Celebrity Chefs Celebrate Pensacola

Pensacola Celebrity Chefs Host Five Chefs, Five Flags Event
Guests Enjoy A Five-Course Meal Influenced By Pensacola's Dynamic History

Pensacola, Fla. August 8, 2008 - Pensacola's Celebrity Chefs are creating a memorable meal in honor of Pensacola's 450th anniversary. At the Five Chefs, Five Flags dinner on Sept. 28, guests will be treated to five courses reflecting the five flags that have flown over Pensacola. Chefs Irv Miller of Jackson's, Jim Shirley of the Fish House, Gus Silivos of Skopelos on the Bay, Frank Taylor of Global Grill and Dan Dunn of H2O at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front each will be tasked with preparing one signature dish influenced by Spain, France, Britain, the Confederacy and the United States.

"The Pensacola Bay Area has the freshest produce and seafood, 450 years of history and international influence, Southern traditions and food and wine festivals throughout the year," said Silivos. "Our event brings all those things together, showcasing the very best we have to offer."

On Friday, Sept. 26 at the Pensacola Seafood Festival, the Pensacola Celebrity Chefs will be on stage from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. to answer questions and share tips with the crowd, and Saturday, they will be giving cooking demonstrations of popular menu items throughout the day.

The Five Chefs, Five Flags dinner will conclude the festival weekend on Sunday. In honor of the 450th anniversary, a champagne reception will start at 4:50 p.m. at Jackson's restaurant. The first course will be served at 5:30 p.m. Each of the courses will feature paired wines.

Jackson's itself has historic significance as it's named for General Andrew Jackson, the first American governor of West Florida before decamping to the White House. The restaurant 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.

The Pensacola Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau recently launched the celebrity chefs program to draw attention to its unique culinary offerings. Recent studies have shown that nearly one in five travelers plan their vacations around food and wine experiences.

"Our goal is to make recipes, secrets and tricks of the trade all accessible to our visitors so they become intimate with our traditions and get to know our chefs on a personal level," said Ed Schroeder, director of the Pensacola Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We want to create a dining experience for our visitors that they can't find anywhere else. Dining with five of the best chefs in the region is just the beginning."

Tickets to Five Chefs, Five Flags are $100, including gratuity, and can be purchased by calling (850) 469-9898. For more information about the Pensacola Celebrity Chefs, visit www.PensacolaCelebrityChefs.com or www.VisitPensacola.com.