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Bold City Best 2016

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The 2nd annual<br />

WINNERS<br />

GUIDE<br />

Cheers to the<br />

<strong>Best</strong> in 167<br />

categories!<br />

Page 5<br />

Meet two-time<br />

winners Melissa Ross<br />

& Mark Woods<br />

Page 6<br />

Discover the flavors<br />

of five-category<br />

winner Taverna<br />

Page 20<br />

boldcitybest.com


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 3<br />

Winners and where to find them:<br />

Auto & More<br />

<strong>Best</strong> New Car Dealership: Tom Bush Family of Dealerships.............................................7<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Used Car Dealership: Tom Bush Family of Dealerships............................................7<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Boat Dealership: North Florida Yacht Sales..................................................................8<br />

<strong>Best</strong> RV Dealership: Travelcamp RV Sales, Service, Parts & More..............................8<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Water Sports Store/Rentals: Beach Boulevard Motorsports..............................8<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Motorcycle Dealership: Adamec Harley-Davidson.....................................................8<br />

Things to Do & Places to Be<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Art Gallery: Through The Lens of Lee-Margaret........................................................8<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Concert/Event of <strong>2016</strong>: St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival........8<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Farmers Market: Town of Orange Park Farmer's & Arts Market.......................9<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Golf Course: The PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass...........................9<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Kid's Entertainment: Town of Orange Park Kids Fest..............................................9<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Live Music Venue: Florida Theatre Performing Arts Center ...............................10<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Live Theater: Alhambra Theatre & Dining.....................................................................10<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Local Charity Event: Jacksonville Dragon Boat & Paddlefest..............................10<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Marina: The Marina at Ortega Landing..........................................................................11<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Movie Theater: AMC Regency 24......................................................................................11<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Summer Camp: Gracie Barra of Jacksonville — KidsCampJax.com.................11<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Flea Market: Ramona Flea Market....................................................................................11<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Trivia Night — TIE<br />

Dick's Wings & Grill...................................................................................................................11<br />

Mellow Mushroom.....................................................................................................................11<br />

Cuisine & Cocktails<br />

<strong>Best</strong> All You Can Eat: Metro Diner...............................................................................................11<br />

<strong>Best</strong> American Restaurant: Jaxon Social ................................................................................12<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Bang for the Buck Restaurant: Metro Diner.................................................................12<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Family Restaurant: Metro Diner.........................................................................................12<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Farm to Table/Locally Supplied Restaurant: Kitchen on San Marco................12<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Romantic Restaurant: Restaurant Orsay.......................................................................12<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Outdoor Dining: Taverna .......................................................................................................13<br />

<strong>Best</strong>-kept Secret Restaurant: Jaxon Social ............................................................................13<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Southern Cuisine: The Potter’s House Soul Food Bistro.........................................13<br />

About this section<br />

The <strong>2016</strong> <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong><br />

Winners Guide was produced<br />

by the Times-Union Specialty<br />

Publications Department and<br />

Jacksonville.com:<br />

Jacksonville.com Digital<br />

Director:<br />

Gary T. Mills<br />

Jacksonville.com Digital Designer/UX:<br />

Derek Hembd<br />

Managing Editor of Specialty Audience:<br />

Joe DeSalvo<br />

Specialty Publications creative copywriter:<br />

Jacqueline Persandi<br />

Specialty Publications graphic designer:<br />

Beth Blacker<br />

Specialty Publications content assistant: Samantha<br />

Arora<br />

Times-Union Media Marketing Manager:<br />

Karen Brashear<br />

Times-Union Media Retail Sales Manager: Liz Borten<br />

Times-Union Advertising Operations Coordinator:<br />

Dianne Knapp<br />

Times-Union Media Marketing designer:<br />

Michael Merriam<br />

The cover photo at Taverna in San Marco was taken<br />

by Florida Time-Union staff photographer Will Dickey.<br />

More coverage of the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> winners can be<br />

found at boldcitybest.com<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Special Occasion Restaurant: Restaurant Orsay........................................................13<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Bar/Pub: World Famous Lemon Bar.................................................................................13<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Happy Hour: Blue Fish Oyster Bar & Restaurant........................................................13<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Local Brewery: <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> Brewery....................................................................................13<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Sports Bar: The Mudville Grille...........................................................................................13<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Beer Selection: Brewz The Filling Station.....................................................................13<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Margarita: La Napolera..........................................................................................................13<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Martini: Ocean 60.....................................................................................................................13<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Wine List: Taverna ...................................................................................................................13<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Barbecue: Jenkins Quality Barbecue...............................................................................14<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Burger: Metro Diner.................................................................................................................14<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Burrito: Burrito Gallery .........................................................................................................14<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Crab Cakes: Barbara Jean’s Restaurant ........................................................................14<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pancakes: Metro Diner............................................................................................................14<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pizza: Gusto..................................................................................................................................14<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Salads: Trasca & Co Eatery...................................................................................................15<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Wings: Dick’s Wings & Grill..................................................................................................15<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Breakfast: Metro Diner...........................................................................................................15<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Brunch: Metro Diner.................................................................................................................15<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Coffee Shop: <strong>Bold</strong> Bean Coffee Roasters ......................................................................15<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Dessert: Biscottis Restaurant + Catering + Bar.........................................................15<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Food Truck: The Happy Grilled Cheese ...........................................................................15<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Healthy Eating: Native Sun Natural Foods Market ...................................................15<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Bakery: Knead: A Bakeshop..................................................................................................15<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Deli: Pinegrove Market & Deli..............................................................................................15<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Sushi: Kazu Japanese Restaurant.....................................................................................15<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Tacos: TacoLu..............................................................................................................................16<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Diner: Metro Diner....................................................................................................................16<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Chinese Restaurant - TIE<br />

Chef Chan Asian Cuisine.........................................................................................................16<br />

P.F. Chang's....................................................................................................................................16<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Indian Restaurant - TIE<br />

5th Element...................................................................................................................................17<br />

India's Restaurant.....................................................................................................................17<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Italian Restaurant: Enza’s Italian Restaurant.............................................................17<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Japanese Restaurant: Kazu Japanese Restaurant....................................................17<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Mexican Restaurant: Si Senor Fresh Mex......................................................................17<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Seafood Restaurant: Salt Life Food Shack....................................................................17<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Sommelier: Taverna .................................................................................................................17<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Thai Restaurant: Indochine..................................................................................................18<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Local Chocolatier: Sweet Pete’s Candy...........................................................................18<br />

<strong>Best</strong> New Restaurant (open as of 8/1/15): HOBNOB...............................................................18<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Chef: Sam Efron from Taverna............................................................................................18<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Restaurant Overall: Taverna ...............................................................................................18<br />

Homes & Finance<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Homebuilder: D.R. Horton......................................................................................................19<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Real Estate Broker/Agency: Exit Real Estate Gallery..............................................19<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Real Estate Agent: Anita G. Hiles.......................................................................................19<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Bank/Credit Union: VyStar Credit Union........................................................................23<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Accountant/CPA: Susan Carter CPA, P.A......................................................................23<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Senior/Assisted Living Facility: Taylor Residences....................................................23<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Home Community/Development:<br />

The Palms at Nocatee by Dream Finders Homes, LLC..............................................23<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Mortgage Company: Debbie Thomas at GSF Mortgage.........................................23<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Local Builder (builds only in these counties: Duval, St. Johns, Clay)<br />

SEDA New Homes......................................................................................................................23<br />

Health & Well-being<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Chiropractic Practice: Dynamic Health and Chiropractic.......................................24<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Doctor: Dr. Oliver Perez - Advantage Dermatology...................................................24<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Cosmetic Surgery Practice: Dr. Clayman's Plastic Surgery Center....................24<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Podiatrist/Foot Comfort Specialist: Foot Solutions.................................................24<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Urgent Care: St. Vincent's First Care Walk-In Express Clinic..............................24<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Physical Therapy/Rehabilitation Center: Brooks Rehab.........................................24<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Dental Practice: Doctors Lake Family Dental...............................................................24<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Dermatology Practice: Advantage Dermatology.......................................................25<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Eye Care Practice: Florida Eye Specialists.....................................................................25<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Hearing Aid Professional: Clear Ear Hearing Solutions...........................................25<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Medical Spa: Advantage Dermatology............................................................................25<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Weight Loss Center<br />

Metabolic Research Centers, Weight Loss Specialists............................................25<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Orthodontic Practice: Joy Orthodontics........................................................................25<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Orthopedic Practice: Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute......................................26<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pediatric Practice: Angel Kids Pediatrics......................................................................26<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Veterinary Practice: St. Bernard’s Animal Hospital..................................................26<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Fitness Center/Gym: Orangetheory Fitness .................................................................26<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Yoga Studio: Hot Spot Power Yoga...................................................................................26<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pilates Studio: Everbalance Wellness Studio...............................................................27<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Dance Studio: Indulgence Dance Studio.........................................................................27<br />

Home & Professional Services<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Air Conditioning/Heating Service: Snyder Heating & Air Conditioning..........28<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Auto Repair Shop: RPM Automotive ...............................................................................28<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Carpet Cleaning Company: First Coast Home Pros...................................................28<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Car Wash/Detail Service: Charles and George’s Car Wash ..................................29<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Caterer: Chef’s Garden Catering & Events....................................................................29<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Dry Cleaners: Oceanside Cleaners ....................................................................................29<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Flooring Store: The Flooring Store Jacksonville.........................................................30<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Florist: Kuhn Flowers...............................................................................................................30<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Hair Salon: Sutra Salon...........................................................................................................30<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Landscaping Company: Earth Works Landscape and Garden Center..............30<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Law Firm: Tyson and Denson, PLLC .................................................................................30<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Lawn Service: Peninsular Pest Control Service..........................................................30<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Nail Salon: Zimmiz Hair Designers, Inc............................................................................31<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Painting Service: The Painting Craftsmen....................................................................31<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pest Control: Peninsular Pest Control Service............................................................31<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pet Groomer: Fluffy Cuts.......................................................................................................31<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pet Sitting Service: Bad to the Bone Pet Care............................................................31<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pet Boarding: Pet Paradise ..................................................................................................32<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Interior Designer: C&K Design Partners........................................................................32<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Photographer: Jax Virtual Tours by David Youngblood..........................................32<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Plumber: Rolland Reash Plumbing.....................................................................................32<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pool Service and Care: Pinch A Penny.............................................................................32<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Tattoo Shop - TIE<br />

Hold the Line Tattoo.................................................................................................................32<br />

Inksmith & Rogers.....................................................................................................................32<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Wedding Planner: Coastal Coordinating........................................................................33<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Child Care Facility: Pampered Prodigy Early Learning Center.............................33<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Storage Facility: Atlantic Self Storage............................................................................33<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Transportation Service (Taxi/Car/Limo): SuperShuttle of Jacksonville.............33<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Roofer: Quality Discount Roofing.......................................................................................33<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Home Improvement/Repair Service:<br />

Mr. Handyman Serving Greater Jacksonville...................................................................34<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Mobile Device Repair Shop: 10,000 Cellphones..........................................................34<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Music School: Great Scott Music Academy..................................................................34<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Tutoring Service: Tutoring Club of Jacksonville.........................................................34<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Home Organizer: Tailored Living Featuring Premier Garage................................34<br />

Shops of Jax<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Antique Shop: Eco Relics........................................................................................................34<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Boutique: Love a Bridal Boutique.......................................................................................34<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Children’s Store: Once Upon a Child ................................................................................35<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Furniture Store: Ashley HomeStore..................................................................................35<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Garden Shop/Nursery: Earth Works Landscape and Garden Center...............35<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Grocery Store: Publix..............................................................................................................35<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Hardware Store: Ace Hardware.........................................................................................35<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Health Food Store: Grassroots Natural Market..........................................................35<br />

Most Unique Shop: Eco Relics.........................................................................................................35<br />

<strong>Best</strong> E-Cig/Vapor Store: All Day Vape........................................................................................35<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Jewelry Store: Global Diamonds........................................................................................35<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Liquor Store: Broudy's Liquors............................................................................................36<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Mall/Shopping Center: St. Johns Town Center...........................................................36<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pawn Shop: Mayport Gun and Pawn ...............................................................................36<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Gun Shop: Green Acres Sporting Goods.........................................................................36<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Gift Shop: Avondale Gift Boutique....................................................................................37<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Shoe Store: Foot Solutions....................................................................................................37<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Thrift Shop: Divine Mercy House Thrift Store.............................................................37<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Vintage Shop: Eco Relics........................................................................................................37<br />

People, Places & Faces of Jax<br />

<strong>Best</strong> TV Anchor: Tom Wills ............................................................................................................37<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Radio Personality/Host: Melissa Ross.............................................................................37<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Newspaper Reporter/Columnist: Mark Woods ..........................................................37<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Local Celebrity: Tim Tebow..................................................................................................38<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Visionary of Jacksonville: Wayne Wood.........................................................................38<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Person in Public Office: Lenny Curry................................................................................38<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Local Sports Hero: Tim Tebow............................................................................................38<br />

<strong>Bold</strong>est Person of Jacksonville’s Past: Jake Godbold ........................................................38<br />

<strong>Bold</strong>est Person of Jacksonville’s Present: J.D. Blair — Mad Men Marketing..........38<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Place to Work — Large (100+ employees): D.R. Horton.............................................38<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Place to Work — Medium (25-99 employees): Corporate Traffic Logistics......38<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Place to Work — Small (less than 25 employees): Orangetheory Fitness...........38<br />

<strong>Best</strong> New Business (as of Aug. 1, 2015): Orangetheory Fitness — Fleming Island ..38<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Private School — Primary Education: Lighthouse Christian School.................39<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Private School — Secondary Education: Lighthouse Christian School...........39


4 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

Bigger. <strong>Bold</strong>er. Better.<br />

Jacksonville loves winners … all 167 of them<br />

Bruce.Lipsky@jacksonville.com<br />

By Jacqueline Persandi<br />

jacqueline.persandi@jacksonville.com<br />

It’s official: The second annual<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> contest presented<br />

by Jacksonvlle.com was bigger and<br />

more competitive in <strong>2016</strong> with 167<br />

categories and nearly double the votes<br />

casted as compared to last year.<br />

“This year we’ve seen even more<br />

participation on the voting side, which is<br />

great,” Times-Union Media Retail Sales<br />

Manager Liz Borten said. “We also can’t<br />

wait to share the <strong>2016</strong> winners guide. It<br />

has a ton of great places, services, events<br />

and more to offer readers. We’re excited<br />

to showcase the best of the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> as<br />

voted by those who know the city best —<br />

the residents.”<br />

While fan favorites like Metro Diner<br />

and The PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC<br />

Sawgrass retained top positions, newbies<br />

such as Hobnob in Unity Plaza, and Town<br />

of Orange Park Farmer's and Arts Market,<br />

grabbed first-time victories in their<br />

respective categories.<br />

Before diving into the full list of<br />

winners, we’re taking a look at what<br />

makes this fine city so bold.<br />

Jacksonville is a city on the upswing.<br />

The area is continually expanding<br />

with new suburban neighborhoods<br />

and the development of downtown<br />

and surrounding areas. What makes<br />

the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> so unique is that while it<br />

holds the title as the largest city by land<br />

mass, measuring at 747 square miles, it<br />

preserves the charm of a small town.<br />

Family-owned restaurants featuring<br />

handcrafted menus and local dance<br />

studios add to Jacksonville’s sense of<br />

community. While you won’t have to go<br />

far to find a small business that’s willing<br />

to take care of you, our town also provides<br />

all the conveniences of a big city.<br />

Exciting events like NFL games at<br />

EverBank Field, and <strong>2016</strong> winners Town<br />

of Orange Park Kids Fest, and the St.<br />

Augustine Celtic Music and Heritage<br />

Festival give residents a reason to get<br />

out and enjoy our fine region on the<br />

weekend.<br />

This guide serves as your go-to<br />

directory for all the best Jacksonville<br />

has to offer voted by locals for locals and<br />

visitors alike. Each section offers insight<br />

into your neighbors’ favorite things to<br />

do and places to be in our <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>,<br />

including auto services, cuisine and<br />

cocktails; homes and finance; health<br />

and well-being; home and professional<br />

services; and shopping.<br />

In this guide, you’ll also hear from<br />

some of the boldest voices in town, and<br />

get to know the couple behind one of the<br />

San Marco’s favorite Italian restaurants.<br />

With so much to enjoy in Jacksonville,<br />

we’re excited to share your second annual<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> winners!


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 5<br />

Winners . . .<br />

Listings for the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Winners Guide were provided by category winners. Those that did not submit a listing were compiled by information from winner’s website by Times-Union Media.


6 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> Voices<br />

Get to know two-time <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> winners Melissa Ross and Mark Woods<br />

The <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> has spoken … again. For the second year in a row, Melissa Ross and<br />

Mark Woods won <strong>Best</strong> Radio Personality/Host and <strong>Best</strong> Newspaper Reporter/<br />

Columnist, respectively.<br />

Times-Union Specialty Publications writer Jacqueline Persandi learned a little more<br />

about these media personalities and what it means to them to be part of this bold<br />

community.<br />

MELISSA ROSS<br />

Melissa Ross is the<br />

host of WJCT's First<br />

Coast Connect,<br />

a one-hour radio<br />

call-in program<br />

featuring local<br />

newsmakers, civic<br />

and community<br />

leaders, arts,<br />

activities and more,<br />

along with spot<br />

news features and a<br />

weekly roundtable of local journalists.<br />

Connect with Ross on Twitter:<br />

@MelissainJax.<br />

You won for the second year in a row,<br />

congrats! How does it feel?<br />

It’s very exciting and very gratifying.<br />

The Times-Union has a big audience<br />

and it’s exciting to be chosen by your<br />

readers.<br />

Why do you think you connect with the<br />

Jacksonville audience so well?<br />

I think it’s because we really strive<br />

to provide an engaging but civil<br />

platform for a whole range of issues<br />

and personalities — a real community<br />

water cooler.<br />

That was WJCT’s intention when<br />

they launched this program, and it’s<br />

one that I’ve tried to execute. It’s really<br />

gratifying to see that the community<br />

has embraced it so strongly.<br />

If you weren’t a radio personality, what<br />

would you be doing?<br />

I worked in commercial TV for many<br />

years, and then left the business and<br />

was working in public relations. I guess<br />

if I hadn’t [picked up] a flier on hosting<br />

this talk show, I’d still be doing [public<br />

relations].<br />

Clearly your show resonates with<br />

listeners. Where do you get your<br />

inspiration?<br />

It’s sort of a mix between people and<br />

organizations that are pitching us and<br />

ideas we come up with ourselves. We<br />

get pitched a lot of stuff every single<br />

day. We sift through that and decide<br />

what’s most compelling. At the same<br />

time, there are issues we’re following<br />

really closely and we seek out guests<br />

that can speak about them. It’s sort of<br />

50/50 between those two buckets.<br />

What’s your favorite topic of <strong>2016</strong>?<br />

Obviously, the elections; you can<br />

never go wrong. There’s an unlimited<br />

appetite about that.<br />

What topic has generated the most<br />

response from listeners this year?<br />

This year, I would say anything<br />

political. At the national level, the<br />

presidential election. At the local level,<br />

the debates over the mayor’s pension<br />

proposal and the local races.<br />

What device can you not live without?<br />

Without a shadow of a doubt, my<br />

Samsung Galaxy Edge.<br />

What’s your favorite thing about living in<br />

the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>?<br />

There’s a real sense of community<br />

here. I’ve really been witness to that up<br />

close doing this job for the last seven<br />

years. There are a lot of people and a lot<br />

of groups working hard to make this a<br />

better place.<br />

What do you want to say to the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />

<strong>Best</strong> voters?<br />

Thank you so much for listening<br />

and supporting this program. It’s very<br />

much appreciated.<br />

MARK WOODS<br />

Mark Woods<br />

has been the<br />

Metro columnist<br />

for the Florida<br />

Times-Union and<br />

Jacksonville.com<br />

since 2003. He is<br />

also the author of<br />

Lassoing the Sun:<br />

A Year in America's<br />

National Parks.<br />

Connect with<br />

Woods on Twitter: @TUmarkwoods.<br />

You won for the second year in a row,<br />

congrats! How does it feel?<br />

It’s humbling. It’s nice anytime you<br />

get acknowledgement from inside<br />

the building from my peers and from<br />

readers; it’s always special.<br />

Why do you think you connect with your<br />

audience so well?<br />

Early on I hesitated to write<br />

personal stuff, but I’ve done that more<br />

and I think people can relate. A lot<br />

of news stories are straightforward.<br />

With me, they’re getting a personal<br />

experience.<br />

Your book, Lassoing the Sun: A Year<br />

in America's National Parks, came out<br />

this year. So I have to ask, what’s your<br />

favorite national park?<br />

It’s really hard to pick one. I go to<br />

two for two different reasons. Redwood<br />

National Park in California partly<br />

because it was one of the first national<br />

parks I went to. The other one I usually<br />

say is the Grand Canyon because it<br />

feels like I’m perpetually trying to get<br />

back there.<br />

Where do you get inspiration for your<br />

column?<br />

I start by reading the paper and<br />

finding tidbits that I find interesting<br />

that seem like they would make a good<br />

column. I also get a lot of ideas from<br />

readers.<br />

Is there one topic that generated the<br />

most interest in <strong>2016</strong>?<br />

I’ve been doing this series about<br />

walking across Jacksonville. I wasn’t<br />

sure how people were going to respond<br />

to that, but I’ve received more response<br />

to that than just about anything I’ve<br />

done. People keep asking when [I’m’]<br />

finished going north to south will [I] do<br />

east to west.<br />

So, will you?<br />

I don’t know, maybe. Although I<br />

think I would plan it slightly differently<br />

and not do it in the middle of summer<br />

(laughing).<br />

What would you title your<br />

autobiography?<br />

My Type, Mark My Words or<br />

Cheesehead in Paradise [because] I<br />

grew up in Wisconsin and ended up<br />

calling Florida home.<br />

What is your desert island book (the one<br />

book you would take if stranded on a<br />

desert island)?<br />

Adrift: [76 Days Lost At Sea by<br />

Steven Callahan] because it’s a great<br />

adventure book about being stranded<br />

at sea.<br />

If you weren’t a writer, what would you<br />

be doing?<br />

Playing baseball for the Detroit<br />

Tigers (laughing). No, when I was a kid,<br />

that’s what it would have been. From<br />

the year in the national parks, I kind of<br />

half-joked that when I grow up, I want<br />

to be a park ranger. There is a partseriousness<br />

to that. If I weren’t writing,<br />

probably something outdoors like that<br />

— a park ranger or a river guide.<br />

What’s your favorite thing about living in<br />

the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>?<br />

It has a strong sense of community<br />

and I like the outdoor aspect<br />

here. We’re not all tropical like<br />

South Florida. We have this mix of<br />

topography — it’s a little bit north and<br />

south.<br />

What do you want to say to the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />

<strong>Best</strong> voters?<br />

Thanks for voting for me. Thanks for<br />

reading the paper. I don’t take that for<br />

granted that they read the paper or that<br />

they read what I write.<br />

Jacqueline Persandi<br />

jacqueline.persandi@jacksonville.com


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 7<br />

Auto & More<br />

<strong>Best</strong> New Car Dealership<br />

Tom Bush Family of Dealerships<br />

9850 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville 32225<br />

6914 Blanding Blvd., Jacksonville 32244<br />

(904) 725-0911, (904) 777-2500<br />

tombush.com<br />

The Tom Bush Family has been<br />

operating in the automotive business<br />

for nearly a century. The late Tom<br />

Bush Jr. first<br />

arrived in<br />

Jacksonville<br />

and opened<br />

the family's<br />

first<br />

Volkswagen<br />

dealership in 1970. Tom Bush Family<br />

of Dealerships has grown to offer<br />

Volkswagen, Mazda, BMW, MINI,<br />

Certified Pre-Owned vehicles, used<br />

cars and a Certified Collision Center.<br />

Thank you for voting Tom Bush Family<br />

of Dealerships the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>'s <strong>Best</strong> New<br />

Car Dealership two years in a row!<br />

Photo provided by Tom Bush Family of Dealerships<br />

The Tom Bush Family of Dealerships wins <strong>Best</strong> New Car Dealership and <strong>Best</strong> Used<br />

Car Dealership for the second year in a row in the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> contest.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Used Car Dealership<br />

Tom Bush Family of Dealerships<br />

9850 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville 32225<br />

6914 Blanding Blvd., Jacksonville 32244<br />

(904) 725-0911, (904) 777-2500<br />

tombush.com<br />

The Tom Bush Family has been<br />

operating in the automotive business<br />

for nearly a century. The late Tom Bush<br />

Jr. first arrived in Jacksonville and<br />

opened the family's first Volkswagen<br />

dealership in 1970. Tom Bush Family<br />

of Dealerships has grown to offer<br />

Volkswagen, Mazda, BMW, MINI,<br />

Certified Pre-Owned vehicles, used<br />

cars and a Certified Collision Center.<br />

Thank you for voting Tom Bush Family<br />

of Dealerships the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>'s <strong>Best</strong><br />

Used Car Dealership two years in a<br />

row!


8 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

Photo provided by North Florida Yacht Sales<br />

North Florida Yacht Sales gives Jacksonville a selection of the industry’s top boat<br />

brands, including Monterey, NauticStar, Pioneer and Sea Hunt boats.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Boat Dealership<br />

North Florida Yacht Sales<br />

8940 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville 32257<br />

(904) 733-7502<br />

northfloridayachtsales.com<br />

North Florida Yacht Sales wants<br />

to thank Jacksonville for voting the<br />

family-owned business as your favorite<br />

boat dealership. North Florida Yacht<br />

Sales strives to bring you the industry’s<br />

top boat brands including Monterey,<br />

NauticStar, Pioneer and its newest<br />

addition Sea Hunt boats, all at the most<br />

competitive prices. The staff treats<br />

customers the way they would want to<br />

be treated, with a friendly smile and<br />

respect. North Florida Yacht Sales has<br />

served Jacksonville’s boating needs<br />

for more than 22 years, recognizing<br />

that you could spend your recreational<br />

dollars in many other places. The<br />

company’s goal is to give you the best<br />

experience on the water with your<br />

family and friends.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> RV Dealership<br />

Travelcamp RV Sales, Service,<br />

Parts & More<br />

3332 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville 32216<br />

(888) 902-7353<br />

travelcamp.com<br />

Travelcamp offers the highest level<br />

of service for all of your RV related<br />

needs. If you own an RV and are in<br />

need of RV related services, are looking<br />

to buy an RV, or even interested<br />

in selling your RV, Travelcamp is<br />

your one-stop shop. Travelcamp<br />

representatives enjoy the RV lifestyle<br />

first hand, and are more than<br />

passionate about providing the highest<br />

level of customer service possible.<br />

When you go to Travelcamp, you can<br />

expect professional, fast and sincere<br />

service to assure your expectations are<br />

surpassed!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Water Sports Store/<br />

Rentals<br />

Beach Boulevard Motorsports<br />

10315 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville 32246<br />

(904) 641-0066<br />

beachblvdmotorsports.com<br />

Beach Boulevard Motorsports is the<br />

First Coast’s home for watersports!<br />

Offering a huge inventory of Nautique,<br />

Ranger Boats and TideWater Boats,<br />

and the best selection of Yamaha<br />

Watercraft, Beach Blvd Motorsports’<br />

friendly and knowledgeable staff is<br />

dedicated to providing customers<br />

the best experience and complete<br />

satisfaction. With more than 120 years<br />

of combined experience, their service<br />

team can service any make or model as<br />

well as customize your watercraft to fit<br />

your style.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Motorcycle Dealership<br />

Adamec Harley-Davidson<br />

Multiple locations<br />

adamecharley.com<br />

Adamec<br />

Harley-<br />

Davidson is<br />

an American<br />

legend and<br />

has been<br />

a family<br />

tradition<br />

run by<br />

three generations since 1931. Adamec<br />

Harley-Davidson has four locations in<br />

Northeast Florida.<br />

Things to Do<br />

& Places to Be<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Art Gallery<br />

Through The Lens of Lee-Margaret<br />

4224 Herschel St., Jacksonville 32210<br />

(904) 387-8710<br />

throughthelensoflee-margaret.com<br />

Through The Lens of Lee-Margaret<br />

has limited addition photos that are<br />

numbered and signed, and made<br />

with acid free and archived materials.<br />

Photos are frame ready with custom<br />

matting and framing available.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Concert/Event of <strong>2016</strong><br />

St. Augustine Celtic Music &<br />

Heritage Festival<br />

St. Augustine, 32084<br />

celticstaugustine.com<br />

Arguably the finest collaboration of<br />

Celtic artists in the United States, the<br />

St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage<br />

Festival is returning to America’s<br />

Oldest Celtic <strong>City</strong> March 10-12, 2017.


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 9<br />

Photo provided by Town of Orange Park Farmer's & Arts Market<br />

The Town of Orange Park Farmer's & Arts Market is held on the first Sunday of<br />

each month under the trees of Town Hall Park in the heart of Orange Park.<br />

Terry.Dickson@jacksonville.com<br />

The PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach wins <strong>Best</strong><br />

Golf Course in the <strong>2016</strong> <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> contest.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Farmers Market<br />

Town of Orange Park Farmer's &<br />

Arts Market<br />

2042 Park Ave., Orange Park 32073<br />

opmarket.weebly.com<br />

The Town of Orange Park Farmer's<br />

& Arts Market wants to thank you for<br />

voting them as the best in Northeast<br />

Florida! The market is held on the<br />

first Sunday of each month under<br />

the trees of Town Hall Park in the<br />

heart of Orange Park. The market<br />

features fresh produce from local<br />

farmers, crafts from local artists, food<br />

trucks, live entertainment and more!<br />

Visit opmarket.weebly.com for more<br />

information.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Golf Course<br />

The PLAYERS Stadium Course at<br />

TPC Sawgrass<br />

110 Championship Way<br />

Ponte Vedra Beach 32082<br />

(904) 273-3235<br />

tpc.com/sawgrass<br />

The best golf course and best 18<br />

holes you will play in North Florida can<br />

be found at THE PLAYERS Stadium<br />

Course at TPC Sawgrass — Home of<br />

THE PLAYERS in Ponte Vedra Beach.<br />

With its iconic 17th island green, it<br />

is perhaps the world’s most famous<br />

golf course. Scheduled to reopen<br />

November 15, the TPC Sawgrass course<br />

will be more beautiful, challenging<br />

and memory-making than before.<br />

Sawgrass invites you to come play<br />

where the PGA TOUR Players call<br />

home.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Kid's Entertainment<br />

Town of Orange Park Kids Fest<br />

2042 Park Ave., Orange Park 32073<br />

opkidsfest.com<br />

Thank you for voting Kids Fest <strong>Bold</strong><br />

<strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Kid’s Entertainment for the<br />

second year in a row! Join Town of<br />

Orange Park in early June 2017 for this<br />

two-day event filled with creative and<br />

interactive activities, storytelling,<br />

hands-on booths, educational<br />

displays, cultural experiences, arts<br />

and crafts, costumed characters and<br />

more! More information can be found<br />

at opkidsfest.com.


10 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Live Music Venue<br />

Florida Theatre Performing Arts<br />

Center<br />

128 East Forsyth St., Jacksonville 32205<br />

(904) 355-5661<br />

floridatheatre.com<br />

Thank you for voting and awarding<br />

the Florida Theatre as the <strong>Bold</strong><br />

<strong>City</strong>’s <strong>Best</strong> Live Music Venue in <strong>2016</strong>!<br />

Entertaining Jacksonville audiences<br />

since 1927, Florida Theatre annually<br />

offers more than 200 cultural events<br />

for every taste and age. In 2015, Pollstar<br />

Magazine ranked the theatre No. 50<br />

for sold tickets in the world. In 2017,<br />

the Florida Theatre celebrates its 90th<br />

anniversary.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Live Theater<br />

Alhambra Theatre & Dining<br />

12000 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville 32246<br />

(904) 641-1212<br />

alhambrajax.com<br />

Alhambra Theatre & Dining wants<br />

to thank the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> for voting them<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Live Theater. As the Alhambra<br />

prepares to celebrate its 50th season,<br />

they invite all those who have never<br />

been, or haven’t been in a while, to see<br />

what the excitement is about. With a<br />

complete renovation inside and out,<br />

the Alhambra offers Broadway quality<br />

shows and one of the best dining<br />

experiences in town. With a new menu<br />

for every show, you’ve got two great<br />

reasons to visit the Alhambra again<br />

and again. Whether it’s date night,<br />

celebrating one of life’s milestones, or<br />

just a night on the town with family<br />

and friends, the Alhambra looks<br />

forward to making your experience<br />

unique and special. Experience the<br />

Alhambra like you haven’t seen, heard<br />

or tasted before.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Local Charity Event<br />

Jacksonville Dragon Boat<br />

& Paddlefest<br />

jacksonvilledragonboatfestival.com<br />

The Fourth Annual Fidelity<br />

Investments Jacksonville Dragon<br />

Boat & Paddlefest will takes place<br />

at Metropolitan Park Marina on<br />

September 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In<br />

addition to the dragon boat races, all


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 11<br />

ages are invited to participate in stand<br />

up paddle (SUP) activities, including<br />

SUP races, demos and "paddling<br />

with your dog." Admission is free to<br />

the public. The event includes food<br />

trucks, entertainment and family<br />

fun activities for everyone! Visit<br />

jacksonvilledragonboatfestival.com for<br />

more information.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Marina<br />

The Marina at Ortega Landing<br />

4234 Lakeside Drive, Jacksonville 32210<br />

(904) 387-5538<br />

ortegalanding.com<br />

The Marina at Ortega Landing is a<br />

world-class facility that was designed,<br />

engineered and constructed with<br />

the finest materials<br />

and professionals<br />

available throughout<br />

the world. The result<br />

is the finest facility not<br />

only in Jacksonville,<br />

but throughout the<br />

region. Their guests<br />

are invited to be a part of the marina’s<br />

boating community, which includes<br />

yachting on the St. Johns River and<br />

Eastern Seaboard, as well as joining<br />

in on social events, relaxing by their<br />

pool, enjoying world-class amenities<br />

and mingling with those who share a<br />

passion for boating.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Movie Theater<br />

AMC Regency 24<br />

9451 Regency Square Blvd., Jacksonville 32225<br />

(904) 725-0885<br />

amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/jacksonville/<br />

amc-regency-24<br />

Thank you for choosing AMC<br />

Regency 24 as the <strong>Best</strong> Movie Theatre.<br />

AMC Regency 24 looks forward to<br />

continuing to serve guests with AMC<br />

amazing service.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Summer Camp<br />

Gracie Barra of Jacksonville -<br />

KidsCampJax.com<br />

8570 Philips Highway, Suite 113<br />

Jacksonville 32256<br />

(904) 716-8600<br />

gbjacksonville.com<br />

Gracie Barra of Jacksonville wants<br />

to thank the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> for voting them<br />

as <strong>Best</strong> Summer Camp! Please visit<br />

gbjacksonville.com for information<br />

about back to school fitness programs.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Flea Market<br />

Ramona Flea Market<br />

7059 Ramona Blvd., Jacksonville 32205<br />

(904) 786-3532<br />

Ramona Flea Market has great<br />

deals on a variety of items including<br />

antiques, electronics, clothing,<br />

furniture and more. Plus, enjoy<br />

karaoke, face painting, food and<br />

drinks. The market is open Saturday<br />

and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Trivia Night - TIE<br />

Dick's Wings & Grill<br />

Multiple locations<br />

dickswingsandgrill.com<br />

Dick’s Wings & Grill has served<br />

Jacksonville for 20 years at 20 locations<br />

with more than 365 flavors. Dick’s<br />

Wings was voted 2015 and <strong>2016</strong> <strong>Bold</strong><br />

<strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Wings, and voted <strong>Best</strong> Wings<br />

12 years running in Folio Weekly.<br />

Mellow Mushroom<br />

Multiple locations<br />

mellowmushroom.com<br />

Mellow Mushroom is more than<br />

pizza and beer. The restaurant offers<br />

catering, delivery, gluten-free pizza<br />

and vegan options. Mellow uses<br />

spring water dough, fresh toppings<br />

and the highest quality cheese on the<br />

market. With art, music and Wi-Fi,<br />

Mellow Mushroom is a great place to<br />

enjoy a meal.<br />

Cuisine & Cocktails<br />

<strong>Best</strong> All You Can Eat<br />

Metro Diner<br />

Multiple Locations<br />

metrodiner.com<br />

At Metro Diner, our portions are big<br />

and our goal will always be that you will<br />

go home full and happy. A to-go box is<br />

OK if you can’t finish your meal in one<br />

sitting … we understand.


12 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

<strong>Best</strong> American Restaurant<br />

Jaxon Social<br />

1161 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach 32250<br />

(904) 595-5660<br />

jaxonsocial.com<br />

“Eat. Drink. Be Social.”<br />

Jaxon Social’s menu features<br />

globally-inspired, all-American dishes<br />

and house-infused cocktails. The<br />

restaurant’s Sunday brunch is a “must<br />

do” in Jacksonville Beach.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Bang for the Buck<br />

Restaurant<br />

Metro Diner<br />

Multiple Locations<br />

metrodiner.com<br />

We’ve been serving folks for 25 years,<br />

so value for your hard-earned dollar is<br />

something we respect and appreciate.<br />

We cook with heart to give your meal<br />

meaning and value.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Family Restaurant<br />

Metro Diner<br />

Photo provided by Lemon Bar<br />

Lemon Bar serves guests great food and cocktails with an oceanfront view in<br />

Neptune Beach.<br />

Multiple Locations<br />

metrodiner.com<br />

Because Metro Diner started as a<br />

family owned restaurant, we know all<br />

about how to make families big and<br />

small happy with our own brand of<br />

comfort food. We call it “comfort food<br />

with a flair!”<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Farm to Table/Locally<br />

Supplied Restaurant<br />

Kitchen on San Marco<br />

1402 San Marco Blvd., Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) 396-2344<br />

kitchenonsanmarco.com<br />

Kitchen on San Marco is a gastropub<br />

that focuses on fresh, locally-sourced<br />

and regional cuisine. Imaginative,<br />

upscale cooking techniques are<br />

combined with a casual dining<br />

experience. A wide selection of craft<br />

beers, carefully curated specialty<br />

cocktails, and a friendly wine list can<br />

be paired with bar snacks and larger<br />

main dishes.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Romantic Restaurant<br />

Restaurant Orsay<br />

3630 Park St., Jacksonville 32205<br />

(904) 381-0909<br />

restaurantorsay.com<br />

Wow! Thank you Jacksonville<br />

for naming Orsay <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>’s <strong>Best</strong><br />

Special Occasion and <strong>Best</strong> Romantic<br />

Restaurant for <strong>2016</strong>. Orsay strives each


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 13<br />

day to provide to you a memorable<br />

experience whether it be your<br />

anniversary, birthday or “just any”<br />

day. We are honored to be a part of<br />

our city’s growing restaurant culture.<br />

We appreciate your support and<br />

patronage, and will continue our work<br />

to say thanks.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Outdoor Dining<br />

Taverna<br />

1986 San Marco Blvd., Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) 398-3005<br />

taverna.restaurant<br />

Taverna is a locally owned and<br />

operated restaurant established in the<br />

fall of 2009. Located in Jacksonville’s<br />

historic San Marco neighborhood,<br />

this rustic, yet sophisticated dining<br />

destination draws inspiration from<br />

the simplicity and warmth of rustic<br />

Italian kitchens. Husband and wife<br />

team Sam and Kiley Efron specialize<br />

in handcrafted Italian cuisine. In<br />

addition to lunch, dinner and craft<br />

cocktails, Taverna is home to a Wine<br />

Spectator Award winning wine list,<br />

private dining and catering. The<br />

restaurant offers boxed lunches<br />

available for pick-up or delivery. See<br />

taverna.restaurant for details.<br />

<strong>Best</strong>-kept Secret Restaurant<br />

Jaxon Social<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Special Occasion<br />

Restaurant<br />

Restaurant Orsay<br />

3630 Park St., Jacksonville 32205<br />

(904) 381-0909<br />

restaurantorsay.com<br />

Wow! Thank you Jacksonville<br />

for naming Orsay <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>’s <strong>Best</strong><br />

Special Occasion and <strong>Best</strong> Romantic<br />

Restaurant for <strong>2016</strong>. Orsay strives each<br />

day to provide to you a memorable<br />

experience whether it be your<br />

anniversary, birthday or “just any”<br />

day. We are honored to be a part of<br />

our city’s growing restaurant culture.<br />

We appreciate your support and<br />

patronage, and will continue our work<br />

to say thanks.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Bar/Pub<br />

World Famous Lemon Bar<br />

120 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach 32266<br />

(904) 372-0487<br />

lemonbarjax.com<br />

Lemon Bar wants to thank<br />

Jacksonville for voting it No. 1 Bar in<br />

the city. For the past 15 years, Lemon<br />

Bar has been honored to serve its<br />

guests great food and cocktails on<br />

the oceanfront. Next time you are in<br />

Neptune Beach, stop by and say hello.<br />

You will be glad you did!<br />

Multiple locations<br />

(904) 398-4326<br />

themudvillegrill.com<br />

Mudville has been serving the<br />

Jacksonville area going on 23 years<br />

now. Mudville has been voted <strong>Bold</strong><br />

<strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Sports Bar in 2015 and <strong>2016</strong>.<br />

Please visit themudvillegrill.com to<br />

take a look at the menu!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Beer Selection<br />

Brewz The Filling Station<br />

1011 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach 32233<br />

(904) 372-9297<br />

brewz.beer<br />

Brewz would like to thank all those<br />

who voted the craft beer growler<br />

store as <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Beer Selection.<br />

Brewz’s mission is to offer the best<br />

variety of ice-cold craft keg beer to take<br />

home in a growler in Jacksonville.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Margarita<br />

La Napolera<br />

Multiple locations<br />

La Napolera serves quality,<br />

authentic Mexican food that’s<br />

guaranteed to be the best in the area.<br />

Come and taste the best of what<br />

Mexico has to offer.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Martini<br />

Ocean 60<br />

60 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach 32233<br />

(904) 247-0060<br />

ocean60.com<br />

Ocean 60 would like to say thank<br />

you to all of those who voted for the<br />

restaurant as <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Martini.<br />

Established in 2001, Ocean 60 is<br />

celebrating 15 years of serving the<br />

quaint Atlantic Beach community.<br />

Visit the location for anniversary<br />

specials.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Wine List<br />

Taverna<br />

1986 San Marco Blvd., Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) 398-3005<br />

taverna.restaurant<br />

Taverna is a locally owned and<br />

operated restaurant established in the<br />

1161 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach 32250<br />

(904) 595-5660<br />

jaxonsocial.com<br />

“Eat. Drink. Be Social.”<br />

Jaxon Social’s menu features<br />

globally-inspired, all-American dishes<br />

and house-infused cocktails. The<br />

restaurant’s Sunday brunch is a “must<br />

do” in Jacksonville Beach. At this rate,<br />

they won’t stay Jacksonville’s <strong>Best</strong>-kept<br />

Secret much longer!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Happy Hour<br />

Blue Fish Oyster Bar & Restaurant<br />

3551 St. Johns Ave., Jacksonville 32205<br />

(904) 387-0700<br />

bluefishjax.com<br />

Blue Fish Oyster Bar & Restaurant<br />

is a bustling American eatery that<br />

draws a crowd with seafood, a raw bar<br />

and happy hour specials in an upscale<br />

setting.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Southern Cuisine<br />

The Potter’s House<br />

Soul Food Bistro<br />

Multiple locations<br />

thesoulfoodbistro.com<br />

Opened in 1998 by The Potter’s<br />

House Christian Fellowship, the<br />

original Westside location of 600 sq. ft.<br />

has grown to a 5, 800 sq. ft. location in<br />

Kingdom Plaza. A second location off<br />

Kernan and Atlantic Boulevard was<br />

opened in 2013, and provides the best in<br />

Southern cooking in a pleasant, family<br />

atmosphere.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Local Brewery<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> Brewery<br />

2670-7 Rosselle St., 32204<br />

(904) 379-6551<br />

boldcitybrewery.com<br />

Thank you Jacksonville! <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />

Brewery loves you. You deserve the<br />

credit for making us the best that we<br />

can be … one of <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>'s <strong>Best</strong>!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Sports Bar<br />

The Mudville Grille


14 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

Will.Dickey@jacksonville.com<br />

In 2015, Metro Diner created the "<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> Burger" to celebrate seven wins<br />

in the inaugural <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> contest, including <strong>Best</strong> Burger. This year, the<br />

restaurant took home eight awards, again earning the title of <strong>Best</strong> Burger.<br />

fall of 2009. Located in Jacksonville’s<br />

historic San Marco neighborhood,<br />

this rustic, yet sophisticated dining<br />

destination draws inspiration from<br />

the simplicity and warmth of rustic<br />

Italian kitchens. Husband and wife<br />

team Sam and Kiley Efron specialize<br />

in handcrafted Italian cuisine. In<br />

addition to lunch, dinner and craft<br />

cocktails, Taverna is home to a Wine<br />

Spectator Award winning wine list,<br />

private dining and catering. The<br />

restaurant offers boxed lunches<br />

available for pick-up or delivery. See<br />

taverna.restaurant for details.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Barbecue<br />

Jenkins Quality Barbecue<br />

Multiple locations<br />

jenkinsqualitybarbecue.com<br />

Jenkins Quality Barbecue would<br />

like to thank everyone who voted<br />

for the restaurant in the <strong>Bold</strong><br />

<strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> contest. Jenkins Quality<br />

Barbecue is a family business<br />

serving Jacksonville since 1957! Visit<br />

jenkinsqualitybarbecue.com for<br />

locations and more information.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Burger<br />

Metro Diner<br />

Multiple Locations<br />

metrodiner.com<br />

Thanks for voting our burgers the<br />

best for a second year in a row. The<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> Burger continues to be a<br />

fan favorite — it’s got everything and<br />

tastes amazing. Try for yourself the<br />

next time you visit.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Burrito<br />

Burrito Gallery<br />

Multiple locations<br />

burritogallery.com<br />

Burrito Gallery is JAXMEX; a<br />

delicious and unique restaurant.<br />

Burrito Gallery’s menu includes<br />

burritos, tacos, quesadillas and fresh<br />

salads. All food is prepared fresh daily.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Crab Cakes<br />

Barbara Jean’s Restaurant<br />

Multiple locations<br />

barbarajeans.com<br />

The owners and staff at Barbara<br />

Jean’s Restaurant thank the wonderful<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> voters for the <strong>Best</strong> Crab<br />

Cake award. We feel honored and hope<br />

to see each and every one of you at<br />

Barbara Jean’s, where you can order an<br />

award-winning crab cake.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pancakes<br />

Metro Diner<br />

Multiple Locations<br />

metrodiner.com<br />

Metro Diner was voted <strong>Best</strong> Pancakes<br />

for the second year in a row. Customers<br />

love the fresh and fluffy pancakes<br />

topped with anything from fresh fruit to<br />

powdered sugar, or both. Have them for<br />

breakfast, lunch or dinner.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pizza<br />

Gusto<br />

1266 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach 32250<br />

(904) 372-9925<br />

gustojax.com<br />

Gusto is your taste of classic Rome<br />

in Jacksonville. Authentic old-world<br />

Roman dishes prepared by skilled<br />

Italian chefs guarantees a delicious<br />

experience you won’t soon forget.<br />

Open daily with a carefully stocked<br />

bar and open-viewing pizza kitchen<br />

where the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> gourmet<br />

pizza is made! Stop in to enjoy<br />

handmade desserts; a full dinner<br />

menu cultivated over generations<br />

by Gusto’s Italian family; and the<br />

restaurant’s new Sunday brunch.<br />

Come. Eat. Enjoy!<br />

Photo provided by Burrito Gallery<br />

While Burrito Gallery may have won <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Burrito, the menu doesn’t<br />

stop there. It has a variety of JAXMEX options including tacos, quesadillas and<br />

fresh salads as well.


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 15<br />

Photo provided by Trasca & Co Eatery<br />

Trasca & Co Eatery has a wide selection of salads, including its Greek, Bleu<br />

Cheese Blues, Chef’s, Caesar and Signature Trasca Salad.<br />

Photo provided by The Happy Grilled Cheese<br />

Prepared fresh daily, customers can find everything from standard grilled cheese<br />

to extraordinarily unique sandwiches at The Happy Grilled Cheese Food Truck.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Salads<br />

Trasca & Co Eatery<br />

155 Tourside Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach 32082<br />

(904) 395-3989<br />

trascaandco.com<br />

Trasca & Co Eatery is a one-of-akind<br />

vintage neighborhood eatery,<br />

specializing in hand-crafted Italianinspired<br />

sandwiches, hand-tossed<br />

salads, craft beer and craft coffee!<br />

Trasca & Co Eatery sources only the<br />

best possible ingredients — from<br />

crisp romaine, to fresh Romano<br />

cheese, and house-made croutons<br />

(made with French Panty Bread).<br />

Between the Greek, Bleu Cheese<br />

Blues, Chef’s, Caesar and Signature<br />

Trasca Salad, their hand-tossed<br />

salads have become a local favorite in<br />

the Beaches area.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Wings<br />

Dick’s Wings & Grill<br />

Multiple locations<br />

dickswingsandgrill.com<br />

Dick’s Wings & Grill has served<br />

Jacksonville for 20 years at 20 locations<br />

with more than 365 flavors. Dick’s<br />

Wings was voted 2015 and <strong>2016</strong> <strong>Bold</strong><br />

<strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Wings, and voted <strong>Best</strong> Wings<br />

12 years running in Folio Weekly.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Breakfast<br />

Metro Diner<br />

Multiple Locations<br />

metrodiner.com<br />

Because breakfast is good any time<br />

of the day, we know our big homemade<br />

breakfasts are one of the reasons we<br />

have so many fans from around the<br />

country. Yo Hala, Chicken and Waffles,<br />

Breakfast Pie — Oh My! and The Bissell<br />

Breakfast are among the favorites.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Brunch<br />

Metro Diner<br />

Multiple Locations<br />

metrodiner.com<br />

We love being voted Jacksonville’s<br />

favorite Brunch spot for the second<br />

year in a row. At Metro Diner, pick your<br />

favorite menu item or Chalkboard Daily<br />

Special, relax and enjoy. It’s “Where the<br />

Locals Eat Brunch!”<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Coffee Shop<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> Bean Coffee Roasters<br />

Multiple locations<br />

boldbeancoffee.com<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> Bean Coffee Roasters serves<br />

selectively-sourced, farmer-direct,<br />

small-batch roasted specialty coffees.<br />

At <strong>Bold</strong> Bean, it’s about the process.<br />

Coffee shops are located in Riverside,<br />

Jacksonville Beach and Murray Hill.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Dessert<br />

Biscottis Restaurant + Catering +<br />

Bar<br />

3556 St. Johns Ave., Jacksonville 32205<br />

(904) 387-2060<br />

biscottis.net<br />

Biscottis offers casual comfort,<br />

innovative cuisine including salads,<br />

house-made pizzas, pastas and nightly<br />

specials, as well as a fabulous Saturday<br />

and Sunday brunch. Along with the<br />

best desserts in Jacksonville, made by<br />

their very own "b the bakery," Biscottis<br />

will soon serve your favorite handcrafted<br />

cocktails.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Food Truck<br />

The Happy Grilled Cheese<br />

Follow @HappyGrilledChs on Twitter &<br />

Facebook for location updates<br />

thehappygrilledchees.wix.com/grilledcheese<br />

The Happy Grilled Cheese Food<br />

Truck is Jacksonville's most original<br />

food truck, from the hand-painted<br />

artwork to the fun and ever-changing<br />

menu. The Happy Grilled Cheese<br />

would like to thank readers for voting<br />

them No. 1 for two years in a row,<br />

and reminds Jacksonville to, “Take it<br />

cheesy till next time!”<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Healthy Eating<br />

Native Sun Natural Foods Market<br />

Multiple locations<br />

(904) 260-2791<br />

nativesunjax.com<br />

Native Sun loves its customers and<br />

can't thank them enough for voting<br />

the natural foods market <strong>Best</strong> Healthy<br />

Eating in Jax! Native Sun loves creating<br />

nutritious foods that make healthy<br />

living as simple and delicious as<br />

possible.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Bakery<br />

Knead: A Bakeshop<br />

boldbeancoffee.com<br />

Knead: A Bakeshop creates classic<br />

pastries, pies, rustic breads and craft<br />

sandwiches with Southern flare. It<br />

is part of the <strong>Bold</strong> Bean family of<br />

extraordinary food and beverages.<br />

Baked goods can be found at all <strong>Bold</strong><br />

Bean Coffee locations.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Deli<br />

Pinegrove Market & Deli<br />

1511 Pinegrove Ave., Jacksonville 32205<br />

(904) 359-4238<br />

pinegrovemarket.com<br />

Pinegrove Market and Deli has<br />

been a neighborhood icon in Riverside<br />

for more than 60 years. Family owned<br />

and operated, Pinegrove is a deli and<br />

butcher shop with old-world charm.<br />

People love coming to Pinegrove<br />

for their handcrafted sandwiches,<br />

soups and amazing hand-ground<br />

burgers. Try Pinegrove and you will<br />

understand why they are awardwinning<br />

year after year.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Sushi<br />

Kazu Japanese Restaurant<br />

9965 San Jose Blvd., Suite 35, Jacksonville<br />

32257<br />

(904) 683-9903<br />

kazujapaneserestaurant.com<br />

It is an incredible honor that our<br />

customers have voted Kazu one of


16 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>'s <strong>Best</strong>! Thank you for your<br />

loyalty and support! Our goal when<br />

we opened three years ago was to<br />

create the freshest, most unique sushi<br />

experience in Jacksonville, and I am<br />

proud that our customers recognize<br />

Kazu as the best in Jax. Thank you to<br />

all my customers and we look forward<br />

to serving you for many years in the<br />

future.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Tacos<br />

TacoLu<br />

1712 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach 32250<br />

(904) 249-8226<br />

tacolu.com<br />

Located in the old Homestead<br />

Restaurant on Beach Boulevard<br />

in Jacksonville Beach, TacoLu has<br />

become a popular spot for its wide<br />

variety of tacos and tequila. The<br />

restaurant is open six days a week<br />

and serves brunch on Saturdays and<br />

Sundays.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Diner<br />

Metro Diner<br />

Multiple Locations<br />

metrodiner.com<br />

Once you walk in you feel like a<br />

regular. Metro Diner is where the<br />

portions are big, but the egos are small.<br />

The staff believes that when you care<br />

about the people you’re cooking for<br />

it shows in the food. Come on in and<br />

enjoy comfort food with flair.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Chinese Restaurant - TIE<br />

Chef Chan Asian Cuisine<br />

9802 Baymeadows Road, Suite 3<br />

Jacksonville 32256<br />

(904) 645-7333<br />

Chef Chan Asian Cuisine would<br />

like to personally thank everyone<br />

who voted for the restaurant as <strong>Best</strong><br />

Chinese Restaurant in the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />

<strong>Best</strong> contest. Visit the Baymeadows<br />

location for authentic Asian cuisine.<br />

P.F. Chang's<br />

10281 Midtown Parkway, Suite 137<br />

Jacksonville 32246<br />

(904) 641-3392<br />

pfchangs.com


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 17<br />

P.F. Chang’s is a family-friendly<br />

chain offering creative takes on<br />

Chinese fare in a striking space.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Indian Restaurant - TIE<br />

5th Element<br />

9485 Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville 32256<br />

(904) 448-8265<br />

my5thelement.com<br />

5th Element is an Indian eatery that<br />

offers a fresh and healthy approach to<br />

Indian cuisine. The restaurant’s highly<br />

qualified chefs come from various<br />

regions of India, bringing with them<br />

their own expertise. 5th Element offers<br />

lunch buffet, dinner, carry-out and<br />

catering.<br />

India's Restaurant<br />

9802 Baymeadows Road, Suite 8<br />

Jacksonville 32256<br />

(904) 620-0777<br />

indiajax.com<br />

Family owned and operated<br />

since 1997, India’s Restaurant offers<br />

vegetarian and non-vegetarian<br />

authentic Indian gourmet for lunch<br />

buffet, dinner, carry-out and catering.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Italian Restaurant<br />

Enza’s Italian Restaurant<br />

10601 San Jose Blvd., Suite 109<br />

Jacksonville 32257<br />

(904) 268-4458<br />

enzas.net<br />

As Jacksonville's No. 1 Italian<br />

restaurant, Enza's is honored to be<br />

voted <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Italian Restaurant<br />

for the second year in a row. Enza's<br />

encourages everyone to stop in for<br />

dinner and find out why it was voted<br />

No. 1 while enjoying fresh-made<br />

Italian comfort food, live music six<br />

days a week and the best service in<br />

town.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Japanese Restaurant<br />

Kazu Japanese Restaurant<br />

9965 San Jose Blvd., Suite 35<br />

Jacksonville 32257<br />

(904) 683-9903<br />

kazujapaneserestaurant.com<br />

It is an incredible honor that our<br />

customers have voted Kazu one of<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>'s <strong>Best</strong>! Thank you for your<br />

loyalty and support! Our goal when<br />

we opened three years ago was to<br />

create the freshest, most unique sushi<br />

experience in Jacksonville, and I am<br />

proud that our customers recognize<br />

Kazu as the best in Jax. Thank you to<br />

all my customers and we look forward<br />

to serving you for many years in the<br />

future.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Mexican Restaurant<br />

Si Senor Fresh Mex<br />

3546 St. Johns Bluff Road S. Jacksonville 32224<br />

(904) 564-2444<br />

sisenorfreshmex.com<br />

Si Senor<br />

Fresh Mex,<br />

Jacksonville’s<br />

highest rated<br />

Mexican<br />

restaurant,<br />

would like<br />

to thank the<br />

Jacksonville<br />

voters for making<br />

it <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Mexican Restaurant of<br />

<strong>2016</strong>. Come experience what everyone<br />

has been raving about.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Seafood Restaurant<br />

Salt Life Food Shack<br />

1018 3rd Street N.<br />

Jacksonville Beach 32250<br />

(904) 372-4456<br />

saltlifefoodshack.com<br />

Salt Life Food Shack’s award-winning<br />

Poke Bowl made it famous, but fans<br />

love the rest of the menu as well. The<br />

restaurant offers an eclectic menu to<br />

cater to all tastes including: local fried<br />

shrimp, beach boil, Hutto’s Ceviche,<br />

oysters on the half shell, fresh rolled<br />

sushi, fish tacos, grouper basket and so<br />

much more. Eat. Drink. And be Salty!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Sommelier<br />

Taverna<br />

1986 San Marco Blvd., Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) 398-3005<br />

taverna.restaurant<br />

Taverna is a locally owned and<br />

operated restaurant established in the<br />

fall of 2009. Located in Jacksonville’s<br />

historic San Marco neighborhood,<br />

this rustic, yet sophisticated dining<br />

destination draws inspiration from


18 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

the simplicity and warmth of rustic<br />

Italian kitchens. Husband and wife<br />

team Sam and Kiley Efron specialize<br />

in handcrafted Italian cuisine. In<br />

addition to lunch, dinner and craft<br />

cocktails, Taverna is home to a Wine<br />

Spectator Award winning wine list,<br />

private dining and catering. The<br />

restaurant offers boxed lunches<br />

available for pick-up or delivery. See<br />

taverna.restaurant for details.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Thai Restaurant<br />

Indochine<br />

Multiple locations<br />

indochinejax.com<br />

Indochine serves Thai and<br />

Southeast Asian cuisine with two<br />

locations in Jacksonville — downtown<br />

and San Marco.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Local Chocolatier<br />

Sweet Pete’s Candy<br />

400 N. Hogan St., Jacksonville 32202<br />

(855) SWT-PETE<br />

sweetpetescandy.com<br />

Sweet Pete’s Candy is a<br />

confectionary emporium of roughly<br />

23,000 sq. ft., making it one of the<br />

largest candy shops in the United<br />

States. The Jacksonville location<br />

boasts a fully functioning factory<br />

with an interactive gallery, two large<br />

retail areas, a full restaurant and<br />

bar called The Candy Apple Café<br />

and Cocktails, a rooftop patio, and a<br />

dessert bar.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> New Restaurant<br />

(open as of 8/1/15)<br />

HOBNOB<br />

220 Riverside Ave., Suite 110<br />

Jacksonville 32202<br />

(904) 513-4272<br />

unityplaza.org/hobnob<br />

HOBNOB is a full-service, chefdriven<br />

restaurant that is founded<br />

on global inspiration with local<br />

intentions. HOBNOB is a place for<br />

diners to come and elevate their spirit,<br />

palate and mood. It’s a place for food<br />

and social exchange.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Chef<br />

Sam Efron from Taverna<br />

1986 San Marco Blvd., Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) 398-3005<br />

taverna.restaurant<br />

Taverna is a<br />

locally owned and<br />

operated restaurant<br />

established in the<br />

fall of 2009. Located<br />

in Jacksonville’s<br />

historic San Marco<br />

neighborhood,<br />

this rustic, yet<br />

sophisticated dining<br />

destination draws inspiration from<br />

the simplicity and warmth of rustic<br />

Italian kitchens. Husband and wife<br />

team Sam and Kiley Efron specialize<br />

in handcrafted Italian cuisine. In<br />

addition to lunch, dinner and craft<br />

cocktails, Taverna is home to a Wine<br />

Spectator Award winning wine list,<br />

private dining and catering. The<br />

restaurant offers boxed lunches<br />

available for pick-up or delivery. See<br />

taverna.restaurant for details.<br />

Photo provided by Taverna<br />

Taverna creates modern<br />

interpretations of classic recipes both<br />

in the kitchen and behind the bar.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Restaurant Overall<br />

Taverna<br />

1986 San Marco Blvd., Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) 398-3005<br />

taverna.restaurant<br />

Taverna is a locally owned and<br />

operated restaurant established in the<br />

fall of 2009. Located in Jacksonville’s<br />

historic San Marco neighborhood,<br />

this rustic, yet sophisticated dining<br />

destination draws inspiration from<br />

the simplicity and warmth of rustic<br />

Italian kitchens. Husband and wife<br />

team Sam and Kiley Efron specialize in<br />

handcrafted Italian cuisine. In addition


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 19<br />

to lunch, dinner and craft cocktails,<br />

Taverna is home to a Wine Spectator<br />

Award winning wine list, private dining<br />

and catering. The restaurant offers<br />

boxed lunches available for pick-up<br />

or delivery. See taverna.restaurant for<br />

details.<br />

Homes & Finance<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Homebuilder<br />

D.R. Horton<br />

4220 Race Track Road, Jacksonville 32259<br />

(904) 421-4601<br />

drhorton.com/nfl<br />

D.R. Horton is America’s No.<br />

1 homebuilder. The name is<br />

synonymous with affordability<br />

and personalized service. With its<br />

expanded family of Express and<br />

Emerald brands, homebuyers are sure<br />

to find a home that suits their lifestyle<br />

and budget in one of D.R. Horton's<br />

many communities throughout<br />

Northeast Florida.<br />

Photo provided by D.R. Horton<br />

D.R. Horton finds homebuyers the perfect home to suit their lifestyle.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Real Estate Broker/Agency<br />

Exit Real Estate Gallery<br />

Multiple locations<br />

exitrealestategallery.com<br />

Exit Real Estate Gallery was<br />

established in Northeast Florida<br />

over a decade ago. Since the start,<br />

the company has assisted more than<br />

10,000 families, and continues to<br />

grow with four new locations to better<br />

assist customers. This growth brings<br />

the total number of offices to eight<br />

— Avondale, Fleming Island, Orange<br />

Park, Mandarin, Deerwood, Beaches,<br />

JIA Relocation Center and the 210<br />

Office expected to open October 1.<br />

Exit’s commitment to excellence and<br />

reputation for renovation has attracted<br />

more than 400 of the most professional<br />

and highly-trained consultants in the<br />

region.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Real Estate Agent<br />

Anita G. Hiles<br />

Realty Executives<br />

3503 S. Kernan Blvd., Jacksonville 32224<br />

(714) 809-1911, (888) 802-1911<br />

anitahiles.com<br />

Buyers and sellers turn to Anita<br />

Hiles because she stands ready to meet<br />

every real estate need. She is a leader<br />

in the industry; effective and focused<br />

on her customer’s needs. Some of her<br />

resources include marketing, support,<br />

loan analysis and networking. Anita<br />

is a top producer and an Accredited<br />

Luxury Home Specialist. She enjoys<br />

mentoring new realtors to the point<br />

where she’s built a team of associates.<br />

Anita will be opening her own real<br />

estate office in <strong>2016</strong>.<br />

LISTINGS continued on page 23


20 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

Simple<br />

ingredients,<br />

bold flavor<br />

Italian-inspired restaurant Taverna<br />

strikes the perfect balance<br />

Husband-and-wife team Kiley and Sam Efron run the popular Italian-inspired restaurant Taverna in San Marco.<br />

Photos by Will.Dickey@jacksonville.com<br />

Taverna’s House Smoked Chicken<br />

is cooked to perfection with grilled<br />

asparagus, fingerling potatoes,<br />

Ricotta Salata and Romesco sauce.<br />

Taverna wine director Kiley Efron says<br />

the dish pairs perfectly with Matteo<br />

Correggia 'Anthos' Brachetto, a light<br />

red wine from the Piedmont region<br />

of Italy. The wine is typically served<br />

chilled.<br />

Taverna wins <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong>:<br />

• Outdoor Dining<br />

• Wine List<br />

• Sommelier<br />

• Chef (Sam Efron)<br />

• Restaurant Overall


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 21<br />

A crowd pleaser, the<br />

Buratta Caprese appetizer<br />

is loaded with mozzarella<br />

buratta with marinated<br />

heirloom tomatoes, basil<br />

and prosciutto on grilled<br />

Ciabatta bread. The<br />

refreshing Dillon's Cup<br />

is a great cocktail to sip<br />

while enjoying this Taverna<br />

favorite. Dillon’s Cup is made<br />

with Dillon's Gin, Pimm's No.<br />

1, cucumber, lemon juice,<br />

ginger syrup and soda. The<br />

drink is a tribute to Sam and<br />

Kiley's son, Dillon.<br />

Young and old alike enjoy<br />

the Soppressata Pizza. The<br />

fragrant dish is made with<br />

Italian dry salami, house-made<br />

mozzarella and San Marzano<br />

tomatoes, and then topped<br />

with a fried egg. For the adults,<br />

Kiley recommends pairing<br />

the pizza with Feudi Di San<br />

Gregorio "Rubrato," Aglianico,<br />

a full bodied red wine from<br />

the Campania region of Italy.<br />

A region of Italy that the<br />

style of pizza Taverna serves<br />

(Neapolitan) originates from.<br />

By Jacqueline Persandi<br />

jacqueline.persandi@jacksonville.com<br />

Located in historic San Macro,<br />

Taverna is the culmination<br />

of executive chef and owner<br />

Sam Efron and his wife, wine<br />

director and owner, Kiley Wynne<br />

Efron’s culinary experience. The duo<br />

focuses on creating dishes that utilize<br />

fresh, homemade and locally sourced<br />

ingredients whenever possible while<br />

providing a relaxed yet sophisticated<br />

experience.<br />

“With the food, the drinks and<br />

everything we do, it’s just simplicity<br />

done right,” Sam said.<br />

It’s clear this philosophy agrees with<br />

the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>’s palate. In this year’s<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> contest, Taverna cleaned<br />

up the competition by taking home<br />

five awards, including <strong>Best</strong> Restaurant<br />

Overall. Chef Sam claimed the title of<br />

“<strong>Best</strong> Chef” for the second year in a<br />

row.<br />

With its casual approach to fine<br />

dining, Taverna has earned many<br />

accolades since it opened in 2009. This<br />

comes as no surprise as Sam and Kiley<br />

were no strangers to the kitchen when<br />

they created the concept.<br />

Kiley fell in love with Italian wine<br />

and cuisine while working in San<br />

Francisco at A16, an internationally<br />

recognized southern Italian restaurant<br />

with locations in Tokyo and other parts<br />

of the world.<br />

Originally from Jacksonville, Sam<br />

attended Culinary Institute of America<br />

and refined his skills while working<br />

at well-known restaurants, including<br />

Gramercy Tavern and Four Seasons<br />

Hotel in New York. He also spent time<br />

at Aqua and Silks at The Mandarin<br />

Oriental Hotel in San Francisco before<br />

moving back to Northeast Florida in<br />

2007.<br />

Long before plans to open Taverna<br />

came together, Sam had his eye on the<br />

location in San Marco Square.<br />

“He had always loved this space<br />

ever since he was in high school,” Kiley<br />

said.<br />

“I always thought this would be the<br />

perfect spot for a restaurant,” Sam said.<br />

Sam and Kiley relocated to San<br />

Marco with hopes to be part of the<br />

emerging food scene.<br />

“We felt like there was a real<br />

opportunity for growth,” Kiley said.<br />

“We also knew it would be a great<br />

place to start a family and build a life<br />

together.”<br />

When creating the original look and<br />

feel of the restaurant, Sam and Kiley<br />

drew inspiration from their time in San<br />

Francisco and New York.<br />

“We wanted to [model after] those<br />

cool, urban but warm neighborhood<br />

places we loved so much,” Kiley<br />

said. “We wanted to have a feeling of<br />

sophistication, but we wanted it to be<br />

really warm and really engaging.”<br />

Taverna offers a high-class<br />

experience without feeling stuffy.<br />

Whether patrons order a quick<br />

lunch at the counter, sit down for an<br />

anniversary meal, or grab a bite with<br />

the kids on the weekend, weathered<br />

barn wood gives the space an elegant<br />

and inviting feel.<br />

While the menu offers a little bit of<br />

everything from handmade pastas and<br />

pizzas to seafood entrees, it’s simple<br />

enough not to overwhelm first-timers.<br />

For the Efrons, keeping flavors fresh<br />

and fun is a priority, but they’re also<br />

committed to creating a consistent<br />

experience year after year.<br />

“While we change things seasonally,<br />

we want to make sure that when you’re<br />

coming on year one to year three that if<br />

you have pasta you like, it’s still on the<br />

menu and it’s made consistent,” Kiley<br />

said.<br />

The menu changes about eight times<br />

a year to feature fresh ingredients in<br />

their peak season.<br />

“When tomatoes are getting ripe,<br />

we’re going to show off more heirloom<br />

tomatoes,” Sam said.<br />

Although the menu is always<br />

evolving, some recipes are staples like<br />

the handmade fettuccini with tomato<br />

cream sauce and fresh basil. The dish<br />

is one of the restaurant’s best-sellers,<br />

and for good reason. The creamy sauce<br />

and pasta can be upgraded with choice<br />

of chicken, shrimp, scallops, fish or<br />

steak, or enjoyed as is. Although the<br />

food is Italian-inspired, the dishes<br />

aren’t greasy or overly heavy. Instead,<br />

they aim to satisfy. The menu also<br />

offers a variety of gluten-free items.<br />

“When you’re doing Italian right, the<br />

way it should be, it’s actually very light<br />

and lean,” Kiley said. “You’re cooking<br />

with olive oil, fresh spices [and] the<br />

best ingredients you can find.”<br />

Taverna offers craft cocktails that<br />

mirror the food by using only a few of<br />

the best ingredients to let the flavors<br />

shine. The menu starts with classic<br />

craft cocktails and puts a spin on<br />

each drink to create a beverage that’s<br />

balanced and compliments the fare.<br />

Sam’s favorite cocktail, the Dillion’s<br />

Cup, uses Dillon’s Gin, Pimm’s No.1,<br />

cucumber, lemon juice, house-made<br />

ginger syrup and soda. The flavors<br />

come together to create a light,<br />

refreshing cocktail that can be enjoyed<br />

any time of year.<br />

When it comes to wines, Kiley<br />

wanted to showcase a list that has a<br />

little something for everyone.<br />

“I picked really eclectic wines from<br />

all around the world with a focus on<br />

Italy,” Kiley said. “We tried to make<br />

the list playful. There’s a really diverse<br />

price point. This is not a list you have to<br />

spend a lot of money on to get a really<br />

great product from. You can spend $30<br />

and get a really amazing, fun bottle<br />

from Italy or Greece, or you can spend<br />

$80 — either way you’re assured the<br />

quality is really good.”<br />

As for working together, the couple<br />

wouldn’t have it any other way.<br />

“We both complement the business<br />

in different ways. We both have our<br />

strengths and weaknesses, and they<br />

make up for where the other person’s<br />

is,” Kiley said. “There are areas of<br />

the business that are definitely more<br />

[Sam’s] train, and areas that are<br />

definitely more mine. I think that<br />

we see eye-to-eye on the overall<br />

philosophy of how we want to run our<br />

staff and our business.”<br />

Again, at Taverna, it’s all about<br />

balance.<br />

Taverna<br />

1986 San Marco Blvd., Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) 398-3005<br />

taverna.restaurant<br />

Facebook.com/TavernaSanMarco<br />

@tavernasanmarco


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 23<br />

LISTINGS continued from page 19<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Bank/Credit Union<br />

VyStar Credit Union<br />

4949 Blanding Blvd., Jacksonville 32210<br />

(904) 777-6000<br />

vystarcu.org<br />

VyStar Credit Union is the largest<br />

credit union headquartered in<br />

Northeast Florida. VyStar now serves<br />

more than 520,000 members with<br />

assets totaling more than $6.1 billion.<br />

VyStar membership is open to anyone<br />

who lives or works in 21 Northeast to<br />

Central Florida counties.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Accountant/CPA<br />

Susan Carter CPA, P.A.<br />

590 Wells Road #4, Orange Park 32073<br />

(904) 213-7743<br />

susancartercpa.com<br />

Susan Carter CPA, P.A. is an<br />

innovative firm of the future<br />

specializing in Individual and<br />

Corporate Taxes, Virtual CFO<br />

Services, Estates and Trusts, Tax<br />

Planning, IRS Issues and Audits,<br />

Accounting, and QuickBooks. The<br />

team takes a holistic approach to<br />

help their clients save money, make<br />

better decisions, and plan for the<br />

future. They provide professional,<br />

passionate, and personalized<br />

services to every client. Susan Carter<br />

CPA, P.A. is “Your Tax Pro and Virtual<br />

CFO!”<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Senior/Assisted Living<br />

Facility<br />

Taylor Residences<br />

6601 Chester Ave., Jacksonville 32217<br />

(904) 636-0142<br />

taylor-residences.org<br />

Taylor Residences is honored<br />

to be named <strong>2016</strong> <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong><br />

Senior Living Facility! Taylor<br />

Residences serves the community<br />

by providing care through senior<br />

living apartments, assisted living and<br />

skilled nursing facilities. Thank You,<br />

Jacksonville!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Home Community/<br />

Development<br />

The Palms at Nocatee by Dream<br />

Finders Homes, LLC.<br />

Dream Finders Office: 360 Corporate Way<br />

Orange Park 32073<br />

(904) 644-7670<br />

dreamfindershomes.com<br />

Dream Finders Homes is the<br />

largest privately held home builder<br />

in the nation. With more than 50<br />

communities nationwide, they pride<br />

themselves on offering excellent<br />

quality at the best price. The Palms at<br />

Nocatee is one of their most desired<br />

communities in the Northeast Florida<br />

region, offering both single-family<br />

homes and townhomes. The Palms at<br />

Nocatee is sure to meet the needs of<br />

any buyer!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Mortgage Company<br />

Debbie Thomas at GSF Mortgage<br />

3503 S. Kernan Blvd., Suite 2<br />

Jacksonville 32224<br />

(904) 537-8336<br />

debrathomas.gogsf.com<br />

Debbie Thomas is a loan officer with<br />

GSF Mortgage. She truly enjoys her<br />

industry, and to her nothing is more<br />

rewarding than assisting a customer<br />

with one of the biggest financial<br />

decisions of their life. She gives her<br />

customers confidence and a clear<br />

understanding of the mortgage process<br />

from beginning to end. Whatever<br />

your mortgage needs, Thomas can<br />

assist you in finding the right financial<br />

product.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Local Builder (builds only<br />

in these counties: Duval, St.<br />

Johns, Clay, Nassau or Flagler)<br />

SEDA New Homes<br />

(904) 394-5300<br />

SEDAnewhomes.com<br />

For 34 years, SEDA has been<br />

building homes for thousands of<br />

First Coast families. By striving to be<br />

the best, SEDA has grown to be one<br />

of the largest locally owned home


24 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

builders in Northeast Florida. They<br />

currently have new homes for sale in<br />

Duval, St. Johns and Nassau counties,<br />

with a new, large community in Clay<br />

County coming soon. In addition to<br />

its communities, SEDA is one of the<br />

few builders who will build their floor<br />

plan on your lot.<br />

Health &<br />

Well-being<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Chiropractic Practice<br />

Dynamic Health and Chiropractic<br />

4000 St. Johns Ave., #35 Jacksonville 32205<br />

(904) 236-4619<br />

dynamichealthandchiropractic.com<br />

Thank you from all of us at<br />

Dynamic Health and Chiropractic! We<br />

appreciate the support as we continue<br />

to serve the people of Jacksonville.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Doctor<br />

Dr. Oliver Perez - Advantage<br />

Dermatology<br />

1514 Nira St., Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) 387-4991<br />

advantagederm.com<br />

The staff at Advantage Dermatology<br />

prides themselves on excellence<br />

and is devoted to delivering the best<br />

patient care available. From cosmetic,<br />

to medical, to surgical dermatology,<br />

their office is well-quipped to treat<br />

a broad spectrum of dermatological<br />

needs. Advantage Dermatology wants<br />

to thank Jacksonville for voting them<br />

<strong>2016</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Dermatology Practice, <strong>Best</strong><br />

Medical Spa, and their very own Dr.<br />

Oliver Perez as <strong>Best</strong> Doctor.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Cosmetic Surgery Practice<br />

Dr. Clayman's Plastic Surgery<br />

Center<br />

2 Shircliff Way, Suite 200, Jacksonville 32204<br />

jacksonvilleplasticsurgerycenter.com<br />

Dr. Clayman’s Plastic Surgery<br />

specializes in all aspects of cosmetic<br />

plastic surgery.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Podiatrist/Foot Comfort<br />

Specialist<br />

Foot Solutions<br />

4126 3rd St. S., Jacksonville Beach 32250<br />

(904) 247-0460<br />

footsolutions.com/jacksonvillebeach<br />

Foot Solutions is a leading<br />

international retailer specializing<br />

in personalized assessments,<br />

stylish high-performance footwear,<br />

custom-fitted, custom-crafted arch<br />

supports, and accessories designed<br />

to help individuals live pain-free and<br />

comfortably. Thank you Jacksonville<br />

for voting Foot Solutions <strong>Best</strong><br />

Shoe Store and <strong>Best</strong> Foot Comfort<br />

Specialist two years in a row!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Urgent Care<br />

St. Vincent's First Care Walk-In<br />

Express Clinic<br />

Multiple locations<br />

firstcareexpress.com<br />

St. Vincent’s First Care Walk-In<br />

Express Clinic provides patients<br />

treatment of common ailments and<br />

minor emergency conditions.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Physical Therapy/<br />

Rehabilitation Center<br />

Brooks Rehab<br />

Multiple locations<br />

brooksrehab.org<br />

Brooks Rehabilitation centers<br />

empower patients to achieve their<br />

highest level of recovery through<br />

expert care and world-class<br />

rehabilitation solutions.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Dental Practice<br />

Doctors Lake Family Dental<br />

1665 Eagle Harbor Parkway E.<br />

Fleming Island 32003<br />

(904) 637-4422<br />

doctorslakefamilydental.com<br />

Doctors Lake Family Dental would<br />

like to say, “From the bottom of


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 25<br />

our hearts, thank you. We are truly<br />

humbled and grateful to be voted as the<br />

<strong>2016</strong> <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Dental Practice!”<br />

Whether you need a simple exam and<br />

cleaning, or are interested in more<br />

advanced restorative service, Doctors<br />

Lake Family Dental’s doctors have the<br />

kindness and knowledge to provide the<br />

dental care you and your entire family<br />

desire.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Dermatology Practice<br />

Advantage Dermatology<br />

1514 Nira St., Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) 387-4991<br />

advantagederm.com<br />

The staff at Advantage Dermatology<br />

prides themselves on excellence<br />

and is devoted to delivering the best<br />

patient care available. From cosmetic,<br />

to medical, to surgical dermatology,<br />

their office is well-quipped to treat<br />

a broad spectrum of dermatological<br />

needs. Advantage Dermatology wants<br />

to thank Jacksonville for voting them<br />

<strong>2016</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Dermatology Practice, <strong>Best</strong><br />

Medical Spa, and their very own Dr.<br />

Oliver Perez as <strong>Best</strong> Doctor.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Eye Care Practice<br />

Florida Eye Specialists<br />

Multiple locations<br />

(904) 564-2020<br />

floridaeyespecialists.com<br />

Florida Eye Specialists would like<br />

to thank its patients and staff for<br />

helping make them <strong>2016</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Eye<br />

Care Practice. Florida Eye Specialists<br />

has been, and will continue to be,<br />

committed to excellence in eye care,<br />

and looks forward to continuing to<br />

serve the Jacksonville area.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Hearing Aid Professional<br />

Clear Ear Hearing Solutions<br />

4006 3rd Street S., Jacksonville Beach 32250<br />

(904) 247-4327<br />

clearearjax.com<br />

Clear Ear Hearing Solutions takes<br />

pride in helping the community<br />

hear clearer and understand speech<br />

better. Clear Ear offers the most<br />

advanced hearing aid technology<br />

in the industry and the best service<br />

after sale guarantee anywhere. Clear<br />

Ear wants to thank Jacksonville for<br />

voting the company <strong>Best</strong> Hearing Aid<br />

Professionals two years in a row!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Medical Spa<br />

Advantage Dermatology<br />

1514 Nira St., Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) 387-4991<br />

advantagederm.com<br />

The staff at Advantage<br />

Dermatology prides themselves<br />

on excellence and is devoted to<br />

delivering the best patient care<br />

available. From cosmetic, to medical,<br />

to surgical dermatology, their office<br />

is well-quipped to treat a broad<br />

spectrum of dermatological needs.<br />

Advantage Dermatology wants to<br />

thank Jacksonville for voting them<br />

<strong>2016</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Dermatology Practice, <strong>Best</strong><br />

Medical Spa, and their very own Dr.<br />

Oliver Perez as <strong>Best</strong> Doctor.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Weight Loss Center<br />

Metabolic Research Centers,<br />

Weight Loss Specialists<br />

Multiple locations<br />

(904) 674-8188<br />

emetabolic.com<br />

Metabolic Research Centers have<br />

been serving Jacksonville for nearly 30<br />

years. With more than 100 locations<br />

nationwide, MRC serves a diverse<br />

clientele with weight loss needs just as<br />

diverse. With varied tools and plans<br />

to meet the needs of clients of all ages,<br />

medical conditions and lifestyles,<br />

MRC knows that a "one size fits all"<br />

approach is not the answer. Whether<br />

you have 20 pounds to lose or 200,<br />

the staff at MRC will get to the root<br />

cause, and customize a plan to meet<br />

your specific needs ensuring that your<br />

weight is managed for good, not just<br />

for now. Tried the rest? Call MRC and<br />

come to the best!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Orthodontic Practice<br />

Joy Orthodontics<br />

Multiple locations<br />

joyorthodontics.com<br />

Joy Orthodontics wants to thank the<br />

city of Jacksonville for supporting it as


26 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Orthodontic Practice<br />

for the second year in a row. The staff<br />

looks forward to enthusiastically<br />

greeting old friends as well as new<br />

ones over the coming year. Choose Joy<br />

and you've chosen Jacksonville's most<br />

respected center for orthodontic care.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Orthopedic Practice<br />

Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute<br />

1325 San Marco Blvd., Suite 102<br />

Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) JOI-2000<br />

joi.net<br />

Thank you so much for voting for<br />

JOI. We Are Jacksonville’s Orthopaedic<br />

Institute.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pediatric Practice<br />

Angel Kids Pediatrics<br />

Multiple locations<br />

(904) 224-5437<br />

myangelkids.com<br />

Angel Kids Pediatrics is a medical<br />

pediatrician clinic with six locations in<br />

Northeast Florida.<br />

Photo provided by Hot Spot Power Yoga<br />

Hot Spot Power Yoga offers power yoga classes for individuals to get a great<br />

physical workout as well as stress relief from the daily demands of life.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Veterinary Practice<br />

St. Bernard’s Animal Hospital<br />

11740-1 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville 32223<br />

(904) 677-4430<br />

stbah.com<br />

We at St. Bernard's Animal Hospital<br />

would like to say a huge thank you to<br />

our amazing clients, and our supportive<br />

family and friends for selecting our<br />

animal hospital as the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong><br />

Veterinary Practice. St. Bernard's<br />

Animal Hospital is honored to hold<br />

the title of <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Veterinary<br />

Practice for the second year in a row!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Fitness Center/Gym<br />

Orangetheory Fitness<br />

13500 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville 32224<br />

orangetheoryfitness.com<br />

Orangethoery Fitness wants to<br />

thank Jacksonville for making it<br />

the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>'s <strong>Best</strong> Fitness Center<br />

and New Business. Orangetheory<br />

is committed to providing the best<br />

workout in the country with a passion<br />

for fitness and health. Keep it Orange,<br />

Jacksonville!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Yoga Studio<br />

Hot Spot Power Yoga<br />

Multiple locations<br />

(904) 238-3011<br />

hotspotpoweryoga.com<br />

Hot Spot Power Yoga is a heated yoga<br />

studio offering primarily power yoga<br />

classes for individuals to get a great<br />

physical workout as well as stress relief<br />

from the daily demands of life. The<br />

poses and the pace of the class are for<br />

all levels from beginner to intermediate.<br />

Your practice offers amazing results<br />

like increased strength and flexibility, a<br />

clear mind, and a more positive outlook<br />

on life. Join this amazing community to<br />

be your best self!


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 27<br />

Photo provided by Indulgence Dance Studio<br />

Indulgence Dance Studio offers a complete program of Hip Hop, Jazz/Lyrical,<br />

Ballet, Tap and Majorette for young adolescent dancers ages 5 to 18.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pilates Studio<br />

Everbalance Wellness Studio<br />

5298 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville 32225<br />

(904) 304-2886<br />

myeverbalance.com<br />

Everbalance Wellness Studio<br />

provides all levels of Pilates practice<br />

and training. Known for their barre<br />

and yoga classes, participants can feel<br />

increased strength and flexibility while<br />

lowering stress levels. Everbalance’s<br />

highly trained and motivated<br />

instructors will help you realize your<br />

fitness goals.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Dance Studio<br />

Indulgence Dance Studio<br />

121 E. 8th St., Suite 14, Jacksonville 32206<br />

(904) 694-4055<br />

indulgencedancestudio.com<br />

The Indulgence Dance Studio<br />

offers a complete program of Hip


28 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

Hop, Jazz/Lyrical, Ballet, Tap and<br />

Majorette for young adolescent dancers<br />

ages 5-18. The Studio is dedicated<br />

to bringing quality and affordable<br />

dance instruction to Jacksonville.<br />

Although there are many active and<br />

dedicated dance teams already located<br />

in Jacksonville, there are not actual<br />

dance studios — where individuals<br />

can expand their knowledge of dance<br />

and enjoy being with other people<br />

of like interests — like Indulgence<br />

Dance Studio. Contact owner Iesha<br />

Williams for more information:<br />

Indulgencedancestudio@yahoo.com.<br />

Home &<br />

Professional<br />

Services<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Air Conditioning/Heating<br />

Service<br />

Snyder Heating & Air Conditioning<br />

Jacqueline.Persandi@jacksonville.com<br />

Each one of RPM Automotive's 10 service centers provides complete<br />

maintenance and repairs for all vehicle makes and models.<br />

3401 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville 32216<br />

(904) 647-1975<br />

snyderac.com<br />

The professionals at Snyder Heating<br />

& Air Conditioning don’t just handle<br />

simple fixes, but, rather, offer an array<br />

of expertise for any heating and air<br />

conditioning need. From maintenance<br />

and repair, to service, instillation<br />

and increasing customers’ energyefficiency,<br />

Snyder technicians are<br />

trained to handle it all!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Auto Repair Shop<br />

RPM Automotive<br />

Multiple locations<br />

rpmautomotive.com<br />

In the last two decades, RPM has<br />

expanded to 10 locations serving<br />

communities throughout Northeast<br />

Florida. Each service center provides<br />

the care and customer service you’d<br />

expect from a neighborhood auto<br />

repair shop with the resources and<br />

technology of a national dealership.<br />

The independent automotive service<br />

center provides complete maintenance<br />

and repairs for all vehicle makes and<br />

models. One of the many advantages<br />

of trusting your cars to the Automotive<br />

Service Excellence-certified<br />

technicians at RPM is the convenience<br />

of a one-stop shop for all your family’s<br />

auto needs.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Carpet Cleaning Company<br />

First Coast Home Pros<br />

8775 Arlington Expressway, Suite 101<br />

Jacksonville 32211<br />

(904) 383-7721<br />

firstcoasthomepros.com<br />

First Coast Home Pros cleans homes<br />

from top to bottom, inside and out.


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 29<br />

Customers can take advantage of<br />

teams of specialists in carpet cleaning,<br />

grout cleaning, upholstery cleaning,<br />

pressure washing and more. First<br />

Coast Home Pros makes it their goal<br />

to be the best service company you’ve<br />

ever invited to your home.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Car Wash/Detail Service<br />

Charles and George’s Car Wash<br />

Multiple locations<br />

(904) 384-3331<br />

charlesandgeorgescarwash.com<br />

Charles and George’s Car Wash<br />

thanks you for voting them <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>’s<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Car Wash and Detail Service.<br />

Family owned and operated since<br />

1980, they have three locations in<br />

Jacksonville including Roosevelt<br />

Boulevard, Park Avenue and Cassat<br />

Avenue.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Caterer<br />

Chef’s Garden Catering & Events<br />

3732 Mente St., Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) 399-4449<br />

chefsgardenjacksonville.com<br />

The Chef’s Garden Catering & Events<br />

is an off-premise catering and event<br />

planning company that specializes<br />

in corporate, social and wedding<br />

catering.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Dry Cleaners<br />

Oceanside Cleaners<br />

Multiple locations<br />

(904) 642-6177<br />

oceansidecleaners.com<br />

Oceanside Cleaners is honored to<br />

be voted <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Dry Cleaner!<br />

Valued customers and friends like<br />

these are the foundation to their<br />

success. For more than 25 years, the<br />

family owned and operated business<br />

has been providing dry cleaning and<br />

laundry services to the First Coast.<br />

Oceanside Cleaners takes pride in<br />

serving their customers with care and<br />

respect.


30 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Flooring Store<br />

The Flooring Store Jacksonville<br />

6139 103rd St., Jacksonville 32210<br />

(904) 549-6955<br />

flooringstorejacksonville.com<br />

Thank you for voting the Flooring<br />

Store Jacksonville No.1! The Flooring<br />

Store believes that a family-ownedand-operated<br />

business is the best way<br />

to assure quality in both product and<br />

customer service. That’s why, for over<br />

25 years, Jacksonville has turned to the<br />

Flooring Store for the best products,<br />

service and price in North Florida. The<br />

staff at the Flooring Store understands<br />

how difficult it can be to find just<br />

the right flooring for your home or<br />

business at just the right price, and<br />

they are here to help.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Florist<br />

Kuhn Flowers<br />

3802 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville 32207<br />

(800) 458-5846, (904) 398-8601<br />

kuhnflowers.com<br />

Kuhn Flowers has been proudly<br />

serving Jacksonville since 1947. They<br />

are family owned<br />

and operated<br />

with locations<br />

serving the North<br />

Florida area. They<br />

are committed<br />

to offering only<br />

the finest floral<br />

arrangements<br />

and gifts, backed<br />

by service that<br />

is friendly and prompt. Because all<br />

of their customers are important,<br />

their professional staff is dedicated<br />

to making your experience a pleasant<br />

one. That is why they always go the<br />

extra mile to make your floral gift<br />

perfect.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Hair Salon<br />

Sutra Salon<br />

320 9th Ave. N., Jacksonville Beach 32250<br />

(904) 249-9292<br />

sutrasalon320.com<br />

Sutra Salon’s mission is to provide<br />

customers with exquisite taste and<br />

Sutra’s utmost desire for quality.<br />

Staff is committed to education and<br />

teamwork, and the salon continuously<br />

strives to provide a unique and<br />

comfortable atmosphere that<br />

exceeds all of their clients’ highest<br />

expectations.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Landscaping Company<br />

Earth Works Landscape and<br />

Garden Center<br />

12501 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville 32246<br />

(904) 996-0712<br />

earthworksjax.com<br />

Earth Works is proud<br />

to be <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>'s <strong>Best</strong><br />

Landscaping Company!<br />

Let Earth Works make<br />

the backyard your<br />

favorite room in the<br />

house. You no longer<br />

need to go to several<br />

different companies<br />

to achieve the look you want. Earth<br />

Works offers complete services from<br />

their initial consultation to the reality<br />

of your vision. Their services include:<br />

Landscape Architecture, Design and<br />

Installation, Hardscaping and Pavers,<br />

Landscape Lighting, Water Gardens,<br />

Irrigation and Drainage, Lawn<br />

Maintenance, Fertilization and Pest<br />

Control, Full Service Garden Center,<br />

and Total Pond Store.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Law Firm<br />

Tyson and Denson, PLLC<br />

3109 Spring Glen Road, Suite 303<br />

Jacksonville 32207<br />

(904) 330-0289<br />

Tyson and Denson, PLLC was<br />

established in 2015 when Attorney<br />

Joshua Tyson and Attorney Heather<br />

Mayer joined forces to help clients<br />

looking for passionate representation.<br />

Their main focus of law practice<br />

includes family law (divorces, child<br />

custody, child support, name changes,<br />

guardianship and adoptions), criminal<br />

law, DUI and traffic citations (both<br />

criminal and civil). Tyson and Denson<br />

offers free consultations.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Lawn Service<br />

Peninsular Pest Control Service<br />

2609 Phyllis St., Jacksonville 32204<br />

(904) 389-3491<br />

crittergitter.com


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 31<br />

It is Peninsular Pest Control’s goal<br />

to keep your lawn looking its best with<br />

a balanced fertilization and insect<br />

control program. Peninsular’s trained<br />

professionals use state-of-the-art<br />

materials which are in compliance<br />

with the Florida Green Industries<br />

“<strong>Best</strong> Management Practices for the<br />

Protection of Water Resources in<br />

Florida.”<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Nail Salon<br />

Zimmiz Hair Designers, Inc.<br />

282 Solano Road, Ponte Vedra Beach 32082<br />

(904) 285-0503<br />

At Zimmiz Hair Designers we treat<br />

you like family and make you look like<br />

a star. We are experts in the art and<br />

science of hair and nail care.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Painting Service<br />

The Painting Craftsmen<br />

8775 Arlington Expressway, Suite 103<br />

Jacksonville 32211<br />

(904) 507-5700<br />

paintingcraftsmen.com<br />

The Painting Craftsmen consists<br />

of highly skilled professionals who<br />

are committed to providing you<br />

with an unsurpassed level of service<br />

with the highest standard of care.<br />

The company takes pride in its level<br />

of craftsmanship, technique and<br />

expertise.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pest Control<br />

Peninsular Pest Control Service<br />

2609 Phyllis St., Jacksonville 32204<br />

(904) 389-3491<br />

crittergitter.com<br />

Peninsular Pest Control, the “Critter<br />

Gitter,” has been providing pest control<br />

services to North Florida homes,<br />

businesses and health care facilities<br />

since 1954. Peninsular’s service<br />

technicians are bonded professionals,<br />

trained to provide you with the specific<br />

treatment that you need for your<br />

particular pest problems, both inside<br />

and outside.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pet Groomer<br />

Fluffy Cuts<br />

2185 3rd St. S., Jacksonville Beach 32250<br />

(904) 372-7295<br />

fluffycuts.com<br />

Fluffy Cuts loves and cares for your<br />

pet in an open salon with limited<br />

cage time. The groomer strives for a<br />

low-stress, enjoyable experience in<br />

a business that is locally-owned and<br />

family-run.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pet Sitting Service<br />

Bad to the Bone Pet Care<br />

6112 Maggie's Circle, Jacksonville 32244<br />

(904) 624-5394<br />

badtothebonepetcare.com<br />

Bad to the Bone Pet Care wants<br />

Photo provided by Fluffy Cuts<br />

Fluffy Cuts wins <strong>Best</strong> Pet Groomer for the second year in a row in the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />

<strong>Best</strong> contest.


32 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

Photo provided by Pet Paradise<br />

At Pet Paradise, pets can cool off in the signature bone-shaped pool.<br />

to thank the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> for voting<br />

them <strong>Best</strong> Pet Sitting Service in<br />

Jacksonville! Bad to the Bone will<br />

run specials through their website,<br />

badtothebonepetcare.com, to show the<br />

city their appreciation.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pet Boarding<br />

Pet Paradise<br />

5140 University Blvd. W., Jacksonville 32216<br />

(904) 396-7529<br />

petparadise.com<br />

Pet Paradise is an upscale pet<br />

boarding, day camp and grooming<br />

company. Its mission is to provide a<br />

safe, clean and fun environment for<br />

your pet.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Interior Designer<br />

C&K Design Partners<br />

11 East Forsyth St., Jacksonville 32202<br />

(904) 304-9499<br />

ckdesignpartners.com<br />

C&K Design Partners is a fullservice<br />

home staging service. C&K<br />

Design Partners has established a<br />

reputation for being purveyors of<br />

elegance and modernity.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Photographer<br />

Jax Virtual Tours by David<br />

Youngblood<br />

jaxvirtualtours.com<br />

David Youngblood is the new owner<br />

of Jax Virtual Tours. He brings his<br />

talents of aerial photography and<br />

graphics editing to Jax Virtual Tours.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Plumber<br />

Rolland Reash Plumbing<br />

11606 Columbia Park Drive E.<br />

Jacksonville 32258<br />

(904) 260-7059<br />

rollandreashplumbing.com, plumberinjax.com<br />

Rolland Reash Plumbing thanks<br />

Jacksonville for voting us <strong>2016</strong> <strong>Bold</strong><br />

<strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Plumber. Rolland Reash sets<br />

high plumbing standards and strives<br />

to meet our clients needs as quickly<br />

and efficiently as possible.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pool Service and Care<br />

Pinch A Penny<br />

Multiple Locations<br />

pinchapenny.com<br />

Thank you Jacksonville for voting<br />

Pinch A Penny the <strong>Best</strong> Pool Service<br />

and Care! With more than 40 years<br />

of experience, and 230 stores strong,<br />

Pinch A Penny is proud to serve you.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Tattoo Shop - TIE<br />

Hold the Line Tattoo<br />

10230 Atlantic Blvd., Suite 10<br />

Jacksonville 32225<br />

(904) 683-8524<br />

holdthelinetattoo.com<br />

Hold the Line Tattoo is open Tuesday<br />

to Thursday, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., and<br />

Friday to Saturday, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. The<br />

complete custom shop offers a variety<br />

of services including cover-ups. Walkins<br />

are welcome.<br />

Inksmith & Rogers


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 33<br />

Photo provided by Hold the Line Tattoo<br />

Hold the Line Tattoo is a complete custom tattoo shop, offering a variety of<br />

services including cover-ups.<br />

Multiple locations<br />

inksmithtattoo.com<br />

With five locations in Northeast<br />

Florida, Inksmith & Rogers specializes<br />

in realistic, Japanese, American<br />

traditional, intense color and portrait<br />

tattoos.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Wedding Planner<br />

Coastal Coordinating<br />

100 Mission Woods Way St. Augustine 32084<br />

(904) 463-0423<br />

coastalcoordinating.com<br />

Coastal<br />

Coordinating<br />

plans events<br />

from coast to<br />

coast. They<br />

specialize in all<br />

weddings and give you peace of mind<br />

that every detail of your day will be<br />

perfect. Contact Coastal Coordinating<br />

for a complimentary consultation!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Child Care Facility<br />

Pampered Prodigy Early Learning<br />

Center<br />

521 West Ashley St., Jacksonville 32202<br />

(904) 723-1454<br />

pamperedprodigy.org<br />

Pampered Prodigy Early Learning<br />

Center is downtown Jacksonville's<br />

newest preschool, which opened in<br />

March 2015. Its mission is to provide<br />

the community which it serves with<br />

the very best in pre-school childcare<br />

serving ages 6 weeks to 5 years. The<br />

program design impacts the “wholechild”<br />

through age appropriate<br />

practices; well-defined curricula;<br />

creative arts to include music, dance<br />

and sign-language; and a grow-fit<br />

nutrition program. For a closer looks at<br />

its program, visit pamperedprodigy.org.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Storage Facility<br />

Atlantic Self Storage<br />

Multiple locations<br />

atlanticselfstorage.com<br />

Atlantic Self Storage wants to<br />

thank Jacksonville for voting them<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Storage Facility in Northeast<br />

Florida. Atlantic Self Storage has<br />

been serving the community since<br />

1979, and the storage solutions they<br />

offer accommodate both personal<br />

and business storage with climate<br />

controlled units, drive-up access<br />

units and vehicle parking. With more<br />

than 40 locations serving Northeast<br />

Florida, there should always be an<br />

Atlantic Self Storage near you!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Transportation Service<br />

(Taxi/Car/Limo)<br />

SuperShuttle of Jacksonville<br />

Reservations: (800) BLUE VAN (258-3826)<br />

supershuttle.com/locations/jacksonvillejax<br />

SuperShuttle wants to thank<br />

all of the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> voters for<br />

choosing them as the city’s preferred<br />

transportation service. SuperShuttle<br />

services more than 80 airports in<br />

the U.S., and is still growing because<br />

of customers like you. Don't forget<br />

to download the app to earn airline<br />

rewards, and meet and track your<br />

driver for the best experience with<br />

SuperShuttle.<br />

Photo provided by Atlantic Self Storage<br />

Atlantic Self Storage has more than 40 locations in Northeast Florida with<br />

climate-controlled units, drive-up access and vehicle parking.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Roofer<br />

Quality Discount Roofing<br />

3481 St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville 32257<br />

(904) 396-5000<br />

qualitydiscountroofing.com<br />

Quality Discount Roofing LLC<br />

is a commercial and residential<br />

roofer servicing Jacksonville<br />

and the surrounding counties,<br />

including Nassau, Clay and St. Johns.<br />

Quality Discount Roofing installs<br />

shingles made by industry leaders<br />

CertainTeed, GAF, IKO and Ownes<br />

Corning, in addition to metal roofing.


34 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

Schedule an appointment today and<br />

one of their professional estimators<br />

will help you choose the best new<br />

roof for your home. Quality Discount<br />

Roofing is, “Your Trusted Friend in the<br />

Roofing Business.”<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Home Improvement/<br />

Repair Service<br />

Mr. Handyman Serving Greater<br />

Jacksonville<br />

675 Kingsley Ave., Orange Park 32073<br />

(904) 579-1010<br />

mrhandyman.com/greater-jacksonville<br />

Mr. Handyman was voted <strong>Bold</strong><br />

<strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> because they’ve redefined<br />

the home-improvement experience.<br />

Mr. Handyman provides live answers<br />

to all calls, scheduled appointment<br />

times, on-time arrival, clean up<br />

when done, and backs all work with<br />

a guarantee. Mr. Handyman said,<br />

“We’re <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> because there’s<br />

simply no one like us!” Check out their<br />

online reviews to learn more, or call to<br />

discuss your specific needs.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Mobile Device Repair Shop<br />

10,000 Cellphones<br />

Multiple locations<br />

10000cellphones.com<br />

Since 2003, 10,000 Cellphones has<br />

provided its customers with a long<br />

warranty and honest-to-goodness<br />

customer care.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Music School<br />

Great Scott Music Academy<br />

10915 Baymeadows Road, Suite 107<br />

Jacksonville 32256<br />

(904) 538-0038<br />

greatscottmusicacademy.com<br />

Great Scott Music Academy has<br />

been providing music lessons to<br />

students of all ages and skill levels<br />

for more than five years. During this<br />

time, they have built a reputation on<br />

helping their students exceed their<br />

music education goals, whatever they<br />

may be. Each day, their highly trained<br />

professional instructors help students<br />

prepare for admission or scholarship<br />

auditions, compose music for a band,<br />

or just take steps toward learning basic<br />

Photo provided by Love a Bridal Boutique<br />

Located in the heart of Jacksonville Beach, Love carries a wide variety of bridal<br />

gowns, from beachy-boho and glitzy-glam to classic and traditional.<br />

instrumentation. What sets them apart<br />

is that they are experts at enhancing<br />

their students' skills with fun,<br />

interactive sessions that are tailored to<br />

help them achieve their goals.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Tutoring Service<br />

Tutoring Club of Jacksonville<br />

10131 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville 32257<br />

(904) 268-8556<br />

tutoringclub.com/jacksonvillefl<br />

The Tutoring Club of Jacksonville<br />

is the perfect tutoring solution for<br />

students of all academic levels,<br />

kindergarten through 12th grade.<br />

Tutoring Club offers individualized<br />

instruction with enthusiastic tutors<br />

through its exclusive TutorAid<br />

programs for math help; reading and<br />

English help; writing; SAT and ACT<br />

prep; study skills; homework help; and<br />

more. For more information, call (904)<br />

268-8556 or visit tutoringclub.com/<br />

jacksonvillefl.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Home Organizer<br />

Tailored Living Featuring Premier<br />

Garage<br />

11651 Central Parkway, Suite 112<br />

Jacksonville 32224<br />

(904) 645-0885<br />

Since 2005, Tailored Living<br />

Featuring Premier Garage has helped<br />

more than 5,000 homeowners in<br />

Northeast Florida transform their<br />

garage and closets into attractive,<br />

organized spaces. They are the largest<br />

whole home organization company<br />

with more installations than any other<br />

local company in Jacksonville.<br />

Shops of Jax<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Antique Shop<br />

Eco Relics<br />

106 Stockton St., Jacksonville 32204<br />

(904) 330-0074<br />

ecorelics.com<br />

Eco Relics is committed to supplying<br />

you with antiques, architectural<br />

remnants, custom creations and<br />

unique home building supplies. Eco<br />

Relics puts the finishing touches on<br />

their custom wood shop; if you’re<br />

looking for that perfect piece, Eco<br />

Relics will bring your design ideas to<br />

life!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Boutique<br />

Love a Bridal Boutique<br />

434 3rd St. North, Jacksonville Beach 32250<br />

(904) 242-9800<br />

lovebridalboutique.com<br />

Love has been open in the heart<br />

of beautiful Jacksonville Beach since<br />

2007. The boutique strives to provide<br />

each bride with a personalized,<br />

exciting experience in a laid-back,<br />

comfortable environment. Carrying<br />

a wide variety of bridal gowns from<br />

beachy-boho and glitzy-glam to classic<br />

and traditional, Love enjoys helping<br />

brides with any wedding style.


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 35<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Children’s Store<br />

Once Upon a Child<br />

Multiple locations<br />

onceuponachildjaxnorth.com<br />

Once Upon a Child is the nation’s<br />

leading buyer and seller of new<br />

and gently used children’s clothes,<br />

furniture, equipment and toys. They<br />

pay cash the same day for your kid’s<br />

stuff that is in great condition. Their<br />

four locations in Jacksonville are open<br />

seven days a week.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Furniture Store<br />

Ashley HomeStore<br />

Multiple Locations<br />

(904) 880-5860<br />

ashleyfurniture.com<br />

A portion of every purchase made<br />

at your local Ashley HomeStore goes<br />

back into the community. We love our<br />

community and we love our customers.<br />

Visit your local showroom today and<br />

you'll see why Ashley continues to be<br />

the top furniture brand in the world and<br />

why your local Ashley HomeStores have<br />

furnished almost one in every three<br />

homes in Jacksonville!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Garden Shop/Nursery<br />

Earth Works Landscape and<br />

Garden Center<br />

12501 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville 32246<br />

(904) 996-0712<br />

earthworksjax.com<br />

Earth Works is excited to be voted<br />

as <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Garden Center.<br />

Customers can stop by and stroll<br />

through their one-of-a-kind garden<br />

showroom today. Earth Works'<br />

friendly, knowledgeable staff is here to<br />

help you with all your exterior design<br />

needs. Whether you are a gardening<br />

enthusiast or you simply want to<br />

beautify your outdoor space, their<br />

Garden Center has what you need.<br />

From beautiful palms, trees, shrubs,<br />

flowers and veggies to a huge selection<br />

of pottery, fountains, garden art, pond<br />

supplies and much more, Earth Works<br />

has something for everyone.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Grocery Store<br />

Publix<br />

Multiple locations<br />

publix.com<br />

For more than 85 years, Publix has<br />

been the premier food retailer the<br />

Photo provided by Grassroots Natural Market<br />

Grassroots Natural Market is a local, independent and family-owned natural<br />

foods market that has been serving the Jacksonville community for almost 10<br />

years.<br />

community knows and loves. They<br />

are the largest and fastest-growing<br />

employee-owned supermarket chain<br />

in the United States.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Hardware Store<br />

Ace Hardware<br />

Multiple locations<br />

acehardware.com<br />

Each Ace Hardware Store is a familyowned<br />

local business that offers<br />

personal relationships with customers.<br />

Ace stores have a wide variety of paint,<br />

lawn and garden, tools, local niche<br />

services and virtually anything you’ll<br />

ever need to fix, repair and maintain<br />

your home. Getting help at Ace is like<br />

going to your neighbor.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Health Food Store<br />

Grassroots Natural Market<br />

2007 Park St., Jacksonville 32204<br />

(904) 384-4474<br />

thegrassrootsmarket.com<br />

Grassroots Natural Market wants<br />

to thank Jacksonville for voting them<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Health Food Store in the <strong>2016</strong><br />

<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> contest! Grassroots feels<br />

it is truly an honor to be included,<br />

and looks forward to their 10-year<br />

anniversary serving the community as<br />

a local, independent and family-owned<br />

natural foods market.<br />

Most Unique Shop<br />

Eco Relics<br />

106 Stockton St., Jacksonville 32204<br />

(904) 330-0074<br />

ecorelics.com<br />

Eco Relics is committed to supplying<br />

you with antiques, architectural<br />

remnants, custom creations and<br />

unique home building supplies. Eco<br />

Relics puts the finishing touches on<br />

their custom wood shop; if you’re<br />

looking for that perfect piece, Eco<br />

Relics will bring your design ideas to<br />

life!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> E-Cig/Vapor Store<br />

All Day Vape<br />

4195 Southside Blvd. #101, Jacksonville 32216<br />

(904) 524-8792<br />

facebook.com/TheAllDayVape<br />

All Day Vape is Jacksonville's<br />

premier vape and e-cigarette<br />

superstore with friendly,<br />

knowledgeable and respectful staff<br />

members ready to assist you. Current<br />

and previous smokers will find<br />

the largest variety of high-quality<br />

e-cigarettes and MODs in North<br />

Florida, a huge selection of more than<br />

200 e-liquids, and other vape products<br />

and accessories.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Jewelry Store<br />

Global Diamonds<br />

4870 Big Island Drive, Suite 1<br />

Jacksonville 32246


36 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

(904) 515-5959<br />

globaldiamondsusa.com<br />

Global Diamonds wants to thank<br />

Jacksonville for voting them as<br />

<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Jewelry Store! Global<br />

Diamonds is honored to be a part of<br />

your most important life celebrations,<br />

and revolutionizing the way you<br />

buy diamonds and fine jewelry in<br />

Jacksonville.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Liquor Store<br />

Broudy's Liquors<br />

Broudy’s Fine Wine and Spirits<br />

Multiple locations<br />

broudys.com<br />

Broudy’s Fine Wine and Spirits<br />

offers wine, beer and liquor, as well<br />

as delivery service in Fleming Island,<br />

Jacksonville Beach, Fruit Cove and St.<br />

Augustine.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Mall/Shopping Center<br />

St. Johns Town Center<br />

4663 River <strong>City</strong> Drive, Jacksonville 32246<br />

(904) 998-7156<br />

Photo provided by Green Acres Sporting Goods<br />

Green Acres Sporting Goods has been serving the Jacksonville community<br />

for more than 45 years, selling premium sporting goods for the outdoorsman<br />

including firearms, archery, fishing equipment and accessories.<br />

simon.com/mall/st-johns-town-center <br />

St. Johns Town Center represents<br />

the heart of shopping and dining in<br />

Jacksonville. The outdoor lifestyle mall<br />

is home to 150 stores, many exclusive<br />

in the market, including Dillard’s,<br />

Apple, Pottery Barn and Nordstrom, as<br />

well as shops in the palm-lined streets<br />

of the luxury collection such as Louis<br />

Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and Mayors.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Pawn Shop<br />

Mayport Gun and Pawn<br />

2294 Mayport Road, Suite 25<br />

Atlantic Beach 32233<br />

(904) 853-5971<br />

Mayport Gun and Pawn is located<br />

in Atlantic Beach. The shop sells guns<br />

and gun accessories, jewelry, bulletproof<br />

vests and much more.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Gun Shop<br />

Green Acres Sporting Goods<br />

8774 Normandy Blvd., Jacksonville 32221<br />

(904) 786-5166<br />

jaxgreenacres.com<br />

Green Acres Sporting Goods<br />

is a family-owned, full-service<br />

premium sporting goods store for<br />

the outdoorsman. It sells firearms,<br />

archery, fishing equipment and<br />

accessories. The store also includes a<br />

full-time gunsmith, and archery and<br />

fishing pro shops. Green Acres has<br />

been serving Jacksonville for more<br />

than 45 years.


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 37<br />

Photo provided by Divine Mercy House Thrift Store<br />

All proceeds from the Divine Mercy House Thrift Store are used to support<br />

Divine Mercy House, a residence and program for adult woman experiencing<br />

unsupported pregnancy.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Gift Shop<br />

Avondale Gift Boutique<br />

3650 St. Johns Ave., Jacksonville 32205<br />

(904) 387-9557<br />

agbjax.com<br />

Avondale Gift Boutique is a “must<br />

visit” gift shop amongst the Historic<br />

shops of Avondale. For more than 30<br />

years, Avondale Gift Boutique has<br />

been providing the Jacksonville and<br />

North Florida area with a wonderful<br />

selection of unique gift items for<br />

all the special people in your life …<br />

including you!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Shoe Store<br />

Foot Solutions<br />

4126 3rd St. S., Jacksonville Beach 32250<br />

(904) 247-0460<br />

footsolutions.com/jacksonvillebeach<br />

Foot Solutions is a leading<br />

international retailer specializing<br />

in personalized assessments,<br />

stylish high-performance footwear,<br />

custom-fitted, custom-crafted arch<br />

supports, and accessories designed<br />

to help individuals live pain-free and<br />

comfortably. Thank you Jacksonville<br />

for voting Foot Solutions <strong>Best</strong><br />

Shoe Store and <strong>Best</strong> Foot Comfort<br />

Specialist two years in a row!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Thrift Shop<br />

Divine Mercy House Thrift Store<br />

11018 Old St Augustine Road, Suite 141<br />

Jacksonville 32257<br />

divinemercyhouse.org<br />

Divine Mercy House Thrift Store<br />

wants to give a special thanks to all<br />

patrons and volunteers. All proceeds<br />

from the Divine Mercy House Thrift<br />

Store are used to support Divine Mercy<br />

House, a residence and program<br />

for adult woman experiencing<br />

unsupported pregnancy. For more<br />

information, visit divinemercyhouse.<br />

org.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Vintage Shop<br />

Eco Relics<br />

106 Stockton St., Jacksonville 32204<br />

(904) 330-0074<br />

ecorelics.com<br />

Eco Relics is committed to supplying<br />

you with antiques, architectural<br />

remnants, custom creations and<br />

unique home building supplies. Eco<br />

Relics puts the finishing touches on<br />

their custom wood shop; if you’re<br />

looking for that perfect piece, Eco<br />

Relics will bring your design ideas to<br />

life!<br />

People, Faces &<br />

Places of Jax<br />

<strong>Best</strong> TV Anchor<br />

Tom Wills<br />

Tom Wills, News4Jax News Anchor,<br />

recently marked his<br />

40th anniversary with<br />

Channel 4 and, no, he<br />

has no plans to retire<br />

anytime soon.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Radio<br />

Personality/Host<br />

Melissa Ross<br />

Melissa Ross is the host of WJCT's<br />

First Coast Connect, a one-hour<br />

radio call-in program featuring local<br />

newsmakers, civic and community<br />

leaders, arts, activities and more,<br />

along with spot news features and a<br />

weekly roundtable of local journalists.<br />

Listeners are<br />

invited to join<br />

the conversation<br />

Monday through<br />

Friday at 9 a.m.<br />

on 89.9 FM<br />

via: Twitter: @<br />

MelissainJax,<br />

email: firstcoastconnect@wjct.org or<br />

comment on Facebook at First Coast<br />

Connect.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Newspaper Reporter/<br />

Columnist<br />

Mark Woods<br />

Mark Woods<br />

has been the<br />

Metro columnist<br />

for the Florida<br />

Times-Union and<br />

Jacksonville.com<br />

since 2003. He is<br />

also the author of<br />

Lassoing the Sun:<br />

A Year in America's<br />

National Parks.


38 • SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Local<br />

Celebrity<br />

Tim Tebow<br />

Jacksonville<br />

native Tim<br />

Tebow is an<br />

American<br />

football<br />

quarterback.<br />

He is currently<br />

a free agent<br />

who has<br />

received attention for his athletic skills<br />

as well as public displays of religious<br />

faith, both on and off the field.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Visionary of Jacksonville<br />

Wayne Wood<br />

Wayne Wood is the founder of<br />

Riverside Avondale Preservation and<br />

the Riverside Arts Market.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Person in Public Office<br />

Lenny Curry<br />

<strong>City</strong> of Jacksonville<br />

117 W. Duval St., Suite 400, Jacksonville 32202<br />

(904) 630-3404<br />

COJ.net<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Local Sports Hero<br />

Tim Tebow<br />

Jacksonville native Tim Tebow is an<br />

American football quarterback. He is<br />

currently a free agent who has received<br />

attention for his athletic skills as well<br />

as public displays of religious faith,<br />

both on and off the field.<br />

<strong>Bold</strong>est Person<br />

of Jacksonville’s Past<br />

Jake Godbold<br />

Jake Maurice Godbold is an<br />

American politician of the Democratic<br />

Party. He served as mayor of<br />

Jacksonville from 1978 to 1987.<br />

<strong>Bold</strong>est Person<br />

of Jacksonville’s Present<br />

J.D. Blair – Mad Men Marketing<br />

301 E. Bay St., Suite 3, Jacksonville 32202<br />

madmenmarketinginc.com<br />

(904) 355-1766<br />

Mad Men Marketing is a full-service<br />

ad agency. J.D. Blair has been leading<br />

the creative strategy at Mad Men since<br />

2011.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Place to Work — Large<br />

(100+ employees)<br />

D.R. Horton<br />

4220 Race Track Road, Jacksonville 32259<br />

(904) 421-4601<br />

drhorton.com/nfl<br />

D.R. Horton is America’s No.<br />

1 homebuilder. The name is<br />

synonymous with affordability<br />

and personalized service. With its<br />

expanded family of Express and<br />

Emerald brands, homebuyers are sure<br />

to find a home that suits their lifestyle<br />

and budget in one of D.R. Horton's<br />

many communities throughout<br />

Northeast Florida.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Place to Work — Medium<br />

(25-99 employees)<br />

Corporate Traffic Logistics<br />

2002 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville 32216<br />

(904) 727-0051<br />

corporate-traffic.com<br />

At Corporate Traffic, never settle is<br />

more than a motto. It’s a quantifiable<br />

mentality that all its employees and<br />

partners employ to get clients the<br />

results they need. Corporate Traffic<br />

offers full-service logistics capabilities<br />

and a commitment to deliver solutions<br />

that are tailored to its clients.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Place to Work — Small<br />

(less than 25 employees)<br />

Orangetheory Fitness<br />

11111 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville 32223<br />

orangetheoryfitness.com<br />

Orangetheory Fitness Jacksonville is<br />

all about excellence, passion, integrity<br />

and community. Orangetheory’s<br />

staff and coaches are the best in the<br />

business. Working at Orangetheory<br />

Fitness is like working for a family<br />

that cares about fitness, healthy<br />

living, friendship and the Jacksonville<br />

community. It’s the best place to work<br />

because and it’s the best workout in the<br />

nation!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> New Business<br />

(as of Aug. 1, 2015)<br />

Orangetheory Fitness – Fleming<br />

Island<br />

1615 County Road 220, Fleming Island 32003<br />

orangetheoryfitness.com<br />

Lenny Curry is the Mayor of the<br />

<strong>City</strong> of Jacksonville. Jacksonville<br />

is the largest city by land mass<br />

in the continental U.S., serving<br />

approximately 850,000 residents.<br />

Located in Duval County, <strong>City</strong> of<br />

Jacksonville leadership includes the<br />

mayor and a 19-member <strong>City</strong> Council.<br />

To learn more about the <strong>City</strong> of<br />

Jacksonville, visit COJ.net.<br />

Photos provided by the <strong>City</strong> of Jacksonville<br />

Mayor Lenny Curry has been in office<br />

since 2015. He’s also a two-time<br />

winner of <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Best</strong> Person in<br />

Public Office.


SEPTEMBER 18, <strong>2016</strong> THE TIMES-UNION • 39<br />

Orangethoery Fitness wants to<br />

thank Jacksonville for making it<br />

the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong>'s <strong>Best</strong> Fitness Center<br />

and New Business. Orangetheory<br />

is committed to providing the best<br />

workout in the country with a passion<br />

for fitness and health. Keep it Orange,<br />

Jacksonville!<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Private School — Primary<br />

Education<br />

Lighthouse Christian School<br />

Multiple locations<br />

lighthousechristianschool.net<br />

Lighthouse Christian School is a<br />

Christian school designed for the child<br />

who wants to attend, but academically<br />

can’t keep up. The school’s goal is to<br />

be the beacon of hope to show you the<br />

way.<br />

<strong>Best</strong> Private School —<br />

Secondary Education<br />

Lighthouse Christian School<br />

Multiple locations<br />

lighthousechristianschool.net<br />

Lighthouse Christian School is a<br />

Christian school designed for the child<br />

Photo provided by Lighthouse Christian School<br />

Lighthouse Christian School wins <strong>Best</strong> Private School for primary education and secondary education in the <strong>2016</strong> <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />

<strong>Best</strong> contest.<br />

who wants to attend, but academically<br />

can’t keep up. The school’s goal is to<br />

be the beacon of hope to show you the<br />

way.<br />

Photo provided by Lighthouse Christian School<br />

Lighthouse Christian School is a Christian school designed for the child who<br />

wants to attend, but academically can't keep up.

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