by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Breakfast and lunch Downtown has gained an authentic French flair, thanks to a couple of Parisians who recently discovered Jacksonville and then a well-established sandwich shop for sale at the corner of Ocean and Forsyth streets.
Phillipe and Natacha Vanin met and fell in love in Los Angeles, then moved to South Florida. They left California because of earthquakes, they said, but soon discovered that Miami can be a hurricane magnet.
An Internet search turned up a picture of Jacksonville’s skyline and the Main Street Bridge, and the Vanins said they decided to make a trip north because the picture of the city reminded them of Manhattan. They also discovered it would cost far less for them to own a restaurant in Jacksonville than in Miami Beach.
The Vanins bought Jax City Subs in May and have since transformed it into Jax City Cafe, a French bakery and bistro. People have been coming through the door for submarine sandwiches for years, and that style of cuisine is still available with some interesting additions.
“We didn’t want to disappoint customers who came for the sandwiches,” said Phillipe Vanin. “We decided to keep what the people like and add new items a little at a time.”
The slight change in name represents a change in philosophy as well as the menu.
“To us, ‘cafe’ means a place where you can get a croissant with butter and a cup of latte or cappuccino for breakfast,” said wife Natacha. “It’s a place where you can come in the afternoon for a cup of espresso or tea and a pastry.”
Prior to the Vanins’ arrival, the choice of baked goods was limited to “medium” or “large,” referring to what size sub sandwich the customer desired. But now, the menu has expanded to include croissants, fruit tarts and muffins, all baked fresh daily.
The “financier” on the menu doesn’t refer to the bankers who work several blocks west on Forsyth Street, it’s a light cake made with almond flour, butter, egg whites and powdered sugar that is often topped with whipped cream.
The Vanins said they have come to enjoy going to the farmers’ market on Beaver Street several times a week to select the restaurant’s fruits and vegetables. “The keys to the success of any restaurant are freshness and quality,” said Phillipe.
He also said he can’t wait until raspberries are back in season.
“It’s my favorite fruit for pastries because the flavor is the most consistent. Strawberries and apples and pears taste different every time you buy them – sometimes very sweet, sometimes not so sweet,” he said.
Vanin learned his craft at a cooking school in Paris, with emphasis in pastries.
“I can’t make bread,” he admitted, then added it’s almost impossible to make what he considers “good bread” in North Florida due to the humidity. Jax City’s sandwich bread is imported from a French bakery in Quebec, Canada. The loaves arrive frozen and Vanin finishes the baguettes every day in his new commercial convection oven.
The most popular sandwich meat combinations are still on the menu, but if you have a taste for something completely different, move your eyes to the Vanins’ daily specials board.
“We’ll be trying lots of new things,” said Phillipe. “If our customers enjoy it, we’ll keep it on the menu. If they don’t, we’ll try something else.”
The panini grill works overtime turning out pressed sandwiches with ham and goat cheese, curried chicken breast, Croq’ Monsieur and Jax City’s “3 Fromaggia” (brie, blue cheese and mozzarella). There’s also a traditional hamburger on the menu for the first time in years, a nod to the first restaurant in the building that is memorialized with the original “Krystal 1938” plaque that remains on the wall in one of the restrooms.
Jax City Cafe is open 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri. with breakfast available until 10:45 a.m. With 48 hours notice, the Vanins can provide catering and delivery of their fresh pastries for office breakfasts or sandwiches and quiche for lunch.