Best Family Friendly Restaurants in Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida (B)

If you know anything about me, you know I like good food. It's no surprise we have made it of chief importance to expose our kids to great eats from a young age. Kids are notoriously picky eaters, but in our house we have one rule: You have to at least taste the food. If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it, but you do have to try it. This has helped our kids slowly ease their way out of the chicken nugget zone and into the good stuff like calamari, sushi, kale, and goat cheese. In fact, I think our oldest may be more of a foodie than I am. Naturally, we always get asked what the best family friendly restaurants in our region are. That's why I'm beginning an ongoing list of some of our favorite spots to chow down with the kids in tow. Make sure to check back regularly, as this list is expected to grow. Bonus! Executive Chef Ian Lynch weighs in with his "must haves" for restaurants he's willing to bring his kids to. 

Mezza enjoys neighborhood status in Atlantic Beach. The popular Town Center it's housed in is home to a growing number of tasty foodie destinations. Mezza is more well known as an upscale dining destination, however the locals are in on one of the best kept secrets in town. For a more affordable night out that is also kid friendly, reserve a seat in the lounge area or patio and bring the kids to the pizza bar. There they will enjoy working with the pizza chef to create their own wood fired masterpiece. Mom and Dad can order a pizza too and you'll get away with dining out for a song. Of all the pizza I've enjoyed in our city, Mezza's is my favorite. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).