent “Alex Cross”).

� e story begins as a gunman opens � re in a midwestern city (Pittsburgh replaces the Indiana locale of the book), killing � ve people. Within hours, the police follow an evidence trail to a former military sniper and make an arrest. Suspect James Barr (Joseph Sikora) doesn’t confess and instead asks for Reacher.

Reacher, now retired and essentially a dri� er traveling the country by bus, can’t be found, but he sees Barr’s arrest on national news and is compelled to travel to Pittsburgh.

Barr and Reacher are not friends, however. Reacher investigated a multiple killing in the Middle East that Barr committed. For political reasons, Reacher was unable to see Barr convicted. Reacher thinks he’s coming to Pittsburgh to help the prosecution, but when he gets there, he discovers the case isn’t as cut and dried as it seemed.

Pressed into service by defense attorney Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike) as her investigator, Reacher unravels the conspiracy behind the shooting, encountering the usual assortment of obstacles — uncooperative police and district attorney, the real shooter and his boss lurking in the background with a small army of gunmen, and local hoods hired to keep Reacher at bay.

Like many of today’s action � lms, it’s best not to look too closely at the speci� c plot points but instead focus on the overall quality of the action sequences and whether the story is entertaining.

For instance, Reacher � gures out that he’s being followed by men who probably know quite a bit about what’s really going on, but rather than subdue and question them, he focuses on pursuing the local criminals hired to get in his way who probably can’t tell him anything he doesn’t already know.

Don’t examine it too critically — just sit back and enjoy the trip.

None of the individual action sequences is groundbreaking, but taken as a whole, the

movie delivers a nice combination of action and humor.

While fans of Reacher novels will recognize the plot, they may not recognize Cruise’s Reacher � tting any mental image they had. Reacher is described as a 6-foot-5-inch blond man with a 50-inch chest — more Dolph Lundgren than Tom Cruise. And this � lm Reacher is, in keeping with today’s action-� lm template, more of a cheeky, wisecracking hero than the stoic man-of-few-words portrayed in the books. � ese are issues only for hardcore Reacher book fans.

� ose unfamiliar with Child’s works might think this more closely resembles “Lethal Weapon,” as both movies feature lead characters who are former military sharpshooters unraveling the conspiracies behind homicides. A scene in which Reacher duels in hand-to-hand combat in the rain with the real killer is quite reminiscent of Martin Riggs battling evil Joshua (Gary Busey).

One might wonder why Cruise, who’s already working on the � � h installment of his “Mission Impossible” series, would need to be the star of another action series. “Jack Reacher” clearly appears to be the opening gambit for a series of Reacher movies.

If subsequent � lms can be as entertaining as this premiere e� ort, it should be a long and successful one. �

John [email protected]

Helen (Rosamund Pike) seeks help from Reacher (Tom Cruise) in defending her client in “Jack Reacher,” directed by Christopher McQuarrie. Photo: Paramount Pictures

Cruising Through the Action‘Mission Impossible’ star Tom Cruise embodies a new wisecracking, sharpshooting hero

“Lethal Weapon” (1987): Mel Gibson’s Martin Riggs is a Los Angeles cop whose skills as one of the best snipers in the world go unused until he teams with Danny Glover’s Roger Murtaugh and they square off against bad guys who are ex-special forces.

“Shooter” (2007): Stephen Hunter’s Bob Lee Swagger novels are some of the best sniper fi ction ever. Mark Wahlberg brings Swagger to the big screen in this adaptation of “Point of Impact.” The movie is enjoyable, but the books are better.

“Grosse Pointe Blank” (1997): John Cusack’s Martin Blank uses his military sniper training to become a professional hitman. And yes, studies have shown that naming your child Martin increases his chances of becoming a professional sniper.

“Sniper” (1993): Tom Berenger stars as U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Beckett, the nation’s best covert shooter, in this and two sequels.


LES MISÉRABLES ***G

Rated PG-13

“L es Misérables” is a big, lavish Hollywood production of an equally extravagant

Broadway musical. Accordingly, it looks and sounds phenomenal, and the sweeping, epic story profoundly resonates on screen nearly as well as it does when experienced live. With one big exception, however.

Russell Crowe was formerly the lead singer in a rock band, so it’s not like he can’t carry a tune. However, as Javert, the male co-lead, Crowe doesn’t have the vocal range needed to play a worthy foil to Hugh Jackman’s Jean Valjean. Javert needs to have a booming voice that matches Valjean’s from one song to the next, making the men rivals in both story and tenor.

What we get from Crowe, especially in comparison to Jackman’s impassioned, powerful voice, sounds muted and unworthy.

� e story, based on Victor Hugo’s novel and adapted for the stage by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, is set in early 1800s France and follows Inspector Javert as he searches for Valjean, who has violated his parole. A� er being shown mercy by a bishop, Valjean redeems himself with a lifetime of good deeds, including caring for Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), a young girl who was orphaned a� er her mother Fantine’s (Anne Hathaway) death.

� is is an all-singing musical, meaning even the slower talking moments are spoken in melody. And what great voices are on display! Jackman tugs at the heart during “Who Am I?” and in all his songs, and on top of that, he gives a moving dramatic performance as well. Hathaway’s “I Dreamed a Dream” is in itself probably enough to win her a supporting actress Oscar; note the way it’s � lmed, in a one-take close-up, allowing us to feel the anguish Fantine is experiencing. Sometimes, the best thing a director can do is get out of the way, so kudos to Tom Hooper (“� e King’s Speech”)

for letting Hathaway shine.Other standouts: Samantha Barks delivers

a heartbreaking version of Eponine’s “On My Own,” which she sings because she loves Marius (Eddie Redmayne), who has feelings for Cosette. “One Day More” � nds each principal believing he/she will come out on top in the end, “Lovely Ladies” is as catchy as they come, and you’ll be humming the � nale’s “Do You Hear � e People Sing?” as you leave the theater.

� e only disappointment, aside from Crowe’s feeble e¡ orts at singing? Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter do a tame version of “Master of the House,” opting for laughs more than to play up the rowdy, boisterous nature of the song.

� e story spans more than 30 years, so it’s a bit odd that it feels simultaneously rushed and long. � is is because small plot points are moved through very quickly, and some songs feel extraneous. It’s a big job to adapt this musical for the screen, and for the most part, it looks and sounds fantastic. It’s not perfect, but “Les Misérables” newcomers and fans of the Broadway show and Hugo’s gripping novel will be satis� ed. �

Dan [email protected]

Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) supports a very ill Fantine (Anne Hathaway) in “Les Misérables,” directed by Tom Hooper. Photo: Laurie Sparham, Universal Studios

Hathaway’s “I Dreamed a Dream” is in itself

probably enough to win her a supporting actress

Oscar. Sometimes, the best thing a director can do is get out of the

way. Kudos to Tom Hooper for letting Hathaway shine.

Leading VocalsPowerful voices, dramatic performances resonate on screen


FILM RATINGS**** ETHAN HUNT***@ MAVERICK**@@ JOEL GOODSEN*@@@ LES GROSSMAN

NOW SHOWINGCIRQUE DU SOLEIL: WORLDS AWAY 3D***@Not Rated • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Carmike Fleming Island, Cinemark Tinseltown, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd.Crafted for fans of the renowned circus, the Cirque du Soleil � lm uses elements from seven Cirque productions in the story of a young couple must journey through dreamlike worlds to � nd each other. The lack of a standard � lm narrative might frustrate those uninitiated to Cirque.

DABANGG 2**G@ Not Rated • AMC RegencySalman Khan stars as Chulbul, a good cop who reveals a political candidate’s criminal activity, in this Indian action � lm. “Dabangg” means fearless, and Chulbul is indeed all of that.

DJANGO UNCHAINED***GRated R • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Carmike Amelia Island, Carmike Fleming Island, Cinemark Tinseltown, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Hollywood River City, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd., Sun-Ray CinemaReviewed in this issue.

FLIGHT***@Rated R • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Hollywood River CityThe crash occurs early on here, and it’s riveting. When a jet malfunctions, Denzel Washington’s Capt. Whip Whitaker wakes from a nap and does an amazing job of bringing the plane down with limited loss of life. However, “Flight” is not a movie about � ying or about crashing. It’s a movie about alcoholism. This engaging drama satis� es, but the Hollywood ending takes away from the overall impact.

THE GUILT TRIP *G@@ Rated PG-13 • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Carmike Fleming Island, Cinemark Tinseltown, Clay Theatre, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Hollywood River City, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd.Inventor Andy Brewster (Seth Rogen) is forced to take his mother, Joyce (Barbra Streisand), on a road trip to sell his latest invention. The mother-son comedy breaks down on the trip with corny jokes and a predictable plot.

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY**G@Rated PG-13 • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Carmike Amelia Island, Carmike Fleming Island, Cinemark Tinseltown, Clay Theatre, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Hollywood River City, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd., WGHF IMAX TheatreSet before the events of “The Lord of the Rings,” Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is approached by the wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) and goes on an adventure to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. Joining him are

13 dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. On the way, Bilbo meets Gollum and takes possession of the twisted creature’s “precious,” the golden ring that � gures prominently in Frodo’s adventure in the LOTR’s trilogy.

JACK REACHER***@Rated PG-13 • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Carmike Amelia Island, Carmike Fleming Island, Cinemark Tinseltown, Clay Theatre, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Hollywood River City, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd.Reviewed in this issue.

LES MISERABLES ***GRated PG-13 • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Carmike Amelia Island, Carmike Fleming Island, Cinemark Tinseltown, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Hollywood River City, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd., San Marco TheatreReviewed in this issue.

LIFE OF PI***GRated PG • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Cinemark Tinseltown, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd.A family from Pondicherry, India, hitches a ride on a freighter. Pi Patel, a zookeeper’s son, survives a disaster in the Paci� c Ocean then forms a surprising and wondrous connection with a fearsome Bengal tiger – who goes by the name Richard Parker. Surviving on a 26-foot lifeboat, Pi continues his journey in the magical adventure � lm directed by Ang Lee and based on the novel by Yann Martel.

LINCOLN***@PG-13 • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Carmike Amelia Island, Carmike Fleming Island, Cinemark Tinseltown, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Hollywood River City, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd.Daniel Day-Lewis is known for immersing himself in his characters, and this � lm is the latest in a line of successful transformations. “Lincoln” doesn’t try to capture the president’s entire life; instead, it focuses on the � nal four months of his administration as he struggles to conclude the Civil War and cement the concept of permanent freedom for slaves he began with the Emancipation Proclamation. The great cast also includes Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, Hal Holbrook, James Spader and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Despite all these superlatives, it seems it may have been produced more to win Oscars than to entertain.

MONSTERS, INC. ***GRated G • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Carmike Amelia Island, Carmike Fleming Island, Cinemark Tinseltown, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Hollywood River City, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd.The 2001 Pixar � lm about blue behemoth Sully (John Goodman) and one-eyed green guy Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) receives the 3D treatment. The story of monsters collecting screams from kids sets the stage for the upcoming sequel, “Monsters University.”

PARENTAL GUIDANCE**G@Rated PG • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Carmike Amelia Island, Carmike Fleming Island, Cinemark Tinseltown, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Hollywood River City, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd.

Old-school Artie (Billy Crystal) and his wife Diane (Bette Midler) look after their three grandkids. The family � lm mines laughs from a generational clash, with a few touching moments.

RED DAWN**@@Rated PG-13 • AMC Regency SquareWhen America is overrun by foreign invaders, a group of teens hide out in the woods, eventually evolving into a band of badass freedom � ghters. The jingoistic battle fest lacks the innocence and heart of the original, but pumped-up action are the remake’s only redeeming quality.

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS***@Rated PG • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Carmike Fleming Island, Cinemark Tinseltown, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Hollywood River City, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd.The animated Dreamworks feature is based on William Joyce’s “The Guardians of Childhood” series, featuring a League of Extraordinary Mythical Characters. This reinvention of those classic characters establishes its vision of old friends as a group of mythical avengers, quickly jumping into the action of their battle with Pitch Black. Kids will like this movie, but think twice about taking children 4 and younger – much of the movie is a dark battle between Pitch and the Guardians.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK**@@ Rated R • AMC Orange Park, Cinemark Tinseltown, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd.After eight months in a mental institution, Pat (Bradley Cooper) leaves under dubious circumstances. Though he was there because his wife’s adultery sent him over the edge, he’s determined to � x the marriage. Problem is, he isn’t allowed to contact his wife, who wants nothing to do with him, and he knows his parents (Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver) are keeping something from him, which makes him more unstable. Through a mutual friend, he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a reformed slut who claims she’ll get a message to Pat’s wife in exchange for a favor: Pat needs to take dance lessons with Tiffany. He resists, then acquiesces, as writer/director David O. Russell’s predictable story plays on.

SKYFALL**G@Rated PG-13 • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Carmike Fleming Island, Cinemark Tinseltown, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Hollywood River City, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd.Like any good James Bond movie, “Skyfall” jumps off to a rip-roaring start with its opening gambit. Enjoy that extended action sequence while it lasts – it’s de� nitely the singular highlight of the latest installment in the series. In this one, James Bond is an aging and beat-up agent who may no longer be up to the task. That’s a bit jarring, because Daniel Craig’s Bond was a brand-new 007 in “Casino Royale,” where his inexperience as a spy was an issue. Bond is missing and presumed dead after being shot while on a failed mission. Meanwhile, MI6 and M (Judi Dench, in her seventh Bond � lm) are under attack. Craig has signed on for two more Bond � lms. Let’s hope the � lmmakers can ratchet up the action in the future.

THIS IS 40 **G@Rated R • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Carmike Fleming Island, Cinemark Tinseltown, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Hollywood River City, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd.This “sort-of” sequel bears little connection to “Knocked Up,” following Pete (Paul Rudd) and Deb (Leslie Mann) as they deal with their two daughters, � nancial struggles and their fathers. The dramedy, directed by Judd Apatow (Mann’s husband), delivers many big laughs, but the dramatic segments boil down to Pete and Deb yelling at each other.

TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN – PART 2**G@Rated PG-13 • AMC Orange Park, AMC Regency Square, Cinemark Tinseltown, Epic Theatre St. Augustine, Hollywood River City, Regal AvenuesThe franchise ends on a high note. It’s still full of lame dialog, wooden acting, illogical plotlines and cheesy visual effects, but darn if this action-packed � nale doesn’t � nd a way to work. The action is up-tempo and reasonably well done, even if the wolves still look fake. The picture also looks cleaner than in the past; colors pop, and some nifty post-production editing using slow motion, dissolves and visual effects make it a pleasant experience on the eyes.

WRECK-IT RALPH ***@Rated PG • AMC Regency Square, Regal Avenues, Regal Beach Blvd.Typecast as the villain, Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) has good reason to feel unappreciated. He’s still smarting from 30 years of being dropped off a building and into the mud by Fix-It Felix. Ralph just wants to be the hero for once. Director Rich Moore (“Futurama”) balances gamer cool and kid-friendly fun. He delivers a � lm that resonates with a “Toy Story” premise for the arcade, but it’s not quite up to the standard of gamer classic “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.”

OTHER FILMSLATITUDE CINEGRILLE “Taken 2” and “Arthur Christmas” screen at Latitude 30 CineGrille, 10370 Philips Highway, Southside. Call for showtimes. 365-5555.

POT BELLY’S CINEMA “Here Comes the Boom,” “Looper,” “The Master” and “Searching for Sugarman” are shown at Pot Belly’s, 36 Granada St., St. Augustine. 829-3101.

WORLD GOLF HALL OF FAME IMAX THEATER “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is screened along with “Deep Sea 3D” and “To The Arctic 3D” at World Golf Hall of Fame Village, 1 World Golf Place, St. Augustine. 940-IMAX. worldgol� max.com

NEW ON DVD & BLU-RAYKILLER JOETexas drug dealer Chris (Emile Hirsch), deep in debt, decides the only solution is to murder his mother for her life insurance money. He and his father (Thomas Haden Church) hire Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a contract killer who also just happens to be a police detective.

PREMIUM RUSHA Manhattan bike messenger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) picks up an envelope for delivery, which puts him on the radar of a dirty cop, who pursues the cyclist throughout New York City. What seems like a routine task turns into a life-or-death chase.

RESIDENT EVIL 5: RETRIBUTIONThis sequel stars Milla Jovovich as Alice, a badass warrior who � ghts against Umbrella Corp. and various zombies. In this sci-� action � lm, Alice tries to escape from an underwater base in the Arctic Circle.

THE WORDSNovelist Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper) faces the consequences of stealing another man’s work, but he’s just a character in Clay Hammond’s new novel “The Words.” Confused? Don’t worry — the � lm’s not nearly as deep as it aspires to be. Ironically, the main problem in this suspense drama is the writing. �

Hitting the big 4-0 may cause laughter – and a few marital dif� culties – in “This Is 40,” starring Iris Apatow (from left), Maude Apatow, Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. Photo: Universal Pictures

AMELIA ISLAND Carmike 7, 1132 S. 14th St., Fernanddina Beach,261-9867ARLINGTON & REGENCY AMC Regency 24, 9451 Regency Square Blvd., 264-3888BAYMEADOWS & MANDARIN Regal Avenues 20, 9525 Philips Highway, 538-3889BEACHES Regal Beach Blvd. 18, 14051 Beach Blvd., 992-4398FIVE POINTS Sun-Ray Cinema@5Points, 1028 Park St., 359-0047GREEN COVE SPRINGS Clay Theatre, 326 Walnut St., 284-9012NORTHSIDE Hollywood 14, River City Marketplace, 12884 City Center Blvd., 757-9880

ORANGE PARK AMC Orange Park 24, 1910 Wells Road, (888) AMC-4FUNCarmike 12, 1820 Town Center Blvd., Fleming Island, 621-0221SAN MARCO San Marco Theatre, 1996 San Marco Blvd., 396-4845SOUTHSIDE Cinemark Tinseltown, 4535 Southside Blvd., 998-2122ST. AUGUSTINE Epic Theatres, 112 Theatre Drive, 797-5757IMAX Theater, World Golf Village, 940-IMAXPot Belly’s, 36 Granada St., 829-3101

AREA THEATERS




PROMISE OF BENEFIT SUPPORT ASK FOR ACTION Produced by cs checked by Sales Rep SS

© 2012 FolioWeekly

B.B. KING8 p.m. Jan. 6The Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth St., DowntownTickets: $41-$71355-2787, fl oridatheatre.com

When I was 14 years old, my uncle took me to see B.B. King perform in Orlando. I

was a diligent little guitar player who’d just discovered the blues, and B.B. King was the most famous bluesman in the world. � e tickets were expensive, but I remember my reasoning with my uncle: “He’s 71 years old and might not be around for much longer. We have to go see him now.”

Sixteen years later, Riley B. King is 87 years old — and still performing with the gusto that he had in 1996 … and 1986 and 1976 and 1966 and 1956 and 1946. He will certainly pass through to the great juke joint in the sky one day — but for now, he remains the undisputed king of the blues.

Best of all, King isn’t just some slick axe-slinger; he’s made 75 albums, and earned 15 Grammys, four honorary doctorates, � ve W.C. Handy Blues Foundation Awards, three NAACP Image Awards and a boatload of other lifetime achievement recognitions. � ough he’s performed in his trademark tuxedo for the last 50 years or so, King represents a � esh-and-blood connection to the blues’ primal roots.

Born on a cotton farm deep in the Mississippi Delta, he grew up in a sharecroppers’ cabin, working the � elds from sunup to sundown for 75 cents a day, dreaming of a better life as a musician. An early preacher � rst stoked the young King’s interest in the guitar, while more renowned artists like Blind Lemon Je� erson, Lonnie Johnson, Bukka White, Count Basie, T-Bone Walker and Django Reinhardt provided far-� ung inspiration. And King pulled from all of their approaches: ragged blues, silky R&B, crackling rock ‘n’ roll and cool jazz.

A¤ er World War II, King set o� to Memphis to pursue his dream. He found daytime work in cotton mills and steel factories and nighttime gigs as a session guitarist and radio DJ. All that immersion in the city’s thriving blues scene gave King the nickname “Beale Street Blues Boy,” which was quickly shortened to B.B. And by 1949, King was more than just another face in the crowd. He cut records with Sam Phillips, who went on to launch Johnny Cash’s and Elvis Presley’s careers. He assembled his own horn-heavy ensemble that specialized in an appealing mix of blues, jazz and R&B. And, in the � rst of many smart business moves,

he founded his own record label, Blues Boy Kingdom, and started touring the nation.

� e accolades piled up fast and furious: In 1956, he played an astounding 342 shows, and by the end of that decade, he had more than 15 No. 1 records to his name. In 1962, he signed with ABC-Paramount Records, which became MCA, which turned into Ge� en, the label he still belongs to today. In 1969, King opened for � e Rolling Stones on their epic American tour, and in 1971, he won a Grammy for his signature song, “� e � rill Is Gone.” In 1980, Gibson Guitars released the � rst of King’s signature “Lucille” models, and in ’87, he joined the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in the institution’s esteemed sophomore class.

In the 1990s, as baby boomers and young a� cionados alike rediscovered the blues, King’s stature continued to rise. � e � rst B.B. King’s Blues Club opened in his old Memphis stomping grounds in 1991, with franchises following in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, West Palm Beach, Orlando and Las Vegas. King was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, the National Medal of Arts in ’90, the National Heritage Fellowship in ’91, and Kennedy Center Honors in 1995. He’s performed for the last four U.S. presidents, the Queen of England and even the Pope. President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006.

� roughout it all, B.B. King has maintained his unbelievable work ethic, playing 300 shows a year well into his 70s, and he’s now slowing down to 100 a year as he approaches 90. Blues purists o¤ en sco� at King’s slick crossover appeal, his big-city business interests and his countless endorsement deals, but that attitude fails to take into consideration the circumstances from whence he rose. He picked cotton for the � rst 10 years of his life. He lost his mother and grandmother before he was a pre-teen. He ran away from his father, from his � rst wife, from the sharecroppers’ cabin and from anything that held him back from a career in music.

In fact, King was the � rst to admit, in his 1996 autobiography “Blues All Around Me,” that he’d been running from nearly everything his whole life. Everything, that is, except the guitar. “� e guitar is a voice unlike any other,” he wrote. “� e guitar is a miracle. Out of the strings and the frets comes this personality of a unique human being.”

Lucky for us, that voice — that personality — has yet to be silenced. �

Nick [email protected]

All Hail the KingAt 87 years old, blues legend B.B. King still reigns supreme

B.B. King, 87, provides a connection to past greats, including Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, as well as the blues’ primal roots. Photo: Universal Music Group


RIVERNECKS with NATURAL CHILD, WETLANDS, WET NURSE, DJ LA MARS7 p.m. Dec. 29Nobby’s, 10 Anastasia Blvd., St. AugustineTickets: $10825-4959

St. Augustine’s homegrown music scene is packed full of sassy singer-songwriters,

punk-rock poets and reggae royalty. Local sextet Rivernecks, though, is � ying the � ag for locally sourced, Southern-fried country rock. If you’re looking for a ramshackle good time that pays tribute to Northeast Floridians’ love of � shing, drinking, smoking and raising hell, Rivernecks’ new self-titled album � lls the bill. Songs like “High Country,” “Florida’s Burning,” “I Wanna Be Bad” and “Food from the River” give listeners a good inclination of where Jacob Hamilton (vocals/guitars), Lucas Quincy-Smith (vocals/acoustic guitar/banjo), Terri Gamble (vocals), J. Lee Driskell (bass), Andrew Virga (guitars) and Jon Reinertsen (drums) stand.

To fully experience the whole rip-roarin’ Rivernecks package, you have to witness the band’s shambling, intoxicating live show � rsthand and — lucky you — they’re having a CD release party at Nobby’s in St. Augustine this week. Folio Weekly caught up with Rivernecks co-frontman Jacob Hamilton a� er (you guessed it) a productive day on the water, to talk about embracing country music, the new album’s organic creative process and being “the laziest band in the world.”

Folio Weekly: How’s it going, Jacob?Jacob Hamilton: Great. Just got done � shing. Caught some sheepshead, some � ounder and some mullet.

F.W.: How appropriate. Tell us about the Rivernecks’ new self-titled debut album.J.H.: We started it last January, so it’s taken almost a year. We’re the laziest band in the world — the artwork is still getting � nished as we speak. But the music has been done for a long time. We knocked that out pretty quickly and added a few new tracks recently.

F.W.: What was the recording process like? Was everything done locally?J.H.: All the songs were written at my house [in Crescent Beach] and recorded at my house. We mastered it there, too, so it feels really organic — we’re releasing it ourselves with no label involved. I wanted it to be done all in the same place with no one else’s hands on it. Next time, we might go somewhere

else if we feel comfortable. But doing it this way felt really good.

F.W.: Everyone in Rivernecks is also in other bands in St. Augustine and Gainesville. How does this project di� er from what those bands create?J.H.: For me, I’ve never been in a country band before. And this is just straight-up country, although we’ve actually been calling it “stoner country” lately because every song references that. My roommate

Lucas Quincy-Smith and I were always on the river together fishing, hanging out and listening to country music. So we just started playing acoustic guitars — for the first year, it was just us two. Then, we decided to get Terri Gamble to sing with us, because her voice is amazing, and then we wanted to make it a full band, although we were worried about how complicated things would get. But it ended up filling out really quick, with Andrew Virga on guitar, J. Lee Driskell on bass and Jon Reinertsen from Gainesville on drums.

F.W.: � ough there are six people in the band, the whole album feels so intimate and close to the bone.J.H.: Exactly. � at’s it. Most of my bands play loud punk or rock ’n’ roll, but at the beginning, there was nothing electric about Rivernecks. Now, we’re a full six-piece rockin’

country band, but initially it was very simple. In fact, Lucas and I wrote the whole album on acoustic guitars. � e new stu� we’ve written since as a full band has been a lot bluesier and more on the rockin’ side of outlaw country.

F.W.: How hard is it to get everyone together, whether for recording, writing, practicing or live performances?J.H.: It is hard to make things happen. We’ve mainly just done local shows around Northeast Florida, although we’ve played in

Gainesville a bunch and Tampa a little bit. We wanted to wait until we got an album out to do any real touring, though. So we’re � guring out what we can do together. All of us are a little older and pretty committed to our lives, but at the same time, none of us have kids, none of us are married and none us have 9-to-5 jobs. So we’re planning on touring for sure to get the album out, and [we’re] writing a lot of new songs, too.

F.W.: How can fans purchase the new album? Understandably, Rivernecks don’t have too much of an online presence.J.H.: We will do some mail order, and No Idea Records will have it through their distribution, too, along with local record stores. But the easiest and best way will be to get the album at our shows. �

Nick [email protected]

Down by the RiverSt. Augustine’s Rivernecks keep locally sourced, Southern-fried country-rock alive in the Oldest City

“At the beginning, there was nothing electric about Rivernecks. Now, we’re a full six-piece rockin’

country band. The new stuff we’ve written since as a full band has been a lot bluesier and more

on the rockin’ side of outlaw country.”

St. Augustine band Rivernecks – Terri Gamble (back row, from left), Jon Reinertsen, Jacob Hamilton and J. Lee Driskell (front row, from left), Lucas Quincy-Smith and Andrew Virga – rock a Southern-fried country sound with bluesy infl uences. Photo: Courtesy of Jacob Hamilton


1. Archie Powell & The Exports: “Great Ideas in Action” (Good Land Records)A CD’s title invites ridicule if the music doesn’t deliver the goods. Nothing to worry about here – Powell and his band crank out one rocking pop gem after another. For energetic power pop fans, your ship has come in with this gem.

2. Prima Donna: “Bless This Mess” (Acetate Records)Green Day chose Prima Donna to open their shows on their Europe and Asia tours. That says something – but what speaks loudest is the music on the band’s third album. The CD brings together fi rst-wave punk and glam rock infl uences and packs them within concise, boisterous and hyper-catchy tracks that will remind listeners how much fun no-frills, high-energy rock can be.

3. Kevin Bowe + The Okemah Prophets: “Natchez Trace” (Okemah Prophets Records) Bowe has written songs for Kenny Wayne Shepherd (“Riverside”), Etta James and Paul Westerberg, to name a few. “Natchez Trace” shows why he’s so much in demand. It touches on soul, country, pop, psychedelic and acoustic rock, suggesting Bowe should keep some of his tunes for his own albums more often.

4. The Mastersons: “Birds Fly South” (New West)The husband-and-wife duo that is the Mastersons – Eleanor Whitmore and Chris Masterson – have been key members of Steve Earle’s latest backing group. They’re going to get noticed as major songwriting talents in their own right, though, with this auspicious debut, which often strikes a winning balance between country twang and tuneful rock.

5. The dB’s: “Falling Off the Sky” (Bar/None) This album brings back the original dB’s (featuring Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple) – one of the best pop bands of the ’80s. The band hasn’t lost its touch: “Falling Off the Sky” is a stirring reminder of the considerable talent the dB’s always possessed.

6. Claude Hay: “I Love Hate You” (128 Records) Hay is literally a one-man band, playing all the instruments on his albums himself in the studio and on stage. This doesn’t stop him from creating a big bluesy rock sound – which is matched by some great stomping blues-rock on the title song and “Don’t Bring Me Down,” driving rock on “Good Times,” some thumping mountain soul on “Narrow Mind” and a whole lot more.

7. The Big Cats: “The Ancient Art of Leaving: Two Parts” (Max Recordings)This band, based in Little Rock, Ark., has only

made albums and performed live sporadically over its two-decade existence. This album, with its strong collection of classic guitar pop, makes one wish these Cats could record more often.

8. Kevin Gordon: “Gloryland” (Crowville Media)The centerpiece of Gordon’s sixth album is “Colfax/Step In Time,” in which Gordon spins a vivid portrait of his days in seventh grade band, which becomes a chilling and ultimately triumphant look at race relations – all set to a tense, bluesy melody that segues into the rousing, gospel-accented “Step In Time.” The rest of this rootsy album is just as good, as Gordon once again shows he’s one of the most overlooked songwriter/artists in music.

9. The Dirty Guv’nahs: “Somewhere Beneath These Southern Skies” (Dualtone)This is about as old school as albums get these days. And that’s just fi ne, because The Dirty Guv’nahs have the songwriting chops and the passion to make any fan of soul-tinged guitar rock stand up and take notice.

10. 8MM: “Between the Devil and Two Black Hearts” (ChelseaGirl Records)Usually, the track record for albums featuring artists from acting, dance and other disciplines is not great. But this duo, made up of producer/mixer Sean Beavan and his wife, “Stop Staring!” model Juliette Beavan, is the exception. Their fi fth release shows an impressive command of both Americana and epic U2-ish rock. �

Worth a LookIgnored by radio, mainstream media and the Billboard charts, here are the best overlooked albums of 2012

Prima Donna mixes fi rst-wave punk and glam rock in their 2012 album “Bless This Mess.” Photo: Acetate Records

THE BEST OF THE REST Gregory Pepper and His Problems: “Crystal Skull Mountain” (Fake Four Inc.); Amy Cook: “Summer Skin” (Roothouse Records/Thirty Tigers); The Henry Clay People: “Twenty-fi ve for the Rest of our Lives” (TBD Records); Sugar & The Hi-Lows: “Sugar & The Hi-Lows” (self-released); Amy Gore & Her Valentines: “In Love” (Space Lion Records); Hacienda: “Shakedown” (Collective Sounds); Jessie Baylin: “Little Spark” (Blonde Rat); Cosmo Jarvis: “Think Bigger” (25th Fame Productions/Middle Ground Records); Ty Segall: “Twins” (Drag City); and Waco Brothers & Paul Burch: “Great Chicago Fire” (Bloodshot).

Alan [email protected]


CONCERTS THIS WEEKJJ GREY & MOFRO, SWAMP CABBAGE Southern rock blues, 6 p.m. Dec. 27, Mavericks, 2 Independent Drive, Downtown, $25-$35, 356-1110.YOU BLEW IT!, DIKEMBE, LOCALS, KATO Punk and emo acts from Orlando, Gainesville and Jacksonville, 8 p.m. Dec. 27, Burro Bar, 100 E. Adams St., Downtown, $8, 353-4686.JB SCOTT’S SWINGIN’ ALLSTARS Jazz, 8 p.m. Dec. 27, European Street Café, 1704 San Marco Blvd., San Marco, $10, 398-9500.VIKTR, ASKMEIFICARE, DICTATOR, K-OS, STUBBILY MUG Experimental, 8 p.m. Dec. 27, Jack Rabbits, 1528 Hendricks Ave., San Marco, $8, 398-7496.QUIET PEOPLE, SEA CYCLES, SHYLIGHTS, VLAD THE INHALER Indie dance night, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Dec. 27, Underbelly, 113 E. Bay St., Downtown, $3, 353-6067.STOKESWOOD, ZAK THE BLACK Atlanta lo-fi indie rock, 9 p.m. Dec. 27, 1904 Music Hall, 19 N. Ocean St., Downtown, $7.SOUL GRAVY St. Simons Island blues, 9:30 p.m. Dec. 28, Dog Star Tavern, 10 N. Second St., Fernandina Beach, free, 277-8010.THE WAITING Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers tribute, 8 p.m. Dec. 28, Freebird Live, 200 N. First St., Jax Beach, $10, 246-2473.WHOLE WHEAT BREAD, ADULT CRASH, PIEDMONT KINGS, SELF EMPLOYED, BEAU CRUM Dirty South punk rock, 8 p.m. Dec. 28, Jack Rabbits, 1528 Hendricks Ave., San Marco, $8, 398-7496.NAMELESS GUARDIAN, SAMUEL SANDERS, MASTER RADICAL CD release party, 9 p.m. Dec. 28, 1904 Music Hall, 19 N. Ocean St., Downtown, $10 in advance, $7 at the door.THE RIDE Local classic rock, 9:30 p.m. Dec. 28 & 29, Whitey’s Fish Camp, 2032 C.R. 220, Orange Park, 269-4198.RIVERNECKS, NATURAL CHILD, WETLANDS, WET NURSE, DJ LA MARS Southern-fried country rock band from St. Augustine, 7 p.m. Dec. 29, Nobby’s, 10 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine, $10, 547-2188.ANTIQUE ANIMALS, THE DOG APOLLO, NORTHE, OPIATE EYESJacksonville indie rock, 8 p.m. Dec. 29, Freebird Live, 200 N. First St., Jax Beach, $10, 246-2473.MEANZ OF OPERATION Hip-hop, CD release party, 8 p.m. Dec. 29, Brewster’s Roc Bar, 845 University Blvd., Arlington, $10, 223-9850.ALLEN SHADD Bluegrass, 8 p.m. Dec. 29, European Street Café, 5500 Beach Blvd., Southside, $10. 399-1740.SWAMP CABBAGE Savannah blues jam band, 9:30 p.m. Dec. 29, Dog Star Tavern, 10 N. Second St., Fernandina Beach, free, 277-8010.DRAEKON, WAKE THE LIVING, KILO KAHN Dark symphonic power metal, 8 p.m. Dec. 29, Jack Rabbits, 1528 Hendricks Ave., San Marco, $8, 398-7496.ONWARD TO OLYMPAS, GREY FOX, IN ALCATRAZ 1962, IN TOO DEEP, CADIENCE Metal, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 29, Murray Hill Theatre, 932 Edgewood Ave. S., Murray Hill, $10, 388-7807.ASTRONAUTALIS, UNIVERSAL GREEN, HORUS RISING Hip-hop, 8 p.m. Dec. 30, Jack Rabbits, 1528 Hendricks Ave., San Marco, $10, 398-7496.ADD/C, ONE TIMERS, GROUND PALACE, SCUM OF THE EARTH, REAL DRAG, THE TREATS, SMUG ALERT!Punk rock, 8 p.m. Dec. 30 at Nobby’s, 10 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine, $5-$8, 547-2188.DALTON CYR The pop singer-songwriter from Jax Beach offers a New Year’s Eve party for the younger set with a noon balloon drop, 11 a.m.-noon Dec. 31 at The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra, 50 Executive Way, Ponte Vedra Beach, $5. 280-0614.SMOKIN’ ACES Kickass rock, 6 p.m. Dec. 31, Mavericks, 2 Independent Drive, Downtown, $25-$35, 356-1110.

FUTURE VIRGINS, POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS, THE COUGS, OL SCRATCH, TELEPATHIC LINES, THE RESONANTS, LEAH YEPPI, ANNA BANANA Punk rock, 8 p.m. Dec. 31 at Nobby’s, 10 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine, $5-$8, 547-2188.ANTIQUE ANIMALS Local indie rockers ring in 2013, 11 p.m. Dec. 31, Underbelly, 113 E. Bay St., Downtown, $5, 353-6067.SIR CHARLES, MIGHTY HIGH COUP, VLAD THE INHALER, LUCKY COSTELLO, MASON MASTERS, TRAP NASTY, S.P.O.R.E., TAYLOR WELLS, KEVIN VELARDE, BIT DEFF, JORDAN JOSEPH New Year’s Eve celebration, 9 p.m. Dec. 31, 1904 Music Hall, 19 N. Ocean St., Downtown, $15.kLoB Alternative rock, 9 p.m. Dec. 31, Dog Star Tavern, 10 N. Second St., Fernandina Beach, free, 277-8010.KING DJANGO, THE SNAILS, MATT MacLEOD, 74 SOUND SYSTEM Ska, rocksteady and reggae, 8 p.m. Jan. 1, Burro

Bar, 100 E. Adams St., Downtown, $7, 353-4686.STONE STREET, MATT HENDERSON & FRIENDS, ON GUARD Atmospheric groove rock, 6 p.m. Jan. 2, 1904 Music Hall, 19 N. Ocean St., Downtown, Free.THEE HOLY GHOSTS, THE MOLD Gainesville beach-punk, 9 p.m. Jan. 2, Nobby’s, 10 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine, $4, 547-2188.WAXAHATCHEE, PITY SEX, ANTIQUE ANIMALS, ROBBIE FREEMAN Folk, indie and punk, 8 p.m. Jan. 2, Burro Bar, 100 E. Adams St., Downtown, $5, 353-4686.SLICKWATERSouthern soul and blues-rock band from Jax Beach appears for First Wednesday Art Walk, 5-9 p.m. Jan. 2, Hemming Plaza, 231 N. Hogan St., Downtown, free.

Mon-

Tues-

Wed-

Thurs-

Fri-

Sat-

Sun-

Men’s Night OutBeer Pong 9pm$1 Draft $5 PitchersFree PoolDJ BGALL U CAN EAT CRABLEGSTexas Hold ’EmSTARTS AT 7 P.M.

Bar Bingo/KaraokeKIDS EAT FREE FROM 5 P.M. TO 9 P.M. HAPPY HOUR ALL NIGHTBUY 10 WINGS GET 10 WINGS FREE1/2 PRICED APPETIZERS (BAR ONLY) 5 P.M.-CLOSE

DJ BGRedneck Red Solo Cup Night!1/2 PRICED DRINKS 10 P.M-12. A.M.

The Ride 9:30pm1/2 PRICE APPS-FRI (BAR ONLY) 4-7PM DECK MUSIC 5 P.M.-9 P.M.

The Ride 9:30pmDECK MUSIC 5 P.M.-9 P.M.

Live Band 4pm-8pm

The Best Live Musicin St. Augustine!

“Join us for Blu�, Rock & Funk”December 26

Reggae Swat Team

December 27Billy Buchanan & Free Avenue

December 28 Chillula

December 29, 30 & 31The Committee

FreebirdLive.com

FRIDAY DECEMBER 28

THE WAITING(TOM PETTY TRIBUTE BAND)

SATURDAY DECEMBER 29

ANTIQUE ANIMALS NORTHE

THE DOG APOLLO / OPIATE EYESFRIDAY JANUARY 4

GREENSKY BLUEGRASS Grandpa’s Cough Medicine

SATURDAY JANUARY 5

BRUISED GRASSGHOST LIGHT ROAD

Southern Feather BandFRIDAY JANUARY 11

THE DEVIL MAKES THREEPHILLIP ROEBUCK

SATURDAY JANUARY 12

ZACH DEPUTYChristopher Hawley

THURSDAY JANUARY 17

G A L AC T I C ART OFFICIAL

FRIDAY JANUARY 18

DIRTY SHANNON/CHARLIE WALKERSPLIT TONE/BUILT TO BE BROKEN

SUNDAY JANUARY 20

YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND

SATURDAY JANUARY 26

CandleboxHORNIT/BLEEDING

IN STEREOTHURSDAY JANUARY 31 & FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1

G-LOVESPECIAL SAUCESWEAR AND SHAKE

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6

SOUL ASYLUMAND GUESTS

UPCOMING SHOWS

2-10: Reel Big Fish/The Pilfers

2-13: Hatebreed/Shadows Fall/

Dying Fetus

2-23: Lotus/Moon Hooch

2-24: Dark Star Orchestra

2-27: Every Time I Die/Acacia Strain

3-4: Excision/Paper Diamonds

3-14: Pinback

5-5: Donna the Buffalo

King Django, former Stubborn All-Stars frontman, mixes ska, rocksteady and reggae with support from The Snails, Matt Macleod and 74 Sound System, Jan. 1 at Burro Bar in Downtown Jacksonville.


UPCOMING CONCERTSCAPRADIUM, HOMEMADE THE BAND Jan. 3, Jack RabbitsJACK WILLIAMS Jan. 3, European Street Café San MarcoELECTRIC CADILLAC & FRIENDS Jan. 3, 1904 Music HallNIGHTSWIM, DJ RITUAL UNION Jan. 3, UnderbellyGREENSKY BLUEGRASS, GRANDPA’S COUGH MEDICINE Jan. 4, Freebird LiveFILTH FUXERS, FOUR AM FRIENDS Jan. 4, Burro BarCHUBBY Jan. 4, Dog Star TavernKAYLEE ROSE, FRIENDS OF BLAKE, CLAY BENJAMIN Jan. 4, Jack RabbitsSTAR NATION PARTY Jan. 4, Brewster’s MegaplexGRIND (Alice in Chains tribute), EVICTION, PRIMITIVE HARD DRIVE, L.A. ROSE Jan. 4, Sunburst StudiosCYRUS CHESTNUT Jan. 5, The Ritz TheatreBRUISED GRASS, GHOST LIGHT ROAD, SOUTHERN FEATHER BAND Jan. 5, Freebird LiveGRABBAG, THE MOLD, DOLLY ROCKER & THE RAGDOLL Jan. 5, Burro BarTHE ADOLESCENTS, YOUNG BRIGADE, VICES, NINE TENTHS Jan. 5, Jack RabbitsOCTOBER GLORY, CAPTIVE, RKITECT, ARTILECT, MICHAEL CRONIN Jan. 5, Murray Hill TheatreLARRY MANGUM, BOB PATTERSON, MICKEY CLARK Jan. 5, European Street Café SouthsideKARL W. DAVIS Jan. 5, Dog Star TavernB.B. KING Jan. 6, The Florida TheatreHERD OF WATTS Jan. 6, 1904 Music HallTHE MISERY JACKALS, MUDTOWN Jan. 6, Phoenix TaproomRAINDANCE Jan. 7, Burro BarLIGHT YEARS Jan. 8, Phoenix TaproomAND WE WERE SAINTS, THE BLACKOUT HEIST, MILO, HEY MANDIBLE! Jan. 9, 1904 Music HallJUSTIN TOWNES EARLE Jan. 9, Original Café ElevenTOM RUSH, BOB PATTERSON Jan. 10, Ponte Vedra Concert HallROWAN CUNNINGHAM BAND Jan. 10, European Street Café San MarcoTHE ALMOST, ALL GET OUT, MAKESHIFT PRODIGY, THIS ARMISTICE, COMING THIS FALL, ADAM SAMS Jan. 10, Murray Hill Theatre

MATH THE BAND, OPIATE EYES, BELLOWS Jan. 10, Burro BarWinter Jam: TOBY MAC, RED, MATTHEW WEST, JAMIE GRACE, SIDEWALK PROPHETS, ROYAL TAILOR Jan. 11, Veterans Memorial ArenaTHE WOOD BROTHERS, ASHLEIGH FLYNN Jan. 11, Ponte Vedra Concert HallTHE DEVIL MAKES THREE, PHILLIP ROEBUCK Jan. 11, Freebird LiveYARN Jan. 11, The StandardGHOST LIGHT ROAD, THE DOG APOLLO, DUDES ON A RUG, PILOTWAVE Jan. 11, Jack RabbitsTHE SNACKS BLUES BAND, RASHON MEDLOCK, CHOCOLATE THUNDERSTICK Jan. 11, 1904 Music HallMARCIA BALL & HER BAND, 77DS Jan. 12, Ponte Vedra Concert HallZACH DEPUTY, CHRISTOPHER HAWLEY Jan. 12, Freebird LiveSTEVE GILLETT, CINDY MANGSEN Jan. 12, European Street Café SouthsideWORDS LIKE VINES, SEIZING THE FINAL VICTORY, BEWARE THE NEVERENDING, FROM WHAT REMAINS, DECIDED BY FATE Jan. 12, Murray Hill TheatreTODD SNIDER, SHANNON McNALLY Jan. 12, The StandardPARKER URBAN BAND Jan. 12, Dog Star Tavern3 LEGGED FOX, UGLY LION, GULFSTER Jan. 13, Jack RabbitsNATIVE AMERICANS, XMAS Jan. 14, Burro BarWE ARE MONUMENTS, 3RD CALIBUR DISEASE, ZOMBIE KILL OF THE WEEK Jan. 14, Jack RabbitsBLACK VEIL BRIDES, WILLIAM CONTROL, ANATOMY OF HATE Jan. 15, Brewster’s MegaplexNICKI BLUHM & THE GRAMBLERS, ROADKILL GHOST CHOIR Jan. 15, Jack RabbitsDIRTY NAMES, BASTOGNE Jan. 16, Burro BarSONNY LANDRETH, HONEY MILLER Jan. 17, Ponte Vedra Concert HallDON WILLIAMS Jan. 17, The Florida TheatreASKMEIFICARE, THE LIGHT WITHIN, COME DOWN DENVER Jan. 17, Jack RabbitsJOE CROOKSTON Jan. 17, European Street Café San MarcoGALACTIC, COREY GLOVER (of LIVING COLOUR), ART OFFICIAL Jan. 17, Freebird LiveGONZALO BERGARA QUARTET Jan. 17, Original Café Eleven

EYE EMPIRE Jan. 18, Brewster’s Roc BarPARKER URBAN BAND Jan. 18, Dog Star TavernDIRTY SHANNON, CHARLIE WALKER, SPLIT TONE, BUILT TO BE BROKEN Jan. 18, Freebird LiveTOOTS LORRAINE & THE TRAFFIC Jan. 18, Mojo KitchenHONEY MILLER Jan. 18, UnderbellySENTROPOLIS, PARKER URBAN BAND Jan. 18, Jack RabbitsEASTER ISLAND Jan. 19, Burro BarSIMPLY SINATRA Jan. 19, Thrasher-Horne Center for the ArtsELVIS LIVES! Jan. 19, T-U CenterOSCAR MIKE, FLAGSHIP ROMANCE Jan. 19, Jack RabbitsGERRY WILLIAMS BAND Jan. 19, Dog Star TavernDuval Fest: SWORDZ, AL PETE, JERICO, ROB FRANCIS, CITY LIMITS, STRIFE, MOSES WEST, CELLO X5, DEZ NADO, VENNUM Jan. 19, Brewster’s MegaplexERIC TAYLOR Jan. 19, European Street Café SouthsideYONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND Jan. 20, Freebird LiveTHE COLOR MORALE, OUR LAST NIGHT, YOUR MEMORIAL, FOR ALL I AM, I AM ENDSEEKER, CADIENCE Jan. 20, Murray Hill TheatreRICHARD THOMPSON Jan. 22, Ponte Vedra Concert HallHELIO SEQUENCE, SHABAZZ PALACES Jan. 22, Original Café ElevenCHRIS McFARLAND Jan. 22, Jack RabbitsCANDLEBOX, HORNIT Jan. 24, Freebird LivePERSONAL BOY, SIGNS OF IRIS, JUICY PONY Jan. 24, 1904 Music HallTWISTA Jan. 24, Brewster’s MegaplexRICHARD SMITH, JULIE ADAMS Jan. 24, European Street Café San MarcoLINGO Jan. 24, Jack RabbitsMARSHALL CRENSHAW & THE BOTTLE ROCKETS Jan. 25, Ponte Vedra Concert HallCHROMA, ANTIQUE ANIMALS Jan. 25, Mellow Mushroom Jax BeachTHE MALAH, SIR CHARLES Jan. 25, 1904 Music HallBONE THUGS-N-HARMONY Jan. 25, Brewster’s MegaplexLONG MILES Jan. 25, The StandardJACKYL Jan. 26, Brewster’s MegaplexMISSY RAINES Jan. 26, European Street Café San MarcoCANDLEBOX, HORNIT, BLEEDING IN STEREO Jan. 26, Freebird LiveHERD OF WATTS Jan. 26, Dog Star TavernJAMIE DEFRATES, SUSAN BROWN Jan. 26, European Street Café SouthsidePOCKET VINYL, GARRETT ON ACOUSTIC, THE MONSTER FOOL Jan. 28, Burro BarWRETCHED Jan. 29, Brewster’s MegaplexLOBO MARINO, ANTIQUE ANIMALS Jan. 30, UnderbellyKREWELLA, SPEKTREM Jan. 30, PureDEAR RABBIT Jan. 31, Burro BarTHE JAUNTEE Jan. 31, Dog Star TavernRICKETT PASS, MUDTOWN Jan. 31, Phoenix TaproomG. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE, SWEAR AND SHAKE Jan. 31 & Feb. 1, Freebird LiveED KOWALCZYK Feb. 1, Ponte Vedra Concert HallPAT TRAVERS Feb. 1, Brewster’s MegaplexDUDE MAGNETS Feb. 1, Burro BarPUMPKIN, WARP 9 Feb. 1, 1904 Music HallJOSH MILLER’S BLUES REVUE, KARL W. DAVIS Feb. 1, Dog Star TavernPRE-INTERNATIONAL NOISE CONFERENCE Feb. 2, Burro Bar

BEN “ONE MAN BAND” PRESTAGE Feb. 2, Dog Star TavernCHARLIE HALL, DANIEL BASHTA, THE VESPERS Feb. 2, Murray Hill TheatreSOUTHSIDE JOHNNY & THE ASBURY JUKES Feb. 2, The Florida TheatreTURISAS Feb. 2, Brewster’s MegaplexPAUL GEREMIA Feb. 2, European Street Café SouthsideCHARLIE HALL, DANIEL BASHTA Feb. 2, Murray Hill TheatreTHE XX Feb. 3, The Florida TheatreMETH DAD, NETHERFRIENDS, AFTER THE BOMB, BABY! Feb. 3, Burro BarENGLISH BEAT Feb. 5, Jack RabbitsSOUL ASYLUM Feb. 6, Freebird LiveWE CAME AS ROMANS, CROWN THE EMPIRE, ME & THE TRINITY, I AM THE WITNESS Feb. 6, Murray Hill TheatreJIMMY BUFFETT & THE CORAL REEFER BAND Feb. 7, Veterans Memorial ArenaLEON REDBONE Feb. 7, Ponte Vedra Concert HallJB SCOTT’S SWINGIN’ ALL-STARS Feb. 7, European Street Café San MarcoWILLIE NELSON & FAMILY Feb. 8, The Florida TheatreNAMES DIVINE Feb. 8, Burro BarFREDDY’S FINEST Feb. 8 & 9, Dog Star TavernHIGHER LEARNING, LUMA GROVE Feb. 9, 1904 Music HallJAKE MILLER Feb. 9, Jack RabbitsCHRIS YOUNG, BRINLEY ADDINGTON Feb. 10, MavericksCHRIS KAHL Feb. 10, Thrasher-Horne Center for the ArtsREEL BIG FISH, THE PILFERS, DAN P. (of MU330) Feb. 10, Freebird LiveRAPDRAGONS, UNIVERSAL GREEN Feb. 10, Burro BarTORCHE Feb. 10, Jack RabbitsMURDER BY DEATH, MAN MAN Feb. 11, Jack RabbitsTHE GHOSTWRITE, JON CREEDEN, BEAU CRUM Feb. 11, Burro BarHATEBREED, SHADOWS FALL, DYING FETUS, THE CONTORTIONIST Feb. 12, Freebird LiveMURS, PROF & FASHAWN Feb. 12, Jack RabbitsGRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS Feb. 13, The Florida TheatreFISHBONE, WHOLE WHEAT BREAD Feb. 13, The StandardEMANCIPATOR, RANDOM RAB, TOR Feb. 13, 1904 Music HallBARB WIRE DOLLS Feb. 13, Jack RabbitsJOHNNY WINTER Feb. 14, Ponte Vedra Concert HallSTEVE MILLER BAND Feb. 14, The Florida TheatreHOLOPAW Feb. 14, Nobby’sHARPETH RISING Feb. 14, European Street Café San MarcoSCOTT COULTER Feb. 15 & 16, Thrasher-Horne CenterBATTLE OF THE BANDS Feb. 15, Fletcher High SchoolAura Music & Arts Festival: PAPADOSIO, CONSPIRATOR, PERPETUAL GROOVE, THE HEAVY PETS, DOPAPOD, RAQ, KUNG FU Feb. 15-17, Spirit of the Suwannee Music ParkDAN ZANES & FRIENDS, ELIZABETH MITCHELL Feb. 16, Ponte Vedra Concert HallVINYL THIEF Feb. 16, 1904 Music HallEVER ENDING KICKS Feb. 16, Burro BarNIKKI TALLEY Feb. 16, European Street Café SouthsideBALANCE & COMPOSURE, THE JEALOUS SOUND, MAN Feb. 16, Phoenix TaproomKENNY ROGERS Feb. 16, The Florida TheatreDAYLIGHT, SACRED SUNS Feb. 16, Phoenix TaproomGARRETT ON ACOUSTIC Feb. 16, 1904 Music HallBATTLE OF THE BANDS Feb. 16, St. Augustine High SchoolJIM BRICKMAN Feb. 17, The Florida Theatre

Lead guitarist Walter Parks, drummer Jagoda and bassist Jim Devito are blues jam band Swamp Cabbage, appearing Dec. 27 in support of JJ Grey & Mofro at Mavericks in Downtown Jacksonville, and Dec. 29 at Dog Star Tavern in Fernandina Beach.


CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS Feb. 17, Ponte Vedra Concert HallJAX BLUES FESTIVAL Feb. 17, T-U CenterALAN PARSONS LIVE PROJECT Feb. 20, The Florida TheatreJE DOUBLE F Feb. 20, Burro BarTOMMY EMMANUEL Feb. 21, Ponte Vedra Concert HallDAVID RUSSELL, JOHN PEYTON Feb. 21, European Street Café San MarcoANTIQUE ANIMALS Feb. 21, 1904 Music HallTRIP LEE Feb. 22, Murray Hill Theatre’60s Folk Reunion Festival: THE KINGSTON TRIO, THE LOVIN’ SPOONFUL, MELANIE SAFKA Feb. 22, T-U CenterCARRIE NATION & SPEAKEASY Feb. 22, Dog Star TavernCELTIC CROSSROADS Feb. 23, The Florida TheatreLOTUS, MOON HOOCH Feb. 23, Freebird LiveSILENCE, BLUNT TRAUMA, DECISIONS, I AM THE WITNESS, FROM WHAT REMAINS, DECIDED BY FATE Feb. 23, Jack RabbitsDREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS Feb. 23, Murray Hill TheatreWILLIE “BIG TOE” GREEN, LITTLE MIKE & THE TORNADOES Feb. 23, European Street Café SouthsideTHE HIT MEN Feb. 24, The Florida TheatreLEO KOTTKE Feb. 24, Ponte Vedra Concert HallTHAT ONE GUY, WOLFF Feb. 24, Jack RabbitsDARK STAR ORCHESTRA Feb. 24, Freebird LiveCARRIE NATION & THE SPEAKEASY, EVERYMEN, RACHEL BROOKE Feb. 24, Burro BarBAD RABBITS, AIR DUBAI Feb. 26, Jack RabbitsJESSE COOK Feb. 27, Ponte Vedra Concert HallEVERYTIME I DIE, THE ACACIA STRAIN, VANNA, HUNDREDTH, NO BRAGGING RIGHTS Feb. 27, Freebird LiveHONEY SUCKLE, MUD TOWN Feb. 27, Burro BarCOPE, THE MANTRAS Feb. 28, 1904 Music HallSAM PACETTI Feb. 28, European Street Café San MarcoLOUDON WAINWRIGHT III, TAMMERLIN March 1, Ponte Vedra Concert HallED ROLAND & THE SWEET TEA PROJECT March 1, The StandardGRANDPA’S COUGH MEDICINE March 1, Dog Star TavernHAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, THE WHISKEY GENTRY March 1, Burro BarKEB’ MO’ March 2, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall GRANT PEEPLES, SARAH MAC March 2, European Street Café Southside

TATER FAMINE, MEMPHIBIANS March 2, Burro BarCOL. BRUCE HAMPTON March 2, Dog Star TavernBRUCE COCKBURN March 3, Ponte Vedra Concert HallPOLYENSO, AUTHOR March 3, Jack RabbitsHE’S MY BROTHER SHE’S MY SISTER, PAPER BIRD, SHAKEY GRAVES, CANARY IN THE COALMINE March 3, Burro BarEXCISION, PAPER DIAMOND, VASKI March 4, Freebird LiveENGLAND IN 1819 March 4, Burro BarTHE CUSSES, CLOUDEATER March 7, Burro BarJUDY COLLINS March 7, Ponte Vedra Concert HallDREW NELSON March 7, European Street Café San MarcoMOUNT MORIAH March 7, Jack RabbitsFREDDY’S FINEST March 8 & March 9, Dog Star TavernBEATLES TRIBUTE “1964” March 9, The Florida TheatreNatural Life Music Festival: MARTIN SEXTON, FIELD REPORT, SWEAR AND SHAKE, SUGAR & THE HI-LOWS, HENRY WAGONS March 10, Metropolitan ParkTHE HOWLING WIND March 10, Burro BarGET THE LED OUT (Led Zeppelin Tribute) March 13, The Florida TheatreCHRIS TOMLIN March 13, Veterans Memorial ArenaWIL MARING, ROBERT BOWLIN March 14, European St. San MarcoLISA LOEB March 15, The Florida Theatre JUAN SIDDI FLAMENCO THEATRE COMPANY March 15 & 16, St. Augustine AmphitheatreTHE FRITZ, LUCKY COSTELLO March 15, 1904 Music HallMATCHBOX TWENTY March 17, St. Augustine AmphitheatreOTTMAR LIEBERT & LUNA NEGRA March 19, P.V.Concert HallJAKE SHIMABUKURO March 20, The Florida TheatrePIERCE THE VEIL, MEMPHIS MAY FIRE, LETLIVE, ISSUES March 21, Brewster’s MegaplexONE NIGHT OF QUEEN: GARY MULLEN & THE WORKS March 22, The Florida TheatreJOHNNY MATHIS March 22, T-U CenterBANG TANGO March 22, Brewster’s MegaplexAmerica’s Got Talent Live: ALL STARS March 23, T-U CenterTHE WONDER YEARS March 23, Brewster’s MegaplexERIC CLAPTON March 26, Veterans Memorial ArenaLINDSAY LOU & THE FLATBELLYS March 28, European Street Café San MarcoPAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO, BRYNN MARIE March 29, The Florida TheatreJUSTIN ACOUSTIC REUNION

March 30, European Street SouthsideMAROON 5, NEON TREES, OWL CITY April 1, Veterans Memorial ArenaYES April 3, The Florida TheatreRITA HOSKING April 4, European Street Café San MarcoTAMMERLIN ANNIVERSARY CONCERT April 6, European Street Café SouthsideCHICAGO April 7, St. Augustine AmphitheatreSCHEMATIC, REKAPSE, ASKER, TREEHOUSE April 10, Jack RabbitsMURIEL ANDERSON April 11, European Street Café San MarcoTAB BENOIT April 13, Mojo Kitchen Jax BeachTHIRD DAY April 14, St. Augustine AmphitheatreWEIRD AL YANKOVIC April 16, The Florida TheatreTIM GRIMM April 18, European Street Café San MarcoDAVID BENOIT, BRIAN CULBERTSON April 19, Ponte Vedra Concert HallBIG FREEDIA April 19, Jack RabbitsCARRIE UNDERWOOD April 20, Veterans Memorial ArenaMARY-LOU, TAMMERLIN April 20, European Street SouthsideFOURPLAY April 21, The Florida TheatreJB SCOTT’S SWINGIN’ ALL-STARS April 25, European Street Café San MarcoSOILWORK, JEFF LOOMIS, BLACKGUARD, THE BROWNING, WRETCHED April 27, Jack RabbitsCELTIC WOMAN May 2, T-U CenterGAMBLE ROGERS FESTIVAL KICKOFF: LARRY MANGUM, BOB PATTERSON, JIM CARRICK, CHARLIE SIMMONS May 2, European Street Café San MarcoDOUGLAS ANDERSON GUITAR STUDENT RECITAL May 4, European Street Café SouthsideTERRI HENDRIX, LLOYD MAINES May 9, European Street Café San MarcoTIM AND MYLES THOMPSON May 11, European Street Café SouthsideJOSHUA BOWLUS TRIO May 16, European Street Café San MarcoALAN JACKSON May 17, St. Augustine AmphitheatreFLORIDA FOLK FESTIVAL KICKOFF: DEL SUGGS May 23, European Street Café San MarcoJB SCOTT’S SWINGIN’ ALLSTARS May 30, European Street Café San MarcoJUSTIN BIEBER Aug. 7, Veterans Memorial ArenaBLUE SUEDE SHOES: THE ULTIMATE ELVIS BASH Aug. 10, The Florida Theatre

Atlantic Blvd. at the Ocean

Wednesday Richard Smith

Thursday Yankee Slickers

Friday Retro Katz

Saturday Retro Katz

Sunday Pop Muzik

Monday Pop Muzik


• CLUBS •AMELIA ISLAND, FERNANDINA BEACH

CAFE KARIBO, 27 N. Third St., 277-5269 Live music in the courtyard 6 p.m. every Fri. & Sat., 5 p.m. every Sun.DOG STAR TAVERN, 10 N. Second St., 277-8010 Karl Davis Showcase 8 p.m. Dec. 26. Soul Gravy 9:30 p.m. Dec. 28. Swamp Cabbage 9:30 p.m. Dec. 29. kLoB Dec. 31. Working Class Stiff with real vinyl 8 p.m. every Tue. Karl W. Davis Showcase 8 p.m. every Wed. Spade McQuade every Thur. GENNARO’S ITALIANO SOUTH, 5472 First Coast Hwy., 491-1999 Live jazz 7:30-9:30 p.m. every Fri. & Sat.GREEN TURTLE TAVERN, 14 S. Third St., 321-2324 Whetherman Dec. 29. Dan Voll 7-10 p.m. every Fri. Live music every weekendMERMAID BAR, Florida House Inn, 22 S. Third St., 491-3322 Live local bands for open mic night, 7:30-10:30 p.m. every Thur.O’KANE’S IRISH PUB, 318 Centre St., 261-1000 Dan Voll 7:30 p.m. every Wed. Turner London Band 8:30 p.m. every Thur.-Sat.THE PALACE SALOON & SHEFFIELD’S, 117 Centre St., 491-3332 DJ Heavy Hess and Face For Radio Dec. 31. Buck Smith @ Saloon 9 p.m. every Tue. Wes Cobb 9 p.m. every Wed. DJ Heavy Hess in Sheffi eld’s every Thur. & Sat. DJ Anonymous in Sheffi eld’s every Fri. Schnockered in The Saloon every Sun.PLAE, 80 Amelia Circle, Amelia Island Plantation, 277-2132 Gary Ross 7-11 p.m. every Thur.-Sat.SLIDERS SEASIDE GRILL, 1998 S. Fletcher Ave., 277-6990 Live music every night

ARLINGTON, REGENCYAJ’S BAR & GRILLE, 10244 Atlantic Blvd., 805-9060 DJ Sheryl every Thur., Fri. & Sat. DJ Mike every Tue. & Wed. Karaoke every Thur.BREWSTERS MEGAPLEX/PIT/ROC BAR/THE EDGE, 845 University Blvd. N., 223-9850 Meanz of Operation CD release party 7 p.m. Dec. 29 @ Roc Bar. Star Nation Party Jan. 4. Live music every Wed.-Sat.MVP’S SPORTS GRILLE, 12777 Atlantic Blvd., 221-1090 Live music 9 p.m. every Fri. & Sat.TONINO’S, 7001 Merrill Rd., 743-3848 Alaina Colding every Thur. W. Harvey Williams every Fri. Dino Saliba every Sat.

AVONDALE, ORTEGABRICK RESTAURANT, 3585 St. Johns Ave., 387-0606 Bush Doctors every fi rst Fri. & Sat. Jazz every Fri. & Sat.THE CASBAH CAFE, 3628 St. Johns Ave., 981-9966 Goliath Flores every Wed. 3rd Bass every Sun. Live music every Mon.ECLIPSE, 4219 St. Johns Ave., 387-3582 DJ Keith spins for Karaoke every Tue. DJ Free spins vintage every Fri. DJs SuZi-Rok, LowKill & Mowgli spin for Chillwave Madness every Mon.ELEVATED AVONDALE, 3551 St. Johns Ave., 387-0700 Karaoke Dave Thrash Wed. DJ 151 spins Thur. DJ Catharsis fi rst & fourth Sat. Patrick Evan & CoAlition Industry every Sun.MOJO NO. 4, 3572 St. Johns Ave., 381-6670 Canary in the Coalmine 10 p.m. Dec. 28. Bri Gonzales Dec. 29. Live music every Fri. & Sat.TOM & BETTY’S, 4409 Roosevelt Blvd., 387-3311 Cloud 9 Jan. 4. Live music every Fri. Karaoke every Sat.YESTERDAY’S SOCIAL CLUB, 3628 Park St., 223-3822 Southern Feather Band Dec. 29 & 30.

BAYMEADOWSCOFFEE GRINDER, 9834 Old Baymeadows Rd., 642-7600 DJ Albert Adkins spins every Fri. DJs Adrian Sky, Alberto Diaz & Chris Zachrich spin every Tue. DJ Michael Stumbaugh spins every Sat.MY PLACE, 9550 Baymeadows Rd., 737-5299 Bad Assets Dec. 31. Out of Hand every Mon. Rotating bands every other Tue. & Wed.OASIS GRILL & CHILL, 9551 Baymeadows Rd., 748-9636 DJs Stan and Mike Bend spin every Feel Good Fri.

BEACHES(All clubs & venues in Jax Beach unless otherwise noted)

BILLY’S BOATHOUSE GRILL, 2321 Beach Blvd., 241-9771 Jimi Graves Duo 5:30 p.m. Dec. 27. Dune Dogs 6 p.m. Dec. 28. Incognito 12:30 p.m. Dec. 30. Live music Wed.-Sun.BRIX TAPHOUSE, 300 N. Second St., 241-4668 DJ IBay every Tue., Fri. & Sat. DJ Ginsu every Wed. DJ Jade every Thur. Charlie Walker every Sun.CULHANE’S IRISH PUB, 967 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 249-9595 Full Circle 7:30 p.m. Dec. 28. Road Less Traveled 6:30 p.m. Dec. 29. The Paradise Experience Band 9 p.m. Dec. 31. John Thomas Group Jazz 6-8 p.m. every Tue. Live music every Fri. & Sat.

EL POTRO MEXICAN RESTAURANT, 1553 Third St. N., 241-6910 Wilfredo Lopez every Wed. & Sat.ENGINE 15 BREWING COMPANY, 1500 Beach Blvd., Ste. 217, 249-2337 Live music every Thur.FLY’S TIE IRISH PUB, 177 E. Sailfi sh Dr., Atlantic Beach, 246-4293 Grandpa’s Cough Medicine Dec. 28 & 29. Spade McQuade & the Allstars Dec. 31. Songwriters every Tue. Ryan Campbell every Wed. Wes Cobb Thur. Charlie Walker every Mon.FREEBIRD LIVE, 200 N. First St., 246-2473 The Waiting (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers tribute) 8 p.m. Dec. 28. Antique Animals, The Dog Apollo, Northe and Opiate Eyes 8 p.m. Dec. 29. Greensky Bluegrass and Grandpa’s Cough Medicine Jan. 4. Live music every weekendGREEN ROOM BREWING, 228 N. Third St., 201-9283 Mark O’Quinn Dec. 28. Easy E & Dr. C Dec. 29. Live music every Fri. & Sat.ISLAND GIRL CIGAR BAR, 108 First St., Neptune Beach, 372-0943 Mark O’Quinn Dec. 26. Job Meiller Dec. 27. John Austill Dec. 28. Billy Buchanan Dec. 29. Live music every Wed.-Sat. KC CRAVE, 1161 Beach Blvd., 595-5660 Live music every Thur.-Sat.LILLIE’S COFFEE BAR, 200 First St., Neptune Beach, 249-2922 Lauren Fincham Dec. 28. Classics Dec. 29LYNCH’S IRISH PUB, 514 N. First St., 249-5181 Who Rescued Who Dec. 27. Dirty Pete Dec. 28 & 29. Split Tone 10:30 p.m. every Tue. Uncommon Legends every Wed. Wits End every Sun. Little Green Men every Mon.MAYPORT TAVERN, 2775 Old Mayport Rd., Atlantic Beach, 270-0801 Shot Down in Flames (AC/DC tribute) 9 p.m. Dec. 29. Karaoke every Fri. & Sat.MELLOW MUSHROOM, 1018 N. Third St., Ste. 2, 246-1500 Doug Macrae & Drew Dixon Dec. 26. Requiem, DJ Deep Space Sleeze Dec. 27. Brown Bag Special Dec. 28. Mark O’Quinn Dec. 29. Firewater Tent Revival Dec. 31. Live music every Wed.-Sun.MEZZA LUNA, 110 First St., Neptune Beach, 249-5573 Neil Dixon 6 p.m. every Tue. Gypsies Ginger 6 p.m. every Wed. Mike Shackelford & Rick Johnson 6 p.m. every Thur.MONKEY’S UNCLE TAVERN, 1850 S. Third St., 246-1070 Wes Cobb 10 p.m. every Tue. DJ Austin Williams Karaoke 9 p.m. every Wed., Sat. & Sun. DJ Papa Sugar 9 p.m. every Mon., Thur. & Fri.NIPPERS BEACH GRILLE, 2309 Beach Blvd., 247-3300 Les B. Fine Dec. 26 & 27 & Jan. 1. Domenic Dec. 29. Alex Affronti and TJ Brown Dec. 30. Les B. Fine and Paul Lundgren Band Dec. 31. Aaron Kroener Jan. 2. Reggae on the deck every Thur. NORTH BEACH BISTRO, 725 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 6, Atlantic Beach, 372-4105 Gary Lee Wingard 7 p.m. Dec. 27. Terry Whitehead & Dave Knopsnyder Dec. 29OCEAN 60, 60 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 247-0060 Ernie & Debi Evans Dec. 28 & 29. Class Act Dec. 31. Katie Fair every Wed. Javier Perez every Thur. Live music every Fri. & Sat.POE’S TAVERN, 363 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 241-7637 Whetherman 9 p.m. Dec. 28. Wes Cobb 9 p.m. Dec. 29. Be Easy every Sat.RAGTIME TAVERN, 207 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 241-7877 Richard Smith Dec. 26. Yankee Slickers Dec. 27. Retro Katz Dec. 28 & 29. Pop Muzik Dec. 30 & 31. Live music every Thur.-Sun.THE SHIM SHAM ROOM, 333 First St. N., 372-0781 Stephen Garney Dec. 27. DJ EL Dec. 29. DJ Gordo Dec. 31THE WINE BAR, 320 N. First St., 372-0211 Casey Shea Dec. 26. D-Lo Thompson Dec. 28. Evan Michael Dec. 29. Cody Nixx Dec. 30. Beau Knott & the Burners Dec. 31. Open mic with Cody Nixx Jan. 2. Live music every Fri. & Sat.

DOWNTOWN1904 MUSIC HALL, 19 Ocean St., 1904jax.com Stokeswood and Zak the Black 9 p.m. Dec. 27. Nameless Guardian, Samuel Sanders and Master Radical 9 p.m. Dec. 28. Sir Charles, Mighty

High Coup, Vlad the Inhaler, Lucky Costello, Mason Masters, Trap Nasty, S.P.O.R.E., Taylor Wells, Kevin Velarde, Bit Deff and Jordan Joseph 9 p.m. Dec. 31. Stone Street, Matt Henderson & Friends and On Guard 6 p.m. Jan. 2. Electric Cadillac & Friends Jan. 3. Hip-hop every First Fri. Open mic every Mon.BURRO BAR, 100 E. Adams St., 677-2977 Dikembe and You Blew It!, Locals and Kato 8 p.m. Dec. 27. Flannel Church and Duane Trucks Dec. 28. King Django, The Snails, Matt Macleod and 74 Sound System 8 p.m. Jan. 1. Waxahatchee, Pity Sex, Betterment, Antique Animals and Robbie Freeman 8 p.m. Jan. 2. Filth Fuxers and Four A.M. Friends Jan. 4. Live music every weekendDOS GATOS, 123 E. Forsyth, 354-0666 DJ Synsonic spins every Tue. & Fri. DJ NickFresh every Sat. DJ Randall Karaoke every Mon.FIONN MacCOOL’S, Jacksonville Landing, 2 Independent Dr., Ste. 176, 374-1247 Spade McQuade 7 p.m. Dec. 27. Braxton Adamson 5 p.m., Bread & Butter 9 p.m. Dec. 28. Boogie Freaks 9 p.m. Dec. 29. Live music every weekendTHE JACKSONVILLE LANDING, 2 Independent Dr., 353-1188 Party Train 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Dec. 28. Something Distant 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Dec. 29. George Aspinall Band 4-8 p.m., Sho Nuf 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Dec. 30. Sweet Scarlett 6-9:30 p.m., Bay Street 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Dec. 31. Ernie Evans Band 5-9 p.m., Jay Garrett 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Jan. 1. Live music every Fri. & Sat.KALA, 331 E. Bay St., 356-6455 I Heart Bass Tour with Baby Anne and Jim Rockenbach Dec. 28. DJs Robert Goodman & Miguel Alverez Dec. 31. DJ Paten Locke spins for Audio Zoo every Wed.MARK’S DOWNTOWN, 315 E. Bay St., 355-5099 DJ Shotgun Dec. 31. DJ Roy Luis spins house soulful, gospel, deep, acid, hip, Latin, tribal, Afrobeat, tech/electronic, disco, rarities 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. every Wed. DJ Vinn spins Top 40 every Thur. DJ 007 spins ultra house & top 40 dance every Fri. DJ Shotgun every Sat.MAVERICKS, The Jacksonville Landing, 2 Independent Dr., 356-1110 JJ Grey & Mofro and Swamp Cabbage 7 p.m. Dec. 27. Parallax Jan. 1. Bobby Laredo spins every Thur. & Sat. DJs Bryan & Q45 spin every Fri. NORTHSTAR THE PIZZA BAR, 119 E. Bay St., 860-5451 Open mic night 8:30-11:30 p.m. every Wed. DJ SwitchGear every Thur.PHOENIX TAPROOM, 325 W. Forsyth St., 798-8222 Live music every Fri. & Sat.UNDERBELLY, 113 E. Bay St., 353-6067 Quiet People, Sea Cycles, Shylights and Vlad the Inhaler 10 p.m. Dec. 27. Antique Animals 11 p.m. Dec. 31. Nightswim and DJ Ritual Union Jan. 3. Old Time Jam 7 p.m. every Tue. Fjord Explorer & Screamin’ Eagle every Ritual ReUnion ThursdayZODIAC GRILL, 120 W. Adams St., 354-8283 Live music every Fri. & Sat.

FLEMING ISLANDMELLOW MUSHROOM, 1800 Town Center Blvd., 541-1999 Megan Dimond Dec. 28. Jay Decosta Dec. 29. Live music Wed.-Sat.MERCURY MOON, 2015 C.R. 220, 215-8999 Swerved Dec. 28. DJ Ty spins every Thur. Buck Smith Project every Mon. Blistur unplugged every Wed.WHITEY’S FISH CAMP, 2032 C.R. 220, 269-4198 Karaoke Dec. 26. DJ BG Dec. 27. Ace Winn 5 p.m., The Ride 9:30 p.m. Dec. 28. The Ride 9:30 p.m. Dec. 29. Deck music 5 p.m. every Fri. & Sat., 4 p.m. every Sun.

INTRACOASTAL WESTBRUCCI’S PIZZA, 13500 Beach Blvd., Ste. 36, 223-6913 Mike Shackelford 6:30 p.m. every Sat. & Mon.CLIFF’S BAR & GRILL, 3033 Monument Rd., 645-5162 Top 40 music Dec. 25 & Jan. 1. Band on the Run Dec. 26. Karaoke every Thur. & Sun. Live music Tue., Wed., Fri. & Sat.

Jacksonville hip-hop duo Meanz of Operation gets down to work at their CD release party Dec. 29 at Brewster’s Roc Bar in Arlington.


JERRY’S SPORTS GRILLE & STEAKHOUSE, 13170 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 22, 220-6766 Skytrain Dec. 29. Karaoke Dude every Wed. Live music every Fri.

JULINGTON CREEK, NW ST. JOHNSSHANNON’S IRISH PUB, 111 Bartram Oaks Walk, 230-9670 Live music every Fri. & Sat.

MANDARINAW SHUCKS OYSTER BAR, 9743 Old St. Augustine Rd., 240-0368 Open mic with Diamond Dave every Wed. Live music every Sat.CHEERS BAR & GRILL, 11475 San Jose Blvd., 262-4337 Karaoke 9:30 p.m. every Wed.HARMONIOUS MONKS, 10550 Old St. Augustine Rd., 880-3040 Jazz 7-9 pm., Karaoke 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Mon.-Thur. Dennis Klee & the World’s Most Talented Waitstaff Fri. & Sat.RACK EM UP, 4268 Oldfi eld Crossing Dr., Ste. 205, 262-4030 Live music, DJs, Karaoke and open mic.

ORANGE PARK, MIDDLEBURGBLACK HORSE WINERY, 420 Kingsley Ave., 644-8480 Live music 6-9 p.m. every Fri., 2-6 p.m. every Sat.CHEERS BAR & GRILL, 1580 Wells Rd., 269-4855 Karaoke 9:30 p.m. every Wed. & Sat.THE HILLTOP, 2030 Wells Rd., 272-5959 John Michael every Wed.-Sat.PREVATT’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL, 2620 Blanding Blvd., Middleburg, 282-1564 Live music every Fri. & Sat.THE ROADHOUSE, 231 Blanding Blvd., 264-0611 Jammit Dec. 27. Roger That Dec. 28 & 29. Live music every Thur.-Sat.

PALATKADOWNTOWN BLUES BAR & GRILLE, 714 St. Johns Ave., (386) 325-5454 River City Blues Band 8 p.m. Dec. 31. Kelly Richey Jan. 20. Local talent every Wed. Live music every Thur. Country music showcase every Fri. Blues jam every Sun.

PONTE VEDRA, PALM VALLEYISLAND GIRL CIGAR BAR, 820 A1A N., Ste. E-18, 834-2492 Jennifer Coscia Dec. 26. Jay DeCosta Dec. 27. Michael Munn Dec. 28. D-Lo Thompson Dec. 29. Live music every Wed.-Sat.LULU’S WATERFRONT GRILLE, 301 N. Roscoe Blvd., 285-0139 The Monster Fool 6 p.m. Dec. 29. Mike Shackelford & Rick Johnson 7-10 p.m. every Fri.PUSSER’S CARIBBEAN GRILLE, 816 A1A N., Ste. 100, 280-7766 SoundStage on the upper deck every Sun.SUN DOG BREWING CO., 822 A1A N., Ste. 105, 686-1852 Live music every Wed.-Sat.

RIVERSIDE, WESTSIDEHAPPY HOURS, 952 Lane Ave. N., 683-0065 Karaoke 4 p.m. every Sun.HJ’S BAR & GRILL, 8540 Argyle Forest Blvd., 317-2783 Karaoke with DJ Ron 8:30 p.m. every Tue. & DJ Richie every Fri. Live music every Sat. Open mic 8 p.m. every Wed.INTUITION ALE WORKS, 720 King St., 683-7720 Live music every Taproom TunesdayKICKBACKS, 910 King St., 388-9551 Ray & Taylor 9:30 p.m. every Thur. Robby Shenk every Sun.THE LOFT, 925 King St., loftthursdays.com DJs Wes Reed and Josh Kemp spin for PBR Party every Thur.METRO/RAINBOW ROOM PIANO BAR, 859 Willowbranch Ave., 388-8719 Karaoke Rob spins 10 p.m. Sun.-Wed. DJ Zeke Smith spins 10 p.m. Fri. DJ Michael Murphy spins 10 p.m. Sat.MURRAY HILL THEATRE, 932 Edgewood Ave. S., 388-7807 Onward to Olympas, Grey Fox, In Alcatraz 1962, In Too Deep and Cadience 7:30 p.m. Dec. 29RASCALS, 3960 Confederate Point Rd., 772-7335 Karaoke 8 p.m. every Thur.

ST. AUGUSTINEA1A ALE WORKS, 1 King St., 829-2977 Reggae SWAT Team Dec. 26. Billy Buchanan & Free Avenue Dec. 27. Chillula Dec. 28. The Committee Dec. 29, 30 & 31. Live music every Thur.-Sat.ANN O’MALLEY’S, 23 Orange St., 825-4040 Chance Gordon 8:30 p.m. Dec. 28. The Afterwhile with Gina & Tony Cuchetti 8:30 p.m. Dec. 30. Go Get Gone 6 p.m. Dec. 31CASA MONICA, 95 Cordova St., 827-1888 The Mood 8 p.m. Dec. 29, 9 p.m. Dec. 31CELLAR UPSTAIRS, San Sebastian Winery, 157 King St., 826-1594 Vinny Jacobs 2-5 p.m., Sentropolis 7-11 p.m. Dec. 27. Gary Douglas Campbell 2-5 p.m., Flashback 7-11 p.m. Dec. 28. SMG 2-5 p.m., Mojo Roux 7-11 p.m. Dec. 29CRUISERS GRILL, 3 St. George St., 824-6993 Live music every Fri. & Sat. Chelsea Saddler every Sun.HARRY’S, 46 Avenida Menendez, 824-7765 Billy Bowers 6-10 p.m. Dec. 29 & Jan. 2. Live music every Fri.MARDI GRAS SPORTS BAR, 123 San Marco Ave., 823-8806 Open jam nite, house band every Wed. Battle of the DJs with Josh Frazetta & Mardi Gras Mike every last Sun.MEEHAN’S IRISH PUB, 20 Avenida Menendez, 810-1923 Live music every Fri. & Sat.MI CASA CAFE, 69 St. George St., 824-9317 Chelsea Saddler noon every Mon., Tue. & Thur. Elizabeth Roth 11 a.m. every Sun.MILL TOP TAVERN & LISTENING ROOM, 19 1/2 St. George St., 829-2329 Darryl Wise & Mystic Beets Dec. 28 & 29. Anthony Sica Dec. 29. TwoThirds Band Dec. 31. Vinny Jacobs every Tue. Todd & Molly Jones every Wed. Aaron Esposito every Thur. Will Pearsall every Mon.MOJO BBQ OLD CITY, 5 Cordova St., 342-5264 Crabgrass 10 p.m. Dec. 28. Stu Weaver and Sovereign Vine 10 p.m. Dec. 29NOBBY’S, 10 Anastasia Blvd., 547-2188 Rivernecks, Natural Child, Wetlands, Wet Nurse and DJ La Mars 7 p.m. Dec. 29. ADD/C, One Timers, Ground Palace, Scum of the Earth, Real Drag, The Treats and Smug Alert! 8 p.m. Dec. 30. Future Virgins, Possible Side Effects, The Cougs, Ol Scratch, Telepathic Lines, The Resonants, Leah Yeppi and Anna Banana 8 p.m. Dec. 31. Thee Holy Ghosts and The Mold 9 p.m. Jan. 2. Live music every Fri.PIZZALLEY’S CHIANTI ROOM, 60 Charlotte St., 825-4100 Dennis Fermin Spanish Guitar Band 4 p.m. every Mon.SCARLETT O’HARA’S, 70 Hypolita St., 824-6535 Chase Rideman 9 p.m. Dec. 26 & Jan. 2. The Usual Suspects 9 p.m. Dec. 27. Jeremy Austin 4-8 p.m., One Hit Wonder 9 p.m. Dec. 28. Spandex Superheroes 9 p.m. Dec. 29. Billy Buchanan 7 p.m. Dec. 30. Chillula 9 p.m. Dec. 31. Jeremy Austin 8 p.m. Jan. 1THE STANDARD, 200 Anastasia Blvd., 342-2187 DJs Natural, Gibz, SP and Hu 9 p.m. Dec. 31. Indie, dance & electro every Tue. Country every Thur.TAPS BAR & GRILL, 2220 C.R. 210 W., 819-1554 Live music every Fri.THE TASTING ROOM, 25 Cuna St., 810-2400 Dennis Fermin Spanish Guitar Band 7:30-11:30 p.m. every Sat. Bossa Nova with Monica da Silva and Chad Alger 5-8 p.m. every Sun.TRADEWINDS, 124 Charlotte St., 829-9336 Red River Band Dec. 28 & 29. Mark Hart every Mon.-Wed. Open mic every Thur. Mark Hart & Jim Carrick every Fri. Elizabeth Roth 1 p.m., Mark Hart 5 p.m. every Sat. Keith Godwin 1 p.m., Wade 5 p.m. every Sun. Matanzas 9 p.m. Sun.-Thur.

ST. AUGUSTINE BEACHAMICI ITALIAN RESTAURANT, 1915 A1A S., 461-0102 Piano bar with Kenyon Dye 5-9:30 p.m. every Sun.JACK’S BARBECUE, 691 A1A Beach Blvd., 460-8100 Jim Essery 4 p.m. every Sat. Live music every Thur.-Sat.

ST. JOHNS TOWN CENTERAROMAS CIGARS & WINE BAR, 4372 Southside Blvd., Ste. 101, 928-0515 The Monster Fool 9 p.m. Dec. 28. Live jazz every Tue. Beer house rock every Wed. Live music every Thur.

Will Hurley every Fri. Bill Rice every Sat.BAHAMA BREEZE, 10205 River Coast Dr., 646-1031 Clarence Wears every Tue. Selwyn Toby every Wed. Barry O 4 p.m., Laree App 7:30 p.m. every Thur. Laree App 4 p.m., Selwyn Toby 8 p.m. every Fri. Barry O 4 p.m., Laree App 8 p.m. every Sat. Selwyn Toby 4 p.m., Laree App 7:30 p.m. every Sun. BLACKFINN AMERICAN GRILLE, 4840 Big Island Dr., 345-3466 Live music and a DJ Dec. 31. Live music 5-7 p.m. every Wed., 9 p.m.-mid. every Thur.-Sat.JOHNNY ANGELS, 3546 St. Johns Bluff Rd. S., Ste. 120, 997-9850 Harry & Sally 7 p.m. every Wed. Karaoke every Sat.MELLOW MUSHROOM, 9734 Deer Lake Court, Ste. 1, 997-1955 Kurt Lanham Dec. 26. Whetherman Dec. 27. Be Easy Dec. 28. Charlie Walker Dec. 29. Live music every Fri. & Sat. Open mic every Sun.SEVEN BRIDGES GRILLE & BREWERY, 9735 Gate Pkwy. N., 997-1999 Papa Crawdaddy 9 p.m. Dec. 31. Chuck Nash every Thur. Live music 10 p.m. Fri. & Sat.SUITE, 4880 Big Island Dr., 493-9305 Live music from 9 p.m.-mid. every Thur. and 6-9 p.m. every Fri. & Sat.WHISKY RIVER, 4850 Big Island Drive, 645-5571 A DJ spins every Fri. & Sat.WILD WING CAFE, 4555 Southside Blvd., 998-9464 XHale Band Dec. 28. Live music every Fri. Karaoke every Wed.

SAN MARCO, SOUTHBANKENDO EXO, 1224 Kings Ave., 396-7733 DJ J-Money spins jazz, soul, R&B, house every Fri. DJ Manus spins top 40 & dance every Sat. Open mic with King Ron & T-Roy every Mon.EUROPEAN STREET, 1704 San Marco Blvd., 399-1740 JB Scott’s Swingin’ Allstars 8 p.m. Dec. 27. Jazz every second Tue.HAVANA-JAX CUBA LIBRE, 2578 Atlantic Blvd., 399-0609 MVP Band 6-9 p.m., DJs No Fame & Dr. Doom every Wed. Jazz every Thur. American Top 40 every Fri. Salsa every Sat.JACK RABBITS, 1528 Hendricks Ave., 398-7496 Oscar Mike, Son of a Bad Man, Jenni Reid Dec. 25. Opiate Eyes, Robert Raimon Roy, Taste Buds Dec. 26. Viktr, Askmeifi care, Dictator, K-Os, Stubbily Mug 8 p.m. Dec. 27. Whole Wheat Bread, Adult Crash, Piedmont Kings, Self-Employed, Beau Crum 8 p.m. Dec. 28. Draekon, Wake the Living, Kilo Khan 8 p.m. Dec. 29. Astronautalis, Universal Green, Horus Rising 8 p.m. Dec. 30MATTHEW’S, 2107 Hendricks Ave., 396-9922 Patrick Evan & Bert Mingea or Mark O’Quinn every Thur.PIZZA PALACE, 1959 San Marco Blvd., 399-8815 Jennifer Chase 7:30 p.m. every Sat.SQUARE ONE, 1974 San Marco Blvd., 306-9004 Soul on the Square with MVP Band & Special Formula 8 p.m.; DJ Dr. Doom every Mon. DJs Wes Reed & Josh Kemp spin underground dance music for Are Friends Electric 9 p.m. every Wed. DJ Hal spins for Karaoke every Thur. Mitch Kuhman & Friends of Blake every other Fri. DJs Rogue & Mickey Shadow spin every Factory Sat.

SOUTHSIDEBOMBA’S, 8560 Beach Blvd., 997-2291 Open mic with The Foxes every Tue. & with George every Thur. Live music every Fri.CORNER BISTRO & Wine Bar, 9823 Tapestry Park Cir., Ste. 1, 619-1931 Matt “Pianoman” Hall every Fri. & Sat.DAVE & BUSTER’S, 7025 Salisbury Rd. S., 296-1525 A DJ spins every Fri.EUROPEAN STREET CAFE, 5500 Beach Blvd., 399-1740 Allen Shadd 8 p.m. Dec. 29. Live music every Sat.ISLAND GIRL CIGAR BAR, 7860 Gate Pkwy., Ste. 115, 854-6060 Brenna Vick Dec. 26. Clayton Bush Dec. 27. Lance Neely Dec. 28. Kevin Ski Dec. 29. Live music every Thur.-Sat.LATITUDE 30, 10370 Philips Hwy., 365-5555 DJ Jeff Bell every Tue. VJ Ginsu every Sat.SPECKLED HEN TAVERN & GRILLE, 9475 Philips Hwy., Ste. 16, 538-0811 Gary Lee Wingard 7 p.m. Dec. 28. Live music 6-9 p.m. every Fri.

SPRINGFIELD, NORTHSIDESHANTY TOWN PUB, 22 W. Sixth St., 798-8222 Rusholme Ruffi ans, Juicy Pony, Ars Phoenix 9 p.m. Dec. 29. Pottymouth, Chemical Peel, Captive Bolt 9 p.m. Jan. 1. Live music every Twin Peaks Fri.SKYLINE SPORTSBAR, 5611 Norwood Ave., 517-6973 Dianca Glamour & Karma B. Flame Dec. 28. Bigga Rankin & Cool Running DJs every Tue. & 1st Sun. Fusion Band & DJ every Thur. DJ Scar spins every Sun.THREE LAYERS CAFE, 1602 Walnut St., 355-9791 Al Poindexter for open mic 7 p.m. Dec. 273 LIONS SPORTS PUB & GRILL, 2467 Faye Rd., 647-8625 Open mic every Thur. Woodie & Wyatt C. every Fri. Live music every Sat.TUCKERS HWY. 17 TAVERN, 850532 U.S. 17, Yulee, 225-9211 Live music every Fri. & Sat. �

To get your musical group listed here, send the band name, time, date, venue location, street address, city, ticket price, and a contact number we can print, to David Johnson, 9456 Philips Hwy., Ste. 11, Jacksonville FL 32256 or email [email protected]. Deadline is at 4 p.m. Tue. before the next Tue. publication.The Christian metal band Onward to Olympas performs Dec. 29 at Murray Hill Theatre with support from Grey Fox,

In Alcatraz 1962, In Too Deep and Cadience.DECEMBER 25, 2012-JANUARY 1, 2013 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 31

Despite all the work, everyone loves what they are doing and being able to share it with others. When an actor steps on stage, he or she is no longer the person who walked into the theater. Taking on the role of another person is thrilling, and actors get to live out this alternate reality in front of an eager audience.

“When they say ‘community theater,’ it is like a family. You can’t wait to be around everybody and have a good time,” said Stephen Pigman who this month stepped down as executive director at the Flagler Playhouse in Bunnell to move closer to his daughter. A� er trying a career in carpentry, Pigman went back to school for theater at Flagler College. Describing his life, he said, “I eat, sleep and breathe art, theater and music.”

� ose who share Pigman’s passion may pursue many opportunities in Northeast Florida, but the challenge is o� en � nding where to begin. Area community theaters include Players by the Sea in Jacksonville Beach, � eatre Jacksonville, Orange Park Community � eatre, St. Augustine’s Limelight � eatre and Flagler Playhouse.

If you dream of being on stage or have always considered getting involved in a play, here are 10 things you need to know, according to current local actors and directors.

1. THERE’S MORE THAN JUST ACTING.� eater production goes beyond the stage, with a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Other opportunities to get into the production are manning the box o� ce, gathering props, coordinating stage production, working lights and sound, or doing bookkeeping and marketing.

Tom Fallon, production manager at the Limelight � eatre, started with acting and directing. Fallon now works on the technical

side of theater. He said he enjoys the challenge of making something out of nothing, creating a beautiful stage with limited resources. � e money is better on the technical side, and it’s easier to make a living.

2. YOU CAN’T DO IT FOR THE MONEY.Alhambra � eatre & Dining is the only equity theater in Northeast Florida. All others are community theaters and don’t pay the actors. Equity theaters are run by a theater union that sets and enforces actors’ minimum pay and working conditions. To be in a show, actors must be a member of the union. Actors can receive equity by auditioning for shows that o� er contracts for equity, and some theaters o� er equity points. � e equity theaters pick actors from the pool of equity actors.

Despite community theaters’ lack of pay, actors show up every night for rehearsals, ready to escape the real world and transform into their characters. Most actors work 9-to-5 day jobs before they head to shows or rehearsals. Pigman spoke of actors eating in their cars a� er work as they drive to the theater for rehearsals.

3. PREPARE FOR AUDITIONS.To be cast in a play, actors must, of course, audition. A� er � nding an upcoming production they’re interested in, prospective actors should read the script several times, to get familiar with the story and the characters.

Check with theater sta� or go to theater’s website to � nd out what materials may be required for auditions. If there are speci� c characteristics needed for the roles, they will be speci� ed in the audition notice. Any time a role has been pre-cast, it’s disclosed before auditions are held.

he passion of actors and directors is undeniable. Long days and hard work go into the production of live theater. Every detail of the production is carefully planned, sets are built, actors are cast, wardrobes are sewn and rehearsals go on for weeks. T

Alex Tupper reviews his script while waiting his turn to audition for a part in Limelight Theatre’s upcoming staging of the comedy “Lost in Yonkers.” Photo: Walter Coker


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4. TAKE A CLASS.Classes o� er an opportunity to learn about acting and theater terminology. Much can be learned from attending auditions. Every time actors audition, they learn from that experience and from other actors’ auditions. Community theaters also hold acting workshops, at little or no cost, that o� er experience.

5. PREPARE A MONOLOGUE – AND MAYBE A SONG.� e one- to two-minute monologue should be similar to the play, but not from the same play. It’s important to have a monologue memorized.

“Focus on being engaging. You want to make your monologue your own,” said Katie Swider, who’s been involved in many local performances.

“If you really want to be on stage, get all the practice that you can performing your monologue in front of other people, in front of the mirror, whenever possible,” Swider said.

If the auditions are for a musical, the director will request sheet music, and those auditioning should prepare to sing. It’s also important to bring a change of clothes in order to dance for musical auditions.

6. AUDITIONS CAN BE EITHER CLOSED OR OPEN.A closed audition means actors go into a separate room to audition. In open auditions, everyone can watch actors try out. “Cold reads” (or sides) means that groups of people auditioning read through the script together, with little or no preparation.

7. DRESS APPROPRIATELY.Pigman stressed that it’s important to dress professionally for auditions. Most important, dress modestly.

“Don’t dress in costume, and don’t draw attention away from your hands or face,” Pigman advised. Acting should be done with facial expressions. An actor must act the part through movement of the face and hands, not through physical appearance alone. However, this doesn’t mean that appearance is not important.

8. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ACT PROFESSIONALLY.“A director is watching you from the minute you walk in the door. From the moment you sign your registration, they are watching how polite you are and your etiquette,” Pigman said.

Arrive early to auditions. � is gives you time to warm up as well as a chance to meet other actors and maybe the director before you try out.

Actors should bring a headshot and a résumé to every audition. First-time actors won’t necessarily be denied a role because they don’t have a headshot, but having one shows that an actor is serious about getting the part.

9. DON’T LET YOUR NERVES GET THE BEST OF YOU.“Always remember to take a deep breath,” Swider advised. “� e director wants you to do great; they want you to do well.

“To stand out from others, � nd a way to make people laugh or smile. Be a breath of fresh air. Have that ‘pop’ that makes you stand out from others.”

As a director, Pigman said, he wants to see that actors can develop relationships with others. Actors shouldn’t be afraid to talk to those around them and show the director they’re self-starters. Help with whatever is needed and don’t cause problems or disrupt the process.

10. DON’T GIVE UP.“Come back if you don’t get a part the � rst time. Don’t get discouraged, just keep auditioning. You may just have not � t the part,” said Beth Lambert, executive director at Limelight � eatre. Not getting cast for the part doesn’t mean directors didn’t see talent or potential.

Pigman explained that directors understand an actor has to start somewhere. O� er to help out with the production to show the director that you’re serious about getting involved with the theater. Directors are always looking for new talent and encourage everyone interested to give it a try.

Lambert encouraged all who are interested in becoming part of a theater family to conquer their fears and audition. It will get a little easier and more familiar each time. When actors � nally get on stage, it’ll be worth it.

“� e � rst time people clap for you, you won’t forget that moment,” Lambert said. �

Amanda [email protected]

1. Limelight stage manager Larry Hession (left) and director Jean Rahner conduct auditions for the play “Lost in Yonkers” at St. Augustine’s Limelight Theatre on Dec. 9.2. Kelly McTaggart reads for a part in Limelight Theatre’s upcoming production of “Lost in Yonkers.”

Photos: Walter Coker

Amelia Community Theatre207/209 Cedar St., Fernandina Beach, 261-6749, ameliacommunitytheatre.orgAuditions: “Lend Me a Tenor,” 7 p.m. Jan. 8

Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre716 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 249-7177, abettheatre.comNo audition dates set.

Flagler Playhouse301 E. Moody Blvd., Bunnell, 386-586-0773, fl aglerplayhouse.comAuditions: “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” 6 p.m., Jan. 7 & 8; “The Producers,” 6 p.m. Feb. 3.

Limelight Theatre11 Old Mission Ave., St. Augustine, 825-1164, limelight-theatre.orgNo audition dates set.

Orange Park Community Theatre2900 Moody Ave., Orange Park, 276-2599, opct.orgAuditions: “Moon Over Buffalo,” 2 p.m. Jan. 5 and 7 p.m. Jan. 6; “Anything Goes,” 1 p.m. March 24 and 1 p.m. March 30. Need singers, dancers and actors.

Players by the Sea106 N. Sixth St., Jacksonville Beach, 249-0289, playersbythesea.orgAuditions: “In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play,” 7 p.m. Jan. 6.

Stage Aurora Theatrical Company5188 Norwood Ave., Northside, 765-7372, stageaurora.orgNo audition dates set.

Theatre Jacksonville2032 San Marco Blvd., San Marco, 396-4425, theatrejax.comAuditions: “The Triangle Factory Fire Project,” 1 p.m. Jan. 12.

Theater Auditions

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PERFORMANCEFOREVER PLAID: PLAID TIDINGS This family-friendly musical is presented Dec. 27-Jan. 6 at Limelight Theatre, 11 Old Mission Ave., St. Augustine. $10-$25. 825-1164. limelight-theatre.orgPROFESSOR WHISKEY’S TRAVELING BIZARRE BAZAAR The troupe’s “I Hate the Holidays Show” features fi ve burlesque performers as well as a singing hula-hooper and comedians. Molotov Cocktail Party performs with fans and fi re hoops. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Dec. 28 at The Phoenix Taproom, 325 W. Forsyth St., Downtown. $7. 798-8222. professorwhiskey.comRING OF FIRE The musical revue of Johnny Cash is staged for evening and matinee performances Dec. 28-Feb. 3 at Alhambra Theatre & Dining, 12000 Beach Blvd., Southside. $46-$59; New Year’s Eve show $125. 641-1212. alhambrajax.comTHE CHOCOLATE NUTCRACKER This multicultural take on the traditional holiday ballet is staged 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 29 at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, 300 W. Water St., Downtown. $20-$60. 768-2255.FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE The musical, with music and lyrics by jazz great Louis Jordan, is staged Dec. 31-Jan. 19 at Players by the Sea, 106 N. Sixth St., Jax Beach. New Year’s Eve celebration, $85. Other performances, $25. 249-0289. playersbythesea.org

CALLS & WORKSHOPSARTS IN THE PARK Submissions are accepted for the 10th annual Arts in the Park through Dec. 28. The event is scheduled for April 27 at Johansen Park in Atlantic Beach. For information and applications, email [email protected] or [email protected] TRADING CARDS Local Artists Coming Together seeks original works of art with a theme of “Self Portraits.” Fifty submissions will be selected to create the third series of collectible artist trading cards. The deadline is Dec. 31; no entry fee. Submit to [email protected] PORTRAIT SHOW CALL St. Augustine Art Association receives gesture drawings, academic fi gure studies, formal portraits, busts and people in groups represented in any style and material, noon-7 p.m. Jan. 2 and noon-4 p.m. Jan. 3 at 22 Marine St. 824-2310. The exhibit is on display Jan. 4-27.AMELIA ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL The fi lm festival accepts submissions for shorts and feature fi lms through Jan. 3. The entry fee is $25 for shorts, $35 for features. The festival is scheduled March 21-24. Details and entry forms are available at ameliaislandfi lmfestival.org/Submissions.htmlTRANSFORMATIONS IN HEALING CALL An art competition from Healogics, open to residents of Duval, Nassau, Clay, Baker and St. Johns counties, offers a $5,000 commission and an exhibit in the wound care business’s Jacksonville headquarters. As many as 10 fi nalists receive $500 each. Artists may submit more than one entry in all visual art media, except video and art forms requiring electricity, related to the theme of “Transformations in Healing.” The deadline is Jan. 4 for entries, and the art is displayed beginning Jan. 17. Guidelines and submission details at healogics.com/transformationsNASSAU ART AT THE CALLAHAN DEPOT The West Nassau Historical Society accepts entries from Nassau County artists in oils, acrylics, watercolors, mixed media, pastels and drawing and print-making through Jan. 7. The show is held 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 26. 879-3406. wnhsfl .orgST. AUGUSTINE CHORUS AUDITIONS The chorus auditions for singers for “On Broadway! Act II,” are held 6:50-9 p.m. Jan. 8 and every Tue. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 215 St. George St., St. Augustine. Music distributed during the fi rst few weeks of rehearsal at 6:30 p.m. Membership fee: $25. 808-1904. staugustinecommunitychorus.orgDRAWING & PAINTING CLASSES Joan F. Tasca offers oil and acrylic painting classes 9 a.m.-noon Jan. 8-Feb. 12 and drawing classes 9 a.m.-noon Jan. 10-Feb. 14 at The Art Studio, 370 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine. Registration closes Jan. 3. 402-2292. joanftasca.comART FUNDAMENTALS: ACRYLIC PAINTING Instructor Allison Watson introduces painting to beginners and strengthens skills of intermediate painters on composition for landscape and still life, color theory and techniques in acrylic 1:30-4 p.m. Jan. 9, 16, 23 and 30 and Feb. 6 and 13 at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, 829 Riverside Ave., Riverside. Ages 13 and older. $190. 355-0630.

CLASSICAL & JAZZSOOTHE YOUR SOUL Singer-songwriter and pianist Rachel Kamps performs 7-8:30 p.m. Dec. 30 at Christ Episcopal Church, 2002 San Pablo Road, Intracoastal West. Free. 241-3403.TOAST! TO THE NEW YEAR The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra joins song-and-dance duo Joan Hess and Kirby Ward, 8:30 p.m. Dec. 31 at the T-U Center, 300 W. Water St., Downtown. An after-party follows. $40-$120. 354-5547.THE KEFFERS The family of musicians and pastors deliver harmonious Southern gospel 10 p.m. Dec. 31 at Fort Caroline United Methodist Church, 8510 Ft. Caroline Road, Arlington. Free. 744-1311.FESTIVAL OF NINE LESSONS & CAROLS The St. John’s Cathedral Choir, along with organist Tim Tuller, perform 5 p.m. Dec. 31 at the Cathedral, 256 E. Church St., Downtown. 356-5507.JAZZ IN ST. AUGUSTINE Jazz is performed throughout the week at Rhett’s Piano Bar & Brasserie, 66 Hypolita St., St. Augustine. 825-0502.JAZZ IN ARLINGTON Jazzland features live music 6-9 p.m. every Tue. and 8 p.m. every Fri. and Sat. at 1324 University Blvd. N., Arlington. 240-1009. jazzlandcafe.comDINO SALIBA Tonino’s Trattoria hosts saxophonist Saliba 6 p.m. every Sat. at 7001 Merrill Rd., Arlington. 743-3848.JAZZ IN RIVERSIDE Trumpeter Ray Callendar and guitarist Taylor Roberts are featured 9:30 p.m. every Thur. at Kickbacks Gastropub, 910 King St., Riverside. 388-9551.JAZZ AT TREE STEAKHOUSE Boril Ivanov Trio plays 7 p.m. every Thur. and pianist David Gum plays 7 p.m. every Fri. at Tree Steakhouse, 11362 San Jose Blvd., Mandarin. 262-0006.

ART WALKS, MARKETS, FESTIVALS

OLD TOWN ART & CRAFT SHOW More than 100 artists and artisans showcase paintings, photography, jewelry, pottery, fi ber art, glasswork, mixed media and woodwork, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 29 and 30 at Francis Field, 25 Castillo Dr., St. Augustine. Free. holidayartshows.comFIRST WEDNESDAY ART WALK The art walk, themed “Fresh stART,” is held 5-9 p.m. Jan. 2 at 30-40 galleries, museums and businesses, spanning 15 blocks in Downtown Jacksonville. Artist Jim Draper gives a presentation of his work 7 p.m. at Southlight Gallery, the band Slickwater plays 5-9 p.m. in the headquarters at Hemming Plaza, and Stone Street, Matt Henderson and On Guard play a free concert at 1904 Music Hall. The Main Library hosts artist Jaylin J.’s work in the Teen Department. Abstract artist Dallas shares work from “The Color Code” at Midtown Deli & Café. A Food Truck Village is set up on the corner of Forsyth and Main streets with music from Garrett on Acoustic. An events map is available at downtownjacksonville.org/marketingFIRST FRIDAY ART WALK The tour of Art Galleries of St. Augustine is held 5-9 p.m. Jan. 4. 829-0065.MID-WEEK MARKET Arts & crafts, local produce and live music are featured 3-6 p.m. every Wed. at Bull Memorial Park, corner of East Coast Drive and Seventh Street, Atlantic Beach. 247-5800.NORTH BEACHES ART WALK Galleries of Atlantic and Neptune beaches are open late, 5-9 p.m. every third Thur. of the month, at various venues from Sailfi sh Drive in Atlantic Beach to Neptune Beach and Town Center. For a list of participating galleries, call 249-2222.DOWNTOWN FRIDAY MARKET Arts & crafts and local produce are offered 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Fri. at The Jacksonville Landing, 2 Independent Drive, Downtown. 353-1188.ST. JOHNS RIVER FARMERS MARKET Local produce, arts and crafts are offered 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Sat. at Alpine Groves Park, 2060 S.R. 13, Switzerland. 347-8900.NORTH BEACH ARTS MARKET Arts & crafts, produce, community services and kids’ activities are featured 3-7 p.m. every Sat. at North Beach Park, 3721 Coastal Highway A1A, Vilano Beach (where the wooden walkover crosses A1A). 910-8386.

MUSEUMSAMELIA ISLAND MUSEUM OF HISTORY 233 S. Third St., Fernandina Beach, 261-7378. The children’s exhibit, “Discovery Ship,” allows kids to pilot the ship, hoist fl ags and learn about the history of Fernandina’s harbor. Free.

CAMP BLANDING MUSEUM 5629 S.R. 16 W., Camp Blanding, Starke, 682-3196. Artwork, weapons, uniforms and other artifacts from the activities of Camp Blanding during World War II are displayed along with outdoor displays of vehicles from WWII, Vietnam and Desert Storm. Free.CUMMER MUSEUM OF ART & GARDENS 829 Riverside Ave., Riverside, 356-6857. “Histories in Africa,” an exhibit featuring 20 years of photography by Elizabeth Gilbert, is shown through Dec. 30. “A Life in Vibrant Color,” an exhibit of works by painter Lois Mailou Jones, runs through Jan. 4. “Feast of Flowers,” Jim Draper’s newest series, celebrating the 500th anniversary of the fi rst European engagement with Florida, continues through April 7; a reception is held 4-8 p.m. Jan. 15. “Cultural Fusion,” an exhibit of archival material about two vital community leaders, Eartha White and Ninah Cummer, continues through April 14. cummer.orgFLAGLER COLLEGE’S CRISP-ELLERT ART MUSEUM 48 Sevilla St., St. Augustine, 826-8530. The opening reception for the exhibit “Planning and Painting in Paradise,” celebrating the 125-year history of Hotel Ponce de Leon, is held 5-9 p.m. Jan. 11. The exhibit is on display through Feb. 22. fl agler.edu/crispellertJACKSONVILLE MARITIME HERITAGE CENTER 2 Independent Drive, Ste. 162, Downtown, 355-1101. The museum’s permanent collection includes steamboats, various nautical-themed art, books, documents and artifacts.JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY’S ALEXANDER BREST MUSEUM & GALLERY 2800 University Blvd. N., Arlington, 256-7371. JU’s Biannual Faculty Exhibition opens with a reception held 5-7 p.m. Jan. 17. The exhibit runs through Feb. 6.KARPELES MANUSCRIPT MUSEUM 101 W. First St., Springfi eld, 356-2992. “The Adams Family” exhibit, featuring original letters pertaining to John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Samuel Adams, runs through Dec. 29. Prints, etchings and oils from the Avonlea Antique Mall are on display through Jan. 2. The permanent collection includes rare manuscripts.MANDARIN MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY 11964 Mandarin Road, Mandarin, 268-0784. Exhibits for Harriet Beecher Stowe and the Civil War vessel Maple Leaf are on display as well as work from Mandarin artists.MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART JACKSONVILLE 333 N. Laura St., Downtown, 366-6911. Ian Bogost’s Project Atrium installation continues through March 10. “ReFocus: Art of the 1980s,” an exhibit highlighting major fi gures of contemporary art of the decade, continues through Jan. 6.MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY 1025 Museum Circle, Southbank, 396-6674. The exhibit “RACE: Are We So Different?” — a traveling exhibit developed by the American Anthropological Association — tells the story of race through the frameworks of science, history and contemporary experiences. The exhibit opens Jan. 26 and continues through April 28.RITZ THEATRE & MUSEUM 829 N. Davis St., Downtown, 632-5555. An exhibit celebrating local African-American athletes and sports fi gures, “More Than a Game: African-American Sports in Jacksonville, 1900-1975,” is currently on display. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children, students and seniors. Open Tue.-Sun.

GALLERIES233 WEST KING 233 W. King St., St. Augustine, 217-7470. Shows change monthly and the gallery remains open late for First Friday Art Walks.THE ART CENTER PREMIERE GALLERY Bank of America Tower, 50 N. Laura St., Downtown, 355-1757. “R.A.C.E. – Respecting Anybody’s Cultural Experience,” an exhibit examining diversity in the world, opens Jan. 24 and continues through March 7.AVONDALE ARTWORKS GALLERY 3562 St. Johns Ave., Avondale, 384-8797. Peter Max unveils his new Masters series of interpretive works of Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, Renoir and Degas done in his signature style and colors, in exhibit previews beginning Jan. 12. Max appears 6-9 p.m. Jan. 19 and 1-4 p.m. Jan. 20. Reservations required; call 384-8797. avondaleartworks.comBOLD BEAN COFFEE ROASTERS 869 Stockton St., Ste. 1, Riverside, 855-1181. “Chasing Nostalgia/Subconscious Assimilations,” an exhibit of works by Edison William, continues through Jan. 13.THE CULTURAL CENTER AT PONTE VEDRA BEACH 50 Executive Way, Ponte Vedra Beach, 280-0614. The exhibit “Small Objects” continues through Dec. 29.CYPRESS VILLAGE ART LEAGUE 4600 Middleton Park Circle, Southside, 223-6100. “Angels Unaware,” an exhibit of art by Cypress Village retirement community members and guest artist Annabelle Usher, continues through Jan. 4.FIRST STREET GALLERY 216-B First St., Neptune Beach, 241-6928. The exhibit “Tropical Expressions” continues through Jan. 3.FLORIDA MINING GALLERY 5300 Shad Road, Southside, 425-2845. “PROOF: Contemporary Prints,” an exhibit of collectible works, continues through Jan. 21.

HASKELL GALLERY Jax International Airport, 14201 Pecan Park Rd., Northside, 741-3546. Works by Grant Ward are displayed in Connector Bridge cases, an exhibit of works by Robin Shepherd is in Haskell Gallery, and an exhibit of works by Jason John is in Concourse A & C display cases (after security), all through Jan. 9. The Sky Gallery exhibit, highlighting Historic Riverside Avondale, runs through December.ISLAND ART ASSOCIATION 18 N. Second St., Fernandina Beach, 261-7020. “Outside the Box,” a judged show, continues through January. islandart.orgJACK MITCHELL GALLERY Thrasher-Horne Center for the Arts, St. Johns River State College, 283 College Dr., Orange Park, 276-6750. An exhibit of Lois Greenfi eld’s work is on display Feb. 11-April 6. thcenter.orgJUICE, A JEN JONES GALLERY 1 Independent Drive, Wells Fargo Center, Downtown. Live jazz, a historic fi lmography and photography presentation, and paintings and sculptures are featured. jenjonesart.comLEE ADAMS FLORIDA ARTISTS GALLERY Thrasher-Horne Center for the Arts, St. Johns River State College, 283 College Dr., Orange Park, 276-6750. An exhibit of Ellen Diamond’s work is on display Jan. 28-April 6. thcenter.orgLUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES 4615 Philips Highway, Southside, 730-8235. The photography and mixed-media exhibit, “America: Visions of My New Country,” works by children attending the Summertime Express youth refugee camp, is displayed year-round in the main lobby.METACUSP STUDIOS GALLERY 2650 Rosselle St., Riverside, (813) 223-6190. The exhibit “Two Fingered Turkeys” is on display through Jan. 16.PALENCIA FINE ARTS ACADEMY 701 Market St., Ste. 107A, St. Augustine, 819-1584. The academy, a gallery and educational institution, showcases students’ creative process, as well as exhibits. Stacie Hernandez’s works are on display. palenciafi neartsacademy.comPLANTATION ARTISTS GUILD AND GALLERY Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, 94 Village Circle, Amelia Island, 310-6106. The exhibit “Gallery Squared,” featuring 10-inch-by-10-inch wooden boxes painted in different mediums and styles by gallery artists, runs through Feb. 2. Free.PLUM GALLERY 9 Aviles St., St. Augustine, 825-0069. The exhibit “Plum Jam(med)” from assemblage artist Barbara J. Cornett, gourd artist Mindy Hawkins, glassblower Thomas Long, non-traditional painter Deedra Ludwig, fi gurative artist Sara Pedigo and photographer Theresa Segal, opens with a reception held 5-9 p.m. Jan. 4. The exhibit runs through March.ROTUNDA GALLERY St. Johns County Admin. Bldg., 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, 808-7330. An exhibit of Ann McGlade’s oil paintings runs through Dec. 28.SEVENTH STREET GALLERY 14 S. Seventh St., Fernandina Beach, 432-8330. “Fusion,” an exhibit of works by photographer Ann Kemp and fused glass artist Denise Murphy, continues through December. “Visions Over Time,” an exhibit of works by painter and photographer James Widerman, opens with a reception held 5-8 p.m. Jan. 12. The exhibit is on display through January.SIMPLE GESTURES GALLERY 4 E. White St., St. Augustine, 827-9997. Eclectic works by Steve Marrazzo are featured.STUDIO 121 121 W. Forsyth St., Ste. 100, Downtown, 292-9303. This working studio and gallery space features the work of Doug Eng, Joyce Gabiou, Bill Yates, Robert Leedy, Terese Muller, Mary St. Germain and Tony Wood.SOUTHLIGHT GALLERY 6 E. Bay St., Downtown, 553-6361. The gallery features works by 29 local artists in various media. Artist Jim Draper gives a presentation on his work 7 p.m. Jan. 2 as part of First Wednesday Art Walk.SPACE:EIGHT GALLERY 228 W. King St., St. Augustine, 829-2838. “The Meanies,” an exhibit of art by Jordie Hudson, continues through Jan. 25.ST. AUGUSTINE ART ASSOCIATION 22 Marine St., St. Augustine, 824-2310. “Viva Florida,” an exhibit of works by Kristin Hosbein, is on display through Dec. 30. “Sacred Icons,” an exhibit of works by Bulgarian artist Nina Flores, and an exhibit of sculptures by Linda Bobinger, are also displayed. The gallery’s permanent collection features 16th-century artifacts detailing Sir Francis Drake’s 1586 burning of St. Augustine.VANDROFF ART GALLERY Jewish Community Alliance, 8505 San Jose Blvd., Mandarin, 730-2100. An exhibit of art by Daniel Wynn continues through Dec. 26.WHITE PEONY 216 Charlotte St., St. Augustine, 819-9770. This gallery boutique features a variety of handcrafted jewelry, wearable art and recycled/upcycled items.WORLEY FAVER GALLERY 11A Aviles St., St. Augustine, 304-2310. The artist-owned studio shows pottery and works by Dena and Worley Faver. �

For a complete list of galleries, log on to folioweekly.com. To list your event, send info – time, date, location (street address, city), admission price and contact number to print – to David Johnson, 9456 Philips Hwy., Ste. 11, Jacksonville FL 32256 or email [email protected]. Deadline is 4 p.m. Tue.

“Radiance” (pictured) is among the pieces in guest artist Annabelle Usher’s exhibit “Angels Unaware,” displayed through Jan. 4, at Cypress Village Art League in Southside.


NEW YEAR’S EVEFAMILY EVENTS

CHILDREN’S NEW YEAR’S PARTYThe party for kids ages 12 and younger is held 10 a.m.-2 p.m., featuring a balloon drop at noon, at Adventure Landing, 1944 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach, 246-4386; 2780 S.R. 16, St. Augustine, 827-9400 and 4825 Blanding Blvd., Jacksonville, 771-2803. Call for fees and details.THE AVENUES MALL Free New Year’s Extravaganza with family entertainment, swag, arts & crafts, bounce houses, face painting and entertainment, 2-5 p.m. at Center Court, 10300 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville. More than 1,500 beach balls fall from Center Court.CULTURAL CENTERNew Year’s Eve at Noon, 11 a.m.-noon, features pizza, activities and a bubble-wrap room. Dalton Cyr performs. Hundreds of balloons drop at noon. The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra, 50 Executive Way. A meet-and-greet with Cyr after the performance. Free for members; $5 for nonmembers, $15 for a family of four. 280-0614.BEACH BLAST OFF 2013 This seventh annual celebration features ice sculptures, fi reworks, live music by Dennis Fermin, Penguin Teeth, Leisure Man and Smokin Mirrors, and a chili cook-off at 4 p.m. at St. Johns County Fishing Pier & Pavilion, 350 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach. beachblastoff.comNOON YEAR’S EVEThe Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens celebrates 10 a.m.-1 p.m. with entertainment, games, prizes and an apple juice toast at noon at 370 Zoo Parkway, Jacksonville. 757-4463 ext. 122. jaxzoo.orgTHE KEFFERSThe family of musicians and pastors deliver harmonious Southern gospel 10 p.m. at Fort Caroline United Methodist Church, 8510 Ft. Caroline Road, Arlington. Free. 744-1311.

FOR THE GROWNUPS1904 MUSIC HALLInternal Alignment with Sir Charles, Mighty High Coup, Vlad the Inhaler, Lucky Costello, Mason Masters, Trap Nasty, S.P.O.R.E., Taylor Wells, Kevin Velarde, Bit Deff and Jordan Joseph 9 p.m. 19 Ocean St. Performance art, silk aerialists, balloon drop, midnight Champagne toast, hookahs. Tickets are $15 online in advance; $20 at the door. 1904jax.com333NYE: WELCOME TO THE FUTUREThis futuristic fête features artwork, space-age Smilebooth photos, an interactive videogame installation courtesy of Project Atrium artist Ian Bogost, gambling tables and midnight countdown. A DJ spins. Futuristic attire; black tie optional. $90. MOCA Jacksonville, 333 N. Laura St., Downtown. 366-6911. mocajacksonville.org/event/333nyeALHAMBRA THEATREA cocktail reception is held 6 p.m., Chef DeJuan Roy serves dinner and late-night Southern breakfast, the musical “Ring of Fire” is staged and a midnight Champagne toast is featured. Tickets are $125. Alhambra Theatre & Dining, 12000 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, 641-1212. alhambrajax.comAZUREA RESTAURANT A menu of fi ve gourmet courses, 5-10 p.m. at One Ocean Resort & Spa, Atlantic Beach, 249-7402. oneoceanresort.com/holiday-happenings.aspxBAY STREET BLOCK PARTY The party is held 8 p.m.-2 a.m. DJs Miguel Alvarez and Robert Goodman spin in Kala, 331 E. Bay St.; DJ Shotgun spins in Mark’s, 315 E. Bay St., Downtown. 355-5099, 356-6455.BLACK & WHITE MASQUERADE BALL The Ball features food, an open bar, live music, dancing and fi reworks at 9 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, 4750 Amelia Island Parkway. Admission is $195. Black and white attire encouraged; masks are provided. 277-1100.BLU AT 5 POINTSDangerous Theatre features live music and fi re spinners, plus a view of midnight fi reworks over the river. Admission is free. 820 Post St. dangeroustheatre.comCAFÉ KARIBOA fi ve-plate wine dinner focused on locally sourced ingredients to pair with fi ve varietals from Moët & Chandon. A reception is held 7:30 p.m., followed by the seated dinner, 27 N. Third St. 277-5269, Fernandina Beach. Tickets are $85. 277-5269.THE COMEDY ZONERamada Inn, 3130 Hartley Road (I-295 & San Jose Blvd.), Jacksonville, 292-4242. The Mandarin Dinner & Show Celebration is 6:30 p.m. in Gigi’s Restaurant next door. Tickets are $65 and include AYCE prime rib and crab leg buffet, Kelly Terranova’s comedy show at 8 p.m., dancing with DJs, party favors and a midnight champagne toast. The Continental Dinner & Show is held 8 p.m. at Gigi’s; tickets are $65 and include AYCE prime rib and seafood buffet, Kelly Terranova’s comedy show at 9:30 p.m., dancing, party favors and the champagne toast. The Blast Off Party is held

at 9 p.m.; tickets are $35 and include the show, dancing, party favors and the champagne toast. comedyzone.com CULHANE’S IRISH PUB967 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 249-9595. The Paradise Experience Band plays at 9 p.m. A four-course menu and a free glass of champagne are featured. Admission is $60.DOWNTOWN BLUES BAR & GRILLERiver City Blues Band 8 p.m. $20, open bar for wells and drafts 8-9 p.m., party favors, midnight prime rib/pork roast buffet, champagne toast. 714 St. Johns Ave., Palatka, (386) 325-5454.5 GUYS NAMED MOECocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dinner 6:30 p.m., musical show 9 p.m. at Players by the Sea, 106 N. Sixth St., Jax Beach. Admission is $85 in advance for nonmembers, $60 for members. The show runs through Jan. 19, with performances, at $25, held at 8 p.m. Thur.-Sat. and at 2 p.m. Sun. 249-0289. playersbythesea.orgFLAGLER COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP BALLHosted by the President’s Society of Flagler College, this ball is held from 8 p.m.-1 a.m. in the dining hall at the former Ponce de Leon Hotel at Flagler College, 74 King St., downtown St. Augustine. Tickets are $200 and include an open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres, dinner and dessert buffets, an early morning breakfast buffet and a champagne toast and balloon drop at midnight. Black tie is required. Proceeds benefi t the Flagler College Scholarship Fund. 819-6282. fl agler.eduTHE FLORIDIANA four-course farm-to-table prix fi xe menu is served; seating until 11:30 p.m. Admission is $50, $40 vegetarian option. The $50-$60 celebration price includes two glasses of Champagne or house wine. 39 Cordova St., St. Augustine. 829-0655. thefl oridianstaug.comMAVERICKSSmokin Aces perform 6 p.m. Party favors, drink specials, midnight Champagne toast. High roller reservations. Mavericks, 2 Independent Drive, Downtown, $25-$35, 356-1110. mavericksatthelanding.comROARING 20S PARTY This gala is held 8 p.m. at Sheffi eld’s, 117 Centre St., Fernandina Beach. Red carpet entrance, free Champagne until midnight. DJ Heavy Hess spins. Dress in Roaring 20s style. Tickets start at $20. The Palace Saloon features Face For Radio 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Champagne toast and balloon drop at midnight. Admission is free. 491-3332.THE STANDARDA masquerade and costume ball, with complimentary shots on arrival, absinthe bar, balloon drop, ice sculpture and luge, Champagne toast at midnight, and DJs Natural, Gibz, SP and Hu, 9 p.m. at 200 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine, $5-$8. Wear a mask or costume for reduced cover. 377-3198. classicblends.comTAVERNA YAMAS A four-course menu includes party favors, midnight Champagne toast, entertainment by DJs, belly dancers and saxophonist Pierre Kendrick. Seating starts at 8:30 p.m.; call for reservations. 9753 Deer Lake Court, Southside, 854-0426.WHISKY RIVERA midnight Champagne toast and party favors; open bar 8-10 p.m., $20. Open bar tickets grant admission past 10 p.m.; $15 general admission ticket must also be purchased. VIP packages available. 4850 Big Island Drive, St. Johns Town Center, 645-5571.

EVENTSGATOR BOWL EVENTS A 5K run is held 10 a.m. on Dec. 31 at The Jacksonville Landing, 2 Independent Drive, Jacksonville, 730-1900. Mississippi State holds a pep rally 1:30 p.m. in The Landing Courtyard. The parade is at 3 p.m. Northwestern University’s Big Ten Pep Rally is 5 p.m. in the Courtyard. Midnight fi reworks go off over the St. Johns River. The Touchdown Party starts at 9 a.m. Jan. 1; $50. The 68th annual Gator Bowl Classic football game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Northwestern Wildcats kicks off at noon Jan. 1 at EverBank Field in the Sports Complex, downtown Jacksonville. Tickets range from $65-$140. The game is screened live on the Courtyard’s Jumbotron. 353-1188, 798-1700.ZOOLIGHTS The inaugural ZOOlights is held 6:30-9:30 p.m. Sun.-Thur. and 6:30-10 p.m. Fri. and Sat. through Dec. 31 at Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens, 370 Zoo Parkway, Jacksonville. Thousands of LED lights create a winter wonderland with moving sculptures and animal silhouettes. Mrs. Claus has storytime every Sun. Snow falls nightly at 8 p.m. Sing-alongs, dancing, train rides, reindeer games, bounce house, giant slide and kids’ activities are featured; call for schedule. Admission is $7 for members, $9 for non-members. For schedules, call 757-4463.COSMIC CONCERTS Laser Holiday 7 & 8 p.m., Laser Retro 9 p.m., Laser Vinyl 10 p.m. Dec. 28 in Bryan-Gooding Planetarium, Museum of Science & History, 1025 Museum Cir., Southbank. Online tickets are $5. 396-7062. moshplanetarium.org

POLITICS, BUSINESS, ACTIVISM

SOUTHSIDE BUSINESS MEN’S CLUB The annual awards ceremony and offi cer installation is held 11:30 a.m. Jan. 2 at San Jose Country Club, 7529 San Jose Blvd., Mandarin. Admission is $20. 396-5559.

BOOKS & WRITINGJAX YOUTH WRITERS Writers younger than 18 and their parents meet 7-8:45 p.m. Dec. 27 at Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd., Southside. Free. 742-7359. FloridaYouthWriters.org

COMEDYKELLY TERRANOVA Terranova appears Dec. 31 and 8 p.m. Jan. 2, 3 and 4 and at 8 and 10 p.m. Jan. 5 at The Comedy Zone, 3130 Hartley Road (in Ramada Inn), Mandarin. Ticket prices vary. 292-4242. comedyzone.comMAD COWFORD IMPROV The local comedy troupe performs 8:15 p.m. every Fri. and Sat. at Northstar Substation, 119 E. Bay St., Downtown. Admission is $5. 860-5451.THREE LAYERS COFFEEHOUSE Brian Foley hosts various comedians 7-8 p.m. every Sun. at Three Layers Café, 1602 Walnut St., Springfi eld. 355-9791.

UPCOMING EVENTSBUNNICULA Jan. 17, The Florida TheatreANNUAL ML KING BREAKFAST Jan. 18, Prime Osborn CenterJERRY SEINFELD Jan. 18, T-U CenterHARRIET TUBMAN & THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD Jan. 30, The Florida TheatreHARLEM GLOBETROTTERS March 1, Veterans Memorial Arena

NATURE, SPORTS, OUTDOORSAMERICA’S STATE PARKS HIKESFirst Day Hikes are held across America Jan. 1; locally, the hike is held 1 p.m. at Little Talbot Island State Park, 12157 Heckscher Drive, Jacksonville, 251-2320; and a hike and scavenger hunt through the Ancient Dunes interpretive trail are held 2 p.m. Jan. 1 at Anastasia State Park, 1340A A1A S., St. Augustine. No experience needed for geocaching, but a smart phone with GPS or other type of GPS is required. Admission is free with paid park admission. 461-2033. fl oridastateparks.orgSNOWBIRDS: WINTERING WATERFOWLA park ranger discusses the many different species of waterfowl on local barrier islands, 2 p.m. Dec. 29 at Ribault Club, Ft. George Island Cultural State Park, 11241 Ft. George Road, Ft. George Island. Admission is free. 251-2320. fl oridastateparks.org/littletalbotislandHOLIDAY BREAK ACTIVITIESGTM Research Reserve offers a guided cultural hike through the Guana Peninsula 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 28; meet at the trails parking lot, S.R. A1A, Ponte Vedra. Family seining activity is held 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 28; meet at the dam recreation area at Guana Lake. A beach exploration is held 8:30-10:30 a.m. Dec. 29; meet at the South Beach Access parking lot, A1A. Register online at gtmholidaybreak.eventbrite.com or call 823-4500.WALK ON THE WILD SIDE The Florida Department of Environmental Protection hosts a coastal walk 9 a.m. Dec. 29 at Anastasia State Park, 1340A A1A S., St. Augustine. Admission is free with paid park admission. 461-2033. fl oridastateparks.orgFUN RUN/WALK REGISTRATION Registration is open for a Fun Run/Walk held Jan. 19 at Alpine Groves Park, 2060 S.R. 13, St. Johns. Registration is $15 for ages 13 and older. This is a benefi t fundraiser for the restoration of the interior of the turn-of-the-century house located on the park property. To register, go to mayomedia.com. [email protected]

KIDSART CLASSES FOR CHILDREN Children ages 3-5 and their favorite adult participate in “Art for Two,” an infusion of art, movement, literature and music to develop new skills 10:30 a.m.-noon Jan. 12, Feb. 9 and March 23 at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, 829 Riverside Ave., Riverside. $15 per pair.BALLROOM PROGRAM FOR KIDS Progressive ballroom classes for children are held 4-4:45 p.m. Mon. and Wed., beginning Jan. 14 at Boleros Dance Center, 10131 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville. The fee is $100 per child for the class held Jan. 14-May 14. 228-9931. jacksonville-dance.comWINTER TEEN ART CONTEST Local artists, ages 12-18, may submit up to three pieces of visual art, including photography, mixed media and three-dimensional pieces in the Jacksonville Public Library Winter Teen Art Contest. The entries are judged on skill, originality and “wow” factor. Submissions accepted through Jan. 15, along with an entry form, at any Jacksonville library location. The winner receives a $30 gift certifi cate to Reddi Arts and a solo show in the Teen Department Gallery at the Main Library in March. 630-2665. jaxpubliclibrary.org/teens/teen-art-contest-winter2012.pdfORANGE PARK WORKSHOPOrange Park Community Theatre offers a spring theater workshop for students in grades 2-8. Classes are held 4:30-6:30 p.m. Mon.-Thur., Jan. 14-April 21. For more information, go to opct.orgMOSH WINTER CAMP CHILL OUT Camps for kids in grades K-5 feature Winterland Wonders Dec. 26 and Lego Robots Dec. 27 at Museum of Science & History, 1025 Museum Circle, Southbank. $40 per day for members, $55 for nonmembers. For details, call 396-6674 ext. 226. themosh.orgAMELIA ISLAND MUSEUM OF HISTORY 233 S. Third St., Fernandina Beach, 261-7378. The children’s exhibit, “Discovery Ship,” allows kids to pilot the ship, hoist fl ags and learn about the history of Fernandina’s harbor. Free.WINTERFEST 2012 An Alpine snow village, outdoor ice-skating rink, a 130-foot ice slide, Santa visits, cookie decorating, carnival, crafts, Santa’s workshop (and photo op), s’more roasting, reindeer games, teddy bear factory and a nightly snowfall through Jan. 13. 1944 Beach Blvd., Jax Beach. Proceeds benefi t Seamark Ranch, a home for kids in crisis. Pricing by attraction; call for details. 246-4386. jaxwinterfest.com

CLASSES & GROUPSJAX BEACH LIFEGUARDS The American Red Cross Volunteer Life Saving Corps holds its winter class orientation 9 a.m. Feb. 3 at the Station, at the foot of Beach Boulevard at the ocean, Jax Beach. The ARC Corps features free lifesaving course, free American Red Cross certifi cations, a competition team and summer employment opportunities with Jax Beach Ocean Rescue. For details, call 249-9141. FREE YOGA ON THE RIVER Karen Roumillat, RYT, teaches free gentle yoga 9 a.m. on the fourth Sun. of the month on the boardwalk, weather permitting, at Walter Jones Historical Park, 11964 Mandarin Road, Mandarin. Bring a mat. 287-0452.MARINE VETERANS GROUP The Oldest City Detachment 383 gathers 7 p.m. on fi rst Tue. of the month at Elks Lodge 829, 1420 A1A S., St. Augustine. 461-0139. mclfl 383.orgVIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA The Duval County Chapter No. 1046 gathers 7 p.m. the fi rst Wed. of every month at the Elks Lodge, 1855 West Road, Southside. 419-8821. �

To be listed here, email time, date, location (street address, city), admission price and contact number to print to [email protected] or click the link in our Happenings section at folioweekly.com.

Song-and-dance duo Joan Hess and Kirby Ward join the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra for “Toast! to the New Year, Dec. 31 with a New Year’s Eve after-party at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown.




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Historic 5 Points has become one of the hip and happening spots in town. In addition

to neighborhood favorites like � e Moss� re Grill, O’Brothers Irish Pub and Sake House, a handful of new spots have opened and business is booming.

Black Sheep Restaurant (1534 Park St., 355-3793, blacksheep5points.com) is open for lunch and dinner. � e spot, Orsay’s sister restaurant, serves new American favorites with a Southern twist. With the roo� op bar now open, Black Sheep will debut a brunch menu in the weeks ahead.

Black Sheep pays great attention to utilizing locally sourced ingredients and plating them beautifully. At lunch, meals arrive at your table on shiny silver retro cafeteria-style trays. � e pimento cheese-stu� ed fried green olives are stacked high with a creamy dipping sauce, while the Black Hog Farms Egg Toast is a sturdy rectangle of brioche topped with melted cheese and two symmetrical parallel placed eggs.

� e vibe is fun and hip, with large � oor-to-ceiling windows that are perfect for sunlight and people-watching.

Derby on Park (1068 Park St., 379-3343, facebook.com/DerbyOnPark) replaced the former Derby House with new owners, a new space and new menu at the corner of Park Street and Lomax. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and brunch on Sunday, Derby touts a $3 to $5 drink and

appetizer special list for happy hour.Cozy Tea Café (1023 Park St., 329-3964,

cozyt.com) moved down a few storefronts to a larger space and has reinstated its celebrated Friday and Saturday Indian dinners in addition to its popular Monday-through-Saturday lunch service. Every time I stop in for lunch, I snag a warm lemon cookie. � e freshly baked treat has a perfect chewy-to-crispy ratio, and the warm lemon drizzle on top sends it over the edge.

Spot 5 on Park (1020 Park St., 655-5533) recently opened and serves lunch and dinner, coffee and drinks. Spot 5’s simplistic menu includes salads, six styles of hot dogs, and sandwiches.

Corrado’s Bakery N Bistro plans to open at the former Domo Crepes spot at 813 Lomax St. Relative newcomer Tapa � at (820 Lomax St., 376-9911, tapathat.com) recently celebrated seven months of being in business. Owner Michael Coutu and his sister Chef Arielle have a tapas-style eatery with a changing menu — more than half of the items utilize local and sustainable ingredients. Go for the roasted vegetable salad with goat cheese and balsamic reduction, the braised chorizo in red wine and the bite-sized banana beignets (say that three times fast!) — if they’re not sold out. �

Caron StreibichFolio Weekly’s Bite Club Host

[email protected]

New Additions to the 5 Points PalateBlack Sheep, Derby on Park and others offer diverse menus in emerging hip foodie neighborhood

Black Sheep’s poutine features hand-cut russet potato fries with cheese curds and short rib gravy. Photos: Caron Streibich

The pimento cheese-stuffed fried green olives are served with a creamy dipping sauce at Black Sheep.



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DINING GUIDE KEYAverage Entrée Cost: $ = Less than $8 $$ = $8-$14

$$$ = $15-$22 $$$$ = $23 & upBW=Beer, Wine FB=Full Bar CM=Children’s Menu

TO=Take OutB=Breakfast Br=Brunch L=Lunch D=Dinner

F = Folio Weekly distribution point

AMELIA ISLAND, FERNANDINA BEACH, YULEE

BRETT’S WATERWAY CAFÉ F At the foot of Centre Street, the upscale restaurant overlooks Harbor Marina. Daily specials, fresh Florida seafood and an extensive wine list. FB. L & D, daily. 1 S. Front St. 261-2660. $$$BRIGHT MORNINGS The small café offers freshly baked goods. B & L daily. 105 S. Third St. 491-1771. $$CAFÉ KARIBO F Eclectic cuisine, served under the oaks in historic Fernandina, features sandwiches and chef’s specials. Alfresco dining. FB. L & D, Tue.-Sat.; L, Sun. & Mon. 27 N. Third St. 277-5269. $$CHEZ LEZAN BAKERY F European-style breads, pastries, croissants, muffi ns and pies baked daily. 1014 Atlantic Ave. 491-4663. $DAVID’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE The brand-new fi ne dining restaurant offers Dover sole, Maine lobster, steaks and seafood, served in an upscale atmosphere by an attentive waitstaff. FB. D, nightly. 802 Ash St. 310-6049. $$$$8TH STREET DINER F Familiar diner fare and specialties, including Italian Wedding Soup, teriyaki chicken wrap and The Best BLT. CM, D. 17 S. Eighth St. 491-0330. $$FLORIDA HOUSE INN & RESTAURANT Southern-style fare features fried chicken, shrimp ’n’ grits, burgers and salads, served in this 1850s house in the historic district. CM. FB. L, Thur.-Sun. 22 S. Third St. 491-7251. $$GENNARO’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO Southern Italian cuisine: pasta, gourmet ravioli, hand-tossed pizzas. Specialties are margharita pizza and shrimp feast. Bread is baked on-site. CM, BW. L & D, daily. 5472 First Coast Highway, Amelia Island, 491-1999. $$

HALFTIME SPORTS BAR & GRILL Owner Jon WalkerF Owners John and Bretta Walker offer sports bar fare including onion rings, spring rolls, burgers, wraps and wings. Plenty of TVs show nearly every sport imaginable. BW. L & D, Wed.-Mon. 320 S. Eighth St. 321-0303. $

HAPPY TOMATO COURTYARD CAFE & BBQ F Favorite items include a pulled pork sandwich, chicken salad and walnut chocolate chunk cookie, served in a casual, laid-back atmosphere. BW. CM. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 7 S. Third St. 321-0707. $$JACK & DIANE’S F The casual cafe offers steak & eggs, pancakes, Cajun scampi, etouffée, curry pizza, vegan black bean cakes, shrimp & grits, and hand-carved steaks. FB. B, L & D, daily. 708 Centre St. 321-1444. $$KABUKI JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI BAR Teppanyaki masters create your meal. 37-item sushi bar. BW. D, Tue.-Sun. Amelia Plaza. 277-8782. $$KELLEY’S COURTYARD CAFE She crab soup, salads, fried green tomatoes, sandwiches and wraps are served indoors or out on the patio. Vegetarian dishes are also offered. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 19 S. Third St. 432-8213. $LULU’S at the THOMPSON HOUSE F Innovative lunch menu offers po’boys, seafood “little plates” served in a historic house. Dinner features fresh local seafood. Nightly specials. BW. L & D, Tue.-Sat., Br. Sun. 11 S. Seventh St. 432-8394. $$MONTEGO BAY COFFEE CAFE Locally owned and operated, offering specialty coffees, fruit smoothies. Dine in or hit the drive-thru. B & L, Mon.-Sat. 463363 S.R. 200, Yulee. 225-3600. $MOON RIVER PIZZA F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Northern-style pizza by the pie or the slice. Choose from more than 20 toppings. Owner-selected wines and a large beer selection. BW. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 925 S. 14th St. 321-3400. $

THE MUSTARD SEED CAFE Organic eatery and juice bar offers an extensive menu offers vegetarian, vegan items. Daily specials: local seafood, free-range chicken, fresh organic produce. CM. B & L, Mon.-Sat. 833 TJ Courson Rd. 277-3141. $$PEPPER’S MEXICAN GRILL & CANTINA F The family restaurant offers authentic Mexican cuisine. BW, CM. L & D, daily. 520 Centre St. 272-2011. $$PLAE *Bite Club Certifi ed! The cozy venue offers an innovative, PLAEful dining experience. L, Tue.-Sat.; D, nightly. Omni Amelia Island Plantation Spa & Shops. 277-2132. $$$SALT, THE GRILL Best of Jax ’12 winner. Elegant dining features a menu offering local seafood and produce, served in a contemporary coastal setting. FB. D, Tue.-Sat. The Ritz-Carlton, 4750 Amelia Island Pkwy., Amelia Island. 491-6746. $$$$

THE SALTY PELICAN BAR & GRILL Chef T.J. PelletierF The cozy new spot offers waterfront views. Local seafood and produce create signature dishes, like broiled oysters and oyster po’boys. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 12 N. Front St. 277-3811. $$-$$$

SLIDERS SEASIDE GRILL F Oceanfront dining; local seafood, shrimp, crab cakes, outdoor beachfront tiki & raw bar, covered deck and kids’ playground. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 1998 S. Fletcher Ave. 277-6652. $$THE SURF F Dine inside or on the large oceanview deck. Fresh fi sh, shrimp, steaks and nightly specials. FB. L & D, daily. 3199 S. Fletcher Ave. 261-5711. $$TASTY’S FRESH BURGERS & FRIES F Tasty’s offers burgers (Angus beef, turkey or veggie) and fries (like cheese fries, sweet potato fries), along with dogs, shakes, fl oats and soup. L & D, Mon.-Sat. CM, BW. 710 Centre St. 321-0409. $ TIMOTI’S FRY SHAK F The casual seafood place features local wild-caught shrimp, fi sh and oysters, along with blackboard specials. L & D, daily. CM, BW. 21 N. Third St. 310-6550. $$ T-RAY’S BURGER STATION F Best of Jax 2012 winner. The favorite local spot serves grilled or blackened fi sh sandwiches, homemade burgers. BW, TO. B & L, Mon.-Sat. 202 S. Eighth St. 261-6310. $29 SOUTH EATS F Part of historic Fernandina Beach’s downtown scene. Award-winning Chef Scotty serves traditional world cuisine with a modern twist. L, Tue.-Sat.; D, Mon.-Sat.; Sun. brunch. 29 S. Third St. 277-7919. $$

ARLINGTON, REGENCYCLEOTA’S SOUTHERN AMERICAN CUISINE F Locally owned and operated, Cleota’s offers authentic, homestyle Southern cuisine, like fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, shrimp & grits, mac & cheese. Gourmet desserts. L & D, Tue.-Sun. TO. 2111 University Blvd. N. 800-2102. $

THE STEAKHOUSE @ GOLD CLUB Chef Gregg RothangF Best of Jax 2012 winner. The Steakhouse offers daily lunch and dinner specials, wings, wraps, sandwiches, burgers, steaks and seafood; happy hour buffets Thur. and Fri. FB. L & D, daily. 320 Gen. Doolittle Dr. 645-5500. $$

KABUTO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI BAR Steak & shrimp, fi let mignon & lobster, shrimp & scallops, a sushi bar, teppanyaki grill and traditional Japanese cuisine. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 10055 Atlantic Blvd. 724-8883. $$$LA NOPALERA Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Intracoastal. 8818 Atlantic Blvd. 720-0106. $NERO’S CAFE F Traditional Italian fare, including seafood, veal, beef, chicken and pasta dishes. Weekly specials are lasagna, 2-for-1 pizza and AYCE spaghetti. CM, FB. L, Sun.; D, daily. 3607 University Blvd. N. 743-3141. $$REGENCY ALE HOUSE & RAW BAR Friendly service in a nautical setting. Fresh fi sh, oysters, clams, specialty pastas. BW. L & D, daily. 9541 Regency Sq. Blvd. S. 720-0551. $$UNIVERSITY DINER F The diner serves familiar breakfast fare and lunch like meatloaf, burgers, sandwiches: wraps, BLTs, clubs, melts. Daily specials. BW. B & L, Sat. & Sun.; B, L & D, Mon.-Fri. 5959 Merrill Rd. 762-3433. $

AVONDALE, ORTEGABAGEL LOVE F This spot serves breakfast and lunch sandwiches, wraps, salads, gluten-free baked goods, fresh-squeezed orange juice. CM. B & L, daily. 4114 Herschel St., Ste. 121. 634-7253. $BISCOTTIS F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Mozzarella brusch-etta, Avondale pizza, espresso, cappuccino. Daily specials. B, Tue.-Sun.; L & D, daily. 3556 St. Johns Ave. 387-2060. $$$THE BLUE FISH RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR F Fresh seafood, steaks and more are served in a casual atmosphere. Half-portions are available. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 3551 St. Johns Ave., Shoppes of Avondale. 387-0700. $$$BRICK RESTAURANT F Creative all-American fare like tuna

tartare, seaweed salad and Kobe burger. Outside dining. FB. L & D, daily. 3585 St. Johns Ave. 387-0606. $$$THE CASBAH CAFE F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Authentic Middle Eastern dishes – ryders, a variety of pita choices and wraps – are served in a friendly atmosphere. Hookahs available. BW. L & D, daily. 3628 St. Johns Ave. 981-9966. $$ESPETO BRAZILIAN STEAK HOUSE F Gauchos carve the meat onto your plate from serving tables. FB. D, Tue.-Sun., closed Mon. 4000 St. Johns Ave., Ste. 40. 388-4884. $$$THE FOX RESTAURANT F A local landmark 50+ years. Ian & Mary Chase serve classic diner-style fare, homemade desserts. B & L daily. 3580 St. Johns Ave. 387-2669. $GREEN MAN GOURMET F Organic and natural products, spices, teas, salts, BW. Open daily. 3543 St. Johns Ave. 384-0002. $MOJO NO. 4 F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Beaches. 3572 St. Johns Ave. 381-6670. $$ ORSAY Best of Jax 2012 winner. The French/American bistro focuses on craftsmanship and service. FB. D, Mon.-Sat.; Brunch & D, Sun. 3630 Park St. 381-0909. $$$SAKE HOUSE #5 JAPANESE GRILL & SUSHI BAR New at Shoppes of Avondale. See Riverside. Sake, BW. L & D, daily. 3620 St. Johns Ave. 388-5688. $$TOM & BETTY’S F A Jacksonville tradition for more than 30 years, Tom & Betty’s serves hefty sandwiches with classic car themes, along with homemade-style dishes. CM, FB. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 4409 Roosevelt Blvd. 387-3311. $$

BAYMEADOWSAL’S PIZZA F See Beaches. 8060 Philips Hwy. 731-4300. $ANCIENT CITY SUBS F Locally owned-and-operated by Andy and Rhonna Rockwell, the St. Augustine-themed sandwich shop, now in Baymeadows, serves gourmet subs – toasted, pressed or cold – and salads. CM, TO. Mon.-Sat. 8060 Philips Hwy., Ste. 207 (at Baymeadows Rd.). 446-9988. $BROADWAY RISTORANTE & PIZZERIA F Family-owned-&-operated NYC-style pizzeria serves hand-tossed, brick-oven-baked pizza, traditional Italian dinners, wings, subs. Delivery. CM, BW. L & D, daily. 10920 Baymeadows Rd., Ste. 3. 519-8000. $$DEERWOOD DELI & DINER F ’50s-style diner serves malts, shakes, Reubens, Cubans, burgers, traditional breakfast items. CM. B & L, daily. 9934 Old Baymeadows Rd. 641-4877. $$THE FIFTH ELEMENT F Authentic Indian, South Indian and Indochinese dishes made with artistic fl air. Lunch buffet includes lamb, goat, chicken, tandoori and biryani items. CM. L & D, daily. 9485 Baymeadows Rd. 448-8265. $$INDIA’S RESTAURANT F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Extensive menu of entrées, clay-oven grilled Tandoori specialties and chicken tandoor, fi sh, seafood and korma. L, Mon.-Sat., D, daily. 9802 Baymeadows Rd., Ste. 8. 620-0777. $$LARRY’S GIANT SUBS F Best of Jax winner. With shops all over the area, Larry’s piles subs with fresh fi xins and serves ’em fast. Some Larry’s Subs offer B & W and/or breakfast. CM. L & D, daily. 3928 Baymeadows Rd., Ste. 9 (Goodby’s Creek), 737-7740; 8616 Baymeadows Rd. 739-2498. $LEMONGRASS F Upscale Thai cuisine in a metropolitan atmosphere. Chef Aphayasane’s innovative creations include roast duckling and fried snapper. BW. R. L, Mon.-Fri.; D, Mon.-Sat. 9846 Old Baymeadows Rd. 645-9911. $$

MANDALOUN MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE *Bite Club Certifi ed! F The Lebanese restaurant offers authentic cuisine: lahm meshwe, kafta khoshkhas and baked fi let of red snapper. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 9862 Old Baymeadows Rd. 646-1881. $$NATIVE SUN NATURAL FOODS MARKET F Best of Jax 2012 winner. The organic supermarket offers a full deli and a hot bar with fresh soups, quesadillas, rotisserie chicken and vegan sushi, as well as a fresh juice and smoothie bar. 11030 Baymeadows Rd. 260-2791. $OMAHA STEAKHOUSE *Bite Club Certifi ed! Center-cut beef, seafood, sandwiches served in an English tavern atmosphere. Signature dish is a 16-ounce bone-in ribeye. Desserts include crème brûlée. FB. L & D, daily. 9300 Baymeadows Rd., Embassy Suites Hotel. 739-6633. $$ORANGE TREE HOT DOGS Best of Jax 2012. See Intracoastal West. 8380 Baymeadows Rd., Ste. 4. 733-0588. $PATTAYA THAI GRILLE F Traditional Thai and vegetarian items and a 40-plus item vegetarian menu served in a contemporary atmosphere. BW. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 9551 Baymeadows Rd., Ste. 1. 646-9506. $$PIZZA PALACE F See San Marco. 3928 Baymeadows Rd. 527-8649. $$SNEAKERS SPORTS GRILLE F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Beaches. L & D, daily. 8133 Point Meadows Dr. 519-0509. $$STICKY FINGERS F Memphis-style rib house specializes in barbecue ribs served several ways. FB. L & D, daily. 8129 Point Meadows Way. 493-7427. $$VINO’S PIZZA F See Julington. L & D, daily. 9910 Old Baymeadows Rd. 641-7171. $

BEACHES(In Jax Beach unless otherwise noted.)

A LA CARTE Authentic New England fare like Maine lobster rolls, fried Ipswich clams, crab or clam cake sandwich, fried shrimp basket, haddock sandwich, clam chowdah, birch beer and blueberry soda. Dine inside or on the deck. TO. L, Fri.-Tue. 331 First Ave. N. 241-2005. $$AL’S PIZZA F Al’s has been serving hand-tossed gourmet pizzas, calzones, salads and Italian entrees for more than 21 years. Voted Best Pizza by Folio Weekly readers from 1996-2011. BW. L & D, daily. 303 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach. 249-0002. $ANGIE’S SUBS F Subs are made-to-order fresh. Serious casual. Wicked good iced tea. 1436 Beach Blvd. 246-2519. $BAGEL WORLD F Best of Jax 2012 winner. This cozy little place offers a breakfast special (eggs, ham and cheese) and a variety of cream cheeses, coffees and juices. B & L, daily. 2202 S. Third St. 246-9988. $THE BEACH RESTAURANT F Shrimp, fresh fi sh, chicken, burgers, burritos, Chicago-style pizza are served at this new oceanfront place. L & D, daily. 320 N. First St. 270-8565. $$BEACHES WINGS & GRILL F New casual sportsbar serves wings, burgers, sandwiches, wraps. Kids eat free Mon. FB, CM. L & D daily. 311 N. Third St., Ste. 107. 853-5004. $$BEACHSIDE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & MARKET F The full fresh seafood market serves seafood baskets, fi sh tacos, oyster baskets, Philly cheesesteaks. Dine indoors or outside. Beach delivery. CM, BW. L & D, daily. 120 S. Third St. 444-8862. $$BONGIORNO’S PHILLY STEAK SHOP F South Philly’s

The Floridian serves an innovative menu with an emphasis on healthful, locally sourced ingredients in its cozy digs on Cordova Street in downtown St. Augustine. Photo: Walter Coker

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Bongiorno clan imports Amoroso rolls for Real Deal cheese-steak, Original Gobbler, clubs, wraps, burgers, dogs. BW, CM. L & D, daily. 2294 Mayport Rd., Atlantic Beach. 246-3278. $$BONO’S PIT BAR-B-Q F Baby back ribs, fried corn, sweet potatoes, barbecue. BW. L & D, daily. 1307 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach. 270-2666. 1266 S. Third St. 249-8704. $BREEZY COFFEE SHOP CAFE F Local coffee shop café has fresh, locally roasted Costa Rican organic coffee, espresso, and freshly-baked-in-house muffi ns, breads, scones and cakes. Breakfast, lunch and vegan options available. CM. B, L, Br., daily. 235 Eighth Ave. S. 241-2211. $

BUDDHA THAI BISTRO Owner/Chef Guy BoonsanongF Buddha Thai Bistro serves an authentic Thai menu offering dishes made with fresh ingredients, using tried-and-true recipes. Curries, kra pow, prix pow and Kalua ribs. FB, TO. L & D, daily. 301 10th Ave. N. 372-9149. $$

BURRITO GALLERY EXPRESS F Best of Jax 2012 winner. The Gallery’s kid sister is mostly take-out; same great chow, fast service. 1333 N. Third St. 242-8226. $CAMPECHE BAY CANTINA F Homemade-style Mexican items are fajitas, enchiladas and fried ice cream, plus margaritas. FB. D, nightly. 127 First Ave. N. 249-3322. $$CASA MARIA F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Springfi eld. 2429 S. Third St. 372-9000. $CRUISERS GRILL F Best of Jax 2012 winner, serving burgers, sandwiches, tacos, quesadillas and killer cheese fries. 319 23rd Ave. S. 270-0356. $CULHANE’S IRISH PUB *Bite Club Certifi ed! Four sisters own and operate the authentic Irish pub, with faves Guinness stew, lamb sliders and fi sh pie. L, Fri.-Sun.; D, Tue.-Sun.; weekend brunch. FB, CM. 967 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach. 249-9595. $$DWIGHT’S The Mediterranean-style bistro features fresh local seafood, fi let mignon, mixed grill and an extensive wine list. D, Tue.-Sat. 1527 Penman Rd. 241-4496. $$$$ENGINE 15 BREWING COMPANY F Gastropub fare includes soups, salads, fl atbreads and sandwiches, like BarBe-Cuban and beer dip. Innovative craft beers made onsite. Daily specials. CM, BW. L & D, Tue.-Sun.; D, nightly. 1500 Beach Blvd., Ste. 217. 249-2337. $EUROPEAN STREET CAFE F See San Marco. 992 Beach Blvd. 249-3001. $EVA’S GRILL & BAR Locally owned eatery Eva’s serves a varied menu of Greek, Italian, French, Cajun/Creole and Old Southern-style cuisine, made from all original, classic recipes. CM. FB. L & D, Tue.-Fri.; D, Sat. 610 S. Third St. 372-9484. $$THE FISH COMPANY *Bite Club Certifi ed! F Fresh, local seafood is served, including Mayport shrimp, fi sh baskets and grilled tuna and there’s an oyster bar. L & D, daily. CM, FB. 725 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 12, Atlantic Beach. 246-0123. $$FLY’S TIE IRISH PUB F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Call for hours and menu. D, Thur.-Sat.; L, Sat.; Br., Sun. 177 Sailfi sh Dr. E., Atlantic Beach. 246-4293. $$HOT DOG HUT F All-beef hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers, crab cakes, beer-battered onion rings and French fries. B. L, daily. 1439 S. Third St. 247-8886. $ICHIBAN F Three dining areas: teppan or hibachi tables (watch a chef prepare your food), a sushi bar and Western-style seating offering tempura and teriyaki. FB, Japanese plum wine. L & D, daily. 675 N. Third St. 247-4688. $$LYNCH’S IRISH PUB Full-service restaurant offers corned beef & cabbage, Shepherd’s pie, fi sh-n-chips. 30-plus beers on tap. FB. L, Sat. & Sun., D, daily. 514 N. First St. 249-5181. $$MAMBO’S CUBAN CAFE F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Authentic Cuban cuisine, including ropa vieja, picadillo and lechon asada … and mojitos. FB, CM, TO. L & D, daily. 311 N. Third St., Ste. 103. 853-6360. $$MELLOW MUSHROOM PIZZA BAKERS *Bite Club Certifi ed! F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Southside. 1080 Third St. N. 241-5600. $METRO DINER F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See San Marco. 1534 Third St. N. 853-6817. $$MEZZA LUNA F A Beaches tradition for 20-plus years. Gourmet wood-fi red pizzas to contemporary American cuisine. Inside or patio dining. Extensive wine list. CM, FB. D, Mon.-Sat. 110 First St., Neptune Beach. 249-5573. $$$MOJO KITCHEN BBQ PIT & BLUES BAR F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Traditional slow-cooked Southern barbecue served in a blues bar, like pulled pork, Texas brisket, slow-cooked ribs. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 1500 Beach Blvd. 247-6636. $$MONKEY’S UNCLE TAVERN F For 25-plus years, Monkey’s Uncle has been serving locals and visitors pub grub, burgers, sandwiches, seafood and wings. Dine inside or out on the patio. FB. L & D, daily. 1850 S. Third St. 246-1070. $NEW SIAM THAI & WINE This new restaurant serves authentic Thai fare, including pad Thai, prog pow and ram Thai delight, along with an extensive wine selection. BW. L, Mon.-Fri.; L & D, daily. 798 S. Third St. 372-4328. $$ NIPPERS BEACH GRILLE Best of Jax 2012 winner. Chef O’s cuisine features local fare and innovative dishes, served in an island atmosphere. Dine inside or out on the waterfront

tiki deck. FB, CM. L & D, Wed.-Sun.; D, nightly. 2309 Beach Blvd. 247-3300. $$NORTH BEACH BISTRO *Bite Club Certifi ed! Casual dining with an elegant touch, like slow-cooked veal osso buco; calypso crusted mahi mahi with spiced plantain chips. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 725 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 6, Atlantic Beach. 372-4105. $$$OCEAN GRILLE New Ocean Grille serves contemporary fare with a spectacular oceanfront view. The menu features fresh local seafood, farm-raised certifi ed Angus beef, pastas, sushi and seasonal dishes. Dine indoors, out on the patio or in the fi rst fl oor lounge. International artisan wines, craft beers. FB. D, Br., Tue.-Sun. 333 N. First St. 849-5555. $$$OCEAN 60 Best of Jax 2012 winner. A prix fi xe menu is offered. Continental cuisine, with fresh seafood, nightly specials and a changing seasonal menu. Dine in a formal dining room or casual Martini Room. D, Mon.-Sat. 60 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach. 247-0060. $$$PHILLY’S FINEST F Authentic Philly-style cheesesteaks made with imported Amorosa rolls. Hoagies, wings and pizza ... cold beer, too. FB. L & D, daily. 1527 N. Third St. 241-7188. $$POE’S TAVERN F American gastropub offers 50-plus beers, craft and local/regional selections. Gourmet burgers, handcut fries, fi sh tacos, quesadillas, Edgar’s Drunken Chili, daily fi sh sandwich special. L & D, daily. FB, CM. 363 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach. 241-7637. $$RAGTIME TAVERN SEAFOOD GRILL F The Beaches landmark serves grilled seafood with a Cajun/Creole accent. Hand-crafted cold beer. FB. L & D, daily. 207 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach. 241-7877. $$ROYAL PALM VILLAGE WINE & TAPAS F Locally owned and operated. Creative tapas selections: warm prosciutto dates, balsamic glaze; pork & black bean empanadas, salsa fresco. 200+ wines, 15 rotating draft microbrew beers. D, Mon.-Sat. 296 Royal Palms Dr., Atlantic Beach. 372-0052. $-$$SALT LIFE FOOD SHACK F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Specialty menu items include signature tuna poke bowl, fresh rolled sushi, Ensenada tacos, local fried shrimp. Casual, trendy open-air space. FB, TO, CM. L & D, daily. 1018 N. Third St. 372-4456. $$SNEAKERS SPORTS GRILLE F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Burgers, sandwiches, quesadillas, wings, steak, prime rib and surf n turf. L & D, daily. FB. 111 Beach Blvd. 482-1000. $$SOUP’S ON JACKSONVILLE Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Riverside. 645 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach. 247-0906. $SUN DELI F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Classic deli fare and a build-your-own menu: corned beef, salami, pastrami, turkey and liverwurst, and signature creations like the Radical Side. 1101 S. Third St. Mon.-Sat. 270-1040. $TACOLU BAJA MEXICANA F Best of Jax 2012 winner. This innovative casual place has moved down the street to the former Homestead site – but it’s still serving fresh, Baja-style Mexican fare, with a focus on fi sh tacos and tequila, plus fried cheese, bangin’ shrimp, and tacos: royale, brisket and verde chicken. Valet parking. L & D, Tue.-Sun. 1712 Beach Blvd. 249-8226. $$THE WINE BAR The casual neighborhood place has a tapas-style menu, fi re-baked fl atbreads and a wine selection. Tue.-Sun. 320 N. First St. 372-0211. $$

DOWNTOWN(Jacksonville Landing venues are at 2 Independent Drive)

BENNY’S STEAK & SEAFOOD Continental cuisine features fresh fi sh, lobster, crab, chops, Midwestern beef. Signature dishes include chef’s tuna, Benny’s crab cake, rack of lamb. Dine inside or on the riverview patio. CM, FB. L & D daily. The Jacksonville Landing, Ste. 175. 301-1014. $$$ BURRITO GALLERY & BAR F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Southwest cuisine, traditional American salads. Burritos and more burritos. Onsite art gallery. FB. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 21 E. Adams St. 598-2922. $CAFÉ NOLA AT MOCA JAX Located on the fi rst fl oor of the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, Cafe Nola serves shrimp and grits, gourmet sandwiches, fresh fi sh tacos and homemade desserts. FB. L, Mon.-Fri.; D, Thur. 333 N. Laura St. 366-6911 ext. 231. $$CASA DORA ITALIAN RESTAURANT F For 36 years, owner Freddy Ghobod and Chef Sam Hamidi have served genuine Italian fare: veal, ribeye steaks, seafood, pizza, sandwiches. Homemade-style salad dressing is a specialty. BW, CM. L & D, Mon.-Fri.; D, Sat. 108 E. Forsyth St. 356-8282. $$ DE REAL TING CAFE This casual spot serves an authentic Caribbean lunch buffet as well as a variety of favorite dishes inspired by the Islands. Tue.-Fri. FB. L & D, Tue.-Sat. 128 W. Adams St. 633-9738. $$FIONN MacCOOL’S IRISH PUB & RESTAURANT Best of Jax 2012 winner. Casual dining with an uptown Irish fl air. Fish & chips, Guinness beef stew, black-and-tan brownies. FB, CM. L & D, daily. Jacksonville Landing, Ste. 176. 374-1247. $$INDOCHINE Best of Jax 2012 winner. Serving Thai and Southeast Asian cuisine in the core of downtown. Signature dishes include favorites like chicken Satay, soft shell crab, and mango and sticky rice for dessert. BW, FB, TO. L, Mon.-Fri., D, Tue.-Sat. 21 E. Adams St. 598-5303. $$JENKINS QUALITY BARBECUE Family-owned-and-operated. Jenkins offers beef, pork, chicken, homemade desserts. L &

D, daily. 830 N. Pearl St. 353-6388. $KOJA SUSHI F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Sushi, Japanese, Asian and Korean cuisine. Indoor and outdoor dining and bar. FB. L & D, daily. The Jacksonville Landing. 350-9911. $$NORTHSTAR SUBSTATION This place features brick-oven-baked pizzas, grinders, wings, Philly cheesesteaks, custom sandwiches and fries served in a laid-back setting. FB, 27 beers on draft. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 119 E. Bay St. 860-5451. $OLIO MARKET F Fresh sandwiches, salads, soups, entrées. In Churchwell Lofts building, Olio partners eclectic tastes with Old World ambiance in a casual renovated space. L, Mon.-Fri.; late Art Walk. 301 E. Bay St. 356-7100. $$SKYLINE DINING & CONFERENCE CENTER Weekday lunch includes salad bar, hot meals and a carving station. L, Sun. upon request. FB. 50 N. Laura St., Ste. 3550. 791-9797. $$TRELLISES HYATT REGENCY American cuisine includes a breakfast buffet, made-to-order omelet station, a la carte items. Signature entrees: grouper salad, Angus burgers, Reubens, French onion grilled cheese, seafood, steaks. CM, FB. B, L & D, daily. 225 East Coast Line Dr. 634-4540. $$$ZODIAC GRILL F This spot serves busy Downtowners a variety of Mediterranean cuisine choices and American favorites, as well as a popular lunch buffet. FB. L & D, Mon.-Fri. 120 W. Adams St. 354-8283. $

FLEMING ISLANDLA NOPALERA F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Intracoastal. 1571 C.R. 220, Ste. 100. 215-2223. $MELLOW MUSHROOM PIZZA BAKERS F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Southside. 1800 Town Center Pkwy. 541-1999. $MOJO SMOKEHOUSE F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Beaches. FB. L & D, daily. 1810 Town Ctr. Blvd. 264-0636. $$TAPS BAR & GRILL F See Julington. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 1605 C.R. 220, Ste. 145. 278-9421. $$WHITEY’S FISH CAMP F The renowned seafood place, family-owned since 1963, offers AYCE freshwater catfi sh. Also steaks, pastas. Outdoor waterfront dining. And you can get there by car, boat or bike. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 2032 C.R. 220. 269-4198. $

INTRACOASTAL WESTAL’S PIZZA F See Beaches. 14286 Beach Blvd. (at San Pablo Rd.) 223-0991. $

AROY THAI FUSION Owner/Chef Vithoon KhamchareonThe new restaurant offers a menu of authentic Thai cuisine, including pad Thai, Thai fried rice and a variety of traditional curry dishes. Daily happy hour, FB, TO. L & D, daily. 13475 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 40. 374-0161. $$

BIG DAWG’S SPORTS RESTAURANT F The family-friendly casual sports place has wings, burgers, sandwiches, wraps and specialty salads. Kids get a Puppy Chow menu. BW, CM. L & D, daily. 12630 Beach Blvd., Ste. 4. 551-3059. $$BRUCCI’S PIZZA, PASTA, PANINIS F Authentic New York-style pizza, Italian pastas, desserts; family atmosphere. CM, BW. L & D, daily. 13500 Beach Blvd., Ste. 36. 223-6913. $CASTILLO DE MEXICO F The authentic, extensive menu includes a weekday lunch buffet. FB. L & D, daily. 12620 Beach Blvd., Ste. 19, Kernan Square. 998-7006. $$CLIFF’S ROCKIN’ BAR-N-GRILL F Cliff’s features 8-ounce burgers, wings, steak, seafood, homemade pizza and daily specials. FB. L & D, daily. Smoking permitted. 3033 Monument Rd., Ste. 2, Cobblestone Plaza. 645-5162. $$EL RANCHITO F Latin American cuisine includes dishes from Colombia, Cuba and Mexico. BW, CM, TO. L & D, daily. 14333 Beach Blvd., Ste. 22. 992-4607. $$GOLDEN CORRAL Best of Jax 2012 winner. Buffet features familiar faves. B, L & D, daily. 14035 Beach Blvd. 992-9294. $GUMBO YAYA’S This locally owned casual restaurant offers New Orleans/Cajun-style fare, including a variety of po’boys, muffuletta, jambalaya, gumbo and beignets. Low country crab and shrimp boil on weekends; prepared items to go, too. CM. BW. L & D, daily. 14333 Beach Blvd., Ste. 101. 223-0202. $$ iPHO This new, family-owned spot offers curry dishes, noodle bowls and rare beef salad. Everything’s homemade-style. L & D, Thur.-Tue. 13799 Beach Blvd., Ste. 1. 330-0309. $$ISTANBUL MEDITERRANEAN & ITALIAN CUISINE European cuisine: lamb, beef, chicken dishes, pizza, wraps. BW. L & D, daily. 13170 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 26. 220-9192. $$JERRY’S SPORTS GRILLE & STEAKHOUSE F The menu includes wings, hamburgers, Ahi tuna and handcut steaks. CM, FB. Daily. 13170 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 22. 220-6766. $LA NOPALERA F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Family-owned-and-operated, serving authentic Mexican cuisine, like tamales, fajitas, pork tacos, in a casual family atmosphere. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 14333 Beach Blvd. 992-1666. $MILANO’S RESTAURANT & PIZZERIA Homemade Italian cuisine, breads, pizzas, calzones and specialty dishes. BW, CM. L & D, daily. 12620 Beach Blvd., Ste. 4. 646-9119. $$ORANGE TREE HOT DOGS F Best of Jax 2012 winner. This casual spot has been serving a variety of hot dogs since 1968. Toppings include onion sauce, chili, slaw and



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sauerkraut. Personal pizzas, fries and drinks, too. CM. L & D, daily. 13500 Beach Blvd., Ste. 3. 551-3661. $SHANE’S RIB SHACK Shane’s serves Southern barbecue: ribs, chopped pork, beef brisket, chicken tenders – all made fresh daily. Sides, too. CM. L & D, daily. 13546 Beach Blvd., Ste. 1. 992-0130. $$THAI ORCHID Authentic Thai cuisine made with fresh ingredients, including pad Thai, curry dishes and rice dishes. BW. L & D, daily. 12620 Beach Blvd., Ste. 4. 683-1286. $$TIME OUT SPORTS GRILL F Wings, gourmet pizza, fresh seafood and specialty wraps. FB. D, Mon.-Fri.; L & D, Sat. & Sun. 13799 Beach Blvd., Ste. 5. 223-6999. $$

JULINGTON, NW ST. JOHNSBLACKSTONE GRILLE The menu blends fl avors from a variety of cultures and infl uences for modern American fusion cuisine, served in a bistro-style setting. FB. L & D, Mon.-Fri., D, Sat.; Sun. brunch. 112 Bartram Oaks Walk, Ste. 102. 287-0766. $$$BRUCCI’S PIZZA F See Intracoastal. 540 S.R. 13, Ste. 10, Fruit Cove. 287-8317. $$PIZZA PALACE F See San Marco. 116 Bartram Oaks Walk. 230-2171. $TAPS BAR & GRILL F Taps’ chefs prepare every dish: beef, chicken and shrimp, with the freshest ingredients. Large selection of premium beers on tap. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 2220 C.R. 210 W., St. Johns. 819-1554. $$ VINO’S PIZZA F With four locations, Vino’s makes all their Italian and American dishes with fresh ingredients. L & D, daily. 605 S.R. 13, Ste. 103. 230-6966. $WAKAME JAPANESE & THAI CUISINE F The fi ne dining restaurant offers authentic Japanese and Thai cuisine, a full sushi menu, curries and pad dishes. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 104 Bartram Oaks Walk, Ste. 108. 230-6688. $$

MANDARINAL’S PIZZA F See Beaches. 11190 San Jose Blvd. 260-4115. $ANATOLIA GRILL & BAR F This Turkish restaurant serves authentic Italian/Mediterranean cuisine, including fl atbread items, calzones, pasta dishes, shishkabobs, seafood, wraps and salads. Musakka, falafel and lamb shank are house specialties. BW. CM. L & D, daily. 9825 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 1. 329-1336. $$AW SHUCKS The seafood place offers an oyster bar, steaks, seafood, wings, pasta. Faves: ahi tuna, shrimp & grits, oysters Rockefeller. Sweet potato puffs are the signature side. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 9743 Old St. Augustine Rd. 240-0368. $$THE BLUE CRAB CRABHOUSE F A Maryland-style crabhouse featuring fresh blue crabs, garlic crabs, and king, snow and Dungeness crab legs. FB, CM. D, Tue.-Sat.; L & D, Sun. 3057 Julington Creek Rd. 260-2722. $$BRAZILIAN JAX CAFE F Authentic Brazilian dishes include steaks, sausages, chicken, fi sh, burgers and hot sandwiches made with fresh ingredients. Traditional feijoada (black beans and pork stew with rice, collards, orange salad and toasted yucca fl our with bacon) is served every Sat. TO. B, L & D, Mon.-Sat. 9825 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 20. 880-3313. $$BROOKLYN PIZZA F The traditional pizzeria serves New York-style pizza, specialty pies, and subs, strombolis and calzones. BW. L & D, daily. 11406 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 3, 288-9211. 13820 St. Augustine Rd., 880-0020. $CLARK’S FISH CAMP F Clark’s has steak, ribs, AYCE catfi sh dinners, 3-pound prime rib. Dine in, out or in a creek-

view glass-enclosed room. FB. D, Mon.-Fri.; L & D, Sat. & Sun. 12903 Hood Landing Rd. 268-3474. $$DON JUAN’S RESTAURANT F Authentic Mexican dishes prepared daily from scratch, served in a casual atmosphere. FB, CM. L & D, daily. 12373 San Jose Blvd. 268-8722. $$ENZA’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT Family-owned, Enza’s offers fi ne Italian dining, featuring veal and seafood dishes. Daily specials. FB, CM, TO. D, Tue.-Sun. 10601 San Jose Blvd., Mandarin Landing. 268-4458. $$$ GIGI’S RESTAURANT Breakfast buffet daily, lunch buffet weekdays. The Comedy Zone (Best of Jax winner) has an appetizer menu. FB. B, L & D, daily. I-295 & San Jose Blvd. (Ramada Inn). 268-8080. $$ (Fri. & Sat. buffet, $$$)GOLDEN CORRAL See Intracoastal. 11470 San Jose. 886-9699. HALA CAFE & BAKERY F See Southside. 9735 Old St. Augustine Rd. 288-8890. $$HARMONIOUS MONKS F American-style steakhouse features a 9-oz. choice Angus center-cut fi let topped with gorgonzola shiitake mushroom cream sauce, 8-oz. gourmet burgers, fall-off-the-bone ribs, wraps, sandwiches. FB. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 10550 Old St. Augustine Rd., Ste. 30. 880-3040. $$LeGRAND’S THE STEAK & SEAFOOD PLACE F Locally owned and operated, LeGrand’s offers aged beef cured onsite in the dry aging room and cut in-house, as well as seafood, chicken and a variety of sides. FB, CM. L & D, daily; Br. Sun. 11290 Old St. Augustine Rd. 268-3663. $$$MAMA FU’S ASIAN HOUSE MSG-free pan-Asian cuisine prepared to order in woks using fresh ingredients. Authentic Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai dishes. BW, CM. L & D, daily. 11105 San Jose Blvd. 260-1727. $$MANDARIN ALE HOUSE 30-plus beers on tap. FB. L & D, daily. 11112 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 19. 292-0003. $$METRO DINER F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See San Marco. 12807 San Jose Blvd. 638-6185. $$NATIVE SUN NATURAL FOODS MARKET F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Organic supermarket with full deli and salad bar serving wraps, quesadillas, chopped salads, vegetarian dishes. Fresh juice and smoothie bar. Indoor and outdoor seating. Mon.-Sat. 10000 San Jose Blvd. 260-6950. $PICASSO’S PIZZERIA F Specializes in hand-tossed gourmet pizza, calzones, homemade New York-style cheesecake and handmade pasta. Fresh local seafood and steaks. BW, CM, TO. L & D daily. 10503 San Jose Blvd. 880-0811. $$POMPEII COAL-FIRED PIZZA See Orange Park. 9825 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 24, Outback Plaza. 503-2230. $$RACK ’EM UP SPORTS BAR This cigar & hookah lounge offers bar food and more than 200 beers, imported and domestic. D, nightly. 4268 Oldfi eld Crossing Dr. 262-4030. $THE RED ELEPHANT PIZZA & GRILL F This casual, family-friendly eatery serves pizzas, sandwiches, grill specials and pasta dishes. FB, CM. L & D, daily. 10131 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 12. 683-3773. $$TANK’S FAMILY BAR-B-Q F Owned and operated by the Tankersley family, this place offers made-from-scratch Southern-style fare, featuring their own sauces. CM, BW. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 11701 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 23. 351-8265. $$VINO’S PIZZA F See Julington. L & D, daily. 4268 Oldfi eld Crossing Dr. 268-6660. $WHOLE FOODS MARKET F 100+ prepared items at a full-service and self-service hot bar, soup bar, dessert bar. Made-to-order Italian specialties from a brick oven pizza hearth. L & D, daily. 10601 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 22. 288-1100. $$

ORANGE PARKARON’S PIZZA F The family-owned restaurant offers eggplant dishes, manicotti and New York-style pizza. BW, CM, TO. L & D daily. 650 Park Ave. 269-1007. $$GATOR’S DOCKSIDE F For 18-plus years, the sports-themed family place has served wings, ribs, sandwiches. FB. L & D, daily. 9680 Argyle Forest Blvd. 425-6466. $$GOLDEN CORRAL Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Intracoastal. 582 Blanding Blvd. 272-0755. $THE HILLTOP CLUB She-crab soup, scallops, prime beef, wagyu beef, chicken Florentine, stuffed grouper. Chef Nick’s salmon is a hit. FB. D, Tue.-Sat. 2030 Wells Rd. 272-5959. $$JOEY MOZARELLAS The Italian restaurant’s specialty is a 24-slice pizza: 18˝x26˝ of fresh ingredients and sauces made daily. CM, TO. L & D, daily. 930 Blanding Blvd. 579-4748. $$PASTA MARKET & CLAM BAR Family-owned-and-operated. Gourmet pizza, veal, chicken, mussels, shrimp, grouper. The pastas: spaghetti, fettuccine, lasagna, calzones, linguini, ravioli, made with fresh ingredients, homemade-style. CM, BW, sangria. 1930 Kingsley Ave. 276-9551. D, nightly. $$POMPEII COAL-FIRED PIZZA Pizzas are baked in coal-fi red ovens. Popular pizzas include Health Choice and Mozzarella. Coal-fi red sandwiches and wings, too. BW. L & D, daily. 2134 Park Ave. 264-6116. $$THE ROADHOUSE F Burgers, wings, deli sandwiches, popular lunches. FB. L & D, daily. 231 Blanding Blvd. 264-0611. $THAI GARDEN F Authentic traditional Thai fare made with fresh ingredients, served in a relaxed atmosphere. Curry dishes and specialty items include crispy duck, pra-ram, pad Thai, seafood. BW. L, Mon.-Fri.; D, Sat. & Sun. 10 Blanding Blvd., Ste. A. 272-8434. $$

PONTE VEDRA, NE ST. JOHNSAL’S PIZZA F See Beaches. Open daily. 635 A1A. 543-1494. $AQUA GRILL Upscale cuisine: fresh seafood, Angus steaks, Maine lobster, vegetarian dishes. Outdoor patio seating. FB. L, Mon.-Sat.; D, nightly. 950 Sawgrass Village Dr. 285-3017. $$$THE AUGUSTINE GRILLE *Bite Club Certifi ed! Chef Brett Smith’s global cuisine is seasonal and local. Selections include prime steaks, New York strip, lamb and lobster Napoleon. FB, CM. D, nightly. 1000 PGA Tour Blvd., Sawgrass Marriott. 285-7777. $$$BRUCCI’S PIZZA F Authentic New York-style pizza, Italian pastas, paninis, desserts. Family atmosphere. CM. L & D, daily. 880 A1A, Ste. 8. 280-7677. $$CAFFE ANDIAMO Traditional Italian cuisine: fresh seafood, veal, homemade pastas and wood-fi red pizza prepared in a copper clad oven. An extensive wine list is offered in a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Dine indoors or out on the terrace. L & D, daily. 500 Sawgrass Village. 280-2299. $$$LULU’S WATERFRONT GRILLE F On the Intracoastal Waterway, LuLu’s can be reached by car or by boat. Seafood, steaks and pasta dishes with a sophisticated fl air. FB. L & D, daily; Sun. brunch. 301 N. Roscoe Blvd. 285-0139. $$MULLIGAN’S PUB F The new Irish gastropub, at Hilton Garden Inn, offers a variety of favorites and Irish dishes. FB. D, daily. 45 PGA Tour Blvd. 280-1661. $$NINETEEN AT TPC SAWGRASS In Sawgrass’ Tournament Players Club, Nineteen features more than 230 wines and freshly prepared American and Continental cuisine, including local seafood, served inside or al fresco on the verandah. L & D, daily. 110 Championship Way. 273-3235. $$$PALM VALLEY FISH CAMP This intimate restaurant, owned by the Groshells, is the real deal – local seafood served by a professional crew, right on the Intracoastal Waterway. Popular items are the shrimp & grits, blackened mahi with tasso gravy and bread pudding. BW. CM. L & D, Tue.-Sun.; D, nightly. 299 N. Roscoe Blvd. 285-3200. $$$PUSSER’S BAR & GRILLE *Bite Club Certifi ed! F Freshly prepared Caribbean cuisine, including red snapper Ponte Vedra Jamaican grilled pork ribs and barbecued salmon tower. Tropical rum drinks include Pusser’s Painkiller. FB. L & D, daily. 816 A1A N., Ste. 100. 280-7766. L, $$; D, $$RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE Best of Jax 2012 winner. See San Marco. 8141 A1A. 285-0014. $$$$619 OCEAN VIEW Dining with a Mediterranean touch; fresh seafood, steaks and nightly specials. FB, CM. D, Wed.-Sun. 619 Ponte Vedra Blvd., Cabana Beach Club. 285-6198. $$$TABLE 1 This new upscale, casual restaurant has a variety of items, from appetizers to entrées to salads, as well as a wine bar featuring an extensive list of wines by the glass. FB. L & D, daily. 330 A1A N. 280-5515. $$$

RIVERSIDE, 5 POINTS, WESTSIDEAL’S PIZZA F See Beaches. 1620 Margaret St. 388-8384. $

BOLD BEAN COFFEE ROASTERS Chief Coffee Guru & Operations Manager Zack BurnettF Best of Jax 2012 winner. Artisan-crafted, small-batch roasted specialty coffees from its certifi ed organic roastery and brew bar, including lattes, local pastries, craft beers. BW. 869 Stockton St., Stes. 1 & 2. 855-1181. $

CARMINE’S PIE HOUSE F The Italian eatery offers pizza by the slice, gourmet pizzas, appetizers, classic Italian dishes (calzone, stromboli, subs, panini) and microbrews served in a casual atmosphere. BW, CM, TO. 2677 Forbes St. 387-1400. $$COOL MOOSE F Classic sandwiches, eclectic wraps and desserts. An extensive gourmet coffee menu with Green Mountain coffees and frozen coffee drinks. B & L, daily. Sun. Br. 2708 Park St. 381-4242. $EDGEWOOD BAKERY F Best of Jax 2012 winner. For nearly 65 years, the espresso and pastry café has served fresh breakfast pastries, petit fours and pies, sandwiches, smoothies and soups. B & L, Mon.-Sat. 1012 S. Edgewood Ave., Murray Hill. 389-8054. $EUROPEAN STREET CAFÉ F See San Marco. 2753 Park St. 384-9999. $GRASSROOTS NATURAL MARKET F Organic and natural market with juice & smoothie bar. Wide selection of organic produce, gourmet cheeses, humanely raised meats. Grab-and-go sandwiches, wraps, salads and sides. Craft beers, organic wines. B, L & D, Mon.-Sat. 2007 Park St. 384-4474. $HOVAN MEDITERRANEAN GOURMET F Dine inside or on the patio. Mediterranean entrées include lamb, and beef gyros. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 2005-1 Park St. 381-9394. $JOHNNY’S DELI & GRILL F A Riverside tradition, serving 60+ fresh deli and grill items, including hot sandwiches. L, Mon.-Fri. 474 Riverside Ave. 356-8055. $KICKBACKS GASTROPUB F Best of Jax 2012 winner. This neighborhood spot serves favorites 20 hours a day, every day. 655+ bottled beers, 84 on tap. CM. 910 King St. 388-9551. $$MONROE’S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ Smoked meats include wings, pulled pork, brisket, turkey and ribs. Homemade-style sides include green beans, baked beans, red cole slaw, collards. BW, CM. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 4838 Highway Ave., 389-5551. $$MOON RIVER PIZZA F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Amelia Island. 1176 Edgewood Ave. S. 389-4442. $MOSSFIRE GRILL F Southwestern menu with ahi tuna tacos, goat cheese enchiladas and gouda quesadillas. Dine inside or on the patio. FB. L & D, daily. 1537 Margaret St. 355-4434. $$MY MOCHI FROZEN YOGURT See St. Johns Town Center. 1661 Riverside Ave., Ste. 128. 900-1955. $O’BROTHERS IRISH PUB F Innovative Irish fare and traditional faves are offered, like lambburger with Stilton crust, Guinness mac & cheese, Shepherd’s pie and fi sh-n-chips – plus 18 beers on tap. L, daily except Mon.; D, daily. CM, FB. 1521 Margaret St. 854-9300. $$PELE’S WOOD FIRE At this restaurant, Chef Micah Windham uses a wood-fi red oven to create traditional, authentic Italian fare with a modern twist. CM, FB, TO. L & D, daily; Br., weekend. 2665 Park St. 232-8545. $$PERARD’S PIZZA & ITALIAN CUISINE Traditional Italian fare with fresh sauces and dough made from scratch daily. Large selection of gourmet pizza toppings. CM, BW. L & D, daily. 11043 Crystal Springs Rd., Ste. 2. 378-8131. $PERFECT RACK BILLIARDS Upscale billiards hall has burgers, steak, deli sandwiches, wings. Family-friendly, non-smoking. BW, CM. L & D, daily. 1186 Edgewood Ave. S., Murray Hill. 738-7645. $SAKE HOUSE #1 JAPANESE GRILL & SUSHI BAR F Japanese grill and sushi bar features sushi, sashimi, katsu, tempura, hibachi and specialty rolls. CM, BW, sake. L & D, daily. 824 Lomax St. 301-1188. $$SOUP’S ON JACKSONVILLE F Best of Jax 2012 winner. This casual place offers good-for-you soups, sandwiches and salads without the usual fat and salt – hot and cold gourmet seafood and meat dishes, vegetarian, vegan dishes. Take-out fresh/frozen soups. L & D, daily. 1526 King St. 387-9394. $SPOT 5 ON PARK F This new casual place serves comfort food: hot dogs, sandwiches and salads, as well as homemade-style banana pudding. The guacamole is made fresh in house, too. BW. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 1020 Park St. 683-2115. $$SUMO SUSHI F Authentic Japanese fare, traditional to entrees and sushi rolls, spicy sashimi salad, tobiko (fl ying fi sh roe), Rainbow roll (tuna, salmon, yellowtail, California roll). BW, CM. L & D, daily. 2726 Park St. 388-8838. $$SUSHI CAFÉ F A variety of sushi, including popular Monster Roll and Jimmy Smith Roll, along with faves like Rock-n-Roll and Dynamite Roll. Sushi Café also offers hibachi, tempura, katsu and teriyaki. BW. Dine indoors or on the patio. L & D, daily. 2025 Riverside Ave. Publix Plaza. 384-2888. $$TAPA THAT This place puts a modern spin on traditional tapas-style service, using locally/organically grown items as much as possible. Specialties include duck confi t spring rolls and Cuban rice & beans cake. CM, BW. L & D, Tue.-Sat. 820 Lomax St. 376-9911. $$ 13 GYPSIES Best of Jax 2012 winner. The intimate bistro serves authentic Mediterranean peasant cuisine, specializing in tapas, blackened octopus, risotto of the day and coconut mango curry chicken. BW. L & D, Tue.-Sat. 887 Stockton St. 389-0330. $$TWO DOORS DOWN F Traditional faves: hotcakes, omelets, burgers, pork chops, liver & onions, fried chicken, sides and desserts. CM, TO. B & L, Mon.-Fri. 436 Park St. 598-0032. $TRES LECHES F The new bakery/café offers quiches,

GRILL ME!A WEEKLY Q&A WITH PEOPLE IN THE FOOD BIZ

NAME: Kevin D. McCray Jr.

RESTAURANT: Beaches Wings & Grill, 311 N. Third St., Jax Beach

BIRTHPLACE: Jacksonville YEARS IN THE BIZ: 2 1/2

FAVORITE RESTAURANT (besides mine): Firehouse Subs, Neptune Beach

FAVORITE COOKING STYLE: Southern cooking

FAVORITE INGREDIENTS: Garlic, onions, peppers and soy sauce

IDEAL MEAL: Phatty crab cake burger, with tarter sauce and homestyle fries

WOULDN’T EAT IF YOU PAID ME: Don’t knock it till I try it.

CELEBRITY SIGHTING AT OCEAN GRILLE: Tony Boselli and Mark Brunnell

INSIDER’S SECRET: No gloves, no love.


arepas, empanadas, cachitos, eggplant lasagna, omelets and sandwiches, and an array of specialty desserts, including cakes, pies, tarts and coffee cakes, served in a casual environment. B, L & D, Mon.-Sat. 869 Stockton St., Ste. 6. 551-4375. $$

ST. AUGUSTINEA1A ALE WORKS F The Ancient City’s only brew pub taps seven hand-crafted ales and lagers. A1A specializes in innovative New World cuisine. FB. L & D, daily. 1 King St. 829-2977. $$AL’S PIZZA F New location offering a balcony view overlooking Matanzas Bay. See Beaches. BW. L & D, daily. 1 St. George St. 824-4383. $ANN O’MALLEY’S F Fresh handmade sandwiches, soups, salads and perfectly poured Guinness. Favorites include Reubens and chicken salad. CM, BW, Irish beers on tap. L & D, daily. 23 Orange St. 825-4040. $$BARLEY REPUBLIC IRISH PUBLIC HOUSE Irish bar and pub in historic district has burgers, sandwiches, shepherd’s pie, bangers & mash. BW. L & D, daily. 48 Spanish St. 547-2023. $$BARNACLE BILL’S F For 30-plus years, this family restaurant has served seafood, oysters, gator tail, steak and fried shrimp. FB, CM, TO. L & D daily; 14 Castillo Drive. 824-3663. $$THE BLACK MOLLY BAR & GRILL Fresh, local seafood, steaks and pasta dishes in a casual atmosphere. FB, CM. L & D daily. 504 Geoffrey St., Cobblestone Plaza. 547-2723. $$BORRILLO’S PIZZA & SUBS F Specialty pizzas are Borrillo’s Supreme (extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage), white and vegetarian pizzas. Subs and pasta dinners. L & D, daily. 88 San Marco Ave. 829-1133. $CARMELO’S MARKETPLACE F Authentic New York style brick-oven-baked pizza, fresh baked sub rolls, Boars Head meats & cheeses, salads, calzones, strombolis and sliced pizza specials. BW. L & D, daily. 146 King St. 494-6658. $$CELLAR 6 ART GALLERY & WINE BAR *Bite Club Certifi ed! Wolfgang Puck coffees, handmade desserts, light bistro-style fare amid local art. BW. Mon.-Sat. 6 Aviles St. 827-9055. $$CREEKSIDE DINERY Beef, chicken and seafood, with an emphasis on low-country cooking. Outdoor deck with a fi re pit. FB. D, nightly. 160 Nix Boatyard Rd. 829-6113. $$CRUISERS GRILL F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Beaches. 3 St. George St. 824-6993. $THE FLORIDIAN The downtown restaurant serves innovative Southern fare, made with local farmers’ local food. Signature items: fried green tomato bruschetta, ’N’grits with shrimp, fi sh or tofu. L & D, Wed.-Mon. 39 Cordova St. 829-0655. $$HARRY’S SEAFOOD BAR & GRILLE F In a historic, two-story house, the New Orleans-style eatery has fresh seafood, steaks, jambalaya, etouffée and shrimp. FB. L & D, daily. 46 Avenida Menendez. 824-7765. $$HOT SHOT BAKERY & CAFE F Freshly baked items, coffees and hand-crafted breakfast and lunch sandwiches; Datil B. Good hot sauces and pepper products. B & L, daily. 8 Granada St. 824-7898. $KINGS HEAD BRITISH PUB F Authentic Brit pub serves fi sh & chips, Cornish pastie and steak & kidney pie. Tap beers are Guinness, Newcastle and Bass. BW. L & D, Wed.-Sun. 6460 U.S. 1 (4 miles N. of St. Augustine Airport.) 823-9787. $$THE MANATEE CAFÉ F Serving healthful cuisine using organically grown fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes. B & L, daily. 525 S.R. 16, Ste. 106, Westgate Plaza. 826-0210. $MEEHAN’S IRISH PUB & SEAFOOD HOUSE F This pub, just south of the old fort, offers burgers, traditional pub fare, seafood and a raw bar, along with signature dishes including steak O’Shay’s, Dubliner chicken and Irish Benedict. CM. FB. L & D, Mon.-Fri.; Br. & D, Sat. & Sun. 20 Avenida Menendez. 810-1923. $$$MILL TOP TAVERN F A St. Aug institution housed in an 1884 building, serving nachos, soups, sandwiches and daily specials. Dine inside or on open-air decks. At the big mill wheel. FB. L & D, daily. 19 1/2 St. George St. 829-2329. $$MOJO OLD CITY BBQ F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Beaches. FB. L & D, daily. 5 Cordova St. 342-5264. $$ MOJO’S TACOS F This cozy, casual spot serves double-decker tacos, burritos and salads; they’re known for fresh mahi and shrimp tacos. Beer. L & D, daily. 551 Anastasia Blvd. 829-1665. $

PACIFIC ASIAN BISTROChef MasF Best of Jax 2012 winner. Fresh, artfully crafted sushi, sashimi and classic rolls. Best Chef Mas Liu creates authentic sushi – Crazy Girl (shrimp tempura, asparagus, salmon); Mango Tango (salmon, crab, tuna, fl ying fi sh egg, mango sauce). Traditional dishes, too.

Sake, BW. L & D, daily. 159 Palencia Village Dr., Ste. 111. 808-1818. $$-$$$PIZZALLEY’S PIZZERIA F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Fresh, prepared onsite, gourmet pizza is offered by the pie or the slice at this restaurant in the historic district. Hot subs, wings and salads, too. L & D, daily. BW. 117 St. George St. 825-2627. $$

THE PRESENT MOMENT CAFÉ F Best of Jax 2012 winner. The cozy café serves organic, vegan and vegetarian dishes, pizza, pastas, hummus and milkshakes – all prepared without meat, dairy, wheat or an oven. Organic BW. TO. B, L & D, Mon.-Sat. 224 W. King St. 827-4499. $RAINTREE In a Victorian home, Raintree offers fare with contemporary and traditional international infl uences. Extensive wine list. FB. D, daily. 102 San Marco Ave. 824-7211. $$$SARA’S CREPE CAFE Crêpes, both traditional European style and with innovative twists, are served along with Belgian waffl es in the historic district. Dine indoors or out in the open-air courtyard. B, L & D, daily. 100 St. George St. 810-5800. $$SPY GLOBAL CUISINE & LOUNGE In the historic district, Spy features James Bond-themed sushi and Mediterranean-infl uenced global cuisine on the seasonal menu, including fresh – never frozen – Hawaiian seafood. Dine indoors or out on the patio. Upstairs lounge, too. Great selection of chilled sakes. BW, CM. D, nightly. 21 Hypolita St. 819-5637. $$$THE TASTING ROOM, WINE & TAPAS Owned by Michael Lugo, the upscale contemporary Spanish restaurant fuses innovative tapas with an extensive wine list. L, Wed.-Sun.; D, nightly. 25 Cuna St. 810-2400. $$

ST. AUGUSTINE BEACHAMICI ITALIAN RESTAURANT F A family-owned-and-operated Italian restaurant offers traditional pasta, veal, steak and seafood dishes. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 1915B A1A S. 461-0102. $$CAFÉ ATLANTICO Traditional and new Italian dishes served in an intimate space. Master Chef Paolo Pece prepares risotto alla pescatora, with shrimp, scallops and seasonal shellfi sh, in a parmesan cheese basket. BW. D, nightly. 647 A1A Beach Blvd. 471-7332. $$$CAP’S ON THE WATER F The Vilano Beach mainstay offers coastal cuisine – tapas platters, cioppino, fresh local shrimp, raw oyster bar – indoors or on an oak-shaded deck. Boat access. FB. L, Fri.-Sun., D, nightly. 4325 Myrtle St., Vilano Beach. 824-8794. $$GYPSY CAB COMPANY F International menu features large portions, reasonable prices. FB. L & D, daily. 828 Anastasia Blvd. 824-8244. $$MANGO MANGO’S BEACHSIDE BAR & GRILL Caribbean kitchen has comfort food with a tropical twist: coconut shrimp and fried plantains. BW, CM. Outdoor dining. 700 A1A Beach Blvd., (A Street access). 461-1077. $$OASIS RESTAURANT & DECK F Just a block from the ocean, with a tropical atmosphere and open-air deck. Steamed oysters, crab legs, burgers. CM, FB. B, L & D, daily. 4000 A1A & Ocean Trace Rd. 471-3424. $ORIGINAL CAFÉ ELEVEN F Serving eclectic cuisine like feta spinach egg croissant, apple turkey sandwich, pear-berry salad. Daily chef creations. BW. B, L & D, daily. 501 A1A Beach Blvd. 460-9311. B, $; L & D, $$PURPLE OLIVE INTERNATIONAL BISTRO F Family-owned-and-operated, offering specials, fresh artisan breads. Soups, salad dressings and desserts made from scratch. BW. D, Tue.-Sat. 4255 A1A S., Ste. 6. 461-1250. $$THE REEF RESTAURANT F Casual oceanfront place with a view from every table. Fresh local seafood, steak, pasta dishes and daily chef specials. Outdoor dining. FB, CM, TO. L & D daily. 4100 Coastal Hwy. A1A, Vilano Beach. 824-8008. $$SOUTH BEACH GRILL Located off A1A, the two-story beachy destination offers casual oceanfront dining and fresh local seafood. Dine indoors or out on a beachfront deck. FB. B, L & D daily. 45 Cubbedge Road, Crescent Beach. 471-8700. $SUNSET GRILLE Seafood-heavy menu, consistent Great Chowder Debate winner. Specialties are baby back ribs, lobster ravioli, coconut shrimp, datil pepper wings. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 421 A1A Beach Blvd. 471-5555. $$$

ST. JOHNS TOWN CENTERBAHAMA BREEZE ISLAND GRILLE Fresh seafood, chicken, fl ame-grilled steaks and hand-crafted tropical drinks made with fl avorful ingredients inspired by the Caribbean. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 10205 River Coast Dr. 646-1031. $$$BLACKFINN AMERICAN GRILLE With four dining rooms, BlackFinn offers classic American fare: beef, seafood, pasta, chicken, fl atbread sandwiches. Dine indoors or on the patio. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 4840 Big Island Dr. 345-3466. $$$FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES Best of Jax 2012 winner. Burgers are made with fresh ground beef; wide selection of toppings, including fried onions, jalapeños or sautéed mushrooms. Fries, kosher hot dogs and soft drinks, too. L & D, daily. 4413 Town Center Pkwy., Ste. 401. 996-6900. $LIBRETTO’S PIZZERIA & ITALIAN KITCHEN F Authentic NYC pizzeria serves Big Apple crust, cheese and sauce, and third-generation family-style Italian classics, fresh-from-the-oven calzones, and desserts in a casual, comfy setting. L & D, daily. 4880 Big Island Dr., Ste. 1. 402-8888. $$MITCHELL’S FISH MARKET A changing menu of more than 180 items includes cedar-roasted Atlantic salmon and seared salt-and-pepper tuna. FB, CM. L & D, daily. 5205 Big Island Dr., St. Johns Town Ctr. 645-3474. $$$MY MOCHI FROZEN YOGURT Non-fat, low-calorie,


cholesterol-free frozen yogurt is served in fl avors that change weekly. Toppings include a variety of fruit and nuts. 4860 Big Island Dr. 807-9292. $P.F. CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO Best of Jax 2012 winner. Traditional chicken, duck, pork, beef and lamb dishes, plus vegetarian plates and gluten-free selections. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 10281 Midtown Parkway, Ste. 137. 641-3392. $$RENNA’S PIZZA F Renna’s serves New York-style pizza, calzones, subs and lasagna made from authentic Italian recipes. Delivery, CM, BW. 4624 Town Crossing Dr., Ste. 125, St. Johns Town Center. 565-1299. rennaspizza.com $$SAKE HOUSE #3 JAPANESE GRILL & SUSHI BAR F New location. See Riverside. 10281 Midtown Parkway, Ste. 119. 996-2288. $$WASABI JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI BAR Authentic cuisine, teppanyaki shows and a full sushi menu. CM. L & D, daily. 10206 River Coast Dr. 997-6528. $$WHISKY RIVER F Best of Jax 2012 winner. At St. Johns Town Center’s Plaza, Whisky River features wings, pizza, wraps, sandwiches and burgers served in a lively car racing-themed atmosphere (Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s the owner). FB. CM. L & D, daily. 4850 Big Island Drive. 645-5571. $$

SAN JOSEATHENS CAFÉ F Serving authentic Greek cuisine: lamb, seafood, veal and pasta dishes. BW. L & D, daily. 6271 St. Augustine Rd., Ste. 7. 733-1199. $$CRUISERS GRILL F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Beaches. 5613 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 1. 737-2874. $DICK’S WINGS F NASCAR-themed family style sports place serves wings, buffalo tenders, burgers and chicken sandwiches. CM. BW. L & D, daily. 1610 University Blvd. W. 448-2110. dickswingsandgrill.com $MOJO BAR-B-QUE F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Pulled pork, brisket and North Carolina-style barbecue. TO, BW. L & D, daily. 1607 University Blvd. W. 732-7200. $$

SAN MARCO, SOUTHBANKBASIL THAI & SUSHI F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Authentic Thai cuisine at Basil Thai includes pad Thai, a variety of curry dishes and sushi, served in a relaxing atmosphere. L & D, Mon.-Sat. BW. 1004 Hendricks Ave. 674-0190. $$bb’s F A bistro menu is served in an upscale atmosphere, featuring almond-crusted calamari, tuna tartare and wild mushroom pizza. FB. L & D, Mon.-Fri.; Br. & D, Sat. 1019 Hendricks Ave. 306-0100. $$$BISTRO AIX F The varied menu features French, Mediterranean-inspired fare, award-winning wines, wood-fi red pizzas, house-made pastas, steaks, seafood. Dine indoors or out. FB. L, Mon.-Fri.; D, nightly. 1440 San Marco Blvd. 398-1949. $$$CHECKER BBQ & SEAFOOD F Chef Art Jennette serves barbecue, seafood and comfort food, including pulled-pork, fried white shrimp and fried green tomatoes. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 3566 St. Augustine Rd. 398-9206. $EUROPEAN STREET F Big sandwiches, soups, desserts and more than 100 bottled and on-tap beers. BW. L & D, daily. 1704 San Marco Blvd. 398-9500. $THE GROTTO Best of Jax 2012 winner. Wine by the glass. The innovative tapas-style menu at The Grotto offers a

cheese plate, empanadas bruschetta and chocolate fondue. BW. 2012 San Marco Blvd. 398-0726. $$HAVANA-JAX CAFÉ/CUBA LIBRE BAR LOUNGE *Bite Club Certifi ed! F Authentic Latin American fi ne dining: picadillo, ropa vieja, churrasco tenderloin steak, Cuban sandwiches. L & D, Mon.-Sat. CM, FB. 2578 Atlantic Blvd. 399-0609. $MATTHEW’S Chef’s tasting menu or seasonal à la carte menu featuring an eclectic mix of Mediterranean ingredients. Dress is business casual, jackets optional. FB. D, Mon.-Sat. 2107 Hendricks Ave. 396-9922. $$$$METRO DINER F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Historic 1930s diner offers award-winning breakfast and lunch. Fresh seafood and Southern cooking. Bring your own wine. B & L, daily. 3302 Hendricks Ave. 398-3701. $$THE OLIVE TREE MEDITERRANEAN GRILLE F Homestyle healthy plates: hummus, tebouleh, grape leaves, gyros, potato salad, kibbeh, spinach pie and Greek salad, along with daily specials. L & D, Mon.-Fri. 1705 Hendricks Ave. 396-2250. $$

PIZZA PALACE DinoF All of the Pizza Palace locations feature a variety of homemade dishes made from Mama’s award-winning recipes, including spinach pizza and chicken-spinach calzones. BW. L & D, daily. 1959 San Marco Blvd. 399-8815. $$

PULP The juice bar has fresh juices, frozen yogurt, teas and coffees; 30 smoothies, with fl avored soy milks, organic frozen yogurt and granola. Daily. 1962 San Marco Blvd. 396-9222. $RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE Best of Jax winner. Serving Midwestern prime beef, fresh seafood, in an upscale atmosphere. FB. D, daily. 1201 Riverplace Blvd. 396-6200. $$$$SAKE HOUSE #2 JAPANESE GRILL & SUSHI BAR F See Riverside. 1478 Riverplace Blvd. 306-2188. $$SAN MARCO DELI F Independently owned & operated classic diner serves grilled fi sh, turkey burgers. Vegetarian options. Mon.-Sat. 1965 San Marco Blvd. 399-1306. $TAVERNA Tapas, small-plate items, Neapolitan-style wood-fi red pizzas and entrées are served in a rustic yet upscale interior. BW, TO. L & D, Tue.-Sat. 1986 San Marco Blvd. 398-3005. $$$VINO’S PIZZA F See Julington. This location offers a lunch buffet. L & D, daily. 1430 San Marco Blvd. 683-2444. $

SOUTHSIDEAROMAS BEER HOUSE Faves include ahi tuna with a sweet soy sauce reduction, backyard burger, triple-meat French dip. FB. L & D, daily. 4372 Southside Blvd. 928-0515. $$BISTRO 41° F Casual dining – fresh, homemade breakfast and lunch dishes in a relaxing atmosphere. TO. B & L, Mon.-Fri. 3563 Philips Hwy., Ste. 104. 446-9738. $BLUE BAMBOO Contemporary Asian-inspired cuisine includes rice-fl our calamari, seared Ahi tuna, pad Thai. Street eats: barbecue duck, wonton crisps. BW. L, Mon.-Fri.; D, Mon.-Sat. 3820 Southside Blvd. 646-1478. $$BUCA DI BEPPO Italian dishes are served family-style in an eclectic, vintage setting. Half-pound meatballs are a

specialty. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 10334 Southside Blvd. 363-9090. $$$CORNER BISTRO & WINE BAR F Casual fi ne dining. The menu blends modern American favorites served with international fl air. FB. L & D, Tue.-Sun. 9823 Tapestry Park Circle, Ste. 1. 619-1931. $$$EUROPEAN STREET F See San Marco. 5500 Beach Blvd. 398-1717. $FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES Best of Jax 2012 winner. See St. Johns Town Center. 9039 Southside Blvd. 538-9100. $THE FLAME BROILER F Serving food with no transfat, MSG, frying, or skin on meat. Fresh veggies, brown or white rice, with grilled beef, chicken, Korean short ribs. CM, TO. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 9822 Tapestry Park Circle, Ste. 103. 619-2786. New location: 7159 Philips Hwy., Ste. 104. 337-0007. $GREEK ISLES CAFE Authentic Greek, American and Italian fare, including gyros, spinach pie and Greek meatballs. Homemade breads, desserts. House specialties are eggs benedict and baklava. BW, CM., TO. B, L & D, Mon.-Sat. 7860 Gate Parkway, Ste. 116. 564-2290. $HALA CAFE & BAKERY F Since 1975 serving house-baked pita bread, kabobs, falafel and daily lunch buffet. TO, BW. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 4323 University Blvd. S. 733-5141. $$JENKINS QUALITY BARBECUE See Downtown. 2025 Emerson St. 346-3770. $JOHNNY ANGELS F The menu refl ects its ’50s-style décor, including Blueberry Hill pancakes, Fats Domino omelet, Elvis special combo platter. Shakes, malts. B, L & D, daily. 3546 St. Johns Bluff Rd. S., Ste. 120. 997-9850. $LA NOPALERA F Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Intracoastal. 8206 Philips Hwy. 732-9433. $LIME LEAF F Authentic Thai cuisine: fresh papaya salad, pad Thai, mango sweet rice. BW. L, Mon.-Fri.; D, Mon.-Sat. 9822 Tapestry Park Cir., Stes. 108 & 109. 645-8568. $$MELLOW MUSHROOM PIZZA BAKERS *Bite Club Certifi ed! F Best of Jax 2012 winner. Tossed spring water dough, lean meats, veggies, vegetarian choices for specialty pizzas, hoagies, calzones. FB. L & D, daily. 9734 Deer Lake Ct. 997-1955. $OTAKI JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE F Family-owned with an open sushi bar, hibachi grill tables and an open kitchen. Dine indoor or out. FB, CM, TO. L, Mon.-Fri.; D, nightly. 7860 Gate Parkway, Stes. 119-122. 854-0485. $$$SAKE SUSHI F Serving sushi, hibachi, teriyaki, tempura, katsu and soups. Popular rolls include Fuji Yama, Ocean Blue, Fat Boy. FB, CM. L & D, daily. 8206 Philips Hwy., Ste. 31. 647-6000. $$SEVEN BRIDGES GRILLE & BREWERY F Innovative menu of fresh local grilled seafood, sesame tuna, grouper Oscar, chicken, steak and pizza. Microbrewed ales and lagers. FB. L & D, daily. 9735 Gate Pkwy. N., Tinseltown. 997-1999. $$SOUTHSIDE ALE HOUSE F Steaks, seafood, sandwiches. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 9711 Deer Lake Court. 565-2882. $$SPECKLED HEN TAVERN & GRILLE F This gastropub serves Southern-style fare; dishes are paired with international wines and beers, including a large selection of craft , IPA brews. FB. L & D, daily. 9475 Philips Hwy., Ste. 16. 538-0811. $$SUNSET 30 TAVERN & GRILL F Located in Latitude 30, Sunset 30 serves familiar favorites, including seafood, steaks, sandwiches, burgers, chicken, pasta and pizza. Dine inside or on the patio. FB. L & D, daily. 10370 Philips Hwy. 365-5555. $$TAVERNA YAMAS Best of Jax 2012 winner. *Bite Club Certifi ed! The Greek restaurant serves char-broiled

kabobs, seafood and traditional Greek wines and desserts. FB. L & D daily. 9753 Deer Lake Court. 854-0426. $$TOMMY’S BRICK OVEN PIZZA F Premium New York-style pizza from a brick-oven – the area’s original gluten-free pizzeria. Calzones, soups, salads; Thumann’s no-MSG meats, Grande cheeses, Boylan soda. BW. L & D, Mon.-Sat. 4160 Southside Blvd., Ste. 2. 565-1999. $$URBAN ORGANICS The local organic produce co-op offers seasonal fresh organic vegetables and fruit, as well as greenhouse and gardening supplies. Mon.-Sat. 5325 Fairmont St. 398-8012. $WATAMI ASIAN FUSION F AYCE sushi, as well as teppanyaki grill items. Rolls include the Jaguar, dynamite, lobster and soft-shell crab. FB, CM. L & D, daily. 9041 Southside Blvd., Ste. 138C. 363-9888. $$WILD WING CAFÉ F 33 fl avors of wings, as well as soups, sandwiches, wraps, ribs, platters and burgers. FB. 4555 Southside Blvd. 998-9464. $$YUMMY SUSHI F Serving teriyaki, tempura, hibachi-style dinners, sushi and sashimi. Sushi lunch roll special. BW, sake. L & D, daily. 4372 Southside Blvd. 998-8806. $$

SPRINGFIELD, NORTHSIDE

BOSTON’S RESTAURANT & SPORTSBAR *Bite Club Certifi ed! F A full menu of sportsbar faves is served; pizzas till 2 a.m. Dine inside or on the patio. FB, TO. L & D, daily. 13070 City Station Dr., River City Marketplace. 751-7499. $$CASA MARIA F Best of Jax 2012 winner. The family-owned restaurant serves authentic Mexican fare, including fajitas and seafood. The specialty is tacos de azada. CM, FB. L & D, daily. 12961 N. Main St., Ste. 104. 757-6411. $$FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES Best of Jax 2012 winner. See St. Johns Town Center. 13249 City Square Dr., 751-9711. $GOLDEN CORRAL Best of Jax 2012 winner. See Intracoastal. 7043 Normandy Blvd. 378-3688. $JENKINS QUALITY BARBECUE See Downtown. 5945 New Kings Rd. 765-8515. $JOSEPH’S PIZZA & ITALIAN RESTAURANT F Gourmet pizzas, pastas. Authentic Italian entrees. BW. L & D, daily. 7316 N. Main St. 765-0335. $$MILLHOUSE STEAKHOUSE F Locally-owned-and-operated steakhouse with choice steaks from the signature broiler, and seafood, pasta, Millhouse gorgonzola, homemade desserts. CM, FB. D, nightly. 1341 Airport Rd. 741-8722. $$ORANGE TREE HOT DOGS Best of Jax 2012. See Intracoastal West. 840 Nautica Dr., River City Marketplace, Ste. 125. 751-6006. $SALSARITA’S FRESH CANTINA F Southwest cuisine made from scratch; family atmosphere. CM, BW. L & D, daily. 840 Nautica Dr., Ste. 131, River City Marketplace. 696-4001. $THE SAVANNAH BISTRO F The Bistro offers a varied menu featuring Low Country fare that’s Mediterranean and French inspired, including crab cakes, New York strip steak, she crab soup and mahi mahi. CM, FB. B, L & D, daily. 14670 Duval Rd. Crowne Plaza Airport. 741-4404. $-$$$THREE LAYERS CAFE F This cozy place serves lunch, bagels, desserts. Adjacent Cellar serves fi ne wines. Inside and courtyard dining. BW. B, L & D, daily. 1602 Walnut St., Springfi eld. 355-9791. $UPTOWN MARKET *Bite Club Certifi ed! F At corner of Third & Main, serving fresh fare made with the same élan that rules Burrito Gallery. Innovative breakfast, lunch and deli selections. BW, TO. 1303 Main St. N. 355-0734. $$ �

ANJO LIQUORS 5 p.m. every Thur. 9928 Old Baymeadows Rd., Ste. 1, 646-2656AROMAS CIGAR & WINE BAR Call for schedule. 4372 Southside Blvd., 928-0515BLACK HORSE WINERY 3-7 p.m. Mon.-Thur., 2-10 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 2-6 p.m. Sun. 420 Kingsley Ave., Orange Park, 644-8480BLUE BAMBOO 5:30 p.m. every fi rst Thur. 3820 Southside Blvd., 646-1478THE GIFTED CORK Daily. 64 Hypolita St., St. Augustine, 810-1083THE GROTTO 6 p.m. every Thur. 2012 San Marco Blvd., 398-0726MONKEY’S UNCLE LIQUORS 5 p.m. every Fri. 1850 S. Third St., Jax Beach, 246-1070OCEAN 60 6 p.m. every Mon. 60 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 247-0060PUSSERS CARIBBEAN GRILL 6 p.m. every second Fri. 816 A1A N., Ste. 100, Ponte Vedra Beach, 280-7766RIVERSIDE LIQUORS 5 p.m. every Fri. 1035 Park St., Five Points, 356-4517

ROYAL PALM VILLAGE WINES & TAPAS 5 p.m. every Mon., Wed. & Fri. 296 Royal Palms Drive, Atlantic Beach, 372-0052THE TASTING ROOM 6 p.m. every fi rst Tue. 25 Cuna St., St. Augustine, 810-2400TASTE OF WINE Daily. 363 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 9, Atlantic Beach, 246-5080TIM’S WINE MARKET 5-7 p.m. every Fri., noon-5 every Sat. 278 Solana Rd., Ponte Vedra, 686-1741 128 Seagrove Main St., St. Augustine Beach, 461-0060 III FORKS PRIME STEAKHOUSE 5 p.m. every Mon. 9822 Tapestry Circle, Ste. 111, SJTC, 928-9277TOTAL WINE & MORE Noon-6 p.m. every Fri. & Sat. 4413 Town Center Pkwy., Ste. 300, 998-1740THE WINE BAR 6 p.m. every Thur. 320 First St. N., Jax Beach, 372-0211WINE WAREHOUSE 4 p.m. every Fri. 665 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 246-6450 4434 Hendricks Ave., San Marco, 448-6782 W90+ 5 p.m. every Thur. 1112 Third St. S., Jax Beach, 413-0027 1 p.m. every Sat. 9210 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 4, Mandarin, 503-2348 5 p.m. every Fri. 3548 St. Johns Ave., Avondale, 413-0025 �

WINE TASTINGS

Best of Jax winner Moon River Pizza serves calzones, salads and award-winning pies with a smile on South 14th Street in Fernandina Beach. Photo: Walter Coker




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ARIES (March 21-April 19): In sci-fi fi lm trilogy “The Matrix,” the heroes are able to instantaneously acquire certain complex skills

from software downloaded directly into their brains. It’s how female hacker Trinity masters the art of piloting a military M-109 helicopter in just a few minutes. If you could choose a few downloads like that, what are they? That’s not a rhetorical question for your amusement. In 2013, I expect your educational capacity is exceptional. You may not be able to add new skills as easily as Trinity, but you’ll be fast and effi cient. What do you want to learn? Choose wisely.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Are you familiar with the golden goose fable? The farmer who owned it became impatient because it laid only

one gold egg a day. So he killed it, thinking he’d get the big chunk of gold that must be inside its body. Alas, his theory was wrong. There was no chunk. From then on, of course, he didn’t get even a modest daily treasure. This fable is one of your top teaching stories of 2013. As long as you’re OK with a slow, steady rate of enrichment, you’ll be successful. Pushing extra hard to expedite the fl ow may lead to problems.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Here are some experiences I hope to help you harvest in 2013: Growing pains that are interesting and

invigorating instead of stressful, future shock that feels like a fun joyride rather than a bumpy rumble, two totally new, original ways to get excited, a good reason to have faith in a dream previously improbable, a fresh supply of Innocent Crazy-Wise Love Truth and access to all the borogoves, mome raths and slithy toves you’d ever want.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In her gallery show “Actuality, Reminiscence and Fabrication,” artist Deborah Sullivan has a

piece called “Penance 1962.” It’s a series of handwritten statements repeating a central theme: “I must not look at boys during prayer.” I’m assuming it’s based on a memory of being in church or Catholic school when she was younger. You may have a rule like that lodged in the depths of your unconscious mind — an outmoded prohibition or taboo that may still be subtly corroding your life energy. The year ahead is a great time to banish that ancient nonsense for good. If you were Sullivan, I’d advise you fi ll a notebook page with a new assertion: “It’s OK to look at boys during prayer.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): For years, the gravestone of Irish dramatist Oscar Wilde was covered with kiss-shaped lipstick marks

left by admirers. Unfortunately, Wilde’s descendants decided to scour away all those blessings and erect a glass wall around the tomb to prevent further displays of affection. In my astrological opinion, you should favor the fi rst behavior style over the second in 2013. Don’t focus on keeping things neat, clean and well-ordered. Be extravagant and uninhibited in expressing your love for the infl uences inspiring you, even at the risk of being unruly or messy.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In 2013, I hope we conspire to raise your levels of righteous success. If you’re a struggling songwriter, I’ll

push you to get your music out to more folks, without sacrifi cing artistic integrity. If you’re a kindergarten teacher, I’ll urge you to fi ne-tune and deepen the benevolent infl uence you have on students. If you’re a business owner, I’ll prod you to ensure your product or service is a well-honed gift to those who use it. Impeccable ethics are crucial to your ascent in 2013.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): After Libran poet Wallace Stevens won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1955, Harvard University offered him

a job as full professor. He turned it down. He couldn’t bear leaving his day job: vice-president of an insurance company in Hartford, Conn. I suspect, in the fi rst half of 2013, you’ll come to a fork in the road that feels like Stevens’ quandary. Do you stick with what you know or head off in the direction of more intense and unpredictable stimulation? I’m not telling you which is better; I just want to be sure you clearly identify the nature of the decision.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 2013, I’ll try to help you retool, reinvent and reinvigorate yourself in every way important to you. I’ll encourage you

to reawaken one of your sleeping aptitudes, recapture a lost treasure and reanimate a neglected dream. If you’re smart, you’ll reallocate misdirected or wasted resources. I hope you reapply for a privilege or position you previously denied — I bet you win it this time. Your words of power for 2013: resurrection and redemption.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Based on experiments at the Large Hadron Collider, a team of physicists in France and Switzerland

announced last July they’d tentatively discovered the Higgs Boson, colloquially known as the “God particle.” What’s all the fuss? In her San Francisco Chronicle column, Leah Garchik quoted an expert who tried to explain: “The Higgs boson is the WD40 and duct tape of the universe, all rolled into one.” Is there a metaphorical equivalent of such a glorious, fundamental item in your life? If not, I predict you fi nd it in 2013. If there already is, you’ll locate and start using its 2.0 version.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 2013, I pledge to help you bring only the highest-quality infl uences and self-responsible people

into your life. We’ll work to dispel any unconscious attraction you may have to demoralizing chaos or pathological melodrama. We strive to ensure that, as you deepen and fi ne-tune self-discipline, it won’t be motivated by self-denial or obsessive control-freak tendencies. You engage in an act of love to intensify the ability to express yourself freely and beautifully.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Genius is the ability to renew one’s emotions in daily experience,” said French painter Paul Cezanne.

What did he mean? One interpretation: Many of us replay the same old emotions over and over — even in response to experiences nothing like the past events when we felt those exact feelings. A genius might be someone who generates a fresh emotion for each new adventure. Another possible interpretation: It can be hard to get excited about continually repeating the basic tasks of regular routines day after day, but a genius may be someone who’s good at doing just that. By both of these defi nitions, 2013 may be your genius year.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Home is not just the building where you live. It’s more than the community supports you and the patch of

earth comforting with its familiarity. Home is any place where you’re free to be your authentic self, any power spot where you can think your thoughts and see with your eyes. I hope that in 2013, you position yourself to experience this state of mind often. Do you have any idea how? Brainstorm about it on a regular basis for the next six months. �

Rob [email protected]


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BLUE SMURF!You: Wearing a suit, with piercing, twinkling blue eyes. Me: Coral dress with my twin. I couldn’t tell you if I loved you the fi rst moment I saw you, or if it was the second, third or fourth. But I remember the fi rst moment I saw you walking toward me and realized the world seemed to vanish when I was with you. When: April 20. Where: Cummer Museum. #1168-1225

DAN DEACON CONCERT @ UNDERBELLYYou: Comfortably dressed, short brunette. Me: Relatively tall, wearing a beanie and a gray shirt with cats on it. Made eye contact often during Grand Buffet; came close to being human tunnel buddies. Too out of my mind to introduce myself; seemed you were, too. Coffee when we’re back down to earth? When: Dec. 9. Where: Underbelly. #1167-1218

RETURNED MONEYI actually didn’t see you. When I returned from grocery shopping, you put a note in my window: “Found this by your door – guess it’s yours. Merry Christmas. :)” Inside was $40 that dropped from my pocket. Just when I thought there were no decent people left in the world, you restored my faith in humanity. I wanted to say thank you for that. When: Dec. 8. Where: Publix @ Beach & San Pablo. #1165-1218

NY GIANT DECORATED CARYou: In a black car with 2 NY Giant decals on back window, front NY plate, NY head rest. Me: In white Hyundai Tiburon with NY front license plate cover, NY decal behind driver window. We exchanged grins of approval. Had to get to work; missed my chance. Maybe we can catch a G-men game. When: Dec. 5. Where: I-95. #1165-1211

COOL WHITE JEEP DRIVERParked side by side at Marsh Landing Publix, did some groceries, met at the checkout lane. You were next to me again, and left at the same time. Your pants look adorable on you and I noticed you didn’t have a ring. Want to meet? Can’t wait :) When: Dec. 2. Where: Publix @ Marsh Landing. #1164-1211

YOU GAVE ME DANCE LESSONSMe: Blonde, tall and boots. You: Plaid shirt and boots and doing the electric slide. We chit-chatted and you taught me some dance steps. How about a private lesson??? When: Dec. 1. Where: Crazy Horse. #1163-1211

OWL EYES ON YOUYou: Brunette working at Target. Me: Redhead in black glasses asking about Barnies coffee. Wish I would have had the courage to kiss you on the spot; maybe we will share a cup one morning. When: Nov. 27. Where: Target @ Beach & Hodges. #1162-1211

BEAUTIFUL BARBERI met you around this time and have loved you since. I know we had something special and hope you thought so, too. If you think you still have any spark left, please contact me through this service. We just both have to be the nice people we really are. When: 2008. Where: Riverside. #1161-1204

I HAVE AND ALWAYS WILLI was at my friend’s house playing video games in the corner like creepy kid. You stormed in, yelling. Your beauty, accent took my breath away. I whispered “Just keep talking.” You stared at me, smiled. Didn’t know what to do. I fall in love every day thinking about you, my soulmate. You: Beautiful black hair, sweet arm tattoo, beautiful eyes, smile. Me: Tattooed, Screwed Sailor. When: Oct. 17. Where: Florida Club Blvd. #1160-1204

SHORT BUT STUDLY EMTYou: EMT working for Liberty, picking up my hospice patient. Me: Blonde nurse who makes small talk with you. We’ve exchanged a few talks here and there but maybe coffee soon? When: Nov. 13. Where: Shands Hospital. #1159-1204

TIJUANA... DON’T CHA WANNAYou always come in on Taco Tuesdaze with 3-4 others, always so well dressed, you always drink Orange Fanta. You used to talk about my favorite show “Eastbound & Down.” I’m the one with the ponytail if you wanna PRACTICE making

little Tobys. When: Nov. 13. Where: Tijuana Flats @ Old Baymeadows. #1158-1127

DUMB ME @ WINN-DIXIE We were in checkout line together, I was wearing an Allen Iverson T-shirt, we talked about you having been a military brat who moved around a lot. We separated to different lines. I should’ve gone with you but I wasn’t thinking. Care for lunch? When: Nov. 5. Where: Winn Dixie @ Beach & St. Johns Bluff. #1157-1127

BREATHTAKING You: Manly beer salesman, mesmerized. Me: New to town, amused. You said I was “breathtaking.” I still am. Let me take your breath away again. Find me? When: Sept. 9, 2011. Where: Whole Foods/San Jose. #1156-1127

IT’S UR LUV ISU, there, in our special place, on that special day. U, who are my sunshine, my rain. I want to be with you always for you are my dream come true. It’s ur luv, it just does something to me... You: Sexy, tattooed, bandana-wearing bad boy. Me: Hopelessly in luv <3 <3 When: Every day. Where: Willowbranch Park. #1155-1127

CUTIE WITH THE COFFEE COOZIE You: Cute guy with dark hair, bit of facial hair, coozie for your hot coffee. Me: Friendly, adorable girl with long reddish-brown hair. We bonded over the affordability of $1 coffee in the campus vending machine. You showed me the way to the lids! I was bummed you didn’t get my number. Let’s chat over coffee again, pretty please! When: Nov. 15. Where: UNF. #1154-1127

BLUE CIVIC BY THE CUMMER Girl in blue two-door Civic. We locked eyes while you were turning onto Post. I was on my bike in a blue sweatshirt. What was the stare for? You must’ve liked what you saw. Your smile was so noticeable behind that tint. Let’s chat it up sometime over a drink. When: Nov. 14. Where: The Cummer. #1153-1127

GIRL IN BLACK I saw you at Omni Parking lot on Bay Street. You wore a black shirt, held a gray fl ag that said 22D. Me: Wearing long-sleeved tan shirt. Our eyes locked a few times. When ISU, I thought of the Hall & Oates song, “Private Eyes.” Looking to meet up somewhere. Please respond! When: Nov. 14. Where: Omni Parking Lot. #1152-1127

GREEK GOD AT MOJO I came in for Mojo BBQ fi x, ordered Whole Hawg while you were working the bar. Seeing your Greek god physique made me wish I’d just gotten a salad. I don’t know if I enjoyed the food or watching you slowly stretch by the kitchen door

more. You, me and sweet sauce? When: Nov. 13. Where: Mojo Kitchen. #1151-1113

HOT LATTE Hi, brown-haired venti latte. Me: Hunk of a man (6’1”, 215 lbs.) waiting for pumpkin latte with friends. Spied you at register. You: Tall, long brown hair, blue jeans, grey sweater, high heels, ordering venti coffee in 2:45. You had my blood rushing like a triple espresso shot. Wish I’d gotten name/number. Will you be my next pumpkin latte? When: Nov. 7. Where: Starbucks @ Town Center. #1150-1113

BLONDE, BEAUTIFUL, GREAT PERSONALITY We fi rst saw each outside as we exited our vehicles. We spoke inside by a freezer endcap. We chitchatted about cleaning your car, and that you and your friend were meeting up with a friend later that night after the LSU game. Where are you? =) When: Nov. 3. Where: Publix @ Baymeadows & A1A. #1149-1113

LOOKING FOR A SALE Tall, light-skinned older gentleman, always alone, seen around town at various fl ea markets and Goodwill. Would love to chat sometime. When: Oct. 20. Where: Flea Markets, Goodwill. #1147-1113

WHAT WAS I THINKING? Hello, Offi cer, my friend and I were in our red-and-black dresses (Go Dawgs!) leaving The Landing after the big game last weekend when we saw you and your colleague. I was asking my friend what I was thinking. You asked me what I was thinking. Single? When: Oct. 27. Where: The Jacksonville Landing. #1147-1113

I DON’T EVEN KNOW HIS LAST NAME I met you at the Loft night of FL/GA game. We danced, I let you kiss me but forgot to get your number. When: Oct. 27. Where: Riverside. #1446-1106

ELI YOUNG CONCERT AT MAVERICKS You saved my spot during the concert while I went to the bathroom and I thanked you with a couple of Yuenglings. I wanted to get your number but you left in kind of a hurry. Let’s try this again. When: Oct. 28. Where: Mavericks. #1445-1106

WISH YOU KNEW ME! You: Distinguished salt-and-pepper hair, sparkling blue eyes, jeans, with young boy, shopping dairy aisle. Me: Pretty brown hair, brown-eyed petite lady, jeans, white T-shirt. Eyes met, we shared a smile and hello. The boy saw our attraction and asked if you knew me. When: Oct. 21. Where: Walmart, U.S. 1, St. Augustine. #1444-1030

103RD PLANET FITNESS STUDMUFFIN Something about the way you look at me, want to know you, but neither has the courage to say anything. You sure do pump that iron. lol.

Short, light-skinned, always with friend. Me: Your height, caramel complexion, curly hair. Let’s stop staring and say words :) When: Oct. 17. Where: Planet Fitness. #1443-1030

LOVELY @ LATITUDE 30 You: Crazy DOPE chick from my hometown; cute dimples made me speak. Wish I could’ve said more. Maybe we can go bowling or play skee ball one day. Me: Wu-Tang fan, you kept me smiling as I kept y’all laughing. When: Oct. 20. Where: Latitude 30. #1442-1030

GINGER GODDESS BY RIVERSIDE PARK Saucy little redhead, cheetah tattoo walking a big brown dog by Five Points! Passed you in my car and couldn’t help but stare. You looked at me and smiled. You’ve been running through my mind ever since. When: Oct. 11. Where: Five Points. #1441-1030

BEAUTIFUL SOULED TATTOOED GODDESS You: Beanie, blue V-neck, tight khakis, vans, left arm full of color. Me: Long dark hair, full sleeves, yellow dress. I asked about your writing but I was too lost in your deep blue eyes and unworldly smile to catch every word. I need to know you. When: Oct. 19. Where: Bold Bean Riverside. #1440-1030

JUST FITNESS 4 U HUNK Your stunning smile and sense of humor made my day. I was on a guest pass; you explained the gym to me; then you were play-fi ghting with the cutest 3-4 year old, which shows how much of a real man you are. You got my number in the computer; please call :-) When: Oct. 15. Where: Just Fitness 4 U Baymeadows. #1439-1023

BEAUTIFUL O.A.R. DREAM GIRL You and GF dancing in the row in front of me and my friend. You fed me nachos; your kiss was amazing! Remember what I wrote you on my iPhone? I’m sending vibes so you know to read this; we’ll fulfi ll our destiny together. When: Oct. 10. Where: St. Augustine. #1438-1023

INTO WISHIN’ We picked up Folio Weekly and looked at ISAWU at the same time. Thanks for noticing. You’re an amazing person. I enjoy every time we hang out! Thanks for remembering smaller things! I look forward to more beach sunrise and future dance adventures with you. My No. 1 late night friend! Keep on dancing! When: Sept. 29. Where: Jax Beach. #1437-1016

THIS ONE’S FOR YOU You caught my eye bowling an almost, if not perfect, score. You wore fl orescent green shirt. My friend’s boyfriend sized you up. You told me “this one’s for you” and bowled a strike to irritate him. Me: Played horribly, wishing you were serious. Want to teach me how to bowl? When: Oct. 7. Where: Beaches Bowling Alley. #1436-1016

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NOTE: Since the world did not end on December 21, I feel it’s now open season on puns of a certain historical nature.

ACROSS 1 He wrote “Three Pear-

Shaped Pieces” to answer criticism that his music lacked form

6 Winter Palace resident 10 Keg party duds 15 Security problem 19 Bradley et al. 20 No hitting below the

belt, e.g. 21 Occupied 22 Hungary’s ___ Nagy 23 Rendezvous

question? 26 “Cheerio!” 27 Italian bubbly city 28 Publisher Adolph 29 Novel on which

“Clueless” is based 30 Heavenly hunter 31 ___ breather (rested) 33 Iconic American poet? 36 A flat’s alter-ego 39 Actress Sandra 41 “Register early; ___

limited” 42 “___ to say this, but

...” 43 Red Bordeaux 45 Like Kim or Wayne 46 Lee’s side: abbr. 49 Start of a Three Dog

Night hit? 55 6 Down info 56 Everglades location:

abbr. 57 Oliver Twist’s request 58 Harried manager’s

hire 59 Guinness suffix 60 By way of 61 Grant’s side, to a

Frenchman 63 Some credit cards 64 Purchases for a roast? 69 None of the above 71 In an understated way

72 Brewer’s vessel 73 Forensic series set in

Vegas 76 Court jester 77 Advertising award 78 Aerosol target 80 Seize 81 Do exactly as I say? 87 “Not to mention ...” 88 Old cry of annoyance 89 “Understood” 90 Impulsiveness 91 Prepares, as a disk 95 All Saints’ Day mo. 96 Burner inventor 97 Impediment’s query? 101 “The Great Movies”

author 103 Stopped dreaming 104 Cranny relative 105 Way off base? 106 Donny and Marie, e.g. 110 Robert in “Raging Bull” 111 Solving this puzzle is

easy if you just ... do what?

115 (Turn the page) 116 Very unfamiliar 117 ___ acetate (banana

oil) 118 Busybody 119 Bank (on) 120 Plaintiffs 121 Prepare to be shot 122 Surprise victory

DOWN 1 Protein-rich bean 2 Old Testament

shepherd 3 Like a drumhead 4 Vexes 5 Special sense 6 Betting setting 7 Bargain hunter’s cry 8 Pub orders 9 Old auto 10 “Lassie” kid and others 11 One way to see the

USA? 12 Neighbor of Venezuela 13 Big ___ house 14 One serving a six-yr.

term 15 Liquid amounts, in

Liverpool

16 Modern missive 17 That bleeping droid 18 “Speed” first name 24 In the ___ (informed) 25 Actor Stephen 30 Disney’s “Darby ___

and the Little People” 32 City near Provo 33 “Where’s my Fancy

Feast?” 34 First Amendment org. 35 Moonmate of Buzz 36 Plastic action figure 37 Leaves hair everywhere 38 Slippery 40 Funny Dame 43 “I’d rather be on ___

than be emperor of the world” (George Washington)

44 Showed up 46 What city streets do 47 Scotch partner 48 A long, long time 50 Major region with a

minor part? 51 Impulsive Corleone 52 ... ducks in ___ 53 Half a thiamine

deficiency 54 Unbiased 60 TiVo precursor 61 Tattooed lady of song 62 God-fearing 63 Cat scanner? 65 Trader’s option 66 Flaky mineral 67 Treaty partner

Never Mind! 68 Pusher pursuer 69 Easy as falling ___ log 70 Jessica Rabbit, e.g. 74 Health, to Henri 75 “Ghosts” playwright 78 Palindromic name 79 Parking places 80 Leap forward 82 Chuck Norris film, “A

Force ___” 83 Slim and muscular 84 Staff note 85 PlayStation maker 86 Calendar column: abbr. 91 Smoke and mirrors 92 Em, for one 93 Mini-Me portrayer in

Austin Powers films, Verne ___

94 Goes weak in the knees

96 Boris contemporary 97 Big-time 98 Beach Boys tune,

“Catch ___” 99 Hayseed 100 Half a Heyerdahl title 102 Overnight sensation

Susan 105 Bullets 107 Accelerator particles 108 Fisherman’s wish 109 PDQ in the ICU 111 Faux ___ 112 Eskimo knife 113 Knock 114 Washington Sq.

campus

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35

36 37 38 39 40 41

42 43 44 45 46 47 48

49 50 51 52 53 54

55 56 57 58

59 60 61 62 63

64 65 66 67 68

69 70 71 72 73 74 75

76 77 78 79 80

81 82 83 84 85 86

87 88 89 90

91 92 93 94 95 96

97 98 99 100 101 102

103 104 105 106 107 108 109

110 111 112 113 114

115 116 117 118

119 120 121 122

S T E E D T R U S S S A G Y D A M ST A X C O R O A C H H I R E E T A LO H C O M E O N W H O C A R E S C A S AC O O O T T N E A R L Y A A R O NK E N T T H E W O R L D I S E N D I N G

A B U C A R M S N A Y EC A S T E C O B R A E S S O F E DO F T E N O N A M E A T E N S I L EB A R I M L O C K I N G M Y S E L F I NB R A C C O U N R E A L I T S Y

T H E B A T H R O O M W I T H M YI S E E N E A T A S R E E F E RD O G S A N D M Y I C E C R E A M I V EB R I T T E N S S I C O A L O V E NE T C O W O E D I L U T E V E N T

A N S D I S T I N E P AO N T H E B R I G H T S I D E A L I S TB A B A L I T E R A L V A T R I VA D O N O M O R E K A R D A S H I A N SM A N A G E R D E T E R T O R Q U EA L E S S S S S I E V E A S S I S T

Solution to The Last Crossword


Can’t Possibly Be True• Ti� any Hartford, 23, and George Sayers Jr., 48, were charged in Bethel, Conn., in December with selling unauthorized videos of Hartford having sex with another woman. � at other woman charged, and a DNA test con� rmed, that Sayers is Hartford’s father and that the two have a baby (though both deny knowing they were father-daughter at the time they had sex).• Sheri� ’s o� cials in Deer� eld Beach, Fla., arrested nine people in October, charging them in connection with a betting ring that set point spreads and took bets not only on pro and college games but on kids’ games of the South Florida Youth Football League; 6,000 children play in the 22-team association.• In November, Geraldton, Australia, police reported they captured a thief they were chasing in the dark through a neighborhood’s backyards. As the thief came to a fence and leaped over it, he happened to land on a family’s trampoline and was propelled backward, practically into cops’ laps.• Guy Black, 76, was charged in Turbotville, Pa., in October with threatening housemate Ronald Tanner with a chainsaw. Tanner, defending himself with the only “weapon” within reach — an umbrella — managed to pin Black with it as the chainsaw jammed. (Most folks who bring an umbrella to a chainsaw � ght aren’t as successful.)

Incredible• Deputy NYPD Commissioner Paul Browne told reporters in November that, in the 24 hours of Monday, Nov. 26, not a single criminal shooting, stabbing or slashing was reported in the five boroughs. Browne said no police official could remember such a day, ever. The city is on track to finish 2012 with fewer than 400 homicides — compared to the record year of 1990, when 2,245 people were murdered.• “Braco,” a Croatian-born “healer” (though he rejects the term), seems to make legions of sick or troubled believers feel better merely by entering a room and gazing at them in silence for a few minutes before leaving. A Washington Post reporter, seeking allergy relief, went to a 100-person session in Alexandria, Va., in October, but felt no improvement. “Whatever is ¦ owing through him,” said one trans� xed fan, “is able to connect with a part of us.” Said another enthusiast, “� e thing that makes Braco unique is he really doesn’t do anything.” [Washington Post, Oct. 12, 2012]

Unclear On The Concept• In October, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals petitioned Irvine, Calif., to create a roadside memorial for the truckload of live � sh that perished in a recent tra� c accident. (A« er all, � sh, like humans, use tools, tell time, sing and have long-term memories, wrote PETA.) On the other hand, the casualties that day were en route to Irvine Ranch Market to be sold as food.• � e governing Council of Brentwood, England, professes a “reputation as one of the most transparent” in the country, but in November, responding to a Freedom of Information request for documents on a government contract, it released merely

425 totally blackened (“redacted”) pages. � e o� cial explanation? All the papers concerning construction of a movie theater were deemed “commercially sensitive” and “not in the public interest.” A« er an outcry, the Council re-thought the FOI request and disclosed “considerably more information,” according to the Daily Telegraph.

Michigan Egos On Parade• Detroit police chief Ralph Godbee was suspended in October a« er an a� air with a subordinate went public. Godbee’s predecessor was � red for the same reason (among other reasons), and in fact, Godbee previously had an a� air with the same subordinate implicated with his predecessor.• � e former mayor of Flint, Don Williamson, who resigned in 2009 while being targeted in a recall election, recently erected a large bronze statue of himself outside his home in Davison Township.• In June, former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, having served 99 days in jail on obstruction-of-justice charges and still awaiting a federal corruption trial, asked Michigan prison o� cials to relieve him of “community service” parole obligations — because he had several paid speeches scheduled out of town.

Perspective• Shortly a« er drug-possession suspect Patrick Townsend, 30, was arrested in Lakeland, Fla., in November and had allegedly confessed into a detective’s digital recorder, Townsend managed to snatch the unattended recorder from a table, took a restroom break and ¦ ushed it down the toilet. Townsend’s subsequent advice to the detective: “Tighten up on your job, homie.” “Destroying evidence” was added to Townsend’s charges.• Casey Anthony was acquitted by a jury in Orlando in 2011 of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, in part because investigation of her computer did not yield incriminating evidence (e.g., suspicious search terms in her Internet Explorer’s history). However, in November 2012, with Anthony protected by the Constitutional prohibition against “double jeopardy,” investigators admitted they’d overlooked the computer’s other web browser, Firefox. There, on the date of Caylee’s disappearance, were pages containing such search terms as “fool-proof suffication” (sic) and “asphyxiation.”

Readers’ Choice• Trent Bauer became a mid-season replacement as starting quarterback for Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Lexington, Ky., a« er beginning the season as merely the team’s bulldog-costumed sidelines mascot. In his � rst game, in October, he threw two touchdown passes in a 22-19 victory.• In October, South Plantation, Fla., High School’s third-string quarterback, Ms. Erin DiMeglio, was voted the school’s homecoming queen. In her � rst game this season, she came o� the bench in a brief stint, completing two passes. �

Chuck [email protected]

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THIS JUST IN!New Scarborough

Data!

Every day is judgment day in our public schools. is sounds like hyperbole on my

part, but there is a kernel of truth to what I am saying on behalf of educators who are responsible for shaping our future.

At a time when administrators are being trained to nitpick teachers over the most minute of details, such as whether their students are in a single-� le line, paying perfect attention during lessons or are prepared for class, we overlook the items that fall outside of the rubric with which we judge and ultimately will decide how to pay the troops in the war against ignorance and poverty.

It will never be re� ected in the evaluations, observations or feedback that I receive, but I wish to advocate for one seemingly small experience that I had in the classroom. It has to do with a student who came close to leaving Duval County Public Schools because he feared for his own safety.

Once it came to my attention that this sixth-grade boy was being bullied on a regular basis by a classmate who appeared to be more interested in terrorizing than learning, I worked with administrators and counselors to help this victim overcome the challenge to his own education.

I took the time to listen to the boy’s parents as they expressed frustration with what they felt was the glacial pace of a system that had to maintain low disciplinary statistics and pressured its schools into under-reporting incidents for the sake of not losing face in the community. e unintended consequence was an atmosphere where the victims were � eeing for greener pastures such as private schools, charter schools and homeschooling. e inmates, however, continued to run the asylum. Incidentally, the student who was doing the bullying ended up being arrested for assaulting another schoolmate with a knife later in the year.

Because there was no metric or data to gauge e� orts to cooperate with the boy’s family and to listen to their concerns, it went overlooked. e state-mandated evaluation system focused more on the super� cial aspects of what could be considered “poor” teaching on my part. For example, many teachers get low marks on their evaluations for petty points such as students talking about something other than their work during a lesson. Yes, o� -task conversation may re� ect negatively on a teacher’s ability to keep the focus on the lesson, but we must never lose sight of the fact that there are indeed factors that even the most � rm and focused pedagogy cannot deter.

Do not get me wrong here: I did not seek to save a child from chronic bullying and harassment because I wanted to earn a medal or praise for what I was doing. I merely wanted

to serve my fellow human being in a way that I would have expected to be helped if I had been a student in the same situation.

On the last day of school before spring break last year, I stayed a� er work to grade the last of my papers and decided to have a brief meeting with the student’s family on my way home from work. Even though I was o� the clock, I knew that my vacation could wait until I handled what was a more important matter than my packing my suitcases for a week down in Naples with my goddaughter and her family.

I explained to the parent that I was willing to be his child’s advocate and that I didn’t mind being contacted at any hour, by email or telephone, to remedy their child’s situation. A� er all, he wasn’t just a source of funding for our school system; he was a talented young man who had the potential perhaps one day to play major league baseball, report on sports for the media or coach a team when he realized his bright future.

e parents were grateful for the work that our school did on their behalf and they ultimately kept their son enrolled in Duval County Public Schools. ey even le� a message with my school, thanking us for the work that we did for them. Somewhere along the line, the gratitude was ignored and lost in the maelstrom of criticism and stereotyping of rank-and-� le teachers as being sel� sh, lazy bureaucrats who were only in the � eld of education to collect a paycheck and spend their summers o� .

Contrary to popular belief and demonizing, we teachers truly do care. We do what we do because we are giving back to a community that inspired us to answer a higher calling. We have teachers, coaches, administrators and counselors who believed in us and we believe that we can pay it forward.

I should know, because I was a “late talker” in my younger years. My parents feared that I would be mute for the rest of my life. anks to speech therapy at W.E. Cherry Elementary School in Orange Park, I learned to become con� dent in verbally communicating what I had been thinking all along. I learned to express myself thanks to people who didn’t give up on me. I, in return, cannot give up on

the young people whom I serve every day.In my own junior high school years, I

faced problems that I was able to solve with support from an educational community that helped this introvert learn how to make friends, in spite of losing so many peers to military relocations, and an educational community that helped me to overcome insecurity about my own short stature in the shadow of peers who seemed to be growing by leaps and bounds over a child like me who seemed destined never to reach 5 feet tall.

I understand that not all will appreciate the

work that we do, because there will always be students who resist our attempts to help them grow academically. But, thanks to remediation, interventions and other methods, we are learning to serve every student who enters our schoolhouse doors.

Bean-counters and micromanagers aside, I continue to soldier on because it is more than a profession for me; it’s a moral duty that I must fulfill to justify my continued existence on this earth. It is an obligation that allows us to bear the slings and arrows of “reformers” who wish to visit upon us so-called improvements that are aimed more at punishing us than enriching us. It is something of which we should all be proud, because we keep going in spite of it all.

is is why I continue to do what I do when it’s not re� ected in the judgment that we receive. e days when I have guest speakers, like the supervisor of elections, the state attorney and members of city council, are days that my former students remember. e times when we have international food days, mock elections and trips to city hall and New York are times on which my former students re� ect fondly. e memories of students whose funerals I attended, and one where I served as pallbearer, are what I believe to be the true indicators of our dedication.

Perhaps our friends in Tallahassee will never recognize our true value in our work, but I continue to teach not for them, but for the future. �

John Louis Meeks Jr.Meeks has been teaching social studies in Duval County since 2002. He is a 1998 graduate of the University of North Florida.

Time to Re-evaluateTeachers are victims of negative typecasting

Folio Weekly welcomes Backpage Editorial submissions. Essays should be at least 1,200 words and on a topic of local interest or concern. Email your Backpage to [email protected] or snail mail it to Denise M. Reagan, Editor, Folio Weekly, 9456 Philips Highway, Ste. 11, Jacksonville FL 32256. Opinions expressed on the Backpage are those of the author and do not necessarily refl ect those of the editors or management of Folio Weekly.

I did not seek to save a child from chronic bullying and harassment because I wanted to earn a medal or praise for what I was doing. I merely wanted to serve my fellow human being in a way that I would have expected to be helped if I had been a student in the same situation.


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12/25/12

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