Is Destin ready for Hurricane Pat?

Destin is about to feel the effects of a Hurricane — and this time it will be far more enjoyable.

The rush of the Flaming Fountain in all of it’s boldly lighted glory and the warm balmy air are the perfect compliments to the iconic New Orleans beverage that promises a good time with the opening of Pat O’Brien’s at HarborWalk Village on Oct. 1.

The soft opening will be just in time to help kick off the first day of the 60th annual Destin Fishing Rodeo and the 30th annual Destin Seafood Festival that is slated for the weekend of Oct. 3-5.

An official grand opening will happen in December in conjunction with the original Pat O’Brien’s 75th anniversary celebration.

The New Orleans legend birthed a franchise chain that combines the ambiance of the original establishment’s bar with culinary surprises in Cancun, Orlando, Fla., Memphis, Tenn., San Antonio, Texas and now Destin.

“There’s a strong New Orleans market here in terms of vacationers,” owner Craig Tingle said about why he chose to open the restaurant and bar here on the Emerald Coast.

Tingle and wife, Sandy, had the task of mingling Pat O’Brien’s New Orleans charm with the flavors of Destin.

The spread at the foot of the Marler Bridge includes a patio bar and dining area, balcony dining, a main dining room that will double as the Piano Bar and a “locals” bar with an underground feel.

Perhaps the most recognized “iconic feature” of the restaurant is the Flaming Fountain situated on the patio overlooking the harbor.

The fountain’s signature flames and vivid lights will be visible from all over whether one is driving over the bridge or taking a moonlight cruise in their boat.

The recreation of a New Orleans courtyard on the harbor features the glass and wrought iron tables sprinkled around the brick patio, but the atmosphere has a bit more of a Destin feel to it with a wide open view of the harbor.

The patio’s bandstand will be the perch for live entertainment that will occasionally pump through the place over a public address system.

“We’re trying to stick to what works with the original location,” Tingle said.

True to that formula is the massive collection of German beer steins that hang from the ceiling in every room.

The look will be complimented by the traditional sounds of dueling pianos and the talents of an Eldridge “Mr. Eddie” Gabriel inspired character to stroke the mood of the crowd by playing along with thimbles.

Keith Hoffert, executive chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University, said that Pat O’Brien’s in Destin will be serving “good old Creole and Cajun cuisine.”

“We are going to roll with a lot of Pat O’Brien classics and a little Floridian flare,” he said.

That will include traditional New Orleans dishes like the muffaletta, New Orleans style seafood, shrimp étoufée, jambalaya, beans and rice, beignets, steamed seafood, sirloin and a fresh catch of the day.

“Let’s face it, just about anything goes with a Hurricane,” Hoffert laughed.

The restaurant pulled out all the stops for mass producing the red fruity concoction that the original location sells a million-and-a-half of each quarter.

Behind the scenes, a “mixology room” houses a 500 gallon mixing tank to keep up with the demand. A pressurized chamber will also make for easy barside dispensing.

It takes one pound of ice to make one hurricane, so the restaurant is equipped to have 20,000 pounds of ice in production on site.

“We just made our first two batches of Hurricanes,” Tingle said.

Pat O’Brien’s is ready to help patrons live up to their motto to “Have Fun!”

The opening of Pat O’Brien’s in Destin is happening just on the heals of the other New Orleans icon in HarborWalk, Commander’s Palace.

“It’s definitely the same mentality,” Hoffert said. “It should be a little piece of New Orleans in Destin.”