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new dining in old style

    If you’re searching for the newest dining hotspot in Jacksonville, take a ride to Avondale and sit down to a terrific meal at the Preservation Tap & Chop House. The restaurant is the creation of Drew Cavins, who also owns the downright delicious Mossfire Grill in 5 Points. The Preservation is decorated in vibrant, dramatic red, black and white. From the decorating to the menu with a Southern flair, the high-living, pre-Depression 30s are captured here. Says Cavins “I wanted it to be a neighborhood place with an elegant ambiance…I wanted to create what a restaurant in the 1930s in Jacksonville might be like.”

    There are plenty of dining nooks and areas to eat on the ground floor of the Riverside restaurant, including a small patio area that’s popular during lunch and early dinner. Looking at the restaurant from the outside, you’ll see that it is two stories. Behind the single window with a flowerbox on the second story, is the kitchen, where all the magic happens. I had heard that the service was pretty rocky to begin with, but that was before they installed the dumbwaiter for dirty dishes, which meant that servers had to climb those stairs more frequently. The wait staff now seems inured to working in the unusual layout, so the service is exemplary, not at all neglectful.

    Although every aspect of their menu has moments worth celebrating, the entrees are definitely the stars of the show. Whether you want to keep it fairly inexpensive with their Cherry Chicken with Goat Cheese for less than twenty dollars, or try the porterhouse for more than thirty, you will never feel as though it wasn’t worth the price. The portions are healthy and the sauces are second-to-none. Anyone can cook a good 12-ounce filet at home (ostensibly), but the sauces and sides make these dishes one-of-a-kind. If you can’t afford to go all the way filet, try the beef tips, but be sure to get the cheddar mashed potatoes with it because the sauce on the tips is the perfect marriage to the potatoes.

    The Preservation Tap & Chop House already seems to have a following with the dinner crowd in Avondale, but they offer some truly tasty lunch selections as well. Carnivores will adore the Prime Rib Panini. This sandwich is smothered with Swiss cheese and comes with an au jus dipping sauce and any of their Southern sides. All of the sides seem to be earning praise, and I am positively in love with the collard green au gratin!

    Some of the more unusual and contemporary salads include the turkey tandoori and Lobster Cobb salads. I took pleasure in the fluffy bib lettuce of the warm brie, pecan and pear salad, which was served with a sweet-but-tart rosemary honey vinaigrette.

    The appetizer selections have become fast-favorites with Jacksonville foodies. Enjoy the oyster shooters, classic fried green tomatoes with goat cheese, shrimp and gouda-cheese grits or the smoked salmon on potato crisp with cream cheese. Try the crab cake accompanied by a rich, butter caper sauce with a light touch of Dijon, which plays well with the flavor of the crab cakes and is made slightly snappy with finely diced bell pepper.

    If you’re dining with a group of three or more, you might want to consider saving room for the Preservation’s Grand Dessert. It’s just like an appetizer sampler platter, but instead of appetizers, they serve up a variety of mini-desserts for you to sample. My favorite was the blueberry bread pudding served with a dizzyingly good bourbon cream sauce. There seems to be a dessert for every palate on the long plate. There’s the mint-infused chocolate mousse grasshopper, a mini-crème brüleé, a mini-key-lime pie, mini-pecan pie and more!

    One thing to note about the Chop House is that they hit a variety of price points, so you can eat out in a swanky atmosphere without spending a mint. But, if you do want to go high end, they’ve got that option as well, with savory steaks, seafood and specialty items. The wine list is also reasonably priced, but if you’re out to celebrate and want a bottle from about $60-$300, ask for the other wine menu. Besides the wines, they’ve got a solid selection of beers and a full bar.

    Even if you aren’t spending hundreds of dollars on your meal (items go for as little as $6), you’ll still get a unique, chic dining experience at the Preservation Tap & ChopHouse.

Info: 3951 St. Johns Ave (904) 387-5700
Cost: $$$

Cost Guide
$ = under ten dollars for a single person
$$ = over ten to twenty for a single person
$$$ = over twenty to thirty-five for a single person
$$$$ = thirty-five and up for a single person