Consolation meals that elevate your spirits and nourish your soul.
by Jeffrey Spear
Whether or not it’s the existential threats posed by nefarious climate, combative political local weather, upheavals at work, or a relationship on the rocks, it’s straightforward to know that mood-boosting, high-fat and high-sugar consolation meals might be an efficient treatment throughout hectic instances. Whereas a number of the hottest are pizza, ice cream and chocolate, the early days of Spring might name for one thing significantly hotter and cozier. Whether or not you’re working to beat dramas, or just wish to carry just a little heat and sunshine into an in any other case dreary day, there are locations in Jacksonville serving deliciously smothered and coated consolation meals.
Crispy French fries, particularly these loaded with toppings, are on the high of the record never-fail meals. When you agree, Epik on Atlantic Boulevard has greater than a dozen extremely inventive, flavor-forward choices that shouldn’t be missed. Of observe is the Huge Fatty Fries layered with bleu cheese, cheese sauce, gravy, sriracha aioli, sunny egg, chopped bacon, scallions and sizzling sauce ($16). Well-known for juicy burgers, Epik’s J’ville Poutine pairs datil seasoned fries with cheese curds, gravy, bacon, datil sauce, sizzling sauce and scallions ($12). When you want Asian flavors, its Korean barbecue fries are tossed in gochugaru purple pepper flakes, then topped with gochujang aioli, sriracha aioli, scallions and kimchi ($8).
If the one-two punch of potatoes and pulled pork lifts your spirits, head over to Coop 303 for the Loaded Tots, dripping with barbecue pulled pork, queso, Fresno chiles and sizzling sauce aioli ($13). Equally, Valley Smoke in Palm Valley affords a brisket poutine, a hearty serving of barbecue brisket, white cheddar cheese curds, smokey gravy and Alabama white sauce ($14).
Meals smothered in an abundance of gravy are one other option to beat the blues, warming you from the within out. Head over to Shut Em Down, a basic Southern joint on the Westside, for the pork chops ($16), fried hen ($12) or meatloaf ($12), every generously coated in brown gravy, in addition to oxtail in oxtail gravy ($18). You may additionally get pleasure from a number of the choices at Barbara Denims on the Water in Palm Valley. Whether or not it’s the country-fried steak consisting of hand-battered cubed steak drenched in your selection of cream or brown gravy ($19), hen fried hen with cream gravy ($19), or meat loaf, proclaimed as “higher than Mother’s or Grandma’s,” served with both tomato sauce or brown gravy ($19), one in every of these classics is bound to elevate your spirits. Or at the least fill your abdomen.
In fact, one of the vital soothing, satisfying and warming dishes to come back out of the South is biscuits and gravy. Metro Diner (seven space places) affords this basic, served with two eggs and hash browns ($12). When you’re feeling a bit extra adventurous, strive the hen and waffles from the just lately arrived Whiskey Cake Kitchen and Bar, a dish that tastefully marries malted waffles, crispy hen tenders, sunny aspect eggs, maple syrup and home nation gravy ($20).
One other high contender on the earth of consolation meals, additionally a Southern basic, is mac-n-cheese. Whereas ceaselessly listed on menus as a aspect dish, the most effective ones are proudly served as a essential course. That is actually the case at Spliff’s Gastropub in Riverside, the place you’ll be able to benefit from the String Cheese Incident, an extremely tacky presentation that blends cheddar, Swiss, provolone, mozzarella, smoked gouda and goat cheeses ($15). When you like mac-n-cheese with a bit extra aptitude, they’ve a protracted record of tasty choices from which to decide on.
Whereas the world’s turmoil can dampen one’s outlook now and again, there’s loads of tasty and soul-warming aid out there throughout city. Simply decide a vacation spot, seize a fork, dig in and smile.