7 Great Italian Restaurants in Jacksonville

[coredumped]

La Cena is on my list, but I hear such good and bad things about it I'm just not sure.

[Adam White]

I always refused to eat at La Cena due to the owner's inhumane behavior towards homeless people. "Inhumane" is putting it very mildly and very nicely.

His subsequent posts (both real and sockpuppet) on Metro Jax have confirmed this to be the right decision.

[ssky]

First of all, if you are referring to me as his sock puppet then you have some real perception issues. Jerry is a friend of mine but we have never, to my knowledge, traded identities. It would involve too much work...I'm a woman, he's a man; I'm from Baltimore, he's from New York; I'm a writer, he's a Chef/Restaurateur; I'm short, he's not...you get the idea. I am not Jerry and chances are good that I shall never in this lifetime BE Jerry. So, I hope that clears this up once and for all.

Secondly, his treatment of the homeless is far from inhumane. I have witnessed him try repeatedly to get help for the sick and homeless who roam the streets down here. Sadly, there is no help for those who can't or won't go to a shelter on their own volition. We just don't have adequate care in place for the mentally ill. Jail is not the answer but it is the only thing we have to offer right now, which is a sad reflection on us as a community and a society. I believe what you are so damningly referring to as inhumane behavior on his part is his effort to protect himself, his clientele, employees and business from the increasingly hostile and persistent assortment of panhandlers and vagrants who populate Downtown. The unfortunate lack of JSO presence, combined with the naive insistence of many that downtown Jax is nothing short of an urban Utopia, has created a laissez-faire environment where it's every man for himself. Jerry is just a little more vocal than others.

Finally, to my knowledge Jerry has not posted on MJ for years. I am not even sure  if he reads it anymore. I will ask next time I see him and let you know.

[ssky]

Don't show up at La Cena without a reservation. The owner will seat you then treat you like persona non grata.

Next time, just tell the owner Ssky sent you...there are some folks on here who think I am him anyway! 

Seriously though, I have sent many, many friends and associates to La Cena. Lots of times it is on the spur of the moment and they do not have reservations. Never once has anyone reported that they were treated poorly...either by Jerry or anybody else there.

Bottom line is that La Cena is an excellent restaurant owned and operated by a very talented and experienced Chef. Take the politics off the table and just go to enjoy the food. And, for those of you who are worried about encountering Jerry and/or his views, I can personally vouch for the fact that he rarely leaves the kitchen these days unless it is to visit with friends who are dining there.

It's just silly to miss out on one of Jacksonville's finest dining experiences because of opinions...which, as we all know, are like elbows...everybody has 'em and it hurts like hell when they get knocked.