Flaming cheese. A belly dancer toting a sword. Dancing on the tables. Napkins being thrown in the air. Shots of Ouzo.

That’s just a glimpse of the first Folio Weekly Bite Club dinner of 2012. Oh, and then there was the food: an amazing assortment of traditional Greek and Turkish fare!

After a performance from one of Taverna Yamas belly dancers, guests started with cold “pikilia” or appetizers, in a family-style setting: tzatziki (homemade yogurt, cucumber, garlic and dill), taramosalata (caviar spread), melitzanoalata (roasted eggplant spread), hummus (chickpeas, olive oil, and garlic), pita and dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with rice). The taramosalata and dolmades were instant hits. Next up was the Greek Village Salad. Taverna Yamas offers this version in addition to a more traditional Greek salad, which contains romaine lettuce. The Village is a lettuce-free colorful bouquet of ripe tomatoes, cucumber wedges, thin slivers of red onion, crunchy peppers, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, olive oil and oregano.

You can’t have cold appetizers without their warm counterparts. Platters of hot pikila including spanakopita, baked phyllo dough with layers of feta and spinach, keftedes (ground beef and fresh herbs), calamari and a red dipping sauce, and lamb ribs with ladolemono sauce, were distributed. Within minutes, plates were cleaned!

A surprise of flaming cheese with brandy, or saganaki, was served on sizzling pans to each table. The salty cheese spread perfectly atop chewy pita wedges.

As pants began to tighten, friendly waitstaff donned plates of chicken kebab, filet mignon kebab, pork tenderloin with spinach and leek rice and lemon potatoes. And a complimentary shot of Ouzo: Greece’s famous anise-flavored liquor, was passed around. Opa!

More belly dancing and dancing atop a table took center stage between courses. Guests enjoyed the combination of music, dance and cheerful ambiance.

Last but by no means least was a trio of desserts. The baklava, layers of phyllo dough, honey, walnut, cinnamon and cloves, was joined by ek mek, or shredded phyllo dough with walnuts, a custard creme and whipped topping, and galaktoboureko (say that three times fast, I dare you!): honey phyllo with custard. 

Joining the hustle and bustle of Tinseltown in December of 2010, Taverna Yamas currently seats 350 patrons but recently broke ground on an expanded area that will soon be home to a hookah lounge with tapas-style menu and more outdoor seating.

Taverna Yamas offers happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. (half priced well liquors, house wines, beer, and a large selection of appetizers), daily lunch specials, $4 Martini Wednesdays and live entertainment on the weekend.

Located on the Southside (9753 Deer Lake Court at Tinseltown), Taverna Yamas serves up a wide variety of delicious traditional Greek offerings from hummus, dolmades, to spanakopita, souvlaki, lamb shank and mousaka, for lunch and dinner. Part of the fun at Taverna Yamas is the dancing on tables, and the music and live belly dancers at dinnertime. Come late night there’s a DJ spinning European and top 40 hits. Taverna Yamas will host our next Bite Club dinner tasting event on February 7 at 6 p.m.

1. Check your calendar! Confirm you’re available Tuesday, February 7.

2. This month’s question (comment on this post by 1/29): “What’s the most expensive item or dish you’ve ever ordered? Do you recall where it was from? Did it live up to its price tag? Who footed the bill: you, a date, your work, or a vendor? (If you’ve never ordered something more expensive, why not? What do you want to try that you’ve never had that is pricey?)” Be detailed. Be fun. With your comment, leave your first and last name, and e-mail address. Your e-mail won’t show up publicly and is required so you can be notified if you get selected.

3. If you’re not already a Bite Club member e-mail your full name, e-mail address and phone number to biteclub@folioweekly.com.

Sign-ups are NOT first come, first serve. Folio Weekly selects attendees at random, based on the number of seats the restaurant grants. Selected attendees will be notified before 2/1 via e-mail. After confirming, you’ll attend the event and afterwards I’ll post an event recap on the blog. You are required to leave your feedback in the comment section.

“Do you have any camping experience? How do you like working with fire?” These are two very important questions asked to candidates during an interview at Riverside’s latest hot spot, Pele’s Wood Fire. Two large hickory and oak fire ovens demand center stage, with Madame Pele - the fire Goddess - beaming from above. The dome of each oven is a fiery 1,400-degrees and the cooking area is closer to 900, and after a mere two minutes to stretch the dough and top it, baking time for a pizza clocks in at just 90 seconds! You can see where those camping questions come in handy.

I was lucky enough to snag a sneak peek and stuff my face with seven delicious courses prior to Pele’s opening its doors to the masses on new year’s day at the corner of Park and King Street in historic Riverside. The space comfortably seats 160+ patrons and upon entering, you’re greeted by large windows, an elongated bar area, complete with 30+ beers on tap, full liquor, and wine list, and the scent of deliciousness wafting through the air. From the rustic bread baked in-house, to the hand-pulled house made mozzarella, touch-free restrooms, free wi-fi, to an upcoming loyalty card (think beer passport!), wet naps served for wing clean-up to to the mortar and pestle used to whip up a fresh pesto, Pele’s already has a laser-focus on attention to detail.

We sampled the seasonal selection of iced seafood and the presentation of raw oysters, Mayport shrimp and crab claws was beautifully complimented by lemon wedges and tangy cocktail sauce. The lemoncello wood-fire wings topped with fresh parmesan shavings, chilis and olive oil were a hit. And the basket of rustic, fresh baked bread with olive oil and fire-smoked spices was heavenly.

The arugula with Sweetgrass Dairy brie, roasted red pepper, pistachios, roasted onion vinaigrette and truffle honey was perfection in a bowl. Colorful, peppery arugula, creamy brie, bold red pepper, crunchy pistachios and sweet honey? A favorite.

Pele’s began as a catering business, and Pizzaiolo Matt Tierney gained fans by cooking up pizzas nearby at both Riverside Arts Market and Intuition Ale Works. This was my fourth time sampling the pizza and the margherita (buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil) was delicious as were the proscuitto and artichoke and mushroom formaggi (that’s “cheese” in Italian) topped with garlic ricotta, roasted seasonal mushrooms, fontina cheese and fresh thyme. You can craft your own as well, so there’s something for everyone.

Rivaling the arugula salad was the standout of the evening: black pepper spaghetti carbonara with smoked pork bellies, parmesan, tomatoes and egg-yolk cream: a home run! Kudos to Executive Chef Micah Windham on this one, and his encourage of Senior Sous Chef Mark Williams and Sous Chef Andrea Soccoro.

The coal-fired, dry-aged Manhattan ribeye was tender, well-seasoned and packed with flavor. Cooked directly on the coals of the fire, it’s served with sauteed spinach, whipped potatoes and a side of au jus and horseradish.

Three offerings from La Dolce Vita, or “the sweet life,” rounded out the meal. Traditional tiramasu, zeppoles (italian donut holes) and white chocolate cheesecake with cherry glaze accompanied by a chocolate-espresso pot de creme (like creme brulee, sans the sugary top). The contrast of smooth, decadent cheesecake to rich custard did me in. Three sauces accompanied the zeppoles - hazelnut-chocolate (reminscent of Nutella!), orange sea salt caramel and lemon custard. The first two were amazing, but I wasn’t impressed by the lemon. We received a cappucino featuring a stencil of Madame Pele dusted atop our Segafredo coffee from Italy.

Pele’s soon boasts service seven days a week starting at 7 a.m., serving up coffee, fresh breakfast pastries made in-house by Pele’s pastry chef, wi-fi, along with full lunch and dinner service. Welcome to the neighborhood!

Bite Club guests traveled to Valencia Condominiums’ Clubhouse, just minutes away from the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal, for a sweet dessert-for-dinner (how daring!) tasting event. Sharing its spice-flavored cupcakes and squares of moist pumpkin cheesecake was Cinotti’s Bakery, located off Penman Road near the Intracoastal. Murray Hill’s Edgewood Bakery (in Jacksonville since 1947!) served up a variety of delicious two-bite treats: mini key lime tarts, pecan pie tarts, cannolis, brownies and petit fours. Avondale’s Let Them Eat Cake, set up by Valencia’s pool area, served pumpkin cupcakes with maple buttercream, cheesecake squares and a flourless melt-in-your-mouth chocolate torte with spiced creme anglaise. Newcomer Bruton’s Macarons, out of San Marco, treated guests to a Bailey’s Irish Cream and pumpkin macaron. The crunchy but chewy sandwich cookies were a hit as many guests had never tried one. (it bears no resemblance to the “macaroon” which has coconut) Sweet by Holly, located at the St. Johns Town Center, served a wide variety of its signature mini cupcakes, and an appearance by two-time Food Network Cupcake Wars champion Hollis “Holly” Wilder surprised guests. Crowd favorites were the white chocolate cranberry, a seasonal offering, and the dulce de leche, pumpkin, black and gold, red velvet and blackout (yellow cake, dark chocolate frosting and a caramel-filled center). Many lucked out and left with to-go cupcake boxes, perfect for breakfast. Jacksonville Scene provided SweetWater Brewing Company’s seasonal Festive Ale and Riverside’s soon-to-open (November 25!) Bold Bean Coffee Roasters served organic certified Peru La Florida coffee. Top Chef Season 7 Cheftestant Kenny Gilbert’s Intracoastal eatery, Nippers Beach Grille, provided cranberry sangria. Valencia provided tours, giving guests a peek at the property and condo units, between bites.

If you love dessert (who doesn’t?), then this Bite Club has your name written all over it! Valencia on (4300 Southbeach Parkway) is graciously hosting a battle of the bakeries and we’ll sample treats from across town, as well as fresh roasted coffee from local Bold Bean Coffee Roasters. 

1. Check your calendar! Confirm you’re available Wednesday, 11/16.

2. This month’s question (comment on this post by 11/7): “Calories aside, what are your top 3 all-time favorite desserts from around Jacksonville and St. Augustine? What makes them so delicious?” Be detailed. Be fun. With your comment, leave your first and last name, and e-mail address.

3. If you’re not already a Bite Club member e-mail your full name, e-mail address and phone number to biteclub@folioweekly.com.

Sign-ups are not first come, first serve. Folio Weekly selects attendees at random, based on the number of seats the restaurant grants. Selected attendees will be notified before 11/11 via e-mail. After confirming, you’ll attend the event and afterwards I’ll post an event recap on the blog. You are required to leave your feedback in the comment section.

Jacksonville is home to a Seasons 52 (the restaurant’s 20th location nationwide) and starting October 24, it will offer lunch and dinner, both complete with complimentary valet parking. Seasons 52 prides itself on using fresh, seasonal ingredients — and the most fabulous part is that nothing on the menu tops 475 calories. Even two mini indulgence desserts can be happily enjoyed for less than 1,000 calories! Many ingredients are organic, and Seasons 52 even infuses its own flavored vodka (seasonal: orange, strawberry, grapefruit, etc.). There are more than 100 glasses of wine to choose from and live music is featured seven nights a week from a piano player, performing from a swiveling platform in the bar area.

For the private blogger dinner I attended, I was fortunate to sample two of Seasons 52’s flatbreads (artichoke and goat cheese and the chipotle shrimp with roasted poblanos, grilled pineapple and feta), a delicious organic field green salad with oak-grilled mushrooms, toasted pistachios and a truffle dressing, Sonoma goat cheese ravioli in tomato broth topped with garlic and fresh basil, organic salmon and lemongrass sea scallop served on a cedar plank, and a mequite-grilled lamb t-bone chop and Manchester Farms all-natural quail with mashed sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts and a bourbon-chili glaze. Several mini indulgence desserts tempted out sweet tooth post-meal. I thoroughly enjoyed the six I tried but the key lime and pumpkin pie were my two favorites. Seasons 52 was the first restaurant to debut the mini desserts.

The atmosphere is inviting and cozy. It’s perfect for a casual lunch or nice dinner; a business meeting, or an anniversary or birthday celebration!

38 eager Bite Club guests, more than half of whom were first-timers, were treated to a full menu at Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar in North Jacksonville near the airport. Boston’s pizza dough is made daily, and an emphasis is placed on fresh ingredients.

A trio of crispy flatbreads (Flat Iron steak and mushroom, Spicy Chicken Pesto and Margherita) greeted guests as they imbibed a complimentary glass of cold beer, house wine or a well-liquor beverage from the bar area to start. After the group migrated to the dining room, stomachs were about to be stretched to epic proportions with a packed menu: a trio of starters, salad, a variety of signature pizzas, three entrees and a quad of petite desserts. Host Caron Streibich welcomed everyone while Boston’s Nimesh Patel gave a brief history of the restaurant.

Grilled flat iron steak perfectly wrapped in smoked bacon and topped with a blue cheese cream sauce was the first starter — and an immediate group favorite. All plates were cleaned before the Southwest Ravioli (lightly breaded italian ravioli stuffed with ricotta, cheddar, monterey jack cheese, red peppers and jalapenos) arrived with ranch dressing for dipping, and platters of nachos (melted cheddar and mozzarella cheese, ground beef, refried beans, black olives, jalapenos, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream and salsa) followed on the heels of the ravioli.

Each table shared a Santa Fe salad or Mediterranean salad, consisting of grilled chicken breast over mixed greens, Sante Fe dressing, black beans, tomatoes, black olives, sour cream, cheddar cheese and guacamole or mixed greens, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, feta cheese, roasted red peppers and a sweet lemon vinaigrette dressing atop a crunchy parmesan flatbread.

Ten of Boston’s gourmet pizzas were gobbled up by those eager to try the tempting selections: tuscan (pomodoro sauce with spicy chicken, roasted garlic, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, cheddar and mozzarella), tropical chicken (creamy alfredo with smoked bacon, spicy chicken, pineapple, cheddar and mozzarella), florentine, barbeque chicken, mama meata, the flying buffalo (buffalo sauce, spicy chicken, mozzarella cheese and parmesan bread crumbs), double meat and peppers, spinach and artichoke, italian (spicy italian sausage, pepperoni, pomodoro sauce, roasted garlic, banana peppers, mozzarella cheese and spinach), and the sicilian. Two gluten-intolerant guests, including Jennifer Gornto of GlutenFreeJacksonville.com, were treated to an entire gluten-free meal but gluten-free pizza can be hard to find, and Boston’s eagerly prepares it on demand.

Sharing is caring could have been the evening’s motto, as large family-style dishes arrived next: shrimp tortellini, spicy chicken and broccoli alfredo and jambalaya fettuccine (huge chunks of spicy italian sausage and strips of grilled chicken were tossed with a spicy cajun pomodoro sauce and met with green peppers, onions, tomatoes and black olives). The garlic butter and rosemary chipotle sauce with the tortellini, shrimp and broccoli was a winning combo.

Quads of decadent miniature desserts taunted guests: which one to try first? Bread pudding, warm apple, brownie and strawberry cheesecake were among the offerings. Most everyone saved room, despite the overabundance of food served in the previous courses!

Bite Club is eagerly traveling to the River City Marketplace (1-95 and Airport Road) on 9/27 to check out Boston’s Restaurant and Sports Bar. Known for its gourmet pizzas, Boston’s prepares its pasta and entree sauces in-house, and offers an extensive menu. Items range from six flavors of oven-roasted wings to thai chili calamari to salads, flatbreads, turkey burgers, calzones, and shrimp diablo pasta. The options are seemingly endless!

1. Check your calendar. Confirm you’re available Tuesday, 9/27.

2. This month’s question (comment on this post by 9/19): “If you could design your own menu with a sampling of your favorite items, but could select only three appetizers to feature - which three appetizers would you pick and why? Do you love the sauce that’s served with them, or maybe the texture? Or maybe it’s something that’s too complicated to make at home.” Be detailed. Be fun. With your comment, leave your first and last name, and e-mail address.

3. If you’re not already a Bite Club member e-mail your full name, e-mail address and phone number to biteclub@folioweekly.com.

Sign-ups are not first come, first serve. Folio Weekly selects attendees at random, based on the number of seats the restaurant grants. Selected attendees will be notified before 9/22 via e-mail. After confirming, you’ll attend the event and afterwards I’ll post an event recap on the blog. You are required to leave your feedback on the restaurant, food and your overall experience, in the comment section.

Executive Chef Khan Vongdara and son, Chef Christopher, whipped up a seafood feast for 38 eager foodies August 30 at Crabcake Factory. Guests kicked off the evening with a complimentary house wine or draft beer and then were treated to jumbo lump crabcakes topped with a tropical fruit salsa and a ahi tuna and jumbo lump crab meat timbale atop a crispy wonton and drizzled with honey soy vinaigrette. A self-serve station greeted guests with piping hot cream of crab bisque and a Louisiana seafood gumbo (complete with shrimp, andouille sausage, blue crab, crawfish, okra and rice - and a gradual heat), and fresh tossed mixed greens with cucumber, tomato, onion, strawberries, and green pepper served with champagne vinaigrette. Up next were an trio of individually plated entrees: a pan-seared sea scallop with lemon caper beurre blanc, caribbean jerk seared mahi mahi stuffed with shrimp and jumbo crab meat and a crab-stuffed shrimp. Whipped potatoes and asparagus spears accompanied the seafood. Dessert options were warm bread pudding or the chocolate mousse obsession, which was served with a chocolate raspberry sauce.

On our fifth evening eating our way up downtown, we were treated to our first proper steak dinner of the week: Morton’s style! From the cheery valet to our attentive waitress to the maitre d’, Morton’s made us feel at home in a cozy booth overlooking the dining room. We began with a warm onion loaf and the caesar salad, which was perfect - creamy, flavorful, not over- or under-dressed - and topped with thin waves of fresh parmesan cheese and crispy toast points. We ordered the center-cut filet cooked medium rare (it was perfect!) and one broiled salmon filet topped with a rich garlic buerre blanc sauce. Both entrees were served with a plentiful helping of garlic green beans and delicious mashed potatoes. We requested extra buerre blanc and drizzled it atop everything except the steak. Morton’s dessert offering for Eat Up Downtown was a glass of belgian chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream, a raspberry and sprig of mint. The perfect way to end the evening!