MARCH ‘19
Meet Your New
SPRING FLING Fresh ways to experience downtown
CABARET | CYPRESS | CICLOVIA FREE
DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
DOWNTOWN CROWD / MARCH 2019
Editor’s Letter
Publisher Malcolm Ballinger Owners Malcolm & Glenys Ballinger Executive Editor Kelly Oden Editor Will Isern Art Director Guy Stevens Graphic Designer Bara’ah Jaraiseh Editorial Assistant Kaitlyn Peacock Contributing Writer Matt Hanimov Advertising Account Executives Paula Rode Paula@ballingerpublishing.com Geneva Strange Geneva@ballingerpublishing.com Deadline for space and information is the 15th of the month prior to publication. For advertising rates or news tips contact Phone: 433-1166 · Fax: 435-9174 DOWNTOWN CROWD is published by Ballinger Publishing. Offices located at 314 N Spring St., Ste. A, Pensacola Florida 32501 Published by Ballinger Publishing
Downtown Crowd is locally owned and operated. It is published monthly for distribution in Pensacola, Florida. All Right Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herein is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/ or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser. Appearance in this magazine does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services by Ballinger Publishing. © 2019
6 WILL ISERN EDITOR At press conferences in February, Mayor Grover Robinson announced plans to replace key positions within his administration, create a new job to oversee pedestrian safety and to reinstate an independent personnel board at city hall. These are prudent first steps for an administration that has shown it wants to be thoughtful in setting priorities. Robinson has been slow to replace holdovers from the Hayward administration. With the exceptions of city administrator Chris Holley and city attorney Susan Woolf, most of the higher-ups at City Hall are the same ones that served under Hayward. Career public servants should not lose their jobs each time there’s an election, but sometimes you need to clean house. To that end, every decision maker involved in the Fish House and fire chiefs scandals of the Hayward administration is worthy of scrutiny.
board for all city employees. The working environment at City Hall has long been described as toxic. Internal e-mails have over the years shown infighting and personal vendettas to be the norm. Despite promises by Hayward to establish an independent board at City Hall, one was never created. When the fire chiefs sought to appeal their suspensions, their only avenue was through human resources director Ed Sisson, one of the men who put them on leave in the first place. An independent review board is vital to the health of City Hall for removing office politics from the mediation process.
Finally, Pensacola faces a crisis of pedestrian deaths. Crossing one of our major streets, particularly at night, is among the most dangerous things a person can do here. Ten pedestrians, including a young mother and her infant, were struck and killed by vehicles here in 2018. Police Chief Tommi Lyter has called it our, “biggest threat to public safeIt’s encouraging then that among ty.” Government’s first responsibilthe departures announced by Rob- ity is to provide for the safety of its inson are CFO Dick Barker and citizens. Robinson is right to comdeputy city attorney Rusty Wells. mit the city to the Complete Streets Both men have worked at City Hall initiative started by the Florida Defor more than 30 years and were partment of Transportation, and instrumental in the decision to to create a position at City Hall resuspend, investigate and fire the sponsible for making streets safer former fire chief’s Matt Schmitt for all Pensacolians. and Joseph Glover, ostensibly in For an administration that has response to discrimination comwaded carefully into office, we are plaints filed by the chiefs. The city encouraged by its first steps. is ready for new blood. Robinson is right, also, to finally establish an independent personnel
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6 Cypress Sets Roots in Pensacola 9 Cabaret Goes to the Opera 10 McGuire’s 5K is a Flood of Green 13 Ciclovia Cycles Through Downtown 14 Museum Plaza Mixes History and Fun 16 Alcaniz Kitchen & Tap Keeps it Simple
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PENSACON 2019
Check out the colorful characters who took to the streets of Pensacola for Pensacon. Did we see you there? Find us on Instagram @downtowncrowd and share your Pensacon story and photos.
DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 5
Cypress
Sets Roots in Pensacola
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FOOD PHOTOS BY PAUL BROUSSARD
We’re trying to use as many locallysourced ingredients as possible. We have a bounty of fresh seafood right here, we have a huge amount of produce between here and Alabama. What we’re trying to do is use really high-end, fresh ingredients and put them together in a complex or unique way. - McKenzie Lovelace
McKenzie Lovelace needs oyster forks. It’s approaching lunchtime on a recent Wednesday afternoon at downtown Pensacola’s newest restaurant, Cypress. It’s the first day of lunch service at the new fine-casual restaurant on Garden Street, at the former location of George Artisan Bistro. Head chef Coleman Jernigan has worked up a special featuring local oysters, but in the whirlwind of renovations and prep work that has gone on since November, Cypress’s owners have overlooked the need for oyster forks. 6 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
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BY WILL ISERN PHOTOS BY BARA’AH JARAISEH
A quick trip to Kesco and the crisis is averted. Soon the first guests are seated in the chicly styled dining room, eager to sample the coastally inspired offerings from Jernigan’s pedigreed kitchen. Cypress is owned and managed by Lovelace, Jernigan and their spouses Luca DiSomma and Courntey Stagg. The four met in New Orleans where Jernigan
and DiSomma worked in restaurants together. The two were running a top-five restaurant together in Fort Myers and thinking about where they wanted to be in the long term when the building on Garden Street came up for sale. Lovelace, a Pensacola native, convinced her husband and friends that Pensacola was ripe for the kind of restaurant they could deliver. “None of us felt like we wanted to go back to New Orleans because the concept of what we have here, I feel like there’s a lot of those restaurants in New Orleans,” she said. “And there was really a lack of what I’m calling the in between, a casual-elegant restaurant here. It was either really fine dining or high end, of which we have a lot of wonderful restaurants or it was local casual or national chains. So to have a local restaurant where you could come in on a dinner date or if you’re coming off
the boat in a T-shirt and shorts, we felt like this was a really ripe community for that.” The ownership team bought the building and renovated it from top to bottom, installing all new kitchen appliances, plumbing, electrical, HVAC – the works. The dining room is appointed with midcentury modern furniture, lots of wood and exposed brick. The bar is made from a single Cypress tree fished out of the Escambia River. What comes out from the kitchen looks even better than the decor. Though the menu will change with the seasons, recent offerings included smoked mullet dip on deviled egg crostini, a fried oyster poboy with hot sauce aioli and squid ink spaghetti with Royal Red shrimp. The menu is a reflection of Jernigan’s background in New Orleans as owner of Manhattanjack bakery and head chef at
McGregor Café in Fort Myers. Other kitchen staff have experience at Cordon Bleu Bakery School and the French Laundry in San Francisco. Lovelace said the restaurant is striving to use the abundance of fresh Gulf seafood that Pensacola is famous for as well as local produce grown here and across the state line. “We’re trying to use as many locallysourced ingredients as possible,” Lovelace said. “We have a bounty of fresh seafood right here, we have a huge amount of produce between here and Alabama. What we’re trying to do is use really high-end, fresh ingredients and put them together in a complex or unique way. We want it to be an experience from the décor, to the service to the food that you’re eating. All of it should be touching on all of your senses.”
For now the restaurant is open from Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner starting at 11 am. They open at 10 am on the weekend for brunch. With a liquor license in hand and a fullystocked bar, plans are in the works for late night service. You can find them on Facebook at CypressPensacola. DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 7
Guests will be able to see the Paris Opera House chandelier, explore the phantom’s candlelit lair, and mingle in Christine’s iconic dressing room, all recreated inside the theatre. Tickets to Cabaret are $100 for general admission and attendees must be 21 or older. Those seeking an exclusive experience can purchase VIP tickets for $150 and gain access to the main stage with upgraded drink and catering options. Cabaret is the Little Theatre’s main fundraiser for the year and proceeds go to support the theatre’s education programming.
Cabaret Goes to the Opera
“The education program takes outreach totally outside of the building,” WilliamsHeath said. “We go to underserved communities, we go to Title 1 schools and we go to community centers. We take the theatre to people who can’t come to us. So don’t just think you’re having a good time and the money is going nowhere. It’s not even going to the theatre, it’s going to our education department.”
One of theatre’s most beloved stories will set the stage for one of Pensacola’s biggest parties later this month as the Pensacola Little Theatre presents Cabaret: Phantom of the Masquerade on March 30.
Williams-Heath said roughly 400 people attended last year’s event, many of whom were not regular patrons of the theatre, a testament to Cabaret’s draw.
BY WILL ISERN
Cabaret is the Little Theatre’s premier annual fundraiser and among the most lavish parties open to the public all year. This year, the party’s theme takes its inspiration from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary “The Phantom of the Opera.” Pensacola Little Theatre executive director Sid Williams-Heath said the the-
atre’s board decided to pursue the lavish theme after the success of last year’s Parisian-themed party. “Last year we did Midnight in Paris and made it more upscale, and we decided the more luxurious side of that is what we wanted to go for, so we’re totally overhauling it and going full-on black tie,”
Williams-Heath said. “So it’s an indooroutdoor block party, we use every room on the first floor and transform each room to fit a theme. It’s a fine borderline between theatrical creepy and very sexy.” The party will feature five open bars, all-you-can-eat catering by Classic City Catering, live music by local acts Déjà vu and DJ Matt Powell, a string quartet from the University of West Florida, performances by Pensacola Ballet dancers and aerial artists from Pure Pilates, the event’s presenting sponsor.
In addition to the funds raised by ticket sales, Cabaret will also feature silent auctions for premier goods from local vendors and trips to vacation hot-spots.
“You have art becoming a party and so you get so many people who, maybe they don’t love the shows, but they love the celebration,” he said. For more information or to purchase tickets for Cabaret: Phantom of the Masquerade, visit PensacolaLittleTheatre.com.
DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 9
Sea of Green
McGuire’s 5K is a ‘massive undertaking’
BY WILL ISERN
A Pensacola tradition and one of the area’s biggest, greenest annual events is set to return for its 42nd year this month. The McGuire’s St. Patrick’s Day Prediction Run is renowned for its fun and frivolity and regularly draws runners, walkers and wannabe leprechauns from across the country and around the world. Over the last four decades, the run has grown from a low-key, local event into a massive undertaking that requires months of planning and preparation. Not your average 5K, the McGuire’s run is a prediction run, meaning the “winner” is the one who can most closely guess their completion time before the race. It’s the largest prediction run in the country. The race is so large that the McGuire’s team has monthly committee meetings to plan each year’s event. “We start our planning really about six to seven months out,” said race director Perry Hunter. “At this point, if I don’t have my act together something is going wrong.” Last year’s race drew more than 12,000 participants, flooding Gregory Street and downtown Pensacola in a sea of green. More of a rolling party than a race, runners of all ages come dressed in costumes ranging from traditional kilts to shamrocked tutus, tuxedos, suspenders and short shorts, anything goes. The attraction for many is not the race itself, but the massive after party at McGuire’s. Taking over both McGuire’s parking lots and Heinberg Street behind the restaurant, the party begins when the first runner reaches the finish line and rolls until noon when the well-sauced crowds stumble home for a nap. Perry said the he expects to go through 150 kegs of beer and 200 gallons of the restaurant’s infamous Irish Wake cocktail. In addition, Bagelheads donates breakfast bagels by the thousands, Krispy Kreme sends 3,000 donuts and S & D Coffee supplies 100 gallons of hot java. “We used to be in one parking lot of our property down here and finally we got to the point we had to open up the other parking lot, and then it got even more massive and we had to close the street,” Perry said. “Realty what’s increased is preparing more and more and then getting more people, so everything that comes with that from the beverages to the shirts to the food, the whole nine yards.” Depending on the weather, as many as 1,000 people might sign up on the day of the race. This year’s race will take place at 9 am on March 9. You can find more information and a registration form online at McGuiresIrishPub.com/special-events. Registration costs $30 in advance or $35 on race day. All proceeds collected go toward The Semper Fi Fund, the Pensacola Police Department Explorers and Pensacola Boy Scout Troop 104. 10 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
The deadline to register online is March 6 at midnight.
Creatisphere Summer Art CamP
SPRING ART CLASSES
Week long Camps for ages 6-12, May 28- Aug. 9th
Pottery • Drawing • Sculpture • Photography Glass Studio • 3-d Design • Mixed Media Painting • Printmaking • Collage • Textiles • Yoga and more! Each each is different! Check the website for complete details.
FCAC will partner with the Mess Hall for select weeks!
/ Art Lab • Age 8-14 / After-school Art • Age 4-8
Early bird special $175-$225 until March 31st!
/ Saturday Morning Art Class
Teen Summer Workshops Ages 12-16, Week Long Camps, June 17-Aug. 2nd Sculpture • Photography • Printmaking • Painting, Textiles • Mixed Media • Pottery on the Wheel • Stained Glass and More!
For more info visit Firstcityart.org, or call (850) 429-1222
4 Week Sessions Each Month • $80-$140
$15 • 10 a.m.-12 p.m. • Yoga and Art for Kids 1st Saturday • Creating with Clay 2nd & 4th Saturday • Mixed Media Exploration 3rd Saturday
/ Stained Glass Copper Foil Method • Age 16
March 17, 24, Apr. 7
/ Meditation and Art • Age 21+
3rd Friday Each Month
Pottery • Glassblowing • Painting •Drawing and More!
AUBREY BEARDSLEY, “THE ASCENSION OF ST. ROSE OF LIMA,” (1896)
AESTHETICS OF DECADENCE: THE PRINTS OF AUBREY BEARDSLEY
NOW ON VIEW AT THE T.T. WENTWORTH, JR. MUSEUM
MUSEUM HOURS: TUES - THUR 10AM - 4PM FRI - SAT 10AM - 7PM / SUN 12PM - 4PM
MARCH 1 — MAY 5 330 S. JEFFERSON ST. PENSACOLA, FL 32502 850.595.5990 historicpensacola.org
ON VIEW IN THE KUGELMAN FAMILY AND MARY JANICE HENDERSON THORNTON GALLERIES MUSEUM HOURS: TUES - THUR 10AM - 5PM FRI - SAT 10AM - 7PM / SUN 12PM - 4PM
Taking it to the Streets Ciclovia returns for the third year
BY MATT HANIMOV Freshly pollinated air and blooming flowers — it’s that time of year in Pensacola when we can finally shed those extra layers of clothes and enjoy weather more typically Floridian. Thankfully, March offers an event where Pensacolians can gather and inaugurate the spring with a bout of outdoor fun. Ciclovia – Open Streets Pensacola returns to downtown on March 23. On this day, the streets of downtown Pensacola will close down to be opened up; all motorized traffic will be denied along swathes of Palafox (from Plaza de Luna to Garden Street)and Main Street (from the Gulf Power building to Bruce Beach) so that people can roam the streets with their bikes, boards, skates, scooters — any form of transportation as long as it isn’t motorized. Ciclovia started out as an activist movement in Bogota, Columbia in 1974. Back then, activists were concerned with the effects of Bogota’s over industrialization on people’s health. Since then, however, Ciclovia has transformed into a regular outdoors extravaganza recurring every Sunday in Colombia and an international event adopted by more than 400 cities worldwide. More so than an activist rally, Ciclovia is an event that promotes healthy
living, social interaction and tactical urbanism. Given the trend over the past few years, Ciclovia -- Open Streets Pensacola is expected to be a success.
Ultimately, Hicks said, “we want to associate ‘fun’ with downtown.” Every kid loves to play in the street—and so do adults. Ciclovia is about coming together to celebrate having fun, moving our bodies in a healthRand Hicks, Ciclovia’s chairman, is confi- ful way, and experiencing downtown in a dent in the success of the event, saying, unique fashion — without having to watch “The turnout for our first two events made for cars. Ciclovia provides a safe place to it clear that people embrace this event. enjoy our beautiful, growing and diverse Downtown Pensacola is a place people community with our neighbors, wherever want to be, and they love to have fun walk- they happen to live.” ing or riding a bike on a safe street. And they want more events, not fewer, so we Evidence from past Pensacola Ciclovias look forward to bringing people together at suggests that it’s fun enough to attract a Ciclovia events in the future.” crowd and make an impact. Last year’s turnout surpassed the year prior’s with an The success of Ciclovia isn’t just measur- estimated 12,000 people in attendance. able by turnout, but also by the aspirations Moreover, past survey data from the Uniof the event. Part of what Ciclovia aims to versity of West Florida and Visit Pensacola do is give people the opportunity to discov- indicates that on average people spent $46 er new locations, venues and merchants dollars at the event, generating a total of downtown. Another aim of Ciclovia is to $597,000 injected into the local economy. attract people to the downtown area. “The The survey data also showed that around reinvention of downtown Pensacola as a 42 percent of those surveyed discovered a cool urban center is gaining momentum,” local business that they wouldn’t have othsaid Hicks. “Whatʼs striking now is the fast erwise known about. This phenomenon pace of residential development, which re- has consequences on the day of Ciclovia flects the national trend. Events like Ciclo- and thereafter. via underscore the importance of keeping downtown focused on the people who sup- The benefits of Ciclovia go beyond the port its businesses, live in its homes and economic factor by improving Pensacola’s apartments, and who enjoy its ambiance.” overall health and social environment. It’s
easy to see how Ciclovia promotes healthy living. If last year’s event is any example of how this year’s event will turn out, then thousands of people will be active and getting exercise. In addition, those thousands of people won’t be in their cars or trucks polluting the air for a five-hour period. Ciclovia brings Pensacola together in a way that most other community events can’t by giving Pensacolians the opportunity to roam the streets with their friends or make new friends, in person. There will be pop-up entertainment, music and vendors up and down Palafox for event-goers to enjoy. While the streets are opened up for bike and scooter fun for all ages, children will also have their own area to congregate and play — Plaza de Luna will have a bounce house and mascots for the children to interact with. Pensacolians that participate in Ciclovia will be able to slow down and take in all that downtown has to offer. The event is free and open to the public for all ages. For more information on Ciclovia 2019 or to learn more about Pensacola Open Streets, visit PensacolaOpenStreets. com or contact the event organizers at PensacolaOpenStreets@gmail.com. DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 13
Robert Overton, Executive Director of the UWF Historic Trust
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History, Nature & Fun Museum Plaza opens green space in downtown BY KAITLYN PEACOCK
A new plaza has opened in downtown Pensacola behind the T.T. Wentworth Museum. Rightfully called Museum Plaza, this once desolate parking lot is now a beautiful green space with a playground for children, educational pavilions and a rose garden perfect for storytelling or just taking a moment to enjoy the Florida sun. 14 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
The plaza has been under construction for a little over two years, with the UWF Historic Trust heading the project. The largest part of a bigger project, the plaza’s initial schedule was a five-year construction schedule, however positive energy and support from the community moved the timeline forward, allowing the Historic Trust to open the new green space to a public eagerly awaiting its unveiling.
a lot of energy happening over there. We felt a lot of energy here, but we wanted to be able to merge those two areas together. This dead zone kept us from doing that. So by doing something better, by creating another urban green space in downtown, putting things out here that help us celebrate our art, our culture, our history, telling those stories, better lighting, better walkways helped us to do that.”
The Historic Trust Executive Director Robert Overton Jr. said he was extremely proud of their accomplishments and is excited to see the public enjoy the new, useable space.
Pensacola is riddled with historic sites, but the plaza sits on the site of the command center of a large British fort. Due to this, there were restrictions on the development of the plaza to help preserve the area. The Historic Trust partnered with the UWF Archeology Institute, who offered to help oversee construction and to help preserve the historic value of the area.
“Palafox has grown and continues to grow,” he said. “In 2011 or 2012, American Planning Institute voted Palafox Street one of the top ten streets in America. There’s
“History happened here,” Overton said. “The project could not have happened if it had not been for the partnership we have with the University of West Florida Archeology Institute. They spent countless hours out here monitoring, making sure that in the process of trying to develop the plaza, we didn’t destroy the very resources we were trying to highlight. We want to talk about archeology and those things, but we don’t want to destroy it in the process of trying to save it.” Part of protecting the site included strict rules on what construction could or could not be done on the grounds or the nearby area. Due to this, the team had to be very careful, and get a little creative. “What made this site so challenging was we couldn’t dig into the ground,” Ross
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Pristera, historic preservationist and the project manager of the plaza, said. “For a huge landscape project, it’s hard to not do that. So what we ended up doing was we brought in a lot of fill. We were very creative with how to route electrical lines, so everything is under the sidewalks, we went shallower. This was a parking lot when it was city hall, so there’s a clay cap over the site. We had about a foot, max, depth we could go. Which usually for other things you’re supposed to go eighteen to thirty-six inches into the ground. Very tight site restrictions.” Designed in part by Haley Sharpe, a renowned conception designer who has worked on other historic sites such as Jamestown, the plaza consists of four major areas: the command pavilion, which has information on the plaza and the historic significance of the area, the early learning playground, the outdoor education pavilion that acts as a classroom and stage and a rose garden. Each area serves as a public space but also an educational space. The playground has elements of Pensacola’s history, including the use of timber beams as a callback to the large timber industry that built Pensacola and cargo nets emulating the rigging of ships. The rose garden features a large red line where the wall of the old fort used to be. The dynamic space has already captured the attention of the public, and it will soon play host to music concerts and even a class on the development of the plaza itself. “I never would have thought we would be asked to give a class on how we developed it (the plaza),” Overton said. “This is exactly what I had hoped for. I didn’t have all the details of what I’d hope for, but it’s happening.” Although there was some pushback from members of the community who complained about the 60 or so parking spaces that were once the plaza green space, Overton assures that having the plaza remain a
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Palafox has grown and continued to grow. In 2011 or 2012, American Planning Institute voted Palafox Street one of the top ten streets in America. There’s a lot of energy happening over there. We felt a lot of energy here, but we wanted to be able to merge those two areas together. This dead zone kept us from doing that. So by doing something better, by creating another urban green space in downtown, putting things out here that help us celebrate our art, our culture, our history, telling those stories, better lighting, better walkways helped us to do that.” - Robert Overton
parking lot wouldn’t have fixed the parking issues downtown. By giving people an open and beautiful place to play and rest, the public will benefit in the long run, according to Overton. As it happens, the community wasn’t completely upset about the parking spots, as almost half of the funds used to create the space came from community donations and sponsorships.
“The biggest hurdle, particularly when we started, was how we are going to pay for it,” he said. “As far as projects go it wasn’t super expensive, but it was for us. This project cost us little over $800,000. We put in from our board and reserve income a little over two years of budgeting for it, a little over $400,000. That’s what we had to do with it. So the biggest hurdle was how are we going to complete the plaza and pay for it. (…) The community stepped up and provided that additional funding. They believed in us, they believed in the project and they supported us.” Monetary support and community enthusiasm kept the team working. Even before the playground officially opened, children were already sneaking onto the site and playing with the new equipment and people were enjoying the new benches and shaded pavilion to escape the heat. With downtown becoming ever more popular a place to hang out, this new green space will offer residents and visitors a place to relax, catch an event or festival and explore the intricate history of Pensacola. “We’re seeing growth from festivals and other places, Seville Square moving down this way,” Pristera said. “This is a unique space to downtown, a nice venue for different groups to use, and a lot of different things can happen here.”
ALCANIZ
KITCHEN & TAP
New in the neighborhood
BY KAITLYN PEACOCK PHOTOS BY GUY STEVENS
If you’re looking for a quiet, cool place to grab a bite and have a beer, there’s a new restaurant and bar open on the corner of Alcaniz and Intendencia you should check out. Alcaniz Kitchen and Tap had their grand opening last month, but they’re becoming the best new place to hang out on lazy days. Sitting outside of the hectic rhythm of downtown Pensacola, Alcaniz offers guests a Spanish-influenced menu with items you can’t find just anywhere in Pensacola and rotating craft beers, meaning you have a chance to discover a new favorite with every visit. Also new to the neighborhood is Alcaniz’s Owner Ed Riley. A recently retired U.S. Army veteran, Riley said he was looking to open a bar in several locations outside of Florida, but found the perfect place on the restaurant’s namesake. “I’ve always worked in the industry before, when I was in college, when I lived up north,” Riley said. “I worked in bars all my life and it was something that I enjoy and I thought that once I got out of the Army it would be a good opportunity to find a place like this and open a bar. I think people are crazy to open restaurants. It’s such a risky venture because there’s so many different things that can so sideways. But it’s been fun so far.”
General Manager Amber Halverson, originally from Wisconsin, wanted to bring her own style to a bar. After spending time in Gulf Shores, she returned to Pensacola and helped Riley open Alcaniz. “I love doing and finding out about infusion and craft beer and pairing it with food,” Halverson said. “That was like magic to me. But I always wanted to come back to Pensacola and I finally got the chance.” Wanting to provide a neighborhood atmosphere, Riley said he liked the feel of Alcaniz more than Palafox, which is always busy, especially at night, and he decided to honor that neighborhood vibe by naming the restaurant after the street. “I wanted it to have that neighborhood feel and I thought Alcaniz was such a cool, unique name,” he said. “I couldn’t pronounce it when I first started; someone had to correct me! But, I think it gives it that unique feel, like it’s part of the neighborhood.” “Some place that I always looked for when I was in Pensacola was some place you could go to that was pocket friendly,” Halverson said. “Easy on your wallet, but still gave you that atmosphere and ambience that other places had, but you could go for either meeting a friend or on a date and feel warm and inviting. At night, this place does transition into something totally magical. During the day, it’s a neighborhood feel, but at night, candles are lit, people are in here, and its all varieties of people.”
< General Manager Amber Halverson and Owner Ed Riley 16 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
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We want people to know they are being listened to. We want to offer them something a little different to make them feel special.”
^Alcaniz changes their beer whenever one taps out. Stop in frequently! Along with their rotating craft beers, Halverson said their specialties included anything with their infusion, including a jalapeno and red pepper infused tequila to use in a bloody maria and a fruit infusion for their sangrias. For food, Halverson suggests the fried cheese curds, a Wisconsin specialty, the dirty mac and cheese and the poutine covered in gravy, which is brewed from local beer. Riley and Halverson have big plans for the future for the restaurant, including brewing their own beer and expanded happy hours. Halverson said they are changing things as they get feedback from customers and that they
are happy to hear what customers want from their new neighborhood hang out. “We’re getting a lot of feedback from the neighborhood and people who are coming in and we are paying attention to that and listening to what people are looking for,” Halverson said. “We want people to know they are being listened to. We want to of- ^ fer them something a little different to Try the newest addition to the menu make them feel special.” Alcaniz Dirty Mac which is made to
order with house shredded cheese
Alcaniz is open for lunch and dina dash truffle oil and topped with ner, with a happy hour 5 pm to 7 pm. sausage and collard greens. Check out the full menu at www.alcaniztap.com.
DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 17
A Timeless Tradition of Inspiring Art Since 1973
Mon-Sat: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
*Quayside Art Gallery is the largest co-op gallery in the southeast, and features the work of local artists from Pensacola and surrounding areas.
Sun: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
850-438 2363 17 E. Zaragoza Street Pensacola, Fl. 32502 www.quaysidegallery.com Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm Sun 1pm-5pm.
Voted VIP Best Art Gallery
QuaysideGallery.com
Quayside Art Gallery is the oldest, largest artist-owned and operated gallery in the southeast offering: • • • •
Three floors of works by more than 100 artists Regular art shows with affordable art Workshops with well-known artists New and emerging artist membership
17 E Zaragoza St, Pensacola • 850.438.2363 • QuaysideArts@gmail.com
Jams
What we’re listening to this month
Yours
Congratulations
Triple Tigers Records
Self-Released
Russell Dickerson BY KAITLYN PEACOCK Sometimes you really just need a good pop country album for riding down the highway with the windows rolled down, the wind in your hair, sun on your face and the musc turned up until you get dirty looks from people in the car next to yours. Russell Dickerson’s debut album is one of those albums I keep going back to just for that feeling. With a mix classic country chords and hop-and-bop pop sounds, it’s good for hitting all your sappy-late-night-romance feels to your get-out-on-the-town nights. Don’t be ashamed to turn this one all the way up.
Faux/Fox
Standout Tracks Yours MGNO Blue Tacoma
BY MATT HANIMOV Faux/Fox might as well be considered local legends. The members of Faux/Fox have been playing in the Pensacola area for quite some time, and Congratulations is the proof of their collective musical talents and accumulated experience. The album was mixed in-house at Pensacola Audio Documentation by Michael Bishop, the vocalist and guitarist, and you can tell that an intense amount of passion was put into the mix. The mix is like a whole sweet onion that was somehow perfectly caramelized without being cut, and every layer of the onion is a layer of production that’s so raunchily sweet on the ears. The songwriting and instrumentals are both progressively simplistic. The music is a callback to an early 2000’s alternative style, but the subtle shift in dynamics and time signatures coupled with the fatalistic lyrics render this album a beast of its
Elder Mantis
Buoys
Leaving Records
Domino Records
Black Taffy
BY WILL ISERN From somewhere along the border of boom-bap hip hop and downtempo electronic, Black Taffy’s new album Elder Mantis warbles its way out of the mid 2000s and into the oversized headphones of introverted boys everywhere in 2019. Soon to be included on “Music to Study and Chill To” mixes everywhere, Elder Mantis carries the torch first lit by artists like Bibio and Boards of Canada. The twelve tracks here all follow the same tried-and-true formula: a dusty, beautiful sample loops a few times before the most laid-back drums you’ve ever heard come stumbling in before finally giving way to far away synth swells. Rinse and repeat. Elder Mantis does not push the genre forward, but is wholly enjoyable nonetheless.
own. If you’re one of those people, like I am, who are frustrated with the current state of affairs, whether personal or on a larger scale -- religious, political, social, economic -- Faux/Fox raises the nihilistic banner that is Congratulations for all to fall under. Standout Tracks Plan Crash Blues pt. II I Played the Wolf Negative Space
Panda Bear
Standout Tracks Divining Rod Corridors Geraldine
BY WILL ISERN It’s been a decade since the greatest year in indie music. 2009 saw the arrival of Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest, Phoenix’s Wolgang Amadeus Phoenix, Dirty Projectors’ Bitte Orca, St. Vincent’s Actor, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s It’s Blitz! and the debuts of Fever Ray, The xx and Real Estate. Towering above them all at the pinnacle of that year’s creative output was Animal Collective’s unlikely and definitive Merriweather Post Pavilion, an album so weirdly enjoyable that it reached no. 13 on the Billboard Top 200. So here we are, a decade older and Panda Bear, the most prominent of Animal Collective’s members, is out with his latest solo project, Buoys. The title could not be more indicative of the sounds contained within. Each song bobs along like buoy in gentle waves, occasionally dipping below the water’s surface to be carried up again by its own levity.
Compared to Panda Bear’s previous work, Buoys is relatively subdued and cohesive. Give it a try if you like Panda Bear, but don’t expect another Person Pitch. Standout Tracks Dolphin Buoys Cranked DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 19
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The Velveteen Rabbit is presented by special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing Inc., Woodstock, Illinois.
Da te line D ow n t own
Pensacola Opera Presents: Florencia in the Amazon March 15 and 17
Juan Sebastian de Elcano March 31 through April 5
The Juan Sebastian de Elcano, a historic Spanish tall ship, is returning to Pensacola March 31 through April 5 on its tour to celebrate the fifth centennial of the first circumnavigation of the Earth by Magellan and Elcano in 1519. Ship tours will be available 3 pm to 6:30 pm March 31, 10 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 6:30 pm April 2 through 4. The University of West Florida and the Pensacola Navy League will host a conference about Magellan and Elcano at Seville Quarter April 2 at 5 pm to 8 pm, conference beginning at 6 pm. Captain Ignaclo Paz will deliver a conference on Juan Sebastian de Elcano the man April 1 at 12:30 pm at Jackson’s.
PHOTO BY MIKE O’CONNOR and moody, yet relentlessly compelling, this masterwork was born from the composer’s own grappling with fate. Mahler said that “a symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything.” His Sixth Symphony does just that, making it a true highlight of the season. Ticket prices start at $23. For more information, visit www.pensacolasaenger.com or contact the Saenger Theatre Box office at 595-3880.
John Appleyard Talk: Pensacola History March 12 and 26
If you are looking for a magical journey, look no further than Florencia in the Amazon – Pensacola Opera’s take on Daniel Catán’s transformative opera. Florencia shimmers with passionate melodies and sumptuous orchestrations reminiscent of Puccini and Debussy. This is one you won’t want to miss. Ticket prices start at $24. For more information, visit www.pensacolasaenger. com or contact the Saenger Theatre Box office at 595-3880.
Hot Glass, Cold Brew March 15
First City Art Center (FCAC) is excited to host “Hot Glass, Col Brew” 80s edition March 15 at 6 pm located at FCAC. Wear your head-to-toe 80’s attire, just a hint of nostalgia, or come as you are and enjoy the ambiance of this fun event celebrating creativity. Full admission ($20 members/$30 non-members) will include a signature handmade glass or ceramic cup. General admission tickets will be on sale at the gate. Presale tickets will be offered online only at FirstCityArt.org For more information, call 429-1222 or visit FirstCityArt.org.
John Appleyard will have two history presentations March. 12 and 26 at 9 am both at the Pensacola Visitor Information Center. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear famed March 7 Dwight Yoakam has sold more than 25 mil- historian, John Appleyard share his knowllion albums worldwide, and he is a 21-time edge of Pensacola’s history with one of his nominated, multiple GRAMMY Award win- famous storytelling sessions. The event is March 16 ner. He has 12 gold albums and nine plati- free to the public but seating is limited. For Breweries compete in three categories to win best in the square for bragging rights num or multi-platinum albums, with five of more information, call 434-1234. for the year March 16 at 6 pm. There will those albums topping Billboard’s Country also be a beer festival and a people’s choice Albums chart and another 14 landing in the award. The event will feature a band from Top 10. He is also the recipient of the Artist March 15 through 17 of the Year award from the Americana Mu- The 10th annual Smokin’ in the Streets will Nashville, Stone Senate. Admission is $25 sic Association, the most prestigious award take over Maritime Park March 15 through per person before the day of the event offered by the organization. Ticket prices 17. The idea of a competitive BBQ was and $35 at the doors. Proceeds will be for start at $52. For more information, visit started in 2008 with a Backyard competi- Knights of Columbus Charities and Hurriwww.pensacolasaenger.com or contact the tion held on the festival grounds of St. Rose cane Michael Relief. For more information, e-mail rogernohair@gmail.com. Saenger Theatre Box office at 595-3880. of Lima Catholic Church. It was a one day event and attracted 13 competitors. It was a new experience as a fundraiser but proceeds were small. In 2010, Smokin-in-the- March 21 Orchestra Presents: Square was born and included professional to near sold-out audiences for Mahler: Symphony No.6 teams and backyarders. The goal is bring Playing more than 14 years, the Price Is Right Live this event to the level of raising $50,000 for has entertained millions of guests and March 9 In the largest orchestral undertaking of the charity by the 10th year. For more informa- given away more than 12 million dollars in season, this concert continues our explo- tion, visit smokininthesquare.com. cash and prizes. If you’re a fan of The Price ration of the works of Gustav Mahler with Is Right on TV, you’ll no doubt love this exSymphony No. 6, “Tragic.” At times grim citing, live (non-televised), on-stage version
Brew Battle in the Square 2019 and Beer Festival
Dwight Yoakam
Smokin’ in the Square
Pensacola Symphony
The Price is Right Live
of the show. Ticket prices start at $39. For more information, visit www.pensacolasaenger.com or contact the Saenger Theatre Box office at 595-3880.
24 Hour Theatre March 23
Six short one act plays, cast, written, directed and performed within 24 hours. A Pensacola Little Theatre favorite. Estimated running time: 2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission. For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.pensacolalittletheatre.com.
Kyle Cease: Evolving Out Loud Tour March 25
Don’t miss this special opportunity to meet Kyle Cease, take photos and receive a fabulous swag bag for only $40 per-person. Meet and greet reception tickets are available as an add-on with the purchase of show tickets at any price level. Ticket quantities are limited, so don’t delay and purchase your tickets today! The meet and greet reception will begin 1 hour prior to the start of the show. Ticket prices start at $29. For more information, visit www.pensacolasaenger.com or contact the Saenger Theatre Box office at 595-3880.
Sea Turtle Presentation March 27
Cathy Holmes, Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center, will have an informative presentation about the sea turtles in the Pensacola area, March 27 from 2 pm to 3 pm. There will be a display board, sea turtle shells, skulls, handouts and wrist bands. Visitor center located in Wayside Park on east side of Hwy. 98 at mouth of Pensacola Bay Bridge.
Finding Neverland March 27
The winner of Broadway.com’s Audience Choice Award for Best Musical, this breathtaking smash “captures the kid-at-heart,” says TIME Magazine. Vogue cheers, “It’s a must-see you’ll remember for years to come!” The magic of Barrie’s classic tale springs spectacularly to life in this heartwarming theatrical event. FINDING NEVERLAND is “far and away the best musical of the year!” (NPR). Ticket prices start at $58. For more information, visit www.pensacolasaenger.com or contact the Saenger Theatre Box office at 595-3880. DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 21
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Awards
First Place Male/Female in Each Division–HOMEMADE CAKE!
April 20, 2019
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Kyle_Watson_Homes_Logo.pdf
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2/9/15
4:03 PM
The Crooke Family
