Dining on the Bay at Pensacola's Fish House

Pecan-crusted Gulf shrimp, hushpuppies and killer grits at the Fish House

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Driving across the Pensacola Bay Bridge I was officially in “big sky” country — surrounded by blue as far as the eye could see. It's one of those memory-making vistas. I was headed for the Fish House where I heard chef/restaurateur Jim Shirley of the Great Southern Restaurant Group, has a menu to please. I knew of Shirley’s reputation —I already love his Seaside food biz located in a classic Airstream trailer called the Meltdown on 30A, where I had one of the best classic American grilled cheese sandwiches ever. My taste buds were popping for what was to come.

The building is Old Florida style, luring you into a space that’s perfectly weatherworn. Seated outside (of course) the view was amazing — boats, water and not a cloud in that big sky.

First up, a popular appetizer called soul rolls, composed of chicken, collard greens, peach chutney, wasabi crème, and brown sugar-pecan Creole mustard in crisp spring roll wrappers. It tasted as outrageously delicious as it sounds. Then the picturesque platter of pecan-crusted Gulf shrimp, Gouda cheese grits, fried okra and hushpuppies arrived. Talk about a heaping serving of Southern specialties — in between bites — all I could utter was more sweet tea, please!

Tags: Chef Jim Shirley | Fish House | food | Great Southern Restaurant Group | Pensacola | Pensacola Bay | Seville Harbor