850-765-3753
A TALE OF A CROSSING
Our
STORY
The Rice brothers started out their foodie career with after school part time jobs in the trenches of a local pizza restaurant. After high school, the brother’s paths diverged and Tyler went on to study mechanical engineering while Jesse turned his part time job into a passion for food. Jesse went on to intern with some of the tops chefs in the Nashville and Franklin, TN areas and from there he went back to the local pizza shop in Sopchoppy and Backwoods Bistro was born. After receiving rave reviews he moved to Tallahassee in 2012 to open the second Backwoods Bistro. Now at the Crossing, the Chefs are filling their menus with locally caught soft shell crabs, sausage, duck and blueberries. The Garden Creations menu changes every week as the best local producers supply their seasonal foodstuffs and the gardens brings forth their bounty.
THE
BROTHERS
Growing up on a ten acre, 100+ year old plantation house in rural north Florida shaped Jesse and Tyler’s love of the earth and its bounty. When Jesse found his passion as a chef, the natural next step was to start growing his own produce for his creative dishes. Tyler moved home from Qatar, having worked there for five years in engineering, and the brothers began creating their new restaurant. Together they have formed a powerful team to expand the Backwoods brand to include the Farm-to-Table Backwoods Crossing.
THE
FARM
The Crossing takes Farm-to-Table to the next level! Not only do we source local fruits, veggies, meats, seafood, and wine from our local producers, but we are growing our own! What began as a few raised beds in the front lawn to supply the restaurant with some fresh herbs has morphed into a full- fledged three and a half acre farmette supplying a cornucopia of fresh, farm grown veggies and fruits for your pleasure.
THE
COOP
Our ladies are the happiest hens in North Florida! Lots of space to peck around with friends and how about all the fresh greens from the garden! Shortly after the restaurant's grand opening, a chicken coop was built on the backside of the property. Not only do these happy hens produce 18,000 eggs a year, they also help turn the kitchen scraps into the world's best natural fertilizer for our onsite gardens. It was a no-brainer to build a coop at the earliest convenience. These hard-working girls put The Crossing one step closer to becoming a self-sufficient restaurant. Try some of our garden creations topped off with a fresh egg from the Crossing Coop!
Lord of the Roost
He shall be called Zeus
Guardian of the Garden