by David Ball
Staff Writer
It’s a modest space where chef Eddie Escriba works his culinary magic. He and his small crew barely have enough room to pass each other between hot vats of oil frying up taco shells and the “rolling station” where the restaurant’s signature dishes are assembled.
That’s why Escriba keeps the ingredients and preparations simple for the Mexican and Southwestern food served at Burrito Gallery on Adams Street.
But, that doesn’t mean it’s simple food.
“It’s about the extra little things, like the sauce we use,” he said. “The marinades are very important. We do things that may cost more, but vastly improve the quality of the food.”
Quality and intense flavors attracted throngs of customers when Burrito Gallery opened during Super Bowl week in 2005. However, the unique atmosphere has kept them coming back.
The walls of the restaurant are lined with local artists’ works, with a new exhibition rotating every three months. A full bar featuring 15 varieties of tequila sits at the end of the hallway that leads out to the back deck, where customers can wine and dine under the stars and listen to a variety of music acts on the stage.
The restaurant has become a model for Downtown revitalization and a successful investment for Escriba and his other partners, Tony Allegretti, Marco Monroy and Paul Shockey. But Escriba wasn’t always sure.
“I had a really cushy job as a chef in South Florida, and it took a lot of convincing and research for me to come up to Jacksonville,” he said. “I read an industry magazine that tells you how companies are doing in the restaurant business, and the top 10 fastest growing chains had three that were burrito-related.”
Escriba, a classically trained French and European-style chef, said it took eight months of research to create Burrito Gallery’s menu, which he said follows the “Mexican revival” trend sweeping across the country. The most popular item now is the chicken burrito, followed closely by the fish tacos.
The success has led the owners to look at opening a second Burrito Gallery at the beaches by next summer. Escriba is also working on a breakfast and lunch spot in Springfield, which could be open sometime in 2009.
“I have a unique breakfast and lunch menu in my mind that I’ve developed over eight years,” said Escriba. “It’s not something Jacksonville has seen. It will have organic cereals and our own granola bars and fresh pastries and other things.
“I have seen the potential just being at the ground level of everything getting started Downtown,” he added. “There’s a lot of opportunity here.”
Photo by David Ball