by | April 13, 2026
Othello’s Father-Daughter Duo Brings a Taste of the Mediterranean to Jacksonville
At Jacksonville’s Othello, a father and daughter created a restaurant rooted in memory, hospitality and place.
The housemade bread that starts almost every dinner at Othello is more than just bread—it’s a taste of the hospitality and flavors you’re about to experience in full. Hot from the oven and topped with za’atar, harissa or sea salt and olive oil, the riff on Lebanese man’oushe conveys the attention to detail and muscle-memory cooking that have drawn diners to the cozy restaurant since it opened a year and a half ago in Jacksonville’s historic Springfield neighborhood.
“Our fresh-baked bread sets the tone for the meal and reflects how we think about everything: rooted in tradition, cooked with care and meant to be shared,” says Jeriees “Jerry” Ewais, who preps the bread daily for the restaurant, situated at the southeast corner of Pearl and Sixth streets, which he runs with his daughter, Vanesa Ewais.
Othello is the product of a proud family partnership: Jerry, 63, is a veteran restaurateur who operated Zodiac Bar & Grill in downtown Jacksonville for 21 years until it closed during the COVID-19 pandemic; Vanesa, 35, is a Jacksonville native—born just a few blocks from Othello—who earned advanced degrees in business and architecture and managed top New York restaurants before coming home.
Together, they’ve created something that exudes personality without arrogance. Othello is a neighborhood restaurant that doesn’t announce itself with flash or bravado, instead letting its softly lit, warmly textured space and Mediterranean-leaning dishes speak for themselves. The sense of ease is intentional, and it envelops even first-time visitors with a feeling of familiarity in the 60-seat dining room and patio.
Othello shared its beloved hummus recipe—try it at home
“We want people to feel relaxed, seen and comfortable lingering, whether they’re here for a celebration or a casual weeknight dinner,” Vanesa says.
Her dad traces that feeling directly to his childhood in the Middle East.
“Growing up in Jordan, food was never just food,” he says. “It was hospitality, tradition, family. A meal was how you brought people together.”
That philosophy stayed with him when he came to the United States and began building a career in restaurants. Over more than two decades as a self-taught chef and owner, he allowed those early lessons to guide him—not through rigid tradition, but through instinct.
“Othello reflects those experiences,” Jerry says. “In many ways, it’s a continuation of the American Dream for me: taking what I was given, working hard and creating something meaningful that I can now build alongside my daughter.”
Othello’s food has roots in the Mediterranean—from southern Spain through North Africa and the Middle East—but, Vanesa says, “it’s less about strict geography and more about memory, warmth and generosity.”
Besides baking the daily bread, Jerry’s personal touches on the menu include a supremely creamy hummus, a flaky baklava and a smoky baba ghanoush. Those were all Zodiac favorites that he reworked for Othello alongside executive chef Sebastian Velez, who puts his fine-dining experience to work on rotating seasonal dishes, like a dukkah-spiced scallop crudo with red kuri squash and roasted gooseberry vinegar.
Vanesa and Velez had creative input on mains like braised lamb shank and roasted half chicken, which Velez elevated with cheffy touches like herbed yogurt for the lamb and saffron jus for the chicken. Many options are gluten-free and can satisfy vegetarian or vegan diners, including a “chorizo” Napa cabbage with ras el hanout tofu mayo. Everything from appetizers to mains is intended to be shared.
Vanesa sees her role as both “steward and interpreter.“ Many of the Arabic flavors and techniques on our menu come from my dad’s experiences and the culture he grew up in,” Vanesa says.
He’s our North Star in making sure we’re honoring what has come before us. But they’re interpreted through everything I’ve learned in kitchens across America’s best culinary cities.
—Vanesa Ewais
Before returning to Jacksonville, she worked in management positions at Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group and historic Brooklyn oyster and chop house Gage & Tollner. She says those experiences shaped how she thinks about a restaurant’s flow, pacing and ambiance—“all the things that determine how hospitality actually feels to a guest.”
When the space that would be Othello became available, Vanesa’s vision came together. It reminded her of the local watering holes she visited when traveling in Spain—places where friends catch up after work over tapas and drinks.
The neighborhood has embraced Othello since its opening in September 2024, and the restaurant returns the love.
“I always thought Springfield was magical,” Vanesa says. “It’s a neighborhood that values history, character and community, and those values align deeply with Othello. People here appreciate places with soul—spots that feel intentional and locally rooted.”
The same intentionality and mutual respect define the working relationship of Othello’s father-daughter owners. They say their dynamic works because it is built on trust and a willingness to listen to one another (like when Jerry wanted Othello to be a pizza-and-beer joint and Vanesa persuaded him otherwise).
Jerry’s decades of experience and instinct, coupled with Vanesa’s perspective shaped by design and modern hospitality, give diners a complete package of food and service each night. Jerry and Vanesa are quick to point out, however, that Othello’s success isn’t theirs alone. The kitchen crew, led by Velez—whose background includes Michelin-starred restaurants—and a passionate front-of-house team bring the restaurant’s values to life every night.
“None of this works without them,” Vanesa says.
Looking ahead, both father and daughter speak less about expansion and more about refinement.“I’m excited to keep improving,” Jerry says. “Othello is still in its infancy compared to Zodiac. I look forward to watching Othello grow in whatever way is best.”
For Vanesa, the future is about evolution.
“We’ll continue to refresh the bar program, our natural wine selection, the guest experience,” she says.
As for opening more locations?
“People often ask if I want to open other locations or franchise Othello,” she says. “I believe Othello is of its place, and it wouldn’t make sense to grow in that way. We have a lot up our sleeves for future concepts and are excited to bring more culinary experiences to the Jacksonville area.”
