view the current issue in Adobe PDF version - Eujacksonville.com

Those that love archetypical French food have sorely missed the classy and sexy Crush. The good
news is that it will be reopening this summer under another name, with a different owner. Jon Insetta, who
owns Chew, will be opening it as Restaurant Orsay. There will be room for more diners, and a renovation
of the restaurant. They’ll serve some of the traditional French dishes that Crush fans adored, such as steak
tartar and mussels, but diners can expect more modern items. The emphasis will be on seafood (particularly
crustations), with a raw oyster bar.
may foodcentric events
Ceviche Peruvien from the former Crush
where to eat drink and
be merry by erin thursby
May 1 st -4 th World of Nations Celebration
Embark on an exciting journey without leaving Jacksonville! As you travel throughout the park you’ll see
over 30 countries represented where you’ll sample food, listen to music, shop crafts and more! Metropolitan
Park. Info: (904) 630-3690
May 2 nd -4 th Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival
Don’t miss this 45th annual festival in historic Fernandina Beach – said to be the birthplace of the modern
shrimping industry! Starting with the Pirate Parade kick-off at 6 pm on Thursday evening, and a Pirate Invasion
and Fireworks display on Friday evening. This two and a half day event comprises over 300 juried fi ne
arts and crafts booths, regional and local music acts, antiques, food booths, games, face painting, a rock
climbing wall, and of course shrimp and seafood dishes. Downtown Fernandina Beach. Info: 866-4AMELIA
or shrimpfestival.com
May 2 nd 2pm – 6pm New Chocolate Room Grand Opening
Claude’s Chocolates is having a grand opening of their new chocolate room, located on U.S. 1 midway
between St. Augustine and Jacksonville. Taste, shop and meet Claude himself. Claude and Nicole Franques
will be serving Champagne Bon Bons and a ‘bubbly’ toast, fi lling a niche in Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine
that is innovative while pioneering a true European-style of luxurious romantic chocolate. Claude is on the
premises daily designing his signature chocolates. The shop features 100+ confections. Info: claudeschocolate.com
or (904) 808-8395
May 4 th An Evening of Taste
Chef Matthew Medure will whip up creative fare at Matthew’s to benefi t the Children’s Home Society. The
evening also features a silent auction. Matthew’s, 2107 Hendricks Ave. $125. Info: (904) 493-7739
May 17 th 4pm-7pm 2nd Annual St Augustine Wine & Food Fest
Come out for this fund raiser for The Boys & Girls Club of NE Florida, featuring more than 100 wines from
10 distributors and food from 10 local eateries. No extra food tickets--enjoy as much wine and food as you
like. Live entertainment, fabulous raffl e prizes and a commemorative wine glass. Wines available for discounted
prices. Have fun and raise money for a good cause! The Joyful Cork 1092 S Ponce de Leon Blvd,
St Augustine. $40 in advance, $45 at the door. Info: (904) 823-9923
May 25 th Food Not Bombs
Starting at 1 pm, the outside of the Pearl will be set up like a bazaar, where anyone who has a good cause
or message can set up a booth for free. If you would like to set up a booth, please contact myspace.com/
tangerinefestjax. Food Not Bombs will be giving away free food and the community garden will be open
so you can see their progress. The door fee is $5 and all proceeds go to the community garden. You can
take $1 off if you bring a canned or dried food item, which will go to Food Not Bombs. The outside area
will be free. An artist’s showcase will be set up inside. If you would like to showcase your work, contact
jaxscene@yahoo.com. So far, the confi rmed bands will be: Tuffy, Buffalo Tears, Manatella, Lazerstar, Helios
Eye, Fruit Machine, and Airport Factory, and comedian Joel Land. If you want to be part of this, come
out to the community garden (next to The Pearl) on Saturdays at noon or Sunday at 2 pm. The Pearl. Info:
Send a message to myspace.com/tangerinefestjax or email jaxscene@yahoo.com
notable classes and demos for may
Apron’s Cooking School (10500 San Jose Blvd. 904-262-4187) will be holding quite a few notable
classes this month. Two celebrity chefs will be appearing, though the Paula Dean class is full. Martin Yan
will be there on May 15 th to sign cookbooks and do a demo.
Our own Dennis Chan, owner of the local fusion cuisine restaurant Blue Bamboo, will also be at
Apron’s on May 22 nd , demonstrating a scrumptious menu (which you’ll get to sample). Menu items will be:
pulled pork empanada served with cumin coriander raita; chicken satay with an orange cilantro vinaigrette;
tres litchis cake served with raspberry litchi syrup and cardamom-scented litchis. (If you can’t make it on
the 22 nd , he will be holding a Jamaican cooking class at Blue Bamboo on the 24 th . Call 904-646-1478 to
reserve a spot).
It’s shrimp season, and there’s an abundance of local Mayport Shrimp to choose from at the supermarket.
You can learn more about cooking these little lovelies at another Apron’s course on May 30 th . The
best part—you’ll get to eat shrimp too!
dish q & a
Q: I’ve heard that horse meat makes
for excellent steaks and I’m curious.
Where in Jacksonville can I buy or
sit down to a horse steak?
{ dish}
A: Sorry, it’s not socially acceptable
to want to fry up Flicka in the States.
For most people here it’s akin to
eating a pet, but in many European
countries and the bulk of Asia it’s a
delicacy. In Japan, horse sushi has
become a growing trend, in response
to shrinking stores of fi sh. The red
color of the meat mimics tuna, though
it differs in texture and taste. French
Parisian butcher with horse meat
speaking areas in Europe tend to love
horse meat and in France they have specialty butchers that only deal in horse meat (though these are getting
rarer).
Many cultures have taboos against eating
horse. Horses aren’t kosher, so traditional
Jews don’t partake. Neither do people from most
English speaking countries, gypsy folk and Brazilians,
among others. Some of these taboos can
be traced back to with religion and lifestyle. Celtic
tribes worshipped horse deities and the Romans
lived their lives alongside horses. In America,
legends of cowboys and their trusty steeds have
done a lot to keep Trigger off the table.
There isn’t a Federal Law in the U.S. specifi -
cally prohibiting the sale of horse meat, but no
supermarket chain or restaurant that I know of
Kwanzaa, a young South African lion at Cameron carries it. However, it’s now illegal to slaughter
Park Zoo in Waco, Texas, celebrates his birthday horses in the U.S. for human consumption, even if
with a cake made from 10 pounds of horse meat,
that meat will be exported to another country.
plus whipped cream and a carrot.
In late 2007, the last U.S. horse abattoir closed
under court order.
That means that even if you can fi nd horse meat, it will have to be imported. The next time you want
to take a very long road trip, head for the Canadian province of Quebec, where horse meat is readily available.
(You can also fi nd it in Mexico).
There are some medical issues when it comes to eating horses. Unlike cattle, or even goats, almost
every horse in the slaughter house was not raised with the intention of becoming food for humans. That
means that certain regulations and standards that would normally be followed for beef or pigs aren’t followed
for horses—at least not for their entire lives.
If you have any dining questions for Dish, email us at jacksonvilledish@gmail.com
dish | eujacksonville.com | MAY 2008
31