New upscale Ponte Vedra restaurant celebrates contemporary American cuisine, golf

A new upscale restaurant with an unusual name offering contemporary American cuisine focused on fresh Florida ingredients opens Tuesday at The Yards in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Argyle, at 254 Alta Mar Drive, in Sawgrass also pays homage to the roots and heritage of golf.

The chef-driven restaurant will feature a rotating selection of seasonal-based dishes as well as year-round classics served amid a casual California coastal-style decor and ambiance, co-owners Chef Jonathan "Jon" Blackford and his wife, Kristi, the founders of Fire and Vine Restaurant Group, told the Times-Union.

Argyle is the first Northeast Florida restaurant from the Blackfords who relocated from Southern California to Jacksonville Beach. Kristi Blackford is the lead designer of the restaurant.

Blackford said Monday that they were finalizing the menu as well as continuing to do some remodeling but they definitely are ready to welcome guests to the table.

On the move: An upscale Ponte Vedra restaurant is closing. But it could reopen elsewhere, owners say

Seafood and sweeping ocean views: First rooftop restaurant in Ponte Vedra opens

Caviar and prime steak: New Jacksonville fine-dining restaurant promises 'sophistication'

Initially, Argyle will be open only for lunch on the patio from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Dinner service will be added in about three weeks with the hours of 5 to 10 p.m. daily. Ultimately, they will be doing brunch too, Blackford said.

The bar menu will be available day and night, according to the restaurant's website.

The Blackfords renovated the entire kitchen with all new equipment and made other cosmetic design changes, including the flooring and walls of the building, the former home of 3 Palms Grille.

John Nagy, co-owner of 3 Palms Grille, recently confirmed to the Times-Union that 3 Palms Grille will relocate and reopen. But the timetable hasn't been announced.

Inspired chef-driven menu

With its focus on fresh seasonal ingredients, Argyle's menu will evolve constantly, Blackford said.

He said because the menu will be changing regularly depending on the available ingredients, so too, will the signature dishes. But all will be in keeping with their goal to do "very good upscale food in a casual comfortable atmosphere."

"I would say that the dishes that we serve are going to be pretty unique to here," Blackford said. "We really like to showcase a lot of produce, so we're really striving to get the best produce that we can get to really bring out the flavors of the dishes we do."

The food will be chef-driven, well thought out and executed well with techniques Blackford honed during his culinary career.

A Pittsburgh native, Blackford has worked his way up in the restaurant business — beginning as a dishwasher at 15, studying at the Culinary Institute of America and working at restaurants across the country. Before moving to Florida last year, Blackford was executive chef/investor in California's A Restaurant and CdM Restaurant as well as the owner of Fork & Knife.

Argyle's menu will feature steaks, fish and seafood as well as salads, sandwiches and more. Blackford said they are making their own pastrami and other smoked meats as well as baking some of their own bread in-house.

Blackford said their pastrami sandwich will have Amish cole slaw, Thousand Island dressing, Swiss cheese and come on Marble rye bread.

"The pastrami when we make it, we brine it for 10 days. We smoke it for four hours then we steam it for another four hours, cool it and slice it," he said.

A Porchetta Sandwich also tops the Argyle lunch menu.

"We'll make a porchetta. It's a pork loin rolled in a pork belly that we season and slow roast then cool and cut it into pieces. We'll griddle it to order and that will be with an onion marmalade, watercress, chervil and fennel salad. Then it will be on our Dutch Crunch bread," Blackford said.

The Peaches and Buratta with Surryano ham, maple and black pepper vinegar, basil and sunflower seeds is another of the restaurant's unique menu offerings as is the red lentil falafel.

Blackford said they're making their own Dutch Crunch and focaccia breads.

"The food is going to be probably a little on the lighter side … have a lot of local fish from around the area and then beef we're going to source all over the United States," Blackford previously told the Times-Union.

About the Argyle name

The Blackfords named the restaurant Argyle to pay homage to "the roots and traditions of golf" symbolized by the iconic pattern recognizable by diamonds comprising a variety of colors on a plain background.

The pattern "was originally worn as a statement of independence by rebellious Scotsmen that refused to adhere to common rules provoking change," they said in a news release announcing Argyle.

"We are setting out to break the rules of fine dining, as we will deliver elevated food in a swanky and welcoming atmosphere," the couple previously said, noting that in today's times "the Argyle pattern provides a way to integrate classic style into a modern setting without ever appearing too flashy or tacky."

The couple also has said Argyle "mirrors our philosophy on the traditions of food and hospitality. We will use classical pairings of flavors matched with modern techniques to deliver a new take on our favorite dishes."

Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on Twitter @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.

If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest dining coverage.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Upscale restaurant Argyle opens in Ponte Vedra, celebrates golf's roots