Joe Patti's Seafood in Pensacola: The Place for Fresh Fish, Sushi, Gourmet Food

One of Pensacola's top visitor destinations doesn't require sunscreen, doesn't charge admission and is just as likely to attract locals as it is tourists.

Oh, and though it's family-friendly, the kids might be a little grossed out by the sights and smells.

Welcome to Joe Patti's Seafood, one of the Gulf Coast's most popular spots for buying fresh seafood, sushi, gourmet deli items, wine and more.

The first time you step through the main entrance to Joe Patti's, you might experience sensory overload. The customer area is likely to be packed with people, and often, there's not a square foot of space open at the main counter. Mid-store, someone is standing next to a customer-number machine, handing out paper slips to new arrivals one after the other.

Behind the counter, the scene appears just as crowded and even more chaotic: employees by the dozen are calling out customer numbers, fills bags with heaps of fresh Gulf shrimp, gingerly picking live crabs out of a cooler, or weighing thick fillets of grouper, tilapia, flounder, scamp and other fish, fresh- and saltwater. Farther down, staring out through glass cases from beds of ice are the weird, fishy eyes of whole mullet, sheepshead, catfish, snapper and more.

And then there's the strong, pervasive, but not unpleasant aroma of fish - fresh, not fishy, but definitely a scent of the sea (which laps up directly alongside the Joe Patti's property).

As frenzied as the operations might seem, service at the store is well-choreographed and efficient: take a number, browse the selection while waiting, tell the employee who takes your number what you want, wait for everything to be weighed and bagged, then head to the checkout counters in back to pay and have your purchases packed in ice for the drive home (they'll also pack in airline-approved coolers for those visiting by plane).

But don't plan to check out just yet. There are other areas to explore before you're ready to tally up. There's Amangiari Gourmet Shop next door, which offers everything from imported olive oils, pastries and fresh bread for New Orleans-style muffalettas to unique dishware, creamy-cold Italian ices and ice cream and frozen Chinese potstickers. There's the small sushi shop behind the deli, where you can either dine in or take out. And then there's Anna's Wine Shop on the other side, which boasts an assortment of wines of all prices from around the world.

Joe Patti's history is as colorful as its daily operations. Founded by Joe and Anne Patti on the back porch of their waterfront home in 1931, the shop was eventually taken over by their colorful descendant, Frank Patti. Frank Patti was guaranteed to be front and center in the store almost every day of the year, until - following an IRS audit, a slow-speed chase that ended with a crash into a local train landmark, and months of medical examination for an unusual and suspicious case of amnesia - he was sentenced to federal prison for tax evasion. (He has since been released, but is no longer involved in day-to-day operations at the shop.)

Joe Patti's was also devastated by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, losing its entire inventory along with many of the historic photos that once decorated its walls. Repairs and renovations took many months and a reported $1 million or so, but the shop has once again returned to regain its position as the place in Northwest Florida for fresh seafood and gourmet treats.

Joe Patti's, located at 524 S. B Street in Pensacola, is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays (winter hours), and is closed only on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. For more information, call 800-500-9929 or visit the store's Website at http://joepattis.com