Pensacola Seafood Festival

Marian (aka Elsa) and Claudia

This past weekend was the 37th Pensacola Seafood Festival.  Held annually in downtown Pensacola, Florida, the Seafood Festival is a destination for incredible seafood and incredible entertainment.  Plus, we were so excited that our niece Claudia was home from Ole Miss so she could go with us.  The kids enjoyed the ice cream and snow cones, and Marian got her face painted like her beloved Elsa.  

This year I was so excited to hear Amanda Shires, and she did not disappoint.  I am a big fan of Jason Isbell (in fact, I'm going to see him at the end of October at the Ryman), so I was eager to check out what his better half had to offer.  Her music was intriguingly haunting, which was not surprising since she was introduced as singing "murder ballads."  Murder ballads, Americana, or just plain good music, Amanda Shires is worth the listen. 

If good grub is what you're after, then the Seafood Festival is the place to be.  You can have fried anything, but the best by far is local-favorite Chet's milk-marinated fried grouper.  They served it with cheese grits (as if there is any other way to serve fried fish!), and it simply melts in your mouth! 

Although fried seafood reigns supreme on the Gulf Coast, Jason Perry of Jackson's Steakhouse was demonstrating the finer side of Gulf seafood.  He prepared grilled tuna with succotash and grilled grouper with a mango chutney, and both looked divine.  I'm hoping to try one, if not both, the next time I'm at Jackson's!

Marian and me sharing a basket of grouper

Chet's grouper and cheese grits

Amanda Shires

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