A few weeks ago I met up with some friends for dinner at an all-new restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida. Gemma Fish + Oyster opened a few months ago, featuring both a ground-floor level and a second-floor terrace, perfect for drinks.

For drinks, I ordered The Juliet, a St. Germain gin drink flavored with mint, simple syrup and Prosecco. Some of my friends opted for glasses of wine, while others got a spicy margarita.

I wasn’t terribly hungry, so I opted out of getting any appetizer, instead waiting for my entrée, a more-than-generous plate of fish and chips, complete with thick-cut fries, tartar sauce and malt vinegar. There was so much fish I couldn’t eat it all, but it was fresh, hot and tasty.

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Some of my friends also raved about the baked crab and artichoke dip, while my one friend couldn’t get enough of the oyster menu, featuring a wide range of flavors and offerings. The seared Hokkaido scallops were also a hit.

We were enjoying our evening so much, we decided to venture to the second floor near the end of the night for an espresso martini, which we were given the option of having it light or dark. To put it short, it was more than delicious. We ended up being there nearly ’til close, as it was nice weather and it was nice catching up with everyone.

— Aoife O’Riordan, associate editor