"Outside the Den" Visits Cafe Freda in Riverside

Alex: The last dish we had was their vegetable banh mi. The last time we tried banh mi, Heather bit into a pepper that brought new meaning to the words “Asian Spicy”. Thankfully enough, Cafe Freda’s dish was only spiced with rooster sauce, which does have a bit of a kick but went wonderfully with the pickled vegetables. Their bread continued to impress me, with the baguette being just the right balance between chewy and crusty.



We finished off our meal with the ginger snap banana pudding. Banana pudding is always great with a little extra mixed it, like cookies or crackers. They mixed in ginger snaps that gave it a cinnamon and ginger flavor that cut into the rich creaminess. It was a good twist on a traditional dessert, and I’d be very interested to see more sweet combinations.




Heather: We took advantage of the lovely weather and ate out on the patio. The inside of the restaurant is nicely decorated, with pieces that don’t distract from your meal.



Alex: For their first night, Freda’s is very promising. I would be happy to stop by to try the rest of their dishes, especially once they start their full menu. Their motto is “Global comfort food made with local love”, and it really shows in their cooking. In addition, many of their dishes were vegan friendly with enough dishes that were carnivore friendly to make everyone happy.  It was great to experience a new place on its first night, and we recommend you swing by for a little bit of your own global comfort food.


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Alex and Heather Bailey

Alex is a Florida native who grew up with fresh citrus and love bugs. He always imagined himself as a terrible Southerner, but a halfway decent Floridian. He knows that no matter how a day goes, it begins and ends with beauty. Originally from Texas, Heather has lived throughout the East Coast and is happy to now call Jacksonville home. She is a firm believer in Thoreau’s advice of “Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.”  Both graduates of history at the University of North Florida, they share a love of finding the story beneath the story. Together they created the blog Outside The Den where they inspire others to get outside of their comfort zones through culinary adventures, cultural explorations, community happenings, and natural wonders.

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