The husband-and-wife owners of The Floridian, a St. Augustine landmark for 15 years, have opened the iconic farm-to-table restaurant’s “little sister” on adjacent Anastasia Island.
Bea’s Fine Foods + All Day Cafe debuts Aug. 13 at 9 Anastasia Blvd., on the barrier island just south of the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine. It’s at the site of the former Santa Maria Restaurant, which closed and was sold in 2015.
The cafe is the latest concept from local restaurateurs Jeff and Genie McNally, who founded The Floridian, known for its innovative Southern fare focusing on fresh ingredients.
The Floridian is on hiatus as it relocates to its new home under construction at 485 Old Beach Road in St. Augustine Beach — almost four miles south of its prior longtime location at 72 Spanish St. in St. Augustine’s historic district. Dating back to 2010, The Floridian originally opened on Cordova Street, then moved to 72 Spanish St. in 2015.
The McNallys hope to reopen The Floridian at the Old Beach Road site in late fall or winter this year, according to the restaurant’s website.
Bea’s breakfast, brunch, and lunch menu offerings
Jeff McNally affectionately called the new cafe “The Floridian’s Little Sister” when the couple unveiled their plans for Bea’s back in June.
Bea’s features an all-day, cafe-style breakfast, a full-service lunch/brunch, and an evening “Supper Club” menu. Natural wines will be among the beverages offered, according to a July 31 news release announcing the opening date.
A variety of fresh-baked pastries highlight breakfast offerings that also include the BTS Breakfast Pizza ($8), a “by-the-slice selection,” and the Frittata du Jour (also $8), which will change daily “based on what’s fresh and fun.”
Breakfast mainstays include the Brisket Biscuit ($12), “a hand-sculpted three-cheese and scallion buttermilk biscuit, with Cartwheel Ranch braised brisket, hot honey, and pepper jelly.” Guests can add an egg for a $2 upcharge.
The Burger ($15 beef or $12 veggie with various upcharges depending on toppings) leads the lunch/brunch menu. There’s a choice of an all-natural CartWheel Ranch half-pound beef burger or a Three Bean and Sweet Potato Veggie Burger.
Both are served open-faced on house-made focaccia, which is gluten-free, with spinach, tomato, house pickles, and chipotle mayo on the side, the menu shows.
Another unique offering is the Polenta & Summer Squash Shakshuka ($12), which is creamy grits with a garlicky summer squash, tomato, and greens sauté, finished with herbed farm cheese and parsley puree, and served with focaccia.
In addition, Cast-Iron Pizzas (starting at $15) are available from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Among those one-of-a-kind pizzas are the High Summer ‘Succotash ($15), Flo’waiian ($16), Southern Belle ($18), and Red Curry Brisket ($20).
On the Supper Club menu
The Supper Club menu is offered from 5 p.m. to close. Main dishes include:
To share, guests have multiple appetizer choices ranging from Beet Poke ($9) to a Summer Melon + Labneh Plate ($12), Poisson Cru ($14), and Citrus Baked Brie ($16).
Inspiration begins with family
Genie McNally, Bea’s executive chef, said family inspired the restaurant, which also is an opportunity to stretch her culinary wings by exploring new dishes.
Describing it as “a true labor of love,” the restaurant pays homage to her two grandmothers. It is a tribute to the enormous impact both had on her life, she said in the news release.
“I take so much inspiration from my family, so it was natural to honor my grandmothers with a concept that is near and dear to my heart. Bea’s is a way to play with ideas that have been marinating in my head,” she said.
Genie McNally also noted that inspiration is rooted in the ingredients.
“Jeff and I have invested lots of time in building relationships with our purveyors, and many times, they just bring me what’s fresh, and I start ideating. These are the ideas that I’ve been stowing away, that weren’t quite right for The Floridian, but something I still wanted to explore,” Genie McNally said in the news release.
The cafe is intended to be “a fun, fresh, and inventive take” on some of the couple’s favorite things. The vibe is “pure 1970s beach — warm, bright, and cheerful,’ they said in the opening news release.
The decor includes stained glass lighting that the couple salvaged from the former iconic SantaMaria restaurant. Other furnishings include hand-selected vintage furnishings and Marüshka artwork, according to the news release.
Bea’s Fine Foods + All Day Cafe, which has 40 seats inside plus additional porch seating, will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Monday and closed on Tuesday.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Owners of The Floridian adding all-day cafe to St. Augustine restaurant lineup
Reporting by Teresa Stepzinski, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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