by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Gary Gebert has been serving Jacksonville for as long as he can remember.
“Thirty years,” said Gebert, assistant manager at the Wine Cellar, one of the city’s oldest fine dining restaurants. “And I’ve been here for 24 of those.”
When Gebert, a Jacksonville native, arrived at the Wine Cellar on the Southbank, he said the atmosphere was somewhat different than it is today.
“Back then it was still known for being a nice, upscale restaurant, but our following, which has always been comprised of a lot of doctors and lawyers, began wanting more of a full scale, fine dining experience.
“In response to that our menu started going that way, the food changed, our presentation changed. That’s really how we reestablished ourselves as one of the premier restaurants in Jacksonville.”
Popular menu items at the Wine Cellar include fried lobster tail with mushroom and corn sauce and grilled filet mignon served over potato-leek and asiago tart.
“I think it’s safe to say we’re among the best,” said Gebert.
And though among the best today, Gebert didn’t exactly start at the top.
“No, my first job was at McDonald’s when I was 15,” he said. “I was there for about seven months which, when you think about it, is probably longer than most people.”
Gebert slowly moved his way up in Jacksonville, putting in time in such now-forgotten restaurants as the Foxfire Inn and the Thunderbird Dinner Theater.
“It took a little while, but eventually I came here and I guess the rest is history,” he said.
Now that Jacksonville is experiencing a bit of a surge in its fine dining options, is Gebert worried that the Wine Cellar’s appeal may start to wane?
“No, not at all,” he said. “I think it’s exciting to see the city demand better cuisine. Even in this area you see restaurants like Pom’s (Thai Bistro) and Mathews.
“I’ve heard there are some very nice places, but we’ll do what we’ve always done here. We’ll go out of our way to please our customers so they don’t have to go out of their way. That’s our credo.”
And what about Bistro Aix and bb’s?
“That’s not exactly what we’re about,” said Gebert. “Don’t get me wrong, they are wonderful places but we cater to a different crowd. We try to be up with the trends, but don’t try to be trendy.”