St. Augustine's Casablanca Inn and Eco Tour

For Jacksonvillians, St. Augustine is a popular spot for a short getaway. Their B&Bs have competitive rates, and some even have great last-minute or weekday rates. We opted to go on the weekend.

We stayed at the Casablanca Inn. Most people recognize this iconic hotel upon seeing a picture, because the white pillars and frontage on Avenida Menendez is eye-catching. A stay at the Casablanca includes a hearty breakfast served by a great staff, a parking spot close to the hotel (dear indeed in historic St. Augustine) and a $15 credit at their Tini Martini bar, over looking the bay.

They've got quite a few packages worth looking at— stay for two nights till November 4th and you get a free Eco Tour for Two complete with a bottle of champagne. There are lots of other romance packages to choose from as well.

The Inn has three buildings on its grounds, the Main House, the Coach House and the Secret Garden. The main house faces Charlotte Street. We were in the Coach House. While people most often request the Main House, perhaps because many of the rooms have an excellent view of the bay, I loved the Coach House. Not as many cars go by on Charlotte, so it feels restful and romantic. We relaxed on our small porch facing the quiet brick street. The Secret Garden Suites are better for longer stays, as they have kitchenettes and dining areas. As the name says, the suites are in a secret tropical garden tucked away in a side street you would never find without direction.

We enjoyed drinks at the Tini Martini bar, in the front of the Main House, people watching as horses trotted by, carriages and tourists in tow.

Zach McKenna has a passion for conserving wildlife and it shows. He runs St. Augustine Eco Tours in the marina next to the Bridge of Lions. You can, of course, book a tour outside of the Casablanca Inn's deal (free eco tour for two with two nights stay). They have many different tours you can take on various vessels. You can kayak, go on on a gorgeous catamaran or, like we did, hop aboard one of their rugged little research vessels. Unlike most boats I've been on, it's not a struggle to hear the guide, because the research vessel's engines are quieter and the ride fairly smooth, even when we ventured toward the sea waves.

While the main draw of the tour is the dolphins that frolic in the Matanzas, there's no guarantee that dolphins will appear. Most of the time they do, but you can't force nature. We got very lucky and saw several pods, including some tiny, just-born babies that were still learning how to swim properly. The baby dolphins were awkward, unlike the graceful adults that sliced through the water with ease. I always thought that dolphins knew how to swim by instinct, but Zach told us that it's actually a learned behavior, like walking is for humans. Once we learned what dolphins looked like after we spotted the first pod, everyone on board was on the lookout for dolphins.

Because it's a research vessel, they do have some interesting equipment. The last two pods of dolphins we encountered began talking to each other underwater, and thanks to the equipment, we got to listen in.

Though dolphins are an exciting part of the tour, Zach McKenna's knowledgeable enough about local flora and fauna that he can tell you about them as you encounter them. We saw several species of birds in our travels. A flock of gorgeously pink spoonbills waded by the shore. He pointed out tiny lady terns waiting on pilings for their suitors to bring them fish.

Post Eco Tour we ate at the White Lion. It wasn't my first choice, but I had a dim childhood memory of eating there. My husband had remarked on several occasions that he'd always wanted to go there and so we did. It is a tourist sort of place, though it's less of a tourist trap than the Santa Maria (which every local is vaguely disgusted by). The White Lion isn't terrible. prices are reasonable, it's casual, they've got an outdoor patio and they fry everything. I got a basket of fried okra.

Revamped: Alhambra

With all the changes at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre, we thought a review of their food and new décor was in order. Dinner has improved, with Matthew Medure on board designing the menu.


The Alhambra has been in a fixture in Jacksonville community for over 40 years. In '84 it was bought by Tod Booth, who continued the proud tradition. By the late 2000s, Booth was relying heavily on out-of-town tickets, mainly from the Red Hat Society and other social clubs. But when the recession hit, this group shrunk considerably.


The Alhambra was close to closing at the end of 2009, but a group of businessmen called the Theatre Partner's Managing group and spread-headed by Craig Smith, came in to the rescue.


While they've always had community support, I think the aim today is to get more locals in their door, locals that may have abandoned the old Alhambra because of the food or the tired décor; and locals that had never been to the Alhambra.


From what I could see, the audience demographic has slightly changed. While dinner theater is still the purview of the blue hairs, there were more people there under the age of 30 who hadn't been dragged there by a well-meaning parent. The age range was wider than I'd seen it at the Alhambra (notwithstanding their yearly Christmas Carole production).


In Craig Smith's intro to the show there were jokes about what a flop High School Musical was, which I gather the Alhambra did to reel in the tween demographic, though they did chat up what a great show it was, despite the lack of audience draw. But 42 Street was a different story. They got their crowd with that one.


High School Musical was a bit of a leap for the Alhambra, off of their usual formula for choosing a show. More “avant-garde” people complain about the mundane choice in shows that some community theatres make and that the Alhambra has made in the past. The truth of the matter is that these places just can't afford to gamble with their choice of shows. Community theatre can, because they have a funding cushion and donors, so from them, you'll see at least one gamble in a season line-up. Otherwise, you get the same musicals or type of musicals in rotation, because that's what people consistently come to see.


It's refreshing to see them trying new things because dinner theatre has such a slim margin of error, financially. Trying to scratch out a profit at any theater is tough-- and then you add the logistics and cost of food, while charging close to what other shows do that don't serve food, just so you can remain competitive. (Some tickets to shows at the major venues in Jax, which will remain nameless, charge as much or more than the Alhambra and you don't get dinner).



Before the food was dramatically rolled out onstage for The Foreigner, I got to look at the most striking changes the Alhambra has made: their remodeling. Outdoors, the fountain area where I went for a pre-show stroll has been brick-paved and landscaped nicely. Inside, the cramped ticket office is now hidden away, replaced by a hostess stand. The cramped buffet room is now a cozy lounge. At gala openings this is where they pass out champagne. It feels like an exclusive little club, perhaps a VIP room tucked away in an expensive restaurant. And there's a full bar in there as well. This is where the Alhambra could royally clean up.


Mainly, they've cleared away the clutter that had built up over the years, stream-lined things and modernized. The stage and dining area is just, well, cool. It has a deliberate retro look (as opposed to their previous outdated look, which was only retro because they hadn't remodeled). Looking around, there's a distinct feeling that Jessica Rabbit might slide on stage at any moment and sing a torch song.


Basically, you feel like you've arrived somewhere very, very cool, where you might just get a show.


They've revamped the menu under the auspices of Matthew Medure, but that doesn't mean that old favorites have gone away. The much-loved chocolate mousse is still a dessert option, though they serve others. I had the delightful strawberry and cream topped scone (which they called a biscuit) instead of their signature mousse. The mousse appears to be as popular as ever.


The main courses have certainly seen improvement. While they still offer a roast carving station, they have other, more sophisticated choices available. The standout was the savory pork loin, served with crispy bacon and mushroom. If you ever stayed away from the Alhambra because of the food, you need to try it now.


It's an interesting year for the Alhambra. I can already see that they've accepted a mix of old and new. They're going to be trying new things, taking new risks, but they're building on what they already know, and that's important.