FLEMING ISLAND – What was old is now new again along Swimming Pen Creek. Whitey’s Fish Camp and Encore Fleming Island both recently refreshed their restaurants, menus and their futures with massive remodeling projects to attract a new clientele – and impress their regulars.

Both also came with significant overhauls. Encore used to be Mercury Moon Bar and Grille. It closed on County Road 220 for a month while crews added a new roof, upgraded the interior and parking lot, and changed its menu to emphasize elevated comfort food like Monte Cristo sandwiches, the giant-stacked smashed burger called The Encore, “Free Bird” grilled chicken sandwiches, BLTs, wings and appetizers like panko-crusted broccoli bites with datil sauce, Buffalo chicken egg rolls, Southern fried cheese and fried mushrooms with roasted garlic aioli.

According to its webpage on Facebook, “Our kitchen is intentionally crafted to complement that experience. Instead of an extensive restaurant menu, we serve a focused selection of elevated bar favorites made with quality ingredients and designed to pair perfectly with a great drink and great company.” One of the traditions that remains is the package store with a drive-up window.

Across the street, Whitey’s not only completed a complete overhaul of the building, but it was also done by new owners. The Ham family, which owned the iconic waterfront restaurant for 63 years, sold to a restaurant group Harry’s of America, led by Jesse Jabot and partner Justin Griffin. Harry's of America also owns Harry’s Seafood, Bar and Grille and Casa Reina Taqueria and Tequila in St. Augustine.

The inside is bright, new and void of many of the stuffed animals and other collectibles which used to fill nearly every inch of wall space. Also gone is the pool table in the back room. As many as 50, including Jabot and Griffin, worked 14 hours a day for 10 days to rework the parking lot, the exterior and the inside of the building. The lighting is softer. Tinting was removed from the windows. The pool room was transformed into a dining room for large parties. And a play area was constructed outside for children. And while many of Whitey’s older recipes remained on the menu, Jabot and Griffin incorporated some of the classic dishes from Harry’s Seafood.

“We still have the stuffed fish. We still have [Southern Rock] boxes and things like that,” Jabot said. “But you know, we did minimize it. We changed the lighting in the dining room and brightened it up quite a bit.”

Much like the decor, the menu is lighter and brighter. There is a new Cajun flair familiar to Harry’s, like jambalaya, seafood queso, Low Country Pasta, Andouille-crusted chicken, beef tender loin medallions and scampi pasta. Moreover, most meals can be prepared fried, grilled or blackened, Jabot said.

“We added some more chef-driven dishes that come off the grill, that come off the sauté and the flat top,” he said. “We try to pull a little bit away from what we felt was pretty heavy on the fry station. We try to balance that act out in the kitchen.”

The cozy Tiki bar and outside seating remain. But a large outdoor play area with artificial grass was added for children, complete with games and outdoor seating for adults.