Jacksonville Magazine, November 2021

SPECIAL PROFILE SECTION: NORTHEAST FLORIDA'S LEADING DENTAL PROS

LORD

OF THE

FOREST TRACKING THE ELUSIVE FLORIDA PANTHER

TIME

KEEPER

ST. AUGUSTINE COUPLE RESTORES 100-YEAR-OLD BEAUTY

MULTIPLE CHOICES LEADING REASONS PARENTS CHOOSE PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Jax Top

DENTISTS

Meet the local doctors who give us something to smile about

The Florida panther is not only endangered, it is nearly extinct. Estimates are that between 120 and 200 live in the wild today—all in one region of Southwest Florida. As low as that number is, there were significantly fewer just a few decades ago. Once the cat’s dire situation became evident after it was added to the Endangered Species List in 1967, more conservation and awareness policies were put into practice. The panther was named the official State Animal in 1982, and since then, state and national wildlife services have worked in partnership all over Florida to protect it. Still, many of the obstacles to its ultimate conservation remain.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, as of this writing 18 of the 24 wild panther deaths this year have been attributed to vehicle collisions.

There are two basic types of movement that the Florida panther undertakes: territorial movement, where they move back and forth patrolling their territory; and one-time dispersal movement, where a cat leaves a location for good. Many of the panthers struck by moving vehicles are hit during territorial movement. To Meredith Budd, regional policy director for the Florida Wildlife Federation, roads in panther territory aren’t necessarily evil, but they certainly cause harm.

To a panther, a road is simply another part of its territory, and nothing in its normal environment can move as fast or hit as hard as a speeding car. “As the human population grew, we took over spaces that the panther needs,” Budd says. “Roadways, especially ones through forests and swampland, fragment different spaces of land. Florida panthers aren’t trying to leave their habitats when they cross these roads—they’re trying to get to different parts of their home.”

WHITE OAK CONSERVATION

In order to have the best possible chance at survival, a wounded Panther must be treated for injury or illness and rehabilitated before being released. In such a case, facilities like White Oak Conservation plays a role. Originally founded in 1983, the staff at White Oak’s 17,000-acre property on the border of Northeast Florida and Georgia along the St. Marys River, cares for dozens of endangered species, animals from all across the globe ranging from birds to elephants.

“We’ve been working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Service since the 1980s,” says Brandon Speeg, White Oaks’ Director of Wildlife and Education. “We are one of the few places in the state that rehabilitates Florida panthers before sending them back into the wild. Wounded Florida panthers are taken to an ICU to deal with their immediate injuries, and when those are fixed up, they’re brought to us.”

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REVIEW

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he Flying Iguana opened in Neptune Beach in 2013. With its inventive Latin-American menu, enormous selection of top shelf tequilas and house-made guacamole prepared table-side, the restaurant was an immediate hit. Well, if it works out at the beach, why not in town? So, earlier this year, its sister eatery Iguana on Park debuted in Avondale. There are subtle differences at each location, but the winning concept remains mostly intact.

Iguana on Park occupies a large stand-alone building (previously home to South Kitchen & Spirits), which closed in late 2019. Restaurateur Al Mansur revitalized the space, giving it a fresh, more vibrant exterior, and opened to guests earlier this summer. The interior layout is spread over a spacious main dining room, back bar space and second dining room that can be closed for private functions. When weather permits, many diners gravitate to the patio, a covered area that wanders around to another outdoor retreat with comfy seating and several gas fire pits.

The menu offers upscale versions of many Mexican favorites like tacos and quesadillas, as well as more unusual items such as Peruvian style ceviche— locally caught fish marinated in lime juice with sweet potato and red radish ($15). Tacos stuffed with blackened shrimp, beer-battered fried fish, fried green tomatoes, and crispy pork belly are served al a carte ($5-$6), one per order.

Two with sides of cilantro rice and black beans are plenty enough for a meal.

The dinner entrées are where the kitchen really shines with sharable dishes such as whole, slow-roasted rotisserie chicken ($25), an order that comes with four sides (sweet potato fries and tostones are among our recommendations). The seafood paella ($30) is a thing of beauty with shrimp, mussels and scallops over saffron rice and fire-roasted pepper purée. There are a couple of steak options. The marinated chimichurri steak ($26) with crispy Brussel sprouts, sautéed mushrooms and truffle grits is wonderful.

The house signature cocktail is the aptly named “Iguana on Park,” a potent combination of Herradura reposado tequila, Agavero orange liqueur, Cointreau, Tres Agaves organic agave nectar, and fresh lime and lemon juice. Or perhaps try the 904 with Olmeca Altos blanco tequila, prickly pear purée, fresh lemon juice and sparkling wine. They’ll pour you a shot of Patron, too, if you prefer your spirits straight. More than 100 tequilas can be had at the bar. Live music is presented on weekend nights. Sunday brunch opens at 11 AM. u

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FORK ON THE ROAD

O

rder the drunken clams ($11), a bowl of steamed locally raised clams swimming in a broth of craft beer, onions and smoked pork belly. Ask for a few extra slices of bread. You’ll want to absorb every drop of the broth.

With a name like The Commander’s Shellfish Camp (7579 S. A1A, Crescent Beach) it comes as no surprise that clams, oysters, shrimp, crab and fresh-catch fish ( flounder, grouper, sword fish) highlight the menu. Hush puppies, coleslaw, green beans, red potatoes are among the sides ($4). For our money, the creamy grits are a must-have.

The eatery’s name honors Harold H. Sullivan, a retired US Navy officer and Pearl Harbor survivor. His son Mike runs the businesses, which include a seafood market component. Bushels of clams and oysters—which, in autumn, may have been plucked from the Matanzaz River that day—sell fast, when in stock.

It’s a waterfront establishment. Well, kind of. Commander’s sits a few miles north of Marineland on a thin ribbon of land separating the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Intracoastal Waterway, just a shell’s throw to the west. There’s a snug, one-room main dining area with a bar and a narrow porch that wraps around two sides of the exterior.

The view isn’t much to see, but it gets better if you follow the meandering boardwalk that leads out back. Here, patrons find the small “outpost” bar and large covered deck with picnic tables, as well as the restaurant’s sister farming operation. A sandy path leads past piles of countless oyster shells and the Intracoastal and marshes beyond.

Sunsets are usually Instagram-worthy. Though, we suggest putting the phone down and ordering more clams. Maybe some extra oysters ($16-$20 per dozen), too. u

COCKTAIL CORNER

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t’s not exactly a lounge act but the idea of combining music, friends and a libation or two is the same. The Jacksonville Symphony hosts “Symphony in 60,” a series of concerts and cocktails featuring a social hour before each performance. Each evening is themed (A Journey Through Beethoven on November 18, The Fairy & The Phoenix on February 10, among others) and features a massive projection screen above the stage, giving each guest a front-row view. Also, Symphony music director Courtney Lewis walks the audience through the evening’s program, offering insights into the composer’s emotions and intentions. Shows start at 6:30 PM, corks start popping at 5:30 PM. Tickets are $25 a piece and includes coupons for two drinks.

SYMPHONY: TIFFANY MANNING

PARK IT HERE