Whether you’re hanging out with friends or dining with your family, this week-long list of global Gainesville restaurants will make picking a place to eat so much easier.
Meatless Mondays at Reggae Shack
We’re starting the week meatless at Reggae Shack. Littered with photos of Bob Marley and the Rastafarian flag, this Gainesville restaurant is far from a roughly built hut, as its name suggests. The restaurant’s kitchen gushes smells of authentic Jamaican food. Veggie lovers will love Reggae Shack because it has tons of meatless dishes, like the Curry Tempeh plate that is locally made, organic and bursting with flavor.
While this Tempeh dish is uniquely Jamaican, it is not Reggae Shack’s most iconic menu item—the Dutty Fries hold that title. These fries are dusted with sugar, salt and pepper, an unbeatable combination of sweet and salty. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, this meatless Monday restaurant is a MUST go-to when eating your way through Gainesville.
Taco Tuesdays at La Tienda
Next up, a little bit of Mexican food on a Tuesday. Tacos and Tuesdays go together like chips and salsa, and if you are looking for both of those food duos, La Tienda is definitely the restaurant for you. The tacos at La Tienda come in threes and are filled with your choice of meat. They are served on warm, homemade corn tortillas topped with onions, cilantro and lime.
But don’t worry, because if you love flavor there are tons of specialty items you can add to your tacos like avocado, cheese, lettuce, sour cream and more. La Tienda serves the tacos with salsa and guacamole (made from scratch) to enhance the taco’s taste. Tuesdays were definitely made for Mexican food, and the tacos at La Tienda will not disappoint.
Worldwide Wednesdays at Civilization
It’s hump day already? Time for a quick trip to Thailand. Civilization is an iconic Gainesville brunch restaurant. But what many do not know is that it serves dinner and can even teleport you to a completely different country on Wednesday nights.
Every Wednesday night, Civilization picks a country and creates meals inspired by the country’s typical dishes, flavors and desserts. For example, one Wednesday the restaurant featured food from Thailand, so the chefs made steamed clams, Thai cucumber salad and red curried swordfish over rice.
Every week brings something new and original. The best part about Worldwide Wednesdays is that the only way to know the country Civilization is featuring is to follow its Instagram page. A few hours before the restaurant serves dinner it posts a picture of what the chefs cooked up that night. It’s a really exciting event to look forward to each Wednesday night, and the food is astounding.
Tortellini Thursdays at Francesca’s Trattoria
Now, it’s time for spaghetti on a Thursday. When do you tell your waiter to stop grating cheese onto your pasta? Never. And that is the exact response you will give your waiter if you eat at Francesca’s Trattoria. This upscale Italian restaurant will leave you full and contento (happy).
The dinner menu is complete with pastas, salads, brick oven pizzas, ravioli and more. If you are a cheese enthusiast, the three cheese ravioli is the dish for you. Warning: This cheesy dream includes mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan-filled raviolis baked in the restaurant’s homemade tomato sauce and more mozzarella—it is an irritable amount of dairy goodness.
But, if you already have plans for dinner, Francesca’s offers brunch on Sundays and lunch Monday through Sunday. This restaurant pairs its delicious food with live music on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Buon appetito!
Fried Rice Fridays at Bento Café
It’s fry-day, fry-day, gotta eat rice on fry-day. The only way to end a hectic week is with a big bowl of Bento Café’s fried rice. Contrary to popular belief, fried rice is not a side dish; It’s a full meal. The beauty of Bento Café is that it’s a chain restaurant, meaning you can enjoy its fried rice every day of the week (not just Friday) from Tallahassee to south Florida.
The fried rice bowls at Bento Café come with your choice of chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu, mixed with stir fried rice, onions, bean sprouts, egg, peas and carrots. The restaurant serves the fried rice in a large bowl big enough for two (if you’re the sharing type), and it will definitely fill you. Fridays, I’m 100 percent sure, were made for fried rice.
Sushi Saturdays at Ichiban Sushi
Here’s to wishing every Saturday was filled with fish and rice. Sushi, sashimi and Saturdays are three of my favorite things, and if any one of those items appeals to you, you should drive on over to Ichiban Sushi. This family-owned Asian Fusion restaurant is a low-key Gainesville gem. Whether you’re a crazy sushi fanatic or you just enjoy the basics, Ichiban has oodles of brilliant rolls to offer, while also appealing to the non-sushi consumer.
The Gator roll is filled with smoked eel, shrimp tempura, avocado, cream cheese and masago, topped with tempura flakes and eel sauce, the perfect combination of flavor packed into a perfect roll. Ichiban also has a variety of dishes (Thai, Korean and Chinese) for those who are not so sushi obsessed.
Latin Brunchin’ Sundays at Emiliano’s Café
And finally, some sweets to start your Sunday and end your week. Sunday is only a funday if you’re brunching with your pals at Emiliano’s Café. Emiliano’s is a Latin fusion restaurant in the heart of downtown Gainesville. With both sweet and savory brunch items, it’s hard to pick just one entrée.
The Guava-strawberry crepes, stuffed with guava-strawberry cream cheese filling, topped with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar, are a tasty way to dine. The quinoa benedict, poached eggs, and warm spinach over black bean-corn quinoa cakes topped with an aji amarillo cream sauce is a hardier, healthier option.