Florida

After our tour of Fort Clinch, I was exhausted, so we went back to the Residence Inn to rest and take a nap until it was time to go to dinner. Our dinner the last night in Amelia Island was courtesy of the owner of BarZin.

BarZin is a discreet place with low lights. Hushed conversations, and laughter were heard all around us. The owner came to our table to greet us, and welcome us to his establishment. Then our waiter, Daniel, brought menus. There was a Restaurant Week Menu, and the regular menu, but we were told we could order whatever we wanted.

Fabgrandpa and I both ordered appetizers from the Restaurant Week menu. He had the Warm Beets Hearts of Palm Salad, and I had the Crab Cakes (no surprise there, I am sure). But before the appetizers arrived, we started out with a glass of Riesling, my favorite of wines. It was delicious!

When the appetizers were served, conversation ceased. Fabgrandpa loves beets. He said his salad was very good. I could tell that he liked it because it disappeared from his plate.

My Crab Cakes were delicious also, and were served with a rooster remoulade sauce:

For his entree, Fabgrandpa chose the Scallop Shrimp Pasta with Saffron Broth. It was a generous serving and very good. The broth was lightly seasoned, and the seafood cooked just right with luscious jumbo shrimp and large scallops.

I ordered the Chicken with Chard, White Beans, and Pancetta. It was like a bean soup with chard, pancetta, and rosemary, with a piece of roasted chicken served in the bowl. I will be making this one at home soon! It was very good.

We were both almost full, but this time we did save room for dessert. Daniel brought out a piece of cheesecake, and a piece of chocolate cake. We shared them both, and I almost did not get a picture of them before they were gone!

We really enjoyed our dinner at BarZin!. If you love a good glass of wine with your meal, this is the place to go in Fernandina Beach. There is a varied selection of entrees on the menu, too. In addition to the ones we ordered, there is Potato Asiago Gnocchi, Blackened Shrimp with spicy sausage in a cream sauce, Fresh Catch, Butchers Selection, and more.

BarZin is located at 4924 First Coast Highway, Suite 10, Fernandina Beach, Florida. You can reach them at 904-310-6620. For information on hours and directions, click here.

While we were in Fernandina Beach for Amelia Island Restaurant Week, we stopped in to explore Fort Clinch State Park. I did not get a picture of the entrance, but the main road inside the park is a beautiful road, and I stopped frequently to take pictures of the Spanish Moss hanging in the oak trees along the way.  I think I must have at least thirty pictures that look just like that one up there.

Fort Clinch, an actual working fort during the Civil War, was established in 1842, when the United States government purchased a tract of land on the northern end of Amelia Island at the Florida-Georgia border. The military installation was to be built on the property to guard the mouth of the St. Mary’s River, and protect the interior shipping.

Construction began on the fort in 1847 and progressed slowly. So slowly, in fact that by 1860 only two bastions and one third of the brick wall was completed. At the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, Confederate militia quietly took over the fort. However, with the Union Army advancing, General Robert E Lee authorized a withdrawal of the area. On March 3, 1862, Union troops took over control of the fort.

Fort Clinch was deactivated as a federal facility in 1867. The US Army maintained the property from 1869 until 1898, when the sinking of the USS Maine in the Havana Harbor brought the US into war with Spain, and brought Fort Clinch into action again.

That does not look like a comfortable place to be, in chains on dirty brick floor. The prison was in the same building as the barracks above.

I love these old buildings. This one reminds me of one of the older classroom buildings on the campus of the University of Alabama where my daughter went to school. I

Fort Clinch was called into service one last time during World War II, when the Coast Guard, the US Navy, and the US Army joined forces to maintain a surveillance system within the fort.

There is a fee of $2.00 per person to tour the fort, but it is well worth it! There is access to nearly all the building, and a volunteer in dressed in the 1848 style of uniform who will talk to you about the history, or give your group a tour.

In addition to the actual fort, there are many hiking trails, bicycle trails, rental bikes, geo cacheing, fishing, picnic areas, and camping areas. There is a pier as well. We didn’t go on the pier because it was a cold day.

We did take a drive through the Atlantic Campground, and took a few pictures. There are campsites available for most any size RV, tents, and group camping areas. I have no idea why we never came here with our RV–the campsites look amazing, and have immediate beach access just over the dunes.

Fees at Fort Clinch are quite reasonable, with entry fee at $6.00 per car and camping $26 per night includes water and electricity.  For Reservations: Reservations may be made up to 11 months in advance through ReserveAmerica. Book Online or call (800) 326-3521 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) or TDD (888) 433-0287.

We enjoyed our tour of Fort Clinch, and can’t wait for an opportunity to go back when it’s warmer and get some fishing done on the pier.

The first night we were in Fernandina Beach, we had reservations at Cafe Karibo on 3rd Street as guests of the manager. It only took a few minutes to drive over from the Residence Inn. We parked around the block and walked a short distance. The neighborhood around the restaurant was charming, with a residential feel. There were several quaint restaurants and shops on the block. Even after dark walking was not scary, as it can be in some cities.

The atmosphere at Cafe Karibo was like a neighborhood pub, with some wooden benches at tables that would seat six, and smaller tables for two to four. If it had been warmer out, we might have opted to sit on the patio. It was beautiful even in winter, but just a bit too chilly that day. It was pretty busy for a Wednesday night. We found a table and soon after, our waiter appeared to take our drink order.

While they do serve wine and beer, we both ordered the Peach Iced Tea, which was a great blend of flavors. The Restaurant Week Menu was offered, as well as the regular menu. You can see the Restaurant Week Menu here: Cafe-Karibo.

We decided on the Caprese Salad and the Crab Cakes for starters. Both were excellent! I know I have had Caprese Salads in many different places, but this one seemed to be the best I have had yet. The Balsamic Vinegar they used was thick and sticky, which is quite different from what I am used to. It just made the whole thing better! There was also a noticable difference in the flavors of the red and orange tomatoes.

Anyone who knows me knows I love crab, any way I can get it. I was not disappointed by these wonderful crab cakes. The only thing I didn’t like was that they did have a bread crumb coating, so they were not gluten free, but I ate them anyway. They were served with brie and a cranberry chutney, something I would have never thought of on my own, but enjoyed immensely. Even Fabgrandpa ate half of them, and he usually does not care for crab. You know I am going to have to re-create them at home now.

Fabgrandpa chose the Coquille St. Jaques, or Sea Scallpos with Shitake Mushroom Sauce. These were jumbo scallops, served over smashed potatoes, covered in the mushroom sauce, and had a side of grilled vegetables. The veggies included red and yellpw peppers, zucchini, carrots, and asparagus. He said it was delicious. The only problem he had with it was there was so much he was not able to eat all of it. That man has never walked away from a scallop before, ever. I am not sure if the sauce if gluten free or not, I forgot to ask.

For my entree, I chose the Pan Seared Red Snapper. It was served over the same smashed potatoes as Fabgrandpa’s meal, and had the same side vegetables. This plate was gluten free: there was no breading on the fish, and no gravy or sauce on the potatoes. The fish was seared crispy and golden brown, and had a very tasty fruit  salsa on top. (I think it was the papaya chutney, but not sure. It was delicious, though) The vegetables were cooked just right–not mushy, not too crisp.

We both declined dessert, which was a choice of Strawberry Cake, Mud Var, Creme Brulee, or Chocolate Ganache Cake. We just couldn’t hold another bite. At that point, we were glad that we had parked around the block!

The Cafe Karibo menu includes a good selection of Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, Appetizers, and entrees to fit just about anyone’s taste. A few of the offerings are gluten free, such as the one I had, the Pan Seared Red Snapper. You might also try the Shrimp & Grits, the Rum Marinated Pork Tenderloin, or the Fresh Catch of the Day. (The information here about gluten free menu items is from my own observations of those items, and are not indicated as such on the menu. As always, be sure to ask about the ingredients when you are ordering)

Cafe Karibo is located at 27 North 3rd Street in downtown Fernandina Beach, Florida.  Reservations are recommended for parties of 6 or more, and maximum split check limit is 8.  904-277-5269