Late last year I finally dined at Mesa, a South Indian-American restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, that I had heard nothing but great things about. I can confidently say Mesa has officially made my top five restaurants in Jacksonville, and I strongly recommend everyone in or visiting the city to add this establishment to the list of must-visits.

Mesa changes menus seasonally, and we dined there in the final week of its fall menu before it transitioned to winter. Mesa offers both indoor and outdoor seating, and we opted for outside since the weather was beautiful beneath string lights in a secluded garden patio.

For drinks, we ordered an orange blossom pilsner and Count Shakula, a chocolate oatmeal stout that intrigued me. I don’t typically order stouts, but I was blown away with this brew, as it was rich and velvety, the aftertaste a pleasant dark chocolate flavor.

While we could have easily ordered an appetizer, we knew it would fill us too much for the entrées, so we skipped appetizers. I ordered one of Mesa’s most recommended dishes from friends, the Mesa chicken curry. This dish features coconut milk, tomato and basmati rice and is served with a side of roti for dipping.

Flavorful is an understatement for this dish. Everything was fragrant, fresh and savory, with the cilantro on top adding a light and tangy touch. For dessert, we split the Dubai cheesecake, and it was absolutely decadent with the pistachio, chocolate and cream cheese perfectly coming together for the ultimate dessert.

I cannot wait to return to the restaurant in other seasons to try new food. Even the chef came out to every table to ask about the food and dining experience, as well as showing an openness for feedback (although we had nothing but good things to say). Chef Saji cooks without seed oils or creams to ensure diners enjoy authentic food without the inflammatory and heavy feeling one often feels after dining out.

— Aoife O’Riordan, associate editor