Historic Blunder

Talya
Oct 19
6 min read

For the first time in 10 years, there has not been a single hurricane that has made landfall in the U.S. this season. Only Tropical Storm Chantal formed out in the Atlantic off the coast of Florida and made landfall in South Carolina back in early July with minimal impacts. While Florida has been spared so far this year, the east coast has experienced significant beach erosion, flooding, and some structural damages in the last 2 months along many areas such as Jupiter Inlet, New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach and St Augustine. These impacts were created by heavy rainfall, king tides, and strong surf from the offshore hurricanes that skirted the coastline. It has been a rough couple of months for Florida’s east coast communities. Due to the typical location of the jet stream, Jacksonville Beach has often been the favored recipient of deflected storms and deterred extreme coastal conditions, but certainly not immune. With that being said, we decided to take a trip to see how things looked for Northeast Florida.

Tucked between the old and the new along the coastline of Jacksonville Beach lies a European-style boutique hotel that is a member of Historic Hotels of America and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Reminiscent of the old-world charm that I love about historic downtown St. Augustine, the Casa Marina Hotel has withstood the test of time by attracting guests with their cozy 23 rooms of beachside accommodations and their unique outdoor courtyard for weddings and special events. This 1925 hotel also includes a restaurant and popular rooftop bar overlooking the Jacksonville Pier and Beach. With the upcoming Sea and Sky Air Show hosted by Jacksonville Beach and featuring the Blue Angels, I was entertaining the idea of possibly getting a hotel on the beach for the weekend to fully enjoy the show without the stress of wading through traffic and crowds. With the limited choices for oceanfront hotels, I decided to check out the Casa Marina Sunday Brunch to get a sneak preview of the hotel and dining experience as a potential option. According to their website, the hotel has been receiving dining awards for their Sunday brunches for the last twenty years.

From the outside, the Casa Marina Hotel looks well maintained for its age. Upon entering the lobby, you immediately recognize that you have stepped into a time where layout and separation of space was quite different than what we are used to today. The lobby was not much of a lobby at all. The front desk area was even more cozy, sharing space with a small, elongated bar. Despite spatial challenges, the décor and feel were quite fitting for a historic boutique hotel. We were amused by the framed old photos on the wall revealing a time when Jacksonville Beach was home to The Ocean View Amusement Park featuring a 50-mph wooden roller coaster and a Ferris wheel. As we made our way down a narrow hallway to the restaurant, my experience began to change. We arrived a little early for our reservation, so the hostess advised us to come back in about 10 minutes. They were making final preparations to the dining room and we pointed out to her that there was food on the floor next to the hostess station that needed to be addressed. She seemingly acknowledged. We decided to stop into the restrooms while we waited. The age of the hotel really began to show. While I could overlook most things, the cold-water handle coming out of the bathroom vanity top unattached was not one of them. When we returned to the hostess station, we noticed the food was still there. We said no more. While it was nobody’s fault but my own, I was disappointed that we were unable to dine in the rooftop dining area overlooking the beach. It was unclear to me that while brunch service began at 9 am, the rooftop dining did not open until 10 am. We were escorted to our white cloth table with wooden chairs. At first glance, the room had a classic elegance to it. With a deeper inspection, the enduring age was evident in its weathered wooden ceiling and a few dilapidated chandeliers. Yet again, we discovered more food particles on the floor that was neglected to be removed. For the most part, the hotel and restaurant seemed cleanly, but having notified the hostess previously of food on the floor I was disappointed that no action had been taken. For my brunch selection, I chose Casa’s Classic Benedict which featured fried green tomatoes with the traditional poached egg topped with hollandaise sauce. It was to be served with bacon or sausage and home fries. My beloved chose the Steak and Eggs, consisting of a flat iron steak, eggs prepared by your style of choice with home fries and sliced tomatoes. We began our brunch by sharing a small plate of beignets served with the traditional powdered sugar and a berry syrup for dipping. The beignets were perfectly fried to a golden brown, piping hot, with the light pillowy texture that always aims to please. A negative for me personally was that the size of the beignets was extra-large. For my personal preference, I enjoy the common 2-inch square size better. I find that the experience of the smaller size allows you to enjoy the delicate crisp texture that comes with a smaller beignet. These beignets were at least twice that size, so the experience was more pillowy than having a subtle light crunch. The dipping sauce appeared to be made from scratch with a vibrant berry taste with whole berries mixed in. Unfortunately, my main entrée was not as delightful. They were unable to accommodate me with a substitute for the pork bacon or sausage, which was disappointing. However, the biggest letdown was the fried green tomatoes. The breading on the tomatoes was incredibly salty. I was unable to eat them, so my beloved brought it to the waitress’s attention and she was gracious enough to offer me to select something else on the menu. I opted for just a side of scrambled eggs to go with my home fries. I did consume the poached eggs which were prepared on point, but the hollandaise sauce seemed to be lost in flavor. The restaurant manager did come to our table to express their apologies with my disappointment with the dish and offered further concessions. The waitress suggested a 20% off discount for my entrée and I happily and gratefully accepted. My beloved’s entrée was quite the opposite experience. His flat iron steak was incredibly juicy and fork tender with the right amount of seasoning. His scrambled eggs were fluffy and light, just the way you would expect them to be. The sliced tomatoes were fresh and not too acidic. The seasoning on the home fries was such a pleaser my beloved gave his compliments to the waitress, which is a rarity. Speaking of the waitress, she was quite friendly, hospitable, and attentive to our needs. While I can appreciate the immense difficulty in maintaining the authenticity and originality of a historic building and excuse the failure of one employee’s lack of follow through to address a job that may not be her own, my overall first impression of Casa Marina Hotel and Restaurant leaves me with a lack of interest to ever stay or dine at their establishment again. Given the hotel’s long-term history, prime location, wedding popularity, and mostly positive reviews, I would not discourage anyone from giving the hotel or restaurant a try. I can only offer a set of expectations based on my one-time personal experience.

Summary

Restaurant Name: Casa Marina Hotel and Restaurant

Address: 691 1^st St. N., Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250

Service –Very Good (except for hostess failure to address food on the floor)

Food – Above Average

Portion Size – Average

Menu Selection – Average

Dietary Options – None, Approximately 50% Biblically Clean

Cost/Value – Moderate

Ambiance – Moderate Historic Elegance

Parking – Paid. Cost depends on potential event activities. ($4-$15) Limited availability.

Reservations/Waitlist – Reservations