Good morning, Jacksonville! 👋
Happy Wednesday — we're officially halfway through the week and I've got a little bit of everything for you today: some local news worth knowing, a restaurant you need on your radar, and a weekend lineup that looks really, really good.
Here's what's in today's edition:
🥖 Publix just dropped new brisket subs
🏢 Downtown's first new office building in 20+ years is coming
🍕 Restaurant Spotlight: ELEON Pizza & Pastry
🎟️ This weekend's top events
💰 Mega Millions update
— Austin
🥖 Publix Is "Entering a New Era of Flavor" — And I'm Here for It
If you've been sleeping on the Publix deli counter lately, now is the time to wake up.
Publix just dropped four brand-new brisket items — three subs and a sandwich — and they're calling it the start of "a new era of flavor." The headliner is the Deli Stacked Brisket and Brioche Sandwich: a half-pound of smoked brisket drizzled with Sweet & Spicy BBQ sauce on a brioche roll. If you want heat, the Spicy Brisket Sub layers that same brisket with Boar's Head 3-Pepper Colby Jack, jalapeños, and fried onions. Rounding out the lineup: a Brisket, Lettuce and Tomato Sub and a Southern Style Brisket Sub — smoked brisket, cheddar, dill pickles, and fried onions.
Here's what this means for you:
Four new deli options built around smoked brisket, available now
The Brioche Sandwich is the one to try first — half a pound of brisket on a brioche roll is hard to argue with
This is part of a bigger Publix product push in 2026 — limited-edition ice cream in February, new cookies last month, brisket subs now
We are genuinely living in the golden age of the Pub Sub. Someone had to say it.
🏢 Downtown Jacksonville Is Getting Its First New Office Building in Over 20 Years
Here's a detail about Downtown Jacksonville that stopped me in my tracks: the last time a brand-new multi-tenant office building went up in the NorthCore was more than 20 years ago.
That's about to change.
Gateway Jax — the firm behind the massive Pearl Square project reshaping nine city blocks downtown — has announced 655 Pearl, a six-story, 100,000-square-foot Class A office building set to anchor the development. Global real estate firm JLL has been tapped to lead leasing. Groundbreaking is planned for 2027, with delivery expected by 2028.
Here's what this means:
655 Pearl will sit steps from 1,250 new apartments, a Publix grocery store, the renovated Ambassador Hotel, and more than a dozen chef-driven restaurants — all walkable
JLL says downtown Jacksonville's premium office market is already tightening, and this is the first purpose-built response to that demand in decades
Local business owners near the Pearl Square footprint say they're already feeling the momentum shift — and planning for a busier future
Downtown Jacksonville has been quietly building toward something for a while now. This is one more sign it's actually happening.
🍕 Restaurant Spotlight: ELEON Pizza & Pastry
If you haven't made it out to the Northside yet for this one, I'm going to need you to fix that.
ELEON Pizza & Pastry is one of those places that's hard to describe in a single sentence — because it really is two things at once, and it's exceptional at both. The pizza is the kind of pizza that makes people say things like "this is the best pizza I've had in Jacksonville." The crust is light, airy, and perfectly crispy, and they're building pies you won't find anywhere else in town — including a Dill Pickle pizza (ranch, pickles, bacon, shredded mozzarella — yes, really) and a Greek pizza topped with gyro meat, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, and tzatziki drizzle.
But walk in the door and what catches your eye first is the pastry case. Owner Era — yes, she goes by one name, and yes, she has earned it — makes everything from scratch. We're talking Napoleons, cannolis, macarons, custom cakes, red velvet cream cheese muffins, and a pecan turtle cheesecake with its own loyal following. The place has 26,000 Instagram followers for a reason.
It started as a home bakery. It's now a full family café with milkshakes, handcrafted refreshers, wings, salads, and more.
📍 725 Skymarks Drive, Suite 4, Jacksonville, FL 32218 (Northside)
🕐 Mon/Wed–Thu: 10 AM–10 PM | Fri: 10 AM–11 PM | Sat–Sun: 10 AM–11 PM | Closed Tuesday
📞 (904) 503-1741
P.S. They're booking custom cake orders about 3 weeks out — reach out sooner rather than later if you need something special.
🎟️ This Weekend's Top Events
🎵 Live Music & Shows
Justin Hayward — Thursday, April 23 — Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, 1050 A1A N, Ponte Vedra Beach The voice of the Moody Blues, live on the First Coast. Genuinely special. → See Tickets
HARDY: The Country! Country! Tour (w/ Mitchell Tenpenny & McCoy Moore) — Thursday, April 23, 7 PM — VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, 300 A. Philip Randolph Blvd, Downtown Jacksonville One of the hottest acts in country music right now, and this tour has been selling out everywhere. → See Tickets
Everclear — Friday, April 24 — FIVE, Jacksonville Santa Monica. Everything to Everyone. You know the drill. A great Friday night throwback. → See Tickets
Phil Wickham – Song of the Saints Tour — Friday, April 24 — VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Downtown Jacksonville A massive worship night at the Arena. If this is your scene, it's going to be beautiful. → See Tickets
Russell Dickerson – RussellMania Tour — Friday, April 24, 7 PM ($53+) — St. Augustine Amphitheatre, 1340 A1A S, St. Augustine Country hits, warm weather, outdoor amphitheater. One of those "it doesn't get more perfect" April nights in the 904. → See Tickets
Ottmar Liebert — Sunday, April 26 — Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra Beach Flamenco-influenced acoustic guitar to close out the weekend. Something a little different and genuinely beautiful. → See Tickets
🏖️ Beaches & Outdoor
47th Annual Sandcastle Contest — Saturday, April 25, 12:00–2:00 PM (FREE) — Just north of the Jacksonville Beach Pier One of those very Jacksonville traditions. Teams compete, the rest of us have a great excuse to be on the beach. Free, family-friendly, and the perfect low-key Saturday morning — especially if you've got visitors in town. → More details at Action News Jax
Opening of the Beaches Parade — Sunday, April 26, 2:00 PM (FREE) — Starts at 5th Ave N & 2nd St, Jacksonville Beach Beach season officially kicks off Sunday. Festive floats, community spirit, and one of those events that reminds you why living here is pretty great. → More details at Visit Jacksonville
Walk for Wishes (Make-A-Wish) — Saturday, April 25, Registration 7 AM / Walk 8 AM — Jacksonville Zoo, 370 Zoo Pkwy Your registration covers full-day zoo admission — so you walk for kids and then spend the rest of the morning exploring the zoo. Everyone wins. → More details at the Jacksonville Zoo
🌿 Trails, Markets & Community
Celebrate Trails Day — Saturday, April 25, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM (FREE) — LaVilla Link Butterfly Garden, Emerald Trail, Downtown Jacksonville Groundwork Jacksonville is bringing the community to the Emerald Trail for the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Celebrate Trails Day — food, activities, live music, and a butterfly release. A great Saturday morning. → More details at Groundwork Jacksonville
St. Johns PawPalooza — Saturday, April 25, 11:00 AM–2:00 PM (Ticketed) — The Fountains at St. Johns, St. Johns, FL Put on by Jacksonville Business Connections, PawPalooza brings pets, people, and the community together for vendors, local business partners, and a whole lot of happy dogs. Leashed, well-behaved dogs welcome. Family-friendly — and showing "almost full" on Eventbrite, so grab your spot soon. → Get Tickets on Eventbrite
Craft Perfect Dumplings Like a Pro – Cooking Class — Saturday, April 25, 1:00–3:00 PM (Ticketed) — Myrtle Avenue Brewing, 633 N Myrtle Ave, Jacksonville Chef Amira leads this hands-on 2-hour dumpling class through Classpop! — all ingredients and tools included, and you eat what you make. Hosted at a local brewery, 21+ only. Perfect for date night, girls' night, or just finally learning to cook something impressive. → Get Tickets on Eventbrite
🛒 Markets This Weekend
Riverside Arts Market — Saturday, April 25, 10 AM–3 PM (FREE) — 715 Riverside Ave (under the Fuller Warren Bridge) Jacksonville's most beloved weekly market, rain or shine. Nearly 150 local makers, farmers, food vendors, and artists along the St. Johns River. Fresh produce, handmade goods, live music — and the occasional dolphin sighting from the riverbank. SNAP/EBT accepted. → More details at riversideartsmarket.org
Beaches Green Market — Saturday, April 25, 10 AM–2 PM (FREE) — Penman Park, 321 Penman Rd, Jacksonville Beach Organic produce, fresh meats, free-range eggs, baked goods, locally roasted coffee, and handcrafted goods. Perfect pairing with a morning beach walk. → More details at Visit Jacksonville
Jacksonville Farmers Market — Saturday, April 25, 7 AM–5 PM (FREE) — 1810 W Beaver St, Jacksonville Florida's oldest continually operating farmers market, open since 1938. Fresh produce, specialty and imported items, Mayport shrimp, and local artisan goods. One mile from downtown. → More at jaxfarmersmarket.com
Tractor Supply Farmers Market Pop-Up — Saturday, April 25, 8 AM–2 PM (FREE) — Tractor Supply, New Kings Rd, Jacksonville A pop-up market at the New Kings Road Tractor Supply — locally grown produce, baked goods, honey, arts and crafts, and seasonal items. A fun neighborhood stop if you're on that side of town. → More details at Action News Jax
🥃 Saturday Night
Whiskey & Wellness — For the Guys — Saturday, April 25, 6:00–9:00 PM — Burlock & Barrel Distillery, Jacksonville An evening at one of Jacksonville's own craft distilleries — wellness meets whiskey in a setting that's a little different from your average Saturday night out. → More details at Burlock & Barrel
🎟️ Also This Weekend
McGala 2026 — Saturday, April 25, 6:00 PM — Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, Ponte Vedra Beach A prom-style charity night for the dressed-up-and-giving-back crowd. Not your typical Saturday night out. → More details on Eventbrite
That's your Wednesday, Jacksonville. Go eat a brisket sub, make some weekend plans, and maybe grab a lottery ticket while you're at it. See you Friday with the full weekend guide. 🙌
-Austin