The short version
Tell your server what you need before you order. Because our menu is written fresh each morning and most dishes are cooked to order, we are far more able to adapt than a restaurant working from a fixed, pre-prepped card. This has been the policy since the beginning: we will happily accommodate any dietary or vegetarian requests.
Vegetarian
There has never been a day without vegetarian plates on this menu. Archived menus show black bean cakes with salsa fresca and smoked chile sour cream; marinated tofu with veggie stir fry, cashews, pea shoots and Thai coconut curry; potato-corn-goat cheese croquettes with roasted tomato sauce; lentil falafel with tzaziki and shirazi salad; eggplant fries with fresh mozzarella and tomato jam; hummus with walnut, kalamata and feta.
The black bean cakes in particular have been a fixture for decades and are the reason a number of vegetarians have been eating here since the nineties.
Vegan
Ask, and give us a moment. Many vegetable dishes are built with cheese, butter or dairy in the sauce, but the components are cooked to order and the kitchen is good at reassembling a plate properly rather than handing you steamed vegetables. If you are coming with a group and want to be certain, call ahead.
Gluten-free
Guests regularly single us out as gluten-free friendly, and note that there tends to be plenty on the menu rather than one grudging option. Tell your server. The rice, bean and grits-based plates are often a natural fit, as are many of the fish dishes.
If you are coeliac rather than gluten-avoiding, say so explicitly — it changes how the kitchen handles your order.
Dairy-free
Manageable, with notice at the table. Watch for cream sauces, cheese finishes and butter, all of which appear regularly on this menu; the kitchen will build around them.
Seafood, shellfish and nut allergies
This is a menu with a great deal of seafood on it, and nuts appear frequently — walnuts, cashews, pecans, pistachio pesto. For a serious allergy, please call (850) 224-2466 before you come so the kitchen can plan your meal rather than improvise it during service.
Spice levels
There is real heat on this menu — habanero, harissa, chile rubs, house hot sauce that regulars warn each other about. Most of it can be dialled down. Ask.
Groups and events
For a private event in The Room, give us dietary requirements when you design the menu and we will build them in rather than treating them as exceptions on the night. Event planning.
We are required to tell you that there is a risk of food borne illness when consuming undercooked protein.
Dietary questions
What should I tell my server?
Everything, at the start. Not just the headline — if you are coeliac rather than avoiding gluten by preference, say so, because the kitchen handles those differently. The earlier we know, the more we can do.
Can you guarantee no cross-contact?
We take allergies seriously and we will tell you honestly what we can and cannot promise on a given night. This is a small kitchen with shared equipment. For a severe allergy, call ahead so we can plan rather than improvise.
Is there always a vegetarian main?
Yes. There have been vegetarian plates on the menu since 1996 and there always are.
Do you do vegan food?
Yes, with a conversation. Because the menu is rebuilt daily and much of it is cooked to order, the kitchen can usually construct something proper rather than handing you a plate of sides.
What about children’s portions?
There is no separate children’s menu, but the kitchen is flexible about substitutions and portioning. Families report swapping unusual sides for mac and cheese without any fuss.
Call ahead if it matters
For a serious allergy or a group with mixed requirements, one phone call makes the whole evening easier.