45-year-old Vilano Beach landmark is gone

In 1968, when the sand dunes of Vilano Beach still outnumbered the houses, Frank Usina, his brother Jack, and his brother-in-law Bob Richmond, broke ground at 2750 Anahma Drive to build a simple, square-box, one-story wood-frame building whose greatest assets were cold beer, boiled local shrimp, Minorcan clam chowder, and a million-dollar view from an outdoor wooden deck that was as large as the building itself.

Richmond, a former Merchant Marine, operated the Seabreeze Snack Bar, as he named it, with the occasional help of neighborhood kids; one of whom, for four glorious summers, was Historic City News editor Michael Gold.

Over the decades, the deck was enclosed, additional seating and upgraded decor was constructed, a full service bar with liquor was added, and defined parking spaces replaced an open asphalt parking lot where local swimmers and sunbathers once came to make their ritual pilgrimage to the wide, white-sand beaches.

Soon after the second owners, George and Dorothy Cash, sold, what they named the “Vilano Beach Snack Bar”, it was clear that the plastic sandwich baskets and Styrofoam soft drink cups, were on the way out; and, corn dogs and French fries were going to be replaced with a more balanced menu that included broiled fish dinners and side salads served on china plates with metal knives and forks.

By the end of September, 1990, four families, who lived just a mile north, and who would become what some considered “restaurant royalty” in St Augustine, bought the property for $481,700 and Fiddler’s Green was born. Their holdings would grow to include Cowboy’s (renamed Saltwater Cowboy’s) and Creekside Restaurant on Nix Boatyard Road in St Augustine.

Seventeen years later, on May 8, 2007, St Johns County would take $1.4 million dollars and obtain a grant to pay a total $5.5 million to Fiddler’s Green Restaurant, Inc., to acquire the property — it has sat empty ever since; unmaintained, unsecured, housing stray and feral cats, deteriorating under the harsh oceanfront elements, with no relief in sight.

Yesterday afternoon, the ailing structure underwent the beginning of demolition that St Johns County director of Recreation and Parks, Wil Smith, told reporters precedes final plans about how to best utilize the property — while remaining compliant with the grant award agreement.

According to Smith, the county plans to explore community perspectives before deciding how it will move forward from this point.