Perfect for tee time?
Jack Nicklaus’ restaurant opens at airport.
FORT LAUDERDALE — Across from Gate E4 of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, one of the greatest golfers of all time grabbed a slice of key lime pie.
Jack Nicklaus, whose 18 major championships are more than any other golfer in history, was on hisway to speak with media when he spotted the pie on a countertop. He picked up a plate and a spoon and dug in, only to find a familiar taste.
“They did a pretty good job with it,” Nicklaus said later.
And he should know. It was his wife’s recipe.
Nicklaus and his wife, Barbara, were on hand Wednesday for the grand opening of the Jack Nicklaus Golden Bear Grill, a new restaurant in Terminal 3 of the airport.
Local politicians, including Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler, were there to welcome and thank Nicklaus, and to try the food coming out of “Barbara’s kitchen.” The menu is based in part on Barbara Nicklaus’ recipes, with the meat loaf— originally Jack’s mother’s recipe — being the most talked-about item.
It’s the first airport venture for Nicklaus, who opened the restaurant in partnership with Delaware North. Another is slated to open in Charleston, S.C., ina month or so, Nicklaus said.
“Fort Lauderdale was the one we applied for first, the first one that accepted us,” said Nicklaus, a resident of North Palm Beach. “So we’re very proud [it’s in Fort Lauderdale]. It’s here in our own backyard.”
Jack and Barbara were involved in seemingly every detail of the restaurant, from the photographs
hanging on the walls, to the decorations, right down to the floors.
“We’re always handson,” Nicklaus said. “It’s not ours if we’re not.”
For Nicklaus, days like Wednesday are exciting. He admits he wasn’t as brandconscious as an athlete, but now, with more time on his hands, he can focus on projects like a restaurant chain.
He repeated an old line that, while most people work their whole lives to retire and play golf, he played golf his whole life to retire to work. But even though his restaurant is a business, it certainly draws on his career for inspiration.
In addition to the televisions typical of an airport restaurant, photos of Nicklaus golfing, posing with presidents and speaking to Tiger Woods adorn the walls. The restaurant features traditional seating, a bar and even large yellow lounge chairs for customers looking to relax.
“People [can] get in and get out, or people can stay and relax a little bit,” Nicklaus said. “Whatever they prefer.”
On Wednesday, samples of the food were served with wooden golf tees as skewers. There were flatbreads, barbecue sliders, chicken parmesan and seafood dishes, among many others.
And with some of his wife’s signature menu items being passed around, Nicklaus was asked if he remembered the first meal Barbara ever cooked for him.
“When we first got married, I liked casseroles,” Nicklaus said. “Barbara would experiment and she’d just put something together, and we’d come home and [give it a thumbs up or thumbs down]. Well, a lot of those recipes are probably in here, because she experimented 50 years ago with those.”
When it came to turning that menu into a potential franchise, Nicklaus was an advocate of keeping his wife’s signature food as close to the real thing as possible.
“I mean, if you’re gonna use Barbara’s recipes, use Barbara’s recipes,” he said. “Chefs are chefs, and chefs are gonna always add a little bit to what they do.”