JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Dorothy’s Downtown is now open, and it is a stylish, upscale southern and Creole-inspired restaurant that has taken place at the former Burrito Gallery in downtown Jacksonville.
Dorothy’s is owned by Felicia Luke, Jorge Gonzalez, Ashley McCaskey and Jim Broy, who is also the team behind The District, which remains open in Springfield.
Gonzalez says that the name ‘Dorothy’ holds personal significance, as it honors both his late dog and Executive Chef Marvin Barnes’ grandmother, who shares the same name.
This restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, with weekend brunch available as well. The menu blends New Orleans inspired favorites like creole pasta, fried chicken, gumbo, and shrimp and grits - with classic staples such as steak, chops and salmon.
Gonzalez says that he and his team visited New Orleans, Barnes’ hometown, to explore a variety of restaurants for menu inspiration, with the goal of putting their own twist on dishes that reflect southern and New Orleans flavors.
“We took a trip to New Orleans for about five days; it was really strictly picking the restaurants that had really good reviews or kind of like a concept that we really wanted to use. So, we did some high-end dining and neighborhood places and made a combination of what we thought were the best dishes or something that we feel like Marvin can replicate.”
Dorothy’s has a full-service bar where you will find elevated versions of your favorite cocktails and brunch guests can enjoy bottomless mimosas.
“Our bar manager Kyle, who’s been working with us for four and a half years, he is kind of in charge of the cocktail list. He’s not just doing your basic Mai Tai’s or margaritas; he is doing elevated versions. Some of them have olio sacrum or a clarified cocktail which sometimes takes about three hours to make so that also guarantees that they are going to be really good because he spent a lot of time and effort into them,” said Gonzalez.
Dorothy’s also offers seating for just over 100 people, including a cozy back patio. While reservations are strongly recommended, walk-ins are welcome to enjoy a delicious southern-style meal.
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