Matt M I have always been a big fan of the French Pantry at its Power’s Avenue location in Jacksonville. The vibe was always cool, where you are dining with people you don’t know and even seeing the occasional celebrity on a visit. The St Augustine version is very very different, more like a traditional restaurant, so without the first location’s quirks.
First, I need to tell you that this is a very different location, it features:
- full bar
- dinner hours (open till 8:00 PM)
- a private dining room
- cooking classes
- dinner menu
- a beautiful and large dining room.
Second, the things you found great at the original location:
- fabulous desserts
- bang bang shrimp
- bruschetta in all shapes and sizes
- all your favorites
But you want to read about the food, not my comparison of the two locations:
Beer - good selection of beer and wine, we tried the Intuition Beer that is so popular in this area. It did lot disappoint.
Truffle Fries - thinly sliced, served with a delicious homemade aoli.
French Onion Soup - traditional presentation, but a slightly sweeter finish. I did not love it, but the cheese and bread were delicious.
Bang Bang Shrimp Po Boy - delicious presentation, perfectly cooked shrimp, really delicious.
Chicken Pesto Pannini - this was very dry, and I really think I was missing the pesto, so I used the aoli I mentioned earlier. Presentation and the dryness just did not impress me.
Oatmeal Cookie - I love a good oatmeal cookie, and this was good.
Wedding Cake - another delicious choice.
I have to say I favor the original location, mostly because I hate change. But the fact that they serve alcohol, are open for dinner and have cooking classes, this is French Pantry 2.0x
