Labor Day at the Landing

The Landing is apt to be teaming with people, alcohol and families this Labor Day weekend. I think the best part is the fake beach. But I also included the music line-up.


September 2 -7 2nd Annual Beach Days at The Landing!
More than 100 tons of sand transforms the Courtyard into downtown Jacksonville’s only beach during the extended Labor Day weekend festivities. Live music on the stage each day and night by some of the best local beach bands, sand toys provided for the kids, beach chairs for the sun worshipers, hula hoop contest and more! Extended schedule of events for each day is provided below.

Friday, September 4 Live entertainment in the Courtyard with the George Aspinall Band 5 – 9 p.m. and the Paul Lundgren Band 9:30 p.m. –
1:30 a.m.

Saturday, September 5 Live entertainment in the Courtyard with Brian Turner & The Riptide 12-4 p.m., Hipp Street 5 – 9 p.m. and Cloud 9
9:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

Sunday, September 6 Live entertainment in the Courtyard with Brian Turner & The Riptide 4 – 8 p.m. and Party Train 9 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Monday, September 7 Krystal Square Off Tour 2 p.m. and live entertainment in the Courtyard with Sugar Bear 5 – 9 p.m.

The Landing & Should I Give Koja a 5th Chance?

I actually liked Mongos at the Landing. So I'm sad they closed.

Sure, it wasn't high cuisine but it was fun. Plus you had no one but yourself to blame if you hated the flavor of your food.

The food at Twisted Martini ranks as the best place to eat at the Landing as far as I'm concerned. But it's less like dining and more like eating food at a bar. You can't blame them for that. They can't help that the word martini is in the name.

Otherwise I've found the Landing to be a bit of a culinary hole so far.

One of the places that's always gotten undeserved lavish praise (IMHO) is Koja Sushi. I've never had an experience there that blew me away. It's either been mediocre or a bad experience.

Like the time they served us something called a sweet and sour pork that turned out to actually be some sort of curry. And on a separate occasion all of our sushi plates turned up without wasabi. Turned out they had run out of it a few hours before. Did the server let us know this before they put in our order? Nope. And for me wasabi is central to the sushi experience. I would have ordered something else.

To be fair, the sweet and sour pork was probably the Korean version of the dish. We asked if a mistake had been made and they said it was the correct dish. Since the place is presented in a Japanese manner, you sort of expect what you'd get at the standard Japanese-style steakhouse or sushi place. Yes, I know these little differences are what people treasure about the Koja, but now undomesticated equines couldn't drag my husband to the place.

Service has never been great and the quality of the fish in the sushi I've been served has not been the best. I also find their eel to be too crispy. (They claimed that they never get complaints about it and that everyone but me loves it).

After three annoying experiences and one so-so one, I stopped going. In the last year I've only hit them up for some kim chee to go.

There are just so many other sushi options where I have had a great experience every time that I find no reason to go. So my questions are these: What do people love about Koja? Should I give them a fifth chance? Were they really the best sushi in town in 2006 when they took home that Best of Folio Award?

Sushi picture is actually from the now defunct Tokyo Bay.