Cowford. Chophouse.

I’ve been waiting a long time for you..

But seriously, being tempted by the loong construction of this beauty was a slow torture. Plus, being that I work just across the street only made it worse. But. Once it did open, it did not disappoint. If you’re familiar with the old Barnett Building in downtown, you may remember the jaguar that would seem to follow you as you traveled by the building. I was disheartened when I found out that they were not keeping that landmark, but the designers were able to find the perfect way of incorporating it into the renovations.

HIgh ceilings, polished floors, and black and white decor with luxe accents greet you upon arrival. As you walk up the three levels, pictures on the walls narrate the demolition and rebuilding of the entire space, including the finding of safes with valuable items still in it.



Each floor told it’s own story. The first floor welcomed you in and drew your attention to the wine cellars on display and the huge, comfy rounded booths that faced the bar. The second floor is held for private dining and events.



With the impressive wine lockers and masterpieces, there is definitely more than meets the eye at Cowford Chophouse.

The third floor is the rooftop and is beyond beautiful with a view of the St. John’s River and Main Street Bridge.

The staff were friendly, and besides a long wait, the food was outstanding. The salmon tartar was a delight to the eyes.

I ordered the oysters and was impressed that the chefs were genius to include a lemon sachet that prevented the seeds from dropping in the shells and a raspberry mignonette to dip the oysters in.

The she-crab soup is just as good as it sounds. It lived up to its name and did not leave me feeling gypped.

All in all, this place was amazing.

P.S. Check out this Cinnamon Bun Brulee, one of their amazingly decadent desserts.

Don’t be jealous. Go see for yourself.

XO,

KB+Co.

Cowford Chophouse is located at 101 East Bay Street Jacksonville, FL 322202

Hours of Operation:

M-Th:11am-10pm

F:11am-11pm

Sat:3pm-11pm

Sun:3pm-9pm

Phone: 904-862-6464

Website:cowfordchophouse.com

Breezy Jazz Club: Jacksonville's Coolest Breeze

There’s a new club in town, and I am all the way here for it.

Breezy Jazz Club opened Friday in downtown Jacksonville and I was there to witness their grand opening. Jazz~Dine~Good Times is their motto and they did not disappoint.

The atmosphere was everything you would imagine of the like-regal, relaxed and sultry. The house was packed as Akia Uwanda and her band performed and the wine listings were perfect.

Thea, the owner, and her family were great hosts and the staff made sure you were comfortable and satisfied. I say this because we were visited multiple times by management and staff making sure we were taken care of.

I’m excited for the potential of Breezy. This is exactly what downtown needs to break the monotony of bars and...boredom. All are welcome to enjoy the music and atmosphere all night long or even for Sunday Brunch. They have a list of upcoming artists and events and I can’t wait to see the impact they will have. Breezy Jazz Club, thanks for waking up Jacksonville.

Breezy Jazz Club is located at:
119 West Adams Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202

Check out their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/BreezyJazzClub/



Till Next Time,

KB+Co.

Saturday Food Parties with Never_Starve_Again

Last Saturday I was invited to a food social by my dear friend, Nichole. It was in support of her friend Ira, the genius behind Never_Starve_Again, and boasted of an Asian inspired menu. Now, I’m convinced I have filipino in my blood since working side-by-side with them for a whole year. They introduced me to turon and I introduced my family to pancit. But even though they didn’t have turon, the food was still the bomb.com. So authentic and just enough spice to loosen us up. Plus, they had Hennessy at the bar so I knew they were my kind of people. Enjoy the pictures below, just remember I’m not a pro or anything..

Korean Garlic Fried Chicken with sweet sauce, Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Satay Kabobs, Pork Kabobs, and Sticky Rice. I now understand the hype of KFC..

Thai Tea. This. Was. Amazing. The perfect remedy to that Papaya Salad with the kind of heat sneaks you.

I can’t wait to attend the next one. Ira, your food was amazing and good luck with your catering business!

Till Next Time,

KB+Co.

A Different World

February has been a whirlwind of change. I moved into my new place, began a new hair journey and started a new series on Netflix.

Since moving into my own place, I've been on a cooking spree. Of course, none of these recipes are my own (thanks, Pinterest), but I added my own twist to them.

Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini noodles. SN: Don't peel the zucchini if you're into aesthetics.

                                 

Kale-llard greens. ha.

Brown Sugar Baked Peaches. Just call me Paula Deen.

Beef and Broccoli. Panda who?

Nectarine Mozzarella stack with Balsamic glaze. Stacking is complicated. Especially with dealing with fruit and cheese, so excuse how ugly it is. It tasted amazing tho.

Plussss, my job had a Crockpots for Charity event and I was a crowd favorite. #ILoveMyJob.

Now. Can I just talk about A Different World? I've been binge watching this show for the past few weeks, but only because it's six seasons of 23 episodes each.

So if you're looking for me, I'll be watching Whitley run from Dwayne's love.

          Till Next Time,

KB + Co.

Tuesday

Attending college has taught me a few things in my lifetime: The Freshman 15 is very accurate. It is very possible to write a paper the night before its due and get an A on it. And always, always, take advantage of discount days. Taco Tuesdays. Greek Sundays at Moe’s. $5 pizzas at Dominoes. Fast forward two years and have I forgotten these golden nuggets of wisdom? Heck no! If anything, the last nugget is still very relevant today (see: Monday). We’ve just upgraded from $5 foot longs to $6 oyster dozens at The Fish Co. I can’t believe I’ve been sleep on them! They’re 5 minutes from  Atlantic Beach and have oysters by the tons. Which is a good idea since the wait was an hour for a table.


Their shrimp dip and oyster shooters made it all better though.

             

  

Then this happened.

And that was all she wrote.

Till Next Time,

KB+Co.

Sunday

This weekend my parents and co. went on a couples’ trip to the mountains. SN: I can’t wait to get a real boo just to go on these trips that my family raves about.  This prompted me to play babysitter/homemaker, successfully making two new recipes. The first was granola. On my lifelong journey of becoming vegan, I figured granola was a good starting point. I found this recipe on good ole Pinterest, but made it my own based on the ingredients I had at home.

The recipe was simple: mix all wet and dry ingredients separately; then combine it all in one bowl and spread on a cookie sheet.

                                                 

Bake for 45 minutes and then let it cool. The results: crunchy, savory greatness. This barely lasted the week!!

Then, for dinner, I made seafood enchiladas. My mom made them a few weeks back and…well, don’t they say the best form of flattery is imitation?

I made my own variation of sofrito and added alfredo sauce, shrimp and crab.            

Now. At this point, the pot looked so good, I was tempted to stop cooking right then. We could’ve skipped the extra 30 or so more minutes it would’ve taken to finish the meal and just ate straight out of the pot. But alas, the chef in me wouldn’t let that be, so I trudged on. The hardest part was assembling them because the temptation was strong. We even went Live to document the process.

In the end, we barely let it cool before devouring it. The only change I would make is substituting the tortillas for lasagna noodles. Anyway, it was the bomb.com.

I may be onto something with this cooking thing..

KB+Co.