Opus 39 Restaurant and Food Gallery offers guests a sanctuary of art, wine and cuisine
St. Augustine, Fla. – Situated in a charming building amid the historic
district of a city renowned for its captivating centuries-old
architecture, it seems fitting that Opus 39 Restaurant and Food Gallery
is a dining destination that is centered on artful presentation.
From the fresh ingredients that compose executive chef Michael
McMillan’s creative cuisine, and the rare selections from small
production boutique wineries available in the wine room, to the market
that sells ingredients from items on the menu and the locally produced
works that adorn the walls, Opus 39 is a sanctuary of imaginative art,
wine and cuisine.
Opus is Latin for a creative work that defines the artist. Creativity
is essential for the Opus 39 concept, which features a five-course
tasting menu that changes daily. The menu is determined by the best
ingredients that are available. Michael McMillan - who operates the
restaurant with his wife, Christine – selects produce from an organic
farm in Ocala and a stand in Hastings, and buys the freshest seafood,
beef and game possible on a daily basis. Then he creates the menu for
that night by 3 p.m.
“The five-course menu gives us the flexibility of working with the
finest ingredients that are available that day rather than being locked
into buying the same ingredients over and over again,” said McMillan,
who opened Opus 39 with Christine in 2003 after serving as executive
chef and general manager of the esteemed La Parisienne in St.
Augustine. “The ingredients are carefully selected, and then the menu
is set after we know what we have to create with that day.”
McMillan is so committed to providing a cutting edge dining experience
for first-time guests and regular customers alike that he does not
serve the same recipe twice. Though the main element of the dish may be
repeated – such as the foie gras – the accompanying ingredients and the
manner in which they are prepared are different.
On a recent night, the first course offered the choice of sweet chilled
strawberry soup with lemon balm mascarpone or yellow tomato salad with
haricot vert, toasted pine nuts and lemon emulsion. The second course
included sautéed calamari with jasmine cake, homemade teriyaki and
grilled shiitakes or grilled scallop with roasted pepper-artichoke
ragout, followed by a third course choice of fennel crusted snapper
with roasted cauliflower, bacon, and charred yellow tomato vinaigrette
or grilled grouper and seared foie gras with oyster mushroom and red
wine fish reduction.
During the fourth course, guests could select the pan roasted beef
tenderloin with grilled turnip, turnip puree and baby Swiss chard;
porter braised shortribs with creamy garlic polenta and braising jus;
or pan roasted duck breast with creamy leek risotto and wild
huckleberry sauce. The fifth course included a warm lemon sponge
pudding with fresh raspberries, crème anglais and a raspberry-ginger
sauce or chocolate almond torte with Mexican chocolate ganache,
chantilly cream and banana brulee . Each evening, Opus 39 offers an
optional cheese course as well with selections such as Cana de Cabra
aged goat cheese with celery confit and shiitake chips.
A graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde
Park, N.Y., McMillan has worked at an assortment of highly regarded
restaurants with acclaimed chefs, like Trois Jean in New York City
under Master Chef of France, Jean Louis Dumonnet; and with Dean Fearing
in Dallas at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Mobil 5 Star/AAA 5
Diamond restaurant and hotel.
The Jacksonville native longed for a return to his hometown and
eventually applied his culinary philosophy at La Parisienne before
refurbishing and designing a space at 39 Cordova Street in St.
Augustine with his wife Christine. The moment the McMillans introduced
Opus 39, guests discovered a unique dining experience.
After the menu is presented, and orders are placed, guests who prefer
wine with their dinner are invited to the adjacent wine room that is
stocked with an ample collection of small production selections from
boutique wineries around the world. More than 400 choices are available
by the bottle and the glass at rates that are more reflective of retail
prices than typical restaurant markups. Christine often suggests wine
pairings to accompany each course, and guests can taste the selections
before ordering them.
Most of the wines are chosen by the McMillans during their annual wine exploration tours of boutique wineries in California.
“In many cases, people are very comfortable and more familiar with mass
production wines, but they are open to try something different,”
Christine McMillan said. “So we find out the mass production wine they
prefer and then recommend a small production wine that is similar. It
introduces them to a new experience.”
Just as Opus 39 has a wine gallery with rare selections and a food
gallery where guests can buy flavorful ingredients such as the
McMillans’ freshly baked breads, the destination is also home to an art
gallery. The McMillans hired former gallery owner Sally Ann Freeman to
arrange shows from local and regional artists every three months. Their
works are showcased on the walls of the wine gallery and main dining
room. St. Augustine glassblower Thomas Long has created vases for the
shelves and candleholders for the tables.
"Restaurants and galleries naturally complement each other," McMillan
said. "We strive to present cutting-edge dining and cutting-edge art,"
he said. "It’s all part of a culinary experience"
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Media Contact:
Quantified Marketing Group
407.936.1010
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