About The Fish House:
“My first mission from Collier Merrill was for me—with help from his brother Will—to whomp up grits for 2000 people at a Jeb Bush political rally in the park next door. Then he recruited Congressman Joe Scarborough and his band, Regular Joe, to be our house musicians. From then on he has led a great crew of entertainers, politicians, and pundits—as well as everyday folks—to my tables.”
Chef Jim Shirley, circa 1998
Collier Merrill formed the Great Southern Restaurant Group of Pensacola, Inc. (GSRG), with his brothers, Will and Burney Merrill, and Chef Jim Shirley in 1998. The Fish House was the original restaurant. As Jim Shirley’s culinary skills became widely known and the Fish House became a popular destination, they expanded into adjacent spaces and created Atlas Oyster House, which immediately became a popular hangout.
Hurricane Ivan, with its 12-foot storm surge, hit Pensacola September 2004. To the Merrill brothers and Shirley, it was important to get the restaurants up and running as soon as possible, not only so their large family of employees would have incomes, but so that folks in the community would have a familiar, serene place to join their family and friends and relax from the area-wide cleanup. Atlas, though severely damaged, was back in business in three days.
However, even though the building’s reinforced concrete structure was designed to withstand harsh seas, the Fish House, situated on the south end of building, got hit harder. Enough ancillary damage occurred so that the group saw an opportunity to build a more efficient kitchen with a better constructional arrangement for service and to change the decor to create an atmosphere more favorable to fine dining.
In 2007 the Fish House Deck Bar was born—an open deck with central bar, dining tables, bandstand, and dance floor—at a cost of $1,000,000. The 3,500-square-foot addendum complemented the existing upper-level 3,400-square-foot deck that the Fish House shares with Atlas Oyster House. The Deck Bar has become a great downtown venue for casual relaxation and live music.
In April 2008, the Merrills acquired the award-winning steakhouse, Jackson’s, one of Pensacola’s finest restaurants, with original owners Chef Irv Miller and General Manager Barry Phillips remaining as operating partners.
This combination of distinctively different destinations offers creative cuisine, Southern charm, and unrivaled hospitality to locals and visitors alike.
Over the years, the restaurants have won numerous awards, including the Independent News Best of the Coast and the Pensacola News Journal’s Best Seafood awards, several of Florida Trend’s Golden Spoon awards, Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence, WSRE’s Best Entrée, among others, and Jackson’s is particularly distinguished by being securing the DiRoNA Award of Excellence.
The Great Southern Restaurant Group of Pensacola, Inc., is a division of Merrill Land Company. Merrill Land has primary interest is real estate developments along the Gulf coast region with offices in Pensacola, Florida, and Gulf Shores, Alabama.
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About Sharky's on the Pier in Venice Florida:
Sharky's extends a warm welcome to all to dine, dance and have fun. It doesn't matter if you are a "local", a "Floridian", visiting grandma or grandpa, or just vacationing in the area, we hope you will enjoy great food in our fun, festive atmosphere with outstanding service for an experience that represents the best of the Gulf Coast.
Tasteful decor, unique cuisine with an island flair and attentive service defines a Sharky's experience. Our indoor air-conditioned dining rooms easily adapt to accommodate 20 to 100 guests and our open-air, waterfront, bi-level decks are the answer to your outdoor functions. You can plan for up to 200 guests to come as casual or as formal as you choose.
Enjoy a cocktail party at the Tiki bar or dinner in the dining room and you will know that you have found the perfect scene for the event of a lifetime. For larger functions, Sharky's offers a stunning outdoor beachfront setting, ideal for reunions, parties and picnics. We specialize in corporate picnics and theme parties for up to 800. Sarasota County's only beachfront restaurant is perfect for any festive occasion. Our attentive staff will also cater at any other location of your choice, with a complete catering menu that will be sure to meet your specific expectations.
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Nickerson took advantage of the move to add new items to the menu. There’s now a kids’ menu for the “Little Buckaroos”, and two new entrée-sized salads. Dinner additions include tacos, meatloaf and pizzas. Several casseroles have joined the list of favorites: Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese, Portabella Penne and two breakfast casseroles.
“I knew the kinds of dishes I wanted to add to the menu and was fortunate to find people like Jeffrey Fehr to join the staff and create the new items,” said Nickerson. “We’ve been busy from the first hour of the first day in this location,” she continued. “The new place is designed to be more of a gathering place than the old one was. I love being right here in the heart of Rosemary Beach’s business district. We’re close to everything – the beach, Town Hall, the homes and the other businesses. I think it’s ideal.”
Her customers agree. On a recent Saturday afternoon, the shop hosted a steady stream of local residents, vacation homeowners and even first-time visitors. Each was greeted with a warm smile and welcome from Nickerson and her staff, several of whom have worked at Cowgirl Kitchen for years. Nickerson has an amazing ability to remember people’s names and enjoys introducing her customers to each other. It’s not surprising to learn that she is a successful 30-A realtor, working with home buyers and sellers through The Nickerson Real Estate Group, a Keller Williams Realty company.
“I know it seems a little odd that a real estate agent would also own a restaurant,” said Nickerson. “When I moved to the beach, I quickly became a big fan of Cowgirl Kitchen and came in often, either on my own or with my real estate clients. I became friends with the former owner, Nancy DuPree. When I found out Nancy was planning to retire, I followed my heart and bought Cowgirl Kitchen at the end of 2005.”
Somehow Nickerson manages to juggle her two professional responsibilities. Real estate clients become Cowgirl Kitchen customers, and customers become clients. All become friends. “I met Nikki through friends and worked with her to buy my vacation home,” said Kevin Murphy, during a recent stop at Cowgirl Kitchen. “She found the perfect place for my family. The kids can ride their bikes everywhere and we can walk to Cowgirl Kitchen.”
The new shop features a red, cream and silver color scheme with both indoor and outdoor seating. It was designed by Tim McNamara and Dana Hicks of TMc Architecture and decorated by local interior designer Emily Smith. On the left side as patrons enter, there is an inviting, red custom-built bar with a big-screen TV overhead. Tables and chairs line the right side of the space, with soft lambskin covers for the benches. The cooler of take-out food and beverages is near the counter, so customers in a hurry can come and go. Judging by the clientele, however, the new Cowgirl Kitchen is the perfect spot to pull up a chair, sit, sip, munch and chat.
“It’s already become a great local gathering place,” said Jamey Price, a Rosemary Beach resident. “I’ve come in three times in the past three days. Everything here is good, but I especially like the Mexican Tuna Salad”.
Seems like everyone has a favorite. Frequent customer Karl Rove, former Deputy Chief of Staff to President Bush, said he is especially partial to the Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole, “Although several members of my family also love the King Ranch Chicken Casserole,” he said.
“Cowgirl Kitchen is a wonderful addition to our town,” said Geri Golding, owner of G.G.’s Fab Kids, just a few doors down on Main Street. “Her restaurant is keeping people in the community, and I’ve been amazed at how many of my customers told me they’d been waiting for the restaurant to open,” she said.
Cowgirl Kitchen, “Where Beach Meets West” is open Tuesday-Sunday from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. Call 850-303-0708 or visit www.cowgirlkitchen.net for more information.