A few weeks ago I enjoyed a lovely dinner catching up with friends. We opted to try the new Oceana, a restaurant in historic San Marco, Jacksonville, where new apartments, restaurants, bars and shops seem to pop up overnight, a welcome sight in the city.

Known for its raw bar and seafood-forward dishes, Oceana also offers a variety of other tasty dishes. I had actually been craving a hearty pasta dish for a while, so I chose pasta primavera, a dish consisting of house-made fettuccini, seasonal vegetables, Parmesan cream sauce and chicken. Rich, creamy and with some fresh squash vegetables, this dish hit the spot.

My friends and I also shared an appetizer of Asian marinated cucumbers, a refreshing summertime plate that was empty in no time. Fresh cucumbers doused in seasoned rice vinegar, sesame, carrots, red onion and scallions left us wanting more.

For dessert, we went for the blackberry panna cotta and Nutella brownie. The blackberry panna cotta was an interesting dish, for the base had hints of lavender and thyme, a surprising flavor that I still have yet to decide whether I liked or not. Either way, the dessert disappeared after several bites.

The rich and decadent Nutella brownie with salted caramel, candied hazelnuts and vanilla gelato is one of their most popular desserts — and for good reason — making the perfect end to a wonderful dining experience with friends.

— Aoife O’Riordan, associate editor