7119-1 Bonneval Road

Jacksonville, Florida 32256

(904) 332-0891

Midtown Deli

If you are driving through and looking for a restaurant in the area of I-95 and Butler Boulevard you could easily drive passed Midtown Deli. This is not what I would recommend though. This is a good size restaurant at this very busy corner of Jacksonville. In this area of town you will find all of the chain burger places, but it is worth the time to drive around the corner from the arches. At Midtown Deli you will enjoy a much better meal than you would ever get from the clown. To let you know, most of the reviews that we do at www.piesplate.com are not from the chains. The only reason I mention this is that Midtown Deli is a small chain that is based in South Carolina with only three locations, and the only one outside of S.C. is the one in Jacksonville, Florida.

Midtown Dining Room

On this particular visit to Midtown Deli I was craving a sandwich. After looking at the menu I now was craving a pot roast potato. Even thought they offer Paninis, Roll Ups (wraps), Salads, and many varieties of sandwiches the baked potatoes really caught my eye. The potato choices were either the classic with butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon for $5.49 or the big chili filled with chili, cheese, onions, and sour cream for $5.79 or the pot roast potato loaded with tender pot roast and gravy for $5.99. There was something about the day that made it feel like a good day for pot roast, of course I asked if I could add sour cream on it and that would not be a problem the guy said. When he was completing our order I saw that they had Pepsi and as in some of my past reviews, you may remember that I am a Coke person. So I ordered an Arnold Palmer. ‘IF’ you still do not know what an A.P. is, it is a half tea and half lemonade. The guy told me that the lemonade was really good here, so I thought that would be a nice and refreshing drink.

Pot Roast Potato

We find a table in the corner, next to a window looking at some of the last of undeveloped land in the Butler Blvd/95 area. I take a sip of my Arnold Palmer and was not impressed with the tea or the lemonade. This concoction can really be a matter of taste, so I will not criticize Midtown Deli for a drink that can go either way depending of preference. But, now I am really wanting a Diet Coke *sigh*. After a 5 or 6 minute wait the guy that took our order comes to our table with my potato and Rhonette’s salad. He takes off as quickly as he showed up and brought me more pot roast in a cup telling me that he thought that there should have been more pot roast on the potato. Asking us if we need anything else and us telling him no, he lets us be alone to enjoy our food.

Chicken Salad

For the cost I have got to say that I feel like I got the steal of the day. In case you are not aware of my eating habits, well, I can eat, and I did not finish my potato. If the pot roast is not made in house I would be absolutely surprised. It had the flavor of homemade in it, not that of frozen. If in case it is frozen or from a refrigerated bag then someone at a food company got it right. It was delicious and stuffed this good sized potato that was dusted on the out side with course salt. My adding the sour cream to it gave it the little extra something to it that I was looking for; of course sour cream is good on so many things (personal commentary).

If you passing through the Jacksonville, Florida area and are looking for a good, quick, and not a chain place to eat then exit off of I-95 and J. Butler Blvd, go west and then look to the left. When you see the retention pond and the golf store, Midtown Deli is in that plaza. If you live in Jacksonville you should make it a point to stop by and see for yourself. They will serve really good food and serve it very fast, without the hassle of eating another processed burger from a drive thru. If you want to eat healthy then you have the option of 10 different salads on the menu at a good price (as low as $3.29 and none over $7). Of course being a deli they offer an almost endless sandwich menu, even the chance to ‘create your own’ sandwich for as low as $6.79. There is a very limited kids menu with chicken fingers, grilled cheese and a ‘PBJ’. You can even get a cookie or a brownie for your sweet tooth. Stop in and enjoy Midtown Deli and don’t be surprised if you see me there.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

1061 Mason Avenue

Daytona Beach, Florida 32117

(386)255-2256

Store Front

In my many visits to the Daytona Beach area it is easy to overlook certain shopping centers and various restaurants if they are not on one of the main drags. You see Daytona has a few sections that people go to, such as International Speedway Blvd, or A1A or maybe even US 1. But Mason Avenue is down the street and around the corner from any of the main sites that might bring you to the center of racing (or) the world’s most famous beach. Off of Mason Ave is a restaurant known as Tropical Gourmet and they are tucked away in the corner of the MasoNova Park plaza. This area is depressed and filled with bingo halls and rent you appliance stores. But with having almost 20 years of food service in Daytona Beach, Daniel and the other owners/managers deserve some recognition as having an authentic Caribbean restaurant that will delight your taste buds.

When I stepped into the restaurant/Caribbean market I was overwhelmed but the fact the a/c was not on. Then in consideration I thought to myself, they are Jamaican, and the warmth is not unbearable, so deal with it. Soon after I came in a gentleman named Daniel came out from the kitchen area to greet me. He stood at a counter that was adorned with pictures of Bob Marley, Obama, and various scenes from Jamaica. On the counter was a display case with beef patties in it. Having fallen in love with beef patties years ago, I decided to get one as a starter for me. Daniel notified me of the lunch specials that were still available for the day. Including curried goat, ox tail, and jerk chicken all served with either a salad or steamed cabbage with rice and beans. Not familiar with curried goat I need to stick with what I know, I got the jerk chicken.

While I was sitting there customers were coming in and going straight to the counter to get beef patties to go, the whole time I was there I was the only customer that sat in the dining area. Daniel soon brought me my bowl of steamed cabbage filled with carrots and green beans to my table. So there I sit with my cabbage steaming, a roll that looks like a biscuit, my beef patty, and a Jamaican drink simply known as cola champagne. Daniel tells me that the drink is very refreshing and that he thinks I will like it, well he was right. The cabbage was great; it was so hot that it continued to steam the whole time that I was eating it. He told me that the beef patty was authentic and not frozen; this is one of the signature items that the Tropical Gourmet is known for. Having discovered the Jamaican beef patty over twenty years ago I am a fan of them, but this one was rich with flavor with a not too flaky crust.

While still eating my beef patty and steamed cabbage, Daniel brings me a very large plate of jerk chicken with a side of rice and beans. If you are not familiar with jerk flavoring, you should know that it is typically hot in spice. Some people will just make an item spicy and call it jerk, however if you are looking for a real jerk flavor find a real authentic Jamaican restaurant or chef to serve it. Not only is jerk a spicy hot item it is a fantastic blend of spices that the islands are known for. The Tropical Gourmet not only knows the art of making a good jerk chicken item they also sell various spices on the wall along with certain sweet breads and authentic sodas to take home with you.

In conversation with Daniel I was inquiring about the history of Tropical Gourmet. He let me know that they have been opened in Daytona for almost 20 years and in the current location for almost 10 of those. I asked about the desserts available and on this particular day they had none available. He let me know (only after my asking questions about it) that the economy has hurt them in many ways. For now they are open and operating as a full functioning restaurant, but as he let me know, things have to get better to keep them open. I for one will say that if Tropical Gourmet becomes a casualty of the current recession then Daytona will lose out on one of the best Jamaican restaurants available. If you are in Daytona I highly encourage you to swing into Tropical Gourmet for at least a beef patty to go. The food is very good, very fresh and worth every penny you will spend.

My meal was huge and I got a soda and a beef patty to start with. I only paid 11 bucks. You can easily get in and out of there for under ten dollars, or if you go with the various Jamaican soups with a beef or chicken patty as a side you will spend less than $6 for the soup and about a buck fifty for the patty. As I could see there were customers who stopped in and would by 2 or 3 patties and take them to go for less than $5. They are opened from 10 am till 10 pm Monday through Saturday taking Sunday off. You should give them a try, tell them Moonpie sent you.

Review by Pie, email: pie@piesplate.com

1012 S. Edgewood Ave.

Jacksonville, Florida 32205

(904) 389-8054

www.edgewoodbakery.com 

Edgewood Bakery

When you walk into the Edgewood Bakery in the Murray Hill area of Jacksonville, Florida you will first notice the cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, pastries, fresh baked bread and more cakes and more cookies. I could go on. The first impression at Edgewood Bakery is that you get something sweet at the counter and then leave. Most people are overwhelmed by all the baked goods they forget to look at the sign above the (mostly) ladies working behind the counter. The sign above the counter is almost identical to the sheet of paper that you can grab from the counter giving you the breakfast items on one side, and the lunch items on the other.

Dining Room

In the past I have stopped by for the breakfast. The past experience was good but not great. My thought from the past was that they are best at the baked goods. And let me tell you the pies, cookies, cakes, so on and so on are fantastic. This particular day I stopped by for lunch. The menu filled with items like Panini’s, Wraps, and your typical deli style sandwiches. They also offer a soup of the day along with the regular soup of Baked Potato. The soup of the day on this day was Chicken and Rice. Before I placed my order I decided to ask if the soup was made there. They informed me that it was all made from scratch. All the way to the point of they roast the chicken there. The day seemed like a good soup day, with the weather being overcast and the temperature outside starting to drop. They offered a deal where you order the soup for $ 2.99 and you can add a half Panini or Salad for only $2.75 more. My original thought was to get a full Panini with a Three Bean Salad for just under $8.00, BUT no this is a soup day.

Pies & Cakes

There are a few tables and chairs to the left of the counter as well as a few outside. I chose to sit indoors with the sweet smells of pastry. I grabbed a seat and decided to ‘people watch’. The place was very busy. There were kids wanting cookies and families buying bread, very now and again a customer would order a lunch to go. My wait time was a kind of long for what I had ordered but the place was very busy. As I waited and people watched I saw the consultants in a separate room planning a wedding cake for a young bride. For those who may be more impatient than me, they do offer a little shop of mugs, plate, aprons, and knick-knacks.

Soup and Panini

When my lunch arrived I could smell the soup and the Panini, and it smelled goooood. Even though you order at a counter they bring the food to your table. Now my only question about my lunch is this. With a cheese Panini, what is the difference between that and a grilled cheese sandwich? In no way am I complaining, but, are they just trying to fancy the name? Where I come from a grilled cheese is a grilled cheese. The soup was very rich with flavor and full of thick chunks of chicken, peas, rice, and onions. The broth was obviously fresh and not from a can. The grilled cheese was fantastic as well. They even topped off the meal with a sugar cookie. Including my drink I was able to get a filling lunch, a Diet Coke, and a sugar cookie for just over seven bucks.

Baked Goods

Now I will come back to Edgewood Bakery for lunch again in the future. Now for my complaint about the place. It is not the cleanliness; the place is very, very clean. Not in the variety of the food, they do a good job on offering really good food at a good price. No way is it in the sweet shoppe, they offer it all and it is all delicious. My complaint is this, the Edgewood Bakery is always, ALWAYS busy. Not all of the customers are kind and patient. They really need to either install a roped off area or a take a number system. While I was there I was jumped in front of by two separate customers. Both were little old ladies. I think they do it because they know that no one is gonna yell at them, ya know being a little old lady and all. It is almost like they plan on skipping in the line when they walk in. Very conniving they are. So if the staff at Edgewood Bakery is looking to improve, work out a better system than just a crowd at the full counter area.

Counter Area

If you don’t stop by Edgewood Bakery for breakfast or lunch, you should stop by for the sweets. Personally I will stop again for breakfast, lunch, and the pastries. Enjoy it y’all.

Review by Pie, email: pie@piesplate.com

803 E Duval St

Jacksonville, FL 32202-1123

(904) 358-6429

Ann's Sandwich Shop

One of the exciting things about this site (at least for me) is to try new places or places that I have always wanted to try. For the many years that I have lived in Jacksonville, Florida, I have been a regular to a little sandwich place near the football stadium downtown. That place is Russ-Does, of which I have not yet written a review for. The history of these little sandwich shops is kind of cool. Most were built to cater to the blue collar workers at the shipyards in that region. In just a few miles of the stadium there are several options for a sandwich, only avail during lunch Monday thru Friday. At some of these places you can get a nice breakfast as well. Someone once told me that I needed to go across the street from Russ-Does Sandwich Shop and try Ann’s. On this particular day I did.

This is the point that I want to give a disclaimer. This review is from a personal experience and greatly formed my opinion that I will share with you the reader. If you are a big fan of Ann’s then I will not fault you for that. In no way shape or form do I want to seem as if I am trying to cause any kind of slander towards this establishment. At the same rate, I do not want to apologize for this summary. The reason for this ‘disclaimer’ is that my personal experience at Ann’s Sandwich Shop on Duval St in the shipyards area of Jacksonville was so bad that I cannot imagine someone going there as a regular. Let alone feel the need to recommend Ann’s to anyone, ever.

Ann's Store Front

As I was en route to Russ-Does I had to pass Ann’s Sandwich Shop, so I thought, let me give them a try. I parked in the front of the main door noticing the numerous hand written signs taped to it. The signs mentioned the new hours, the burger and fries, the hot dogs, and other ’specials’ available. As I walked in to the empty restaurant at just after 1 pm on a weekday I was first hit with a stuffiness that almost made me walk straight out the door. It was then that one of the workers there yelled to another worker that was closer to the air conditioner switch “WE HAVE SOMEONE HERE, TURN BACK ON THE AIR”. (I can’t make that up). In Florida there are only two times when the a/c should be turned off in a restaurant, never and never. Luckily the a/c did not take long to cool the place down. When I walked towards the dining area to see that there was really no clean tables in the whole place, one of the workers told me to go back and order at the counter. Already in an uncomfortable mood I looked at the menu of burgers and hot dogs and fries, basically all the items that were on the door were repeated on the sign. But the special of the day was fried fish, corn, fires, a roll, and a tea for just over $7. It looked as good as anything else.

Lunch at Ann's

As I ordered I thought about the strawberry cake that was pre sliced and sitting under plastic wrap at the register, but I could see that most of the slices were not completely covered. Well, they did have sweet potato pie, but it looked like a couple of customers wanted to test the pie to see if fingers could mash into the slices, they can. I ordered the special and went to get my drink. The un-sweet tea was less than tasty. I had to take some of the ice out of my cup because there were ‘things’ or ’specs’ in the ice. Now the task to find a clean table, I gave up. The table that I settled with had a used drink cup on it and I had to get a few napkins to wipe it down. The table next to me was a little cleaner but had a broom leaning against it. That broom was never touched the whole time I was there. Behind me were a few tables filled with garbage bags full of holiday decorations that I am guessing they intend to put up. My suggestion to the staff and owners would be to clean the tables and scrub the floor that was stained with the rust stains from the tables and chairs first. The two televisions that I saw were turned off and there was no music playing which prompted me to ask if they were about to close. They informed me no, that they are open until 3. So all I got to listen to was the staff complain about having to wipe tables or the schedule and their personal life.

Broom Against Table

Now my food is ready, seeing as to how busy they were (sarcasm)…. They left it at the counter for me to go and get, and not bring it out to me. I found a little bit of humor that they did not even put the dry stale roll on a plate or even a napkin. The corn was scooped straight from a can and heated up. It was still in the cans juices and not even heated to a proper temperature. The fries were from a frozen bag and not served hot enough to soften them up. The fish was good, it was very good. The tartar sauce was horrible and served warmer than the fries. I picked at the bread, ate a couple of fries tasted the corn ate most of the fish and decided to find a drive thru to finish my lunch experience. On my way out I could see the kitchen though the pass through window, I am not a health department worker but from what I could see did not look sanitary. I am absolutely amazed at the number of workers in the shop (maybe 6) and the filth and lack of quality provided to the customer.

There are so many things that went wrong with my visit to Ann’s Sandwich Shop that I cannot even think of how they are able to stay in business. Not only for the bad service, and the bad food, the cleanliness of Ann’s makes me wonder if they get a pass from the health department. Those of us that do these visits to restaurants and sandwich shops for Pie’s Plate try to give a second chance in hope the establishment has been able to redeem themselves. Maybe they can fix their errors, but I will never go back to Ann’s Sandwich Shop and will never recommend it to anyone. 

Review by Pie, email: pie@piesplate.com

Molly Hatchet's Sub Shop

When visiting Daytona Beach you must remember that every thing you see, visit or eat is either the Worlds Largest, Most Famous, or Voted #1. Molly Hatchet’s Sub Shop on South A1A is no exception. The neon sign on the front of the building tells you they are world famous and menu items tell you that they are number one.

As you walk in to little sandwich store front you will see that it is very small. They did not spend any extra money on comfort in there. The people behind the counter were all very nice and helpful giving suggestions on the menu items available. After I ordered a whole size Chicken Philly Sandwich (of course it too is World Famous). The young girl behind the counter asked me if I would like to have a ‘Boss Sauce’ cooked into the sandwich. Unsure of this Boss Sauce that she mentioned I told her no. She then suggested having me try it in a li’l sauce cup first. So she fetched me a sample. After a li’l taste I said to cook it in with the meat. It was a spicy sauce with a medium flavor of spices.

So I sat in the little room that consisted of a tiny bar, 4 stools, a kitchen and a counter to order at. I was feeling a little bit cramped as customers came in to get their orders they had called in from the local beachfront hotels and businesses. Watching the cars pass by on the main drag known as A1A just yards away from the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. If it had not been for a high rise and a fast food restaurant you could see the beach from the front window of Molly’s. Enjoying my time sitting in there listening to classic rock I heard ZZ Top, Van Halen and Ted Nugent and realized that it was taking them a little while longer than I was expecting to get my food. Finally I stood up and went to the little counter and decided to wait there. From there I could see a sandwich sitting in the window. Finally the cook saw me and looked at the girl at the counter and said ‘Oops, order up’. She looked at me, grabbed me a Jones Root Beer, apologized and gave me my food and told me to enjoy.

Having the majority of the seating being on picnic tables outside and my fear of seagulls; I decided to stay indoors at the li’l counter. One of the first things I noticed about the sandwich was the bread. If this makes any sense it was very bready… What I mean by that is that it seemed to be too much bread. If you have too much bread, then the sandwich will lose some of the flavors intended. However this sandwich was huge and the juices just soaked up into the bread. My personal preference would have been a little more cheese on sub. As far as chicken subs go this was one of the best I have ever had.

Outside Dining

This is one of those places where if you are looking for a good sub, you have to visit. My only regret to this stop is that I only got the sub. I was not paying attention to the size options and the appetizers that are available. Such as Mozzarella Sticks, Clam Strips, Onion Rings, Pizza Bites, Fried Mushrooms and various other fried items. Looking at the menu there are many other items that I would love to try the next time that I find myself in Daytona. Maybe the next time I am there I will get the cheeseburger or the shrimp dinner. I don’t know what I will get the next time that I am there, but there will be a next time.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

1511 Pine Grove Avenue

Jacksonville, FL 32205-8919

 If you look up the Pinegrove Market online, you will find rave reviews for this little cafe/meat market. Some people claim that Pinegrove offers the best salad and sandwiches that they (the online reviewers) have ever had. The market is tucked away in the older, charming Jacksonville neighborhood of Riverside. As a matter of fact if you are not looking for the Pinegrove Market it is very easy to pass.

 My first visit to the PGM was with a friend of mine to pick up some fresh steaks for a cookout. This is a true neighborhood market that features the finest steaks, grocery items, limited beverage options, and you can also get either a breakfast or lunch at the walk up counter. PGM is located on Pinegrove near the college campus. If PGM is busy (which it often is) you may need to plan on sitting outdoors on one of the benches they have provided. This is where I had to sit due to the 3 indoor tables all being full.

 When I first walked in I was not exactly sure what I was going to order. From my history of eating here I do remember that they have a great Cuban sandwich available. In the past I have also had a really thick ham sandwich. For lunch the items consist of either a salad, a sandwich or a wrap. Since I tend to shy away from salads and enjoy bread (more than I should) I decided to get a sandwich. Upon looking at the menu I saw the chicken salad and thought to myself that I could enjoy a good chicken salad sandwich on white bread. My question to the guy behind the counter was if I could sample the chicken salad. If I get a taste for chicken salad in a restaurant I will always ask for a sample first. Even if I have had the chicken salad at that place before I will still ask for a sample. The reason for this is that depending on how many chefs or cooks that they have, the chicken salad may vary from person to person. My tastes for a chicken salad are very particular. Not too much on the celery, very light on the onion (if any at all), not a fan of the mustard (unless it is done just right)…As you can see I am picky, but since I am buying it and eating it then I can be. There are some places that will not give you a sample of the chicken or the tuna salad. They use the excuse of pre-measured meals. This I think is bunk. Your restaurant should be able to offer a sample of such items, in my personal opinion.

 After my sample of the salad I was impressed with the smooth and wonderful flavor. So I placed my order at the little counter in the back, grabbed a can of Diet Coke, and a small bag of Sea Salt & Vinegar potato chips. Since the inside literally had no seats available I told the staff I would be outside the front door on the bench. In Florida you have maybe a couple of dozen days of the year you can sit outside. It is either too hot, too wet or for a couple of days of the year too cold. This day was just fine. I sat there nibbling on my chips and watching the cars pass by on nearby Park St. After almost 5 minutes or so they brought me my lunch. It was just what I was looking for. The taste, the atmosphere and day was wonderful.

 After I was finished with my meal I sat to enjoy the day for just a little while. Then I decided to ‘bus’ my bench (if you will). Taking my garbage inside to the nearest trash can, as I looked around, there were still no tables available. Standing at the cash register waiting for the cashier to come and take my money, I could see that they offer local bread for sale. The cashier came and asked me of my meal, was it good and was I happy. To both my answer was yes. Then he rang me up, and now I had a bit of ’sticker shock’. Although the meal was really good, I did not expect to be charged almost $10 for a chicken salad sandwich, a small bag of potato chips, and a regular can on Diet Coke. Doing the quick math on this I figure the Coke is a buck and the chips (I hope) were not more than a dollar and so that would mean this sandwich was over seven dollars. Yes it was good, but few (basic) sandwiches are worth that much.

 Overall I was happy with my visit. I will go back. But on my next stop I will be more aware of the cost of what I order. In the past having had breakfast at The Pinegrove Market, I may have to stop back in just for that.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com