Story & Song Bookstore Bistro

“Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes,” wrote Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. By this measure, there is a lot of living going on at Story & Song Center for Arts & Culture! Indeed, it is a center now, a veritable hub of arts and culture on Amelia Island, with a rotating calendar of programs, classes, gatherings, and book events. Food and wine events are especially popular and fill up quickly, so be sure to follow the calendar on their website.
The bistro is now in the capable hands of Florence Haridan, who has been waiting her whole life for this position. A New Yorker-turned-Floridian, Florence is glad to have left the corporate world behind. However, her corporate work did give her the chance to ask Anthony Bourdain if she could sous-chef for him. She even has his vichyssoise recipe.
What will not change at the bistro are traditional favorites like Grilled Turkey & Brie with Cranberry Panini, Ina’s Chicken Salad, Little Paris Bookstore Quiche, and the beloved side dish, Pépin Potato Salad. They’ll all be there when you want them. The ever-popular Bronx Bagels will still arrive from The Bronx, not far from where Florence grew up. The joy she feels being in this bistro reminds her of the deli of her childhood. Her mother worked at Steve’s Deli, and Florence got to work there now and then to earn her allowance.
Curious about the new galette Florence has introduced at the bistro, I stopped in the other day. Puff pastry being my weakness, I savored the pastry crackle as the tomato-basil-parmesan flavor kicked in. The cup of tomato bisque with croissant croutons was the perfect complement to the galette. Berry hibiscus tea on ice and GF peanut-butter cookies were the perfect finish. As I was enjoying these, a man said, “We’re just here for the food!” Islanders for five years, he and his wife come in often to satisfy his appetite and nurture her mind, he explained as they sat near me.
But what if you could do both at once? Florence has a new flavor exercise she wants to take us through: Pairing Events, which will help us slow down and truly taste our foods, opening our taste buds to new and different sensations. The basic tastes our tongues can perceive are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. Juxtaposing these tastes with different textures helps us find our own individual preferences.
“Tongues get bored, too,” says Florence, “and want to be entertained.” She wants to help us learn how to combine items to make us think, I would have never put that together! Pairings I tried were like a playdate for my tastebuds: one was crispy, creamy-sour, fruity-burn, and floral. Another was crunchy, leafy, tangy-and-citrusy. And another fruity, buttery, salty-bitter, floral, citrusy-sweet-crispy. Look for these pairing events to begin in November.
Remember the soup subscription that began during Covid? Happily, this is permanent now! As I write, the pick-up Soup of the Week is Chilled Silky Carrot Ginger Soup, which sounds seriously scrumptious. See what else is scrumptious by following the Bistro online and participating in events. Your tongue will enjoy visiting regularly! Story & Song Bookstore Bistro is located at 1430 Park Avenue.