Pensacola is Back!

Pensacola, FL -
Pensacola Beach has always been a big part of the “world’s most beautiful beaches” along the Emerald Coast…but nowadays it’s bigger and better…and WIDER than before as a re-nourishment project nears completion on eight miles of glorious beach. The project replaces 2.3 million cubic yards of sand washed away during Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. An added benefit of the project is the creation of a Seashell Jubilee, if you will, expected to continue well into 2006. Over the next several months, treasure hunters are likely to find common coquinas, Atlantic augers, fighting conchs and olive shells. Lucky or perhaps “die-hard” seashell hunters may even come across rare lightning whelks, nutmegs and helmet shells or even the rarer fig shells and Giant Tuns.

But man cannot live on bread alone and Pensacola is gearing up for a “new year” of fun-filled events after a hurricane or two tried to take the wind out of its sails. No such luck…

After working up an appetite on the shoreline, many of Pensacola’s restaurants are now ready for even the most discerning gourmand. Regardless of what your taste buds are craving, Pensacola's cuisine excels in freshness and creativity. Located on the waterfront in downtown Pensacola, the Fish House has become a hot spot for locals and offers sushi, steaks and seafood…but it’s Executive Chef, Jim Shirley’s signature dish that has made the restaurant famous. The dish’s name, Grits a Ya-Ya, is derived from the Cajun belief that food can be so good it makes your mouth say ya-ya! The Fish House also turns out daily specials based on whatever fish was biting that day.

Skopelos on the Bay Seafood and Steak Restaurant has been a Pensacola landmark since 1959. Chef Gus Silivos is a Culinary Institute of America graduate and a third generation owner of the restaurant. Mixed culinary metaphors like dolmades followed by seafood gumbo seem to make perfect sense at this waterfront eatery. The delicious crab meat moussaka – a blend of eggplant slices, lump crab meat, tomatoes and a Parmesan-kissed cream sauce is another heavenly concoction and a “must-have” when dining at Skopelos.

Jackson's, a Pensacola restaurant known for fine dining, occupies a restored 1860s-era building on downtown’s Palafox Street adjacent to Plaza Ferdinand, where General Jackson accepted the transfer of Florida from Spain to the United States in 1821, consequently raising the first American flag on Florida soil.

Jackson’s co-owner and chef, Irv Miller, features items such as griddled lump crab cakes with pecans, hickory-grilled grouper with parsnips, an impressive array of desserts as well as an extensive, wide-ranging wine list. Cheers and bon appetite!

But man cannot live on bread alone and Pensacola is gearing up for a “new year” of fun-filled events after a hurricane or two tried to take the wind out of its sails. No such luck…there’s plenty to do in Pensacola and after spending a day on those re-nourished beaches and swimming in the Gulf, the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival in November could be just the ticket? Hosting more than 200 fine art and craft exhibitors from around the country, the festival attracts 150,000…or more, art fans to Pensacola’s historic Seville Square in Downtown Pensacola. There’s plenty of food and drink and a children’s art festival to boot! Consistently ranked in the top 100 fine art and craft shows in the Art Fair Source Book, admission is free and chances are good you’ll be taking home a new piece of art. For more information on this festival, Nov. 4-6, 2005, visit www.ggaf.org.

Skopelos Restaurant might give you just a hint of the Greek population in Pensacola…but Greek or not, everyone turns out for the Greek Festival, November 11-13. It’s one of Pensacola’s largest and most popular outdoor events and this year celebrates the 43rd anniversary year with traditional Greek dances, gifts, entertainment, and delicious food such as baklava, gyros, and spanakopeta. If you want to know more, visit annunciationgoc.org or call 850.433.2662.

Frank Brown International Songwriters' Festival. Nov. 3-13, celebrates musicians from all over the world…and their magical music on the Gulf Coast. Participating venues range from Pensacola to Magnolia Springs, Ala. and music of all genres will be performed throughout the festival. There’s no better time or place for hit writers, aspiring newcomers, and an audience that appreciates great music to come together. For more info about this festival visit fbisf.com

The Blue Angels make their own kind of music as they take to the air in November for their final show of the season. With Pensacola as its home base, the Navy’s precision flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, is proud to perform on November 11th and 12th. The admission is free and the show is spectacular…check out their website at www.blueangels.navy.mil.

November 18th provides another evening of arts and culture sponsored by the Arts Council of Northwest Florida. Downtown art galleries stay open late for this quarterly event as trolleys stop all along the way. The transportation is free and the admission is free…the art on the other hand may cost a penny or two?

The Winterfest Trolley Tours begin most weekends, Nov. 25-Dec. 17. Trolleys act as theaters taking passengers to a series of interactive performances at twenty-two locations along a two-mile route in Historic Downtown Pensacola. Dozens of local businesses and residents bring to life favorite scenes from holiday movies, characters, and songs. Reservations are strongly encouraged…please call 850.435.0914 or visit www.pensacolawinterfest.org.

It’s easy to see that Pensacola is “back” and the Pensacola hospitality as warm as ever. Life on the western end of Northwest Florida is finally bustling again and yes, there’s a lot going on…but if you’d rather do nothing at all and simply lie all day long on the beach…go right ahead…in fact, the beach lifestyle is highly encouraged in this part of the world. It’s always been paradise in Pensacola…just a small hiccup called “Ivan,” and now its citizens and businessmen and women want the world to know they made it through the storm…and they’re back…and it’s better than ever!