News Bites: Get the latest scoop on everything from new brunch to downtown happy hour

In our latest batch of News Bites, we have some big news regarding fan-favorite restaurants in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties including new chefs, new hours and new menus, along with some new places to enjoy a cold cocktail or beer by the beach.

New chefs

Bavaria Pensacola

10 S. Palafox St.

Bavaria Pensacola is known for bringing a slice of Germany to Pensacola, and now Sous Chef Ricky Lawson is adding to that mission. Lawson will be working alongside Pensacola local executive chef Colby Deen, who has been leading Bavaria’s kitchen for the past year. Lawson brings 40 years of authentic German culinary expertise to the table, ranging from prestigious restaurants across Germany, including Ostfildern, Stuttgart, according to a release from Bavaria’s social media specialist Trinity Vorachack. He also served as a pastry chef at Michelin Star establishment, Leonhardts.

“We are honored that Chef Ricky has chosen to share his wealth of knowledge and passion for German cuisine with us here at Bavaria Pensacola,” Vorachack wrote in a statement for Bavaria.

Be on the lookout for “Chef Ricky’s Authentic German menu” with Lawson’s rotating specials like his pork neck and bell pepper goulash with potato dumpling (knodel) and Krauterpfannkuchen Mit Gemuse, a Mediterranean veggie-filled crepe, or for dessert, one of his housemade, sweet and savory “Apfelstrudels.” Lawson will also be a major part of developing Bavaria's upcoming breakfast menu slated to launch in mid-April using authentic dishes with lawson's own twist, according to Vorachack.

Beach House Social

8375 Gulf Blvd.

Navarre’s Beach House Social has a seasoned new chef taking the helm. Mason Cheney is a Northwest Florida native and has worked at several of downtown Pensacola’s top restaurants, such as Restaurant Iron, V Paul’s and Union Public House. He joined Beach House Social as sous chef in 2023 and was announced as the new executive this month.

“Cheney has demonstrated exceptional talent and dedication, earning him this well-deserved promotion,” a statement released by Beach House Social states. “Drawing inspiration from local culinary masters like Alex McPhail and Blake Rushing, Chef Cheney’s cooking style reflects a blend of flavors and techniques influenced by Southern, French, and Italian cuisine. With a plan to revitalize the culinary scene along the Gulf Coast, he aims to showcase the diverse culinary landscape by bringing fresh, local coastal dishes to the table at Beach House Social.”

Cheney has created a new lunch and dinner menu that debuted on March 1, bringing interesting plates to try like a black cherry bourbon pork belly, shrimp and gouda grits with a crawfish maque choux and a summer berry salad with grilled peach vinaigrette.

New operating hours

Four Seasons Catering and Eatery

212 Palafox Place

Four Seasons has been one of Pensacola’s hidden gems for over 20 years for its Southern inspired homestyle cooking, specializing in daily fresh fish selections, Southern fried chicken and slow smoked brisket sandwiches. It’s the place where the bread is made in house and the sweet tea is brewed fresh. For the past several years, the restaurant has only been open until 3 p.m. due to challenges from the pandemic. Now, starting April 4, Four Seasons will stay open until 7 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. On Monday through Wednesday, the restaurant will remain open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays will feature barbecue specials, including ribs and smoked chicken, that chef Charles Mielke said he anticipates customers will be able to take home and share with their families for Sunday dinner.

Mielke started the Saturday hours for "working moms and dads in the downtown area that love our food and never get the opportunity to take it home.”

The restaurant will also be back on DoorDash starting April 1, allowing meals to be delivered to your door. Mielke said that they had been approached by Doordash saying that there were “well over 1,000 people requesting it.”

P’Cola Bistro

3102 E. Cervantes St.

P’Cola Bistro, East Pensacola Heights' newest daytime café, is catering to Pensacola's early birds and is now opening at 7 a.m. daily.

“Our community has been asking us to open earlier for people who are going to work in the morning for quite some time!” P’cola Bistro wrote in a Facebook statement this month.

To pair with the new hours, they will be offering a $5 breakfast special from 7-11 a.m. on Monday through Friday, including two eggs, hashbrowns and toast.

New menus

BarSteak

19 S. Palafox St.

Pensacola's hot new steakhouse, BarSteak, is debuting a twist on the traditional happy hour with a “Snappy Hour” offered from 3-5 p.m. on Monday through Saturday. The menu was comprised to be a “quick, affordable indulgence that will leave you feeling satisfied and refreshed,” according to the BarSteak Facebook page. This includes classic cocktails like the French 75, Cosmopolitan, Coconut Old Fashioned and Aperol Spritz all for $9 each. The food selections can also be treated as an afternoon snack or a full meal, depending on what you order. The roster includes pulled pork tacos with chipotle citrus cream, house fried black and bleu potato chips, petit chicken and waffles made with petit pearl sugar Belgian waffles, shredded roast beef crostini, parmesan truffle fries and a sourdough adult grilled cheese, also all for $9 each. The Snappy Hour also offers half off glasses of wine and two for one canned beers.

Atlas Oyster House

600 S. Barracks St.

Atlas Oyster House has debuted a Sunday brunch this month that will take place every week from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. serving up creative sweet and savory treats and waterfront views. The menu was designed by Atlas Oyster House executive chef Jason Hughes and includes a wide variety of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, featured plates and seafood favorites. Drink specials include $4 bloody marys and $12.95 bottles of champagne. Dinner service begins at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Some of the signature items include:

• Crab Monte Cristo made with cure 81 ham, Havarti, lump crab salad, creole mustard, brioche, C & D mill cornmeal tempura, mango chutney and sweet potato fries.

• Crawfish & Tasso Omelette made with house tasso ham, crispy Louisiana crawfish tails, cream crawfish etouffee, peppers, onions and pepperjack cheese.

• Crispy Chicken Biscut Benedict made with buttermilk-fried chicken thighs, cat head biscuit, grilled tomato, Tillamook cheddar, poached eggs and Creole choron.

• Grillades & Grits made with braised beef cutlets, white wine-tomato gravy, C & D Mill stone-ground brie rice grits.

New cocktail/beer options by the beach

Paul’s Pizza & Daquiri Bar

13700 Perdido Key Drive

Perdido Key pizza favorite, Paul’s Pizza Company has rebranded to “Paul’s Pizza & Daquiri Bar” to add a line of signature daquiris to the mix. The restaurant now offers a variety of handcrafted beverages and signature souvenir cups that make the fruity concoctions easy to transport for a beach run. Some of the signature frozen daquiri flavors include margarita, pina colada, Bushwacker, Rum Runner, green apple, blue Hawaiian, mango and strawberry.  Signature cocktails can also be served in a 12-ounce plastic cup, including a Hurricane Paul, Perdido Key Iced Tea, Sex on the Key, spicy margarita, white Russians and mojitos.

Pensacola Beach Beer Fest

2 Via De Luna Drive

Next month, the third annual Pensacola Beach Beer Fest is kicking off from 3-6 p.m. on April 20 at the Hampton Inn Pensacola Beach. The festival will merge craft beer from local breweries, food from Piazza Pizza and live music from The Funkheads and the McGuire’s Pipe Band along with door prizes, raffles and a visit from Argie, the UWF Argonaut. This is the perfect opportunity to taste of some of the best that the Pensacola area’s brewing community has to offer all in a one-stop shop.

Participating breweries include Coastal County Brewing Company, Emerald Republic Brewing, McGuire’s Irish Pub, Odd Colony Brewing Co., The 5 Barrel, Doc’s Hop Shop, Beardless Brewhaus, St. Michael’s Brewing Company, Perfect Plain Brewing Co., Grayton Beer Company and Ghost Train Brewing Co. Parking will be available at the Casino Beach parking lot. Tickets can be ordered ahead of time on Eventbrite for $40 or $50 at the door. More information can be found on the Pensacola Beach Beer Fest Facebook page.

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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: PNJ News Bites: Find out the Pensacola area's latest restaurant news