Moca Cafe

My husband and I attended their Valentine's Day dinner special: choose a first course, second course, and a shared dessert, plus you get access to the MOCA gallery upstairs and a free small bottle of champagne. For $49 each, I thought it was good value for a very nice evening out. Service was very fast and we both left feeling very full! Here's what we ordered:For the first course:GREEK DUCK SALAD - 5/5This had tender cuts of duck with a delicious vinaigrette dressing. Potatoes were tender and it was a very good flavor combo all around.OYSTERS + OTHER SEAFOOD -3/5This was a nice little collection of seafood but nothing too interesting. Best part was the spoonful of tuna tartare with the edamame puree.For the second course:STEAK FRITES - 4/5The fist time the dish came out it wasn't warm but they quickly took it book and replaced it once we told them. The meat was excellent, especially the hollandaise it was drizzled with.SEARED SCALLOPS - 4/5You get 3 medium-sized scallops on a bed of creamy risotto. The hazelnuts were a nice touch in providing a crunchy contrast to the rest of the meal.For dessert:CHEESECAKE -4/5We were pleasantly surprised to get not one but two slices of cheesecake - we were fairly full by this point so we didn't finish all of it. I definitely liked the bananas foster cheesecake better than the ganache, which was kind of plain tasting. Great way to end the meal overall though!

I have always wanted to sneak downtown and grab lunch here but never seemed to be able to make it....well when I saw they were doing a fall tasting I jumped on it!! We had a great time!!! You bought a ticket to come sample some fall tastes compliments of Cafe Nola...As we walked in we were greeted warmly by some lovely ladies and the space looked beautiful....white, clean, modern.It was an open bar( on this night for the tasting, lucky us!) and at the bar they had some creative drinks: a fancy sangria, a modified Mai Tai, an elevated mimosa! Yum, all tasted great and strong! They also were passing ginger pumpkin and apple cider Jell-O shots, delish!! Now the food was set up at different stations they had a charred corn salad with couscous- love roasted fresh corn......Oysters with a Bloody Mary sorbet- sooooo good, I'm not crazy about raw oysters but these were just wonderful and that Bloody Mary sorbet worked perfectly, slightly spicy and peppery......Korean brisket lettuce wraps- ah my favorite, meat marinated and cooked perfect, then you added your own toppings, pickled onions, kimchi, Asian slaw, peanuts, sesame seeds...I loved this dish and could have eaten like 6 of these! If this is a sampling of what Cafe Nola is serving I will definitely be back to do a full dinner!!Also after eating and drinking we got to go upstairs and check out MOCA, so freakin cool, amazing art up there! Great night out!! I highly recommend anyone check it out! And I hear they have another one of these tasting parties coming up in November! :)

WOW! What a great choice for Easter brunch. All 4 of us enjoyed every minute and every bite. I loved how they had a buffet with assorted salads (mixed green, caprese macaroni) veggies (asparagus, boiled eggs) sides (spicy chicken meatballs, potato salad) and desserts(macarons, coffee cake, truffles, cookies) plus the $25 per person price included an entrée from their menu.The shrimp and grit cake must have been fabulous because my dad finished the whole thing and never cleans his plate. Mom and bf ordered the local fish (snapper) with crispy collards that tasted fresh and the greens prepared that way was a new way to enjoy collards (similar to a kale chip). I had the meat and potatoes which was a tender filet with a corn-fingerling hash, freaking divine!!! So succulent and I cleaned my plate as well. We each had adult bevs that were good and had a little flare. I had the smoked bloody mary and it had pickled veggies as the garnish that were gone before I was half way done, mom had a sweet vodka drink that was garnished with micro greens and a marshmellow peep, and the bf had a cold brew drink that had rum and rumchata in it topped with coconut flakes. just yum! I love this place, thank you NOLA for the wonderful experience. We will be back

I came in here for dinner with my family for an order of the Confit Duck Leg, Blackened Fish (Trout and Mahi) and the Vegan Paella.Intense flavors in tangent with a combination of subtle flavors I've experienced for the very first time.We left every plate spotless.

What a profound disappointment to find out that UNF has taken over the museum and turned Nola MOCA into an expensive student cafeteria! They will never see me again. No museum shop either! The UNF manager who made this decision needs their head examined. ORIGINAL REVIEW: This is a damn fine restaurant. First, the decor is simply lovely, inviting, soothing and modern. White tablecloths and intimate setting inside the Museum of Contemporary Art. The food is spectacular! We dined here for lunch after touring the museum, expecting a so so sandwich. Instead we got a toasted pimento cheese and fried green tomato sandwich on artisan bread and a wonderful salad. The portion was very generous. The whole plate was mouth watering and delicious! We struck up a conversation with two ladies st the next table and made some new friends. We took in the museum gift shop which had some interesting items. Don't miss Nola Cafe. It is special in many ways and you can't do better anywhere for lunch downtown.

If you're looking for a tasty lunch that's a little more upscale, try Cafe Nola. I've found myself here more often since Chew closed (RIP Chew - moment of silence....mkay). Located on the ground floor of MOCA Jacksonville, the decor is open, modern, and comfortable. Service is usually very good and the food is always tasty. All tables are served their signature roll and butter flavor of the day. The roll is dense, slightly sweet, with a good texture. As for butters, I've had pineapple, watermelon, banana nut, and strawberry. The only one I didn't like was the vanilla mint.The menu changes regularly so check it out online if you're curious. They have daily specials (soup, pasta, flatbread). Some of the past menu highlights I've really enjoyed we're the hot brown skillet, the Gastropub roll (beef and onions on a pretzel roll) with sweet potato fries, corn chowder, squash bisque, salmon salad, and chicken BLT wrap. Nola also offers special dinner and brunch events. My family went to brunch this past Easter Sunday. You order an entree from the menu and then help yourself to the small buffet. I ordered the strawberry french toast. My veggie cousin really enjoyed the tempeh BLT and the others liked the shrimp & grits. The buffet had assorted small breads/pastries, salads, roasted potatoes, and fruit. We made reservations so our table was set and waiting and the atmosphere was really lovely.

I Liked the service here and the view and I ordered the Mac N Cheese Deal intially I told the wife I liked it but as I ate it, it got thicker and weighed down by all of the sauce, in fact after a few bites that was all I could taste. Was it bad?? NO, just so heavy. A friend a few weeks brought over Martha Stewarts Mac N cheese with Truffle ooil and compared to this it was only mediocre.I Did try the wifes Fresh fish and risotto, wonderful, light, flavorful. I am border line between being a fan and A-OK, I will go back to make that decision in the near future.What I can say to the Chef, Don't be afraid to improve on the Mac N Cheese and It can be improved.

Had a lovely experience at NOLA MOCA! I was invited for an art event and ended up having dinner here. It's a little pricey and the service was initially a little slow but once we met our waitress, she was great!! Had a great experience in terms of food and ambiance. Music in the background and such a beautiful building- what a great night! Would recommend this for any date or intimate moment with family friends or significant others.

This is one of those places we save till we're ready to treat ourselves for lunch. With their homemade butters & rolls served while we wait for our meals, to the choices of delicious items that go from healthy to moderately sinful. The tuna salad is one of the best you'll ever taste & the black bean burger as well. I've also had their specialty grill cheese with a cup of their soup of the day, & the sweet potato fries are a must. Sometimes the wait for our food doesn't match up with our work lunchtime restrictions but if we plan ahead it's always worth it. The location being near hemming plaza in the MOCA building is an added bonus.

I came here with some friends during Eat Up Downtown. The menu was really small, and expensive ($35, ended up paying $47 after coffee, tax, and tip).We started with the roll and butter of the day. Strawberry butter = amazing.The appetizer and entree were both delicious! I had the flatbread (smoked chicken, corn, jalapeno, cheese, and BBQ sauce) which was tremendous and tasted so good. I had to take some home with me for the next day because there was so much food.For my entree I chose the shrimp and grits after reading about them on here. DELICIOUS. But be warned - it is a very filling dish. The sauce was awesome though.For dessert I had the krispy kreme bread pudding with coffee ice cream. This was just okay. Everyone else at my table either got the pudding or the peanut butter pie, and we were all very underwhelmed with the way they tasted. I'd definitely recommend this place, but I probably wouldn't recommend it for Eat Up Downtown. The appetizer and entree were both more than enough food to fill me up on a regular visit, and they were both outstanding. I'd absolutely come here again!