So Sofie

It's clear by now that food and cooking is a huge passion of mine, but finding time in the day to make it all happen is another story. I work a full-time job, take 18 credit hours and freelance write...yeah, cooking a full meal is often the last thing I want to do after a long day of work. But, I might've found a solution. I recently received a coupon in the mail for $30 off my first Hello Fresh box, so  hello  I couldn't pass that up! Here's how it went:

You'll rarely catch me at a chain restaurant, but I had to make an exception for all of the new spots at the St. Johns Town Center! From Brazilian steakhouses to Tex-Mex, there are about to be dozens of new dining choices. My first stop of the new crop was Chuy's Tex-Mex. After a 45-minute wait on a Wednesday night (pretty impressive, I'd say) and a couple margaritas later, we finally got seated.

Osteria del Gato e la Volpe makes the best pasta I've had in my life, and I don't say that lightly. It was  so good that I had the same dish, Pici alla Senese alla Burrata, 12 times during my six-week stay in Florence. There's just something about piping hot pasta lightly tossed in the most perfect sauce and topped with a cold chunk of burrata...I'm drooling on my keyboard. Coming home put an end to my Pici alla Senese habit, so last night I did my best to recreate it. Here's how it went:

The little square of San Marco is many things - quaint, clean, vintage. In recent years, this little nest in downtown Jacksonville has become a huge foodie destination, with Town Hall being a huge contributor. The owners of Moxie decided to expand their skillset outside of the St. Johns Town Center, and downtown Jacksonville residents are certainly celebrating. Although the restaurant is doing many things well, there are a couple categories where they've fallen short. Atmosphere Was I walking into a tiny restaurant or entering a living room straight out of the West Elm catalog? This place is beautiful and takes advantage of every square inch (with less than 100 seats, they really didn't have much choice). Upon entering, a couch and chairs are set up living room style to the left, with a sprawling yet empty bar along the wall. Why does the bar appear empty? Oh, I'll get to that later. Continue walking through a tiny hallway and you'll reach the back room of the resta