Ms. Behave: Wrapped in Warmth – Yummy Goodness for the Tummy and the Soul

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Wrapped in Warmth – Yummy Goodness for the Tummy and the Soul

My Review of Maple Street Biscuit Company and Annie the Musical

One of the best aspects of being a parent is being able to share your interests with your children. Whether it is the love of food or the arts, sharing my passions with my four-year-old daughter is an absolute JOY.

Let’s start with a little semi-newcomer called Maple Street Biscuit Company. Besides appearing on Food and Wine Magazine’s “Best New Biscuit Spots” last year, it was also ranked one of “Florida’s 12 Best Restaurants (outside of Miami),”by Thrillist.com this September!

These charming local “Southern Comfort Food” counter service restaurants are the perfect spot for an array of occasions - Casual business meetings, with their freshly roasted and ground coffee, meeting up with a group of friends, with all locations featuring a cozy and inviting atmosphere complete with large community farm tables, and of course, a perfect spot for the kids, with their delicious, all natural and homemade food offerings and friendly customer service.

One of the most unique qualities of the Jacksonville Beach eatery was the fun way Maple Street takes your order by asking you a question, and calling out your answer when your order is ready. Our question was “What was your first Halloween costume?” My daughter was an “Angel” when she was a mere three-months-old, which was very cute to her when this was called out across the counter.

What we ate (we had help from friends, don’t judge us)…

The Farmer (Signature Sandwiches) - Biscuit, fried chicken, bacon, cheese & apple butter – Flaky, crispy, salty-sweet deliciousness…so small, yet so filling!

Smokey Mountain Mac-N-Cheese – Creamy, warm and oodles of flavor (my preschooler kept knocking my fork away when I tried to snag a bite)!

Fried Green Tomatoes (subbed the ranch dressing for the maple mustard dipping sauce) – down-home, goodness with the perfect crunch!

Hashups – Homefries with ham, veggies and cheese – the perfect crisp mashup accompaniment to any of the MSBC Signature Sandwiches.

Maple Tap Coffee – Smooth, with not a trace of bitterness and a hint of sweet maple…the perfect remedy for a dreary fall day.

There are currently three Maple Street Biscuit Company locations in Jacksonville, the first opened in 2012 in San Marco, the second in Jacksonville Beach, the third in Murray Hill. The most recent addition to the MSBC family is located in Chattanooga, TN (home to the Division 1-AA National Football Championships – GoUM Griz!!!)

Now, on with the show…

The Tony Award winning, Annie the Musical, kicked off the FSCJ Artist Series 2014/2015 season with an incredible standing ovation opening night this past Tuesday!

My daughter has watched Annie, the movie (1982), about 100 times (all parents with toddlers know what I’m talking about here), and has all the songs and even a few of the dance routines memorized. So when I heard Annie the Musical was coming to Jacksonville this fall, I jumped on the opportunity to bring her to see it! As luck would have it, Tuesday night was also the annual Chase Family Night on Broadway! My daughter absolutely loved all the wonderful activities planned and sponsored by local businesses and organizations such as the Jacksonville Public Library and First Coast No More Homeless Pets. All ticket-holding kids have the opportunity to partake in all the fun one hour prior to show time.

From the moment the curtain was raised, we were both completely engaged and found ourselves singing along merrily to all of our favorites like “Maybe,” “It’s a Hard-Knock Life,” “Easy Street,” and “Tomorrow.”

The talents of all the youngsters playing the roles of the orphans were incredible, lead by the sensational Issie Swickle, as Annie, from our very own state of Florida! Other stand-out roles were Lynn Andrews, as Miss Hannigan, Gilgamesh Taggett, as Daddy Warbucks, the entire staff at the Warbucks mansion, and of course, Sunny the dog as Sandy. Also, who could forget the triumphant live Annie orchestra, lead by conductor Keith Levenson.

Annie is set in New York City, December, 1933. Our story begins in the Hudson Street Orphanage, run by the mean, yet incredibly hilarious Miss Hannigan. After countless attempts to run-away and find her real parents, Annie our heroine, is invited to spend the Holidays with Oliver Warbucks, the billionaire. The heart-warming journey of Annie and “Daddy” Warbucks discovering the only thing missing in their lives is each other is nothing but magical. This all-time favorite children’s classic is a crowd-pleaser for the young and young-at-heart alike.

Shows run through Sunday, October 26, 2014. Hurry up and buy your tickets HERE before it’s sold out!