by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Steve Farah is back in business after taking several months off after the Farah family sold its deli and restaurant on East Bay Street.
The new venture, Farah’s Uptown, is at Hogan and Church streets near City Hall at St. James Place.
Farah’s father, Kamal, began serving breakfast and lunch Downtown 38 years ago. The first Farah’s opened in 1973 on Forsyth Street near the bus station. Then it moved to Hogan Street near the Omni Hotel, then to Laura Street at Monroe Street in the former National Shirt Shop, then to East Bay Street near the Police Memorial Building.
“I can’t stay retired, but I don’t want to work full time anymore, so I’m just a consultant here at the new restaurant,” said Kamal Farah.
Steve Farah opened the doors last week, and so far the response has been positive.
“Even with it raining all week, we still served about 100 people each day at lunch,” he said.
Also on the staff is Nick Foster, a graduate of the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Jacksonville. He didn’t grow up in the business like Steve did, but shares a love for the culinary arts.
“I’m having fun. When you can do something you like, you’ll do it well,” said Foster.
The breakfast menu at Uptown will look familiar to customers who patronized Farah’s on Bay Street. In addition to eggs and meats, there’s also French toast and biscuits and gravy.
Lunch fare is a deli sandwich or a salad or a home-cooked meal like meat loaf and mashed potatoes or baked chicken, both served with fresh vegetables. Farah’s fried grouper dinner is back on the menu on Thursday and Friday.
In addition to the main dining room, the new restaurant has a separate room for private parties or conferences. There are also tables outside on Church Street.
For customers who are driving rather than walking, 28 spaces of off-street parking are available.
Catering is also on the menu, as well as free delivery Downtown with a minimum $15 order.
“We’re getting a lot of business from City Hall, the federal courthouse, the Fire and Rescue Building and First Baptist Church. We’re even seeing some of our customers from Bay Street,” said Steve Farah.
Part of the reason for the choice of location is the new County Courthouse under construction nearby. It’s scheduled to be occupied a little more than a year from now.
“We’re a block away from everybody,” said Kamal Farah.
Farah’s Uptown is open 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Call 358-6659 to place a takeout order.
356-2466