Best restaurant in Fernandina Beach?

[JGo]

Hi - I will be vacationing there soon - actually Amelia Island - and am looking for a venue for a special dinner. Price does not matter - looking for the most delicious place. Any recommendations much appreciated. Have been to Plae in Amelia but looking for something different (even though we thought it was pretty good)

[dls]

I recently had dinner at Salt, the flagship restaurant at the Ritz Carlton on AI. The food, service, and ambience is probably the best in the area.

If you feel like venturing out a bit, Bistro Aix in Jacksonville is always a good call. It's about a 30-45 minute drive from AI.

[robyn]

I recently had dinner at Salt, the flagship restaurant at the Ritz Carlton on AI. The food, service, and ambience is probably the best in the area.

If you feel like venturing out a bit, Bistro Aix in Jacksonville is always a good call. It's about a 30-45 minute drive from AI.

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What did you think of Salt? Better than the old restaurant? Did you have the tasting menu? We had lunch at the RC a month or so ago (and it was quite good) - but haven't had time to get up there for dinner at Salt yet. Robyn

[dls]

I recently had dinner at Salt, the flagship restaurant at the Ritz Carlton on AI. The food, service, and ambience is probably the best in the area.

If you feel like venturing out a bit, Bistro Aix in Jacksonville is always a good call. It's about a 30-45 minute drive from AI.

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What did you think of Salt? Better than the old restaurant? Did you have the tasting menu? We had lunch at the RC a month or so ago (and it was quite good) - but haven't had time to get up there for dinner at Salt yet. Robyn

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Robyn....

I liked Salt very much and would certainly recommend it. Though the predecessor restaurant was quite nice, I prefer the current offering. I'm sure that the "Old Guard" would probably disagree with me.

No tasting menu here. Didn't know that they had one though it seems logical that they would. My meal there was a business dinner for 4. I've found that tasting menus are difficult under those circumstances. Also, I never saw the regular menu. My plane to JAX arrived 2 hours late and I knew I would be pushing it to make the scheduled reservation time. About 20 minutes out, I called my guests, who were having appetizers and cocktails in the lounge, and told them to take the table. I also told them to order a drink, look over the menu, and order something for me that I might like. It worked out fine. Five minutes after I sat down, I was served a wonderful lobster and goat cheese ravioli dish. I'm not sure if it was a special or off of the regular menu.

I'll be back in JAX in a couple of weeks and, following the conclusion of my business, intend to check into the RC for an evening and revisit Salt in a more relaxed fashion.

[robyn]

We popped in and took a look at the restaurant while we were up there. It does have a tasting menu. Ask to take a look at it next time you're there. Robyn

[gfweb]

We ate at Salt recently, at the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island....I was very disappointed. It isn't up to the old Grille's standards and the food fell far short of the price tag. Details?

All land animal entrees are served with no side dishs, as in a steakhouse. Sides are $8, but the portion is miniscule unlike that in a steakhouse.

$56 for filet and lobster entree.

Bison Rib Eye was plentiful, but tough and not cooked to our order, side dish of potatoes/cauliflower/cheese was presented elegantly on a long shallow rectangular dish that got the food to room temperature very quickly. Not good.

Duck was a tiny and fatty bit of meat. I've had far better.

Prawns and scallops w/ potato done three ways...was actually two scallops, one small 50 count shrimp, and a crab's claw meat...all sitting in what tasted like warm salty potato soup, with two other bits of potato in it.

So much was wrong or ill-thought-out that I doubt that the place just had a bad night.

Unfortunately, places like this live off of the expense accounts of visiting folks who are a constant stream. They need no repeat business.

Better places on Amelia are Le Clos, Beech Street Grille, & Embers.

Edited April 12, 2007 by gfweb (log)

[robyn]

It's really sad to hear that. I thought the old restaurant was a total bore - and had hoped that the new place would be more contemporary. If I want a steak - I can make an excellent one at home on my grill. If I want bison - I can drive over to Ted's Montana Grill 15 minutes away (and have a bison anything at a fraction of the Ritz Carlton price).

We know the executive chef up there (we live about an hour south) - and have had some really nice lunches in the casual dining room in the last few months or so. They were better than the sound of the stuff you had at Salt. Robyn

P.S. The Ritz Carlton caters to a lot of golfers in the spring and fall - many of whom are on personal vacations. And people from the south on "beach vacations" in the summer. So it's not a totally expense-account dominated place. Robyn

Edited April 15, 2007 by robyn (log)

[gfweb]

We tried a newer restaurant in Fernandina last week, "29 South". Pretty darn good. The crowd is a bit younger than the Beech St/Le Clos patrons. Food is of the same quality, but a bit more adventurous eg Fried Green Tomatoes stuffed w/ chevre. Well worth a trip.

[robyn]

We went to the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island yesterday night for my birthday and had dinner at Salt. First time we've dined at Salt. Jordi Valles - who had only been there a short time - is gone - back to Miami. And there is a new chef in his place - Richard Gras.

We thought the meal was excellent. It was basically a small course - but not too many courses - menu. Some courses were probably regular tasting menu items. But we also had some things I specially requested ahead of time (including squab and a pear dessert). I know the Executive Chef there - but I am sure the restaurant would be willing to work on a special menu for anyone given sufficient notice assuming it is not a night when the restaurant is slammed (this is low season here in NE Florida now - so things at the hotel were somewhat slow).

In addition - my husband asked the restaurant to pair wines with the courses - and it did a fine job in that regard. Service was polished and friendly.

I'm glad I am able to report that I can give our first dining experience at Salt a big thumb's up. Robyn

[gfweb]

We went to the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island yesterday night for my birthday and had dinner at Salt. 

I'm glad I am able to report that I can give our first dining experience at Salt a big thumb's up.  Robyn

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It is great to hear that things have changed from our night of horror last spring. A new chef is what was needed. Sounds like he's the man!

[gfweb]

We checked out Salt last night. After the bad experience a while back I'm happy to say that things were what they should have been this time. A bit pricey, all things considered, but just fine.

[robyn]

Glad (as a local) to hear that. I think the new chef is a good fit with this restaurant. Robyn

[gfweb]

You might want to check out JDs Chophouse, a newish place on A1A near Yulee. It is in a strip of shops and doesnt look like much from the outside. We had lunch there, which was great. The dinner menu looked equally good.

On the other hand, a new place "Thyme", just onto the island, on A1A needs work. The decor is very bizarre, with lime green and red crystal chandeliers that belong in a bordello. Menu is Italianish and not cheap, but the food wasn't executed well, e.g. veal saltimboca had burned prosciutto on it and was in a brown sauce that tasted neither of wine nor sage. Service was great though.

[gfweb]

My spies have told me that Down Under has closed. It was a fish place under the A1A bridge over the Amelia river. It looked like a dump, but had great crab and local stuff.

Anybody know why it folded?