Restaurants in Gainesville

After nearly 20 years in the restaurant business, Oswald Morgan gambled his career, finances, and reputation on Kozmo Gastro Pub. After years developing and working in swanky restaurants such as The Globe, Oswald had the notion that a restaurant with the right combination of creative cuisine and vivacious atmosphere could lure adventurous diners through its doors—even if it resided in the suburbs. The hopeful restaurateur worked to make Kozmo in the image of metropolitan eateries, outfitting the dining room with a slick and airy wall of windows and bar-height tables coupled with brushed-aluminum chairs. Perched at their seats, diners can sip from the extensive list of beer and cocktails or share small plates of immaculately presented duck confit or risotto balls as they people-watch and toast their reflections for their impeccable style.

No strangers to the stage themselves, the board of directors at The Velvet Note built the intimate venue as a musician’s dream of exquisite natural acoustics. On its carefully crafted soundstage sits a 1924 Baldwin Model M baby grand piano, which serves an endless lineup of locally and nationally renowned acts. In between applause and using their index fingers as maestro batons, visitors can occupy their hands with food from The Velvet Note’s menu, featuring lobster cobb salad, black mussels in garlic butter, and all manner of classic southern desserts. Run by musicians for musicians, the club creates an up-close-and-personal environment where performers and fans can actually mingle.

Built in 1887, the modest southern-style Foster House retains its 19th-century charm with restored dining rooms and an outdoor brick patio adorned in period furniture and décor. Throughout the charming house, each of the four dining rooms has its own distinct feel. The lavender room's antique silver cake stands and teapots glimmer in built-in hutches; golden frames and delicate figurines bedeck the peach room; and mirrored fireplaces create decadent focal points in both the cheery lime-green room and the lush forest-green room. In each of the rooms, antique tables create intimate vignettes for diners to dig into fried catfish or sip afternoon tea. The shaded patio hosts outdoor dining, nestled among the century-old pecan trees that have dutifully taken care of the home since it was built.