She has twice cooked at New York City’s James Beard House and will return for another guest chef appearance early next year. The opportunity to become the pastry chef and originator of a chocolate program at the five-star Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant took her to Nassau, Bahamas.Ĭline has appeared as a contestant on the Bravo channel’s “Top Chef Just Desserts.” She served as a judge on the Food Network’s “Rock ’n’ Roll Pastry Challenge.” She moved to Memphis, working at the Peabody Hotel, before coming to Jacksonville. She studied and worked in Detroit under master chef Milos Cihelka.
and the Caribbean.Ĭline backs the plans with credentials that include TV appearances. Restaurant expansion plans include Jacksonville, the U.S. They also want their candy bars featured in boutique shops around the area. In eight months or so after opening, they want a free-standing shop in another part of Jacksonville where they can sell their candies and desserts. We want you to spend the whole day with us and eat all day long,” she said.Ĭline and her partners also have plans to expand their business. “We want to make sure you feel at home and comfortable.
There may be music and poetry readings, a weekly food-themed movie night and church choirs performing at a Gospel Brunch on the last Sunday of every month.Ĭline said she will encourage customers to make the restaurant a daily habit by providing high-speed internet access. Open Tuesday through Sunday, Cline sees Bleu Chocolat as a hub of neighborhood activity. The restaurant will have a large-screen TV in a bar area to attract sports fans. Another room will house the coffee and chocolate bar. One room will feature a wine and beer bar, specializing in South African wines and those owned by African-American producers. She lives by her motto: “A day is never good without chocolate.” Kline is known for her colorful assortment of bonbons, rich truffles and rich chocolate cakes and pastries. Dinner, if it includes a glass of wine, $25-$30. Prices will average $15 for breakfast and $15-$20 for lunch. There will be gluten-free, vegan and sugar-free offerings. The lemon-grass tea will come from plants grown in the patio area. Food items may include chicken and dumplings and collard greens. Much of the food will be small plates designed for sharing. It’s a seven-day process that takes raw cocoa beans through the roasting process all the way to a dark creamy chocolate. Coca-Cola will be sold in 8-ounce bottles made with sugar instead of corn syrup.Ĭline calls her candymaking process “bean to bar,” meaning all the chocolate is made in-house. Jacksonville roaster Martin Coffee will supply the coffee. The emphasis will be on sourcing local products and combining Florida and Caribbean cuisine. “We wanted to go in a different route and have desserts that are freshly made and so creative.” They also are working with Chef Roderick Smith at Mother’s Cafe at 2467 Faye Road.Ĭhief among the desserts is a seven-layer chocolate cake. It will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, cater special events and provide desserts for other restaurants. They plan to hire four employees.īleu Chocolat’s estimated 2,000-square-foot space is being remodeled and will have two dining areas and patio seating. Sister Chefs Group LLC is Cline, Linda Evans and Tanisha Guy. The restaurant is a partnership of three pastry chefs. When I say family, I mean my culinary family,” Cline said. Neil and her partners are planning a mid-July opening.Īfter the devastation in Tortola, returning to Jacksonville was a natural choice, she said. She is recreating Bleu Chocolat in Springfield, a full-service restaurant and wine bar in the former Three Layers Cafe at 1602 Walnut St. While her husband remains in Tortola to rebuild, she returned to Jacksonville where she lived for six years working as pastry chef at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club.
That catastrophe forced the closing of the chocolate and dessert-based restaurant, Bleu Chocolat another restaurant, De Loose Mongoose as well as a cafe they operated in a church. September saw hurricanes Irma and Maria destroy the restaurants in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, that she owns with her husband, Neil, who also is a chef. T he past year has been bittersweet for chef Erika Cline.