The Cove

On Thursday, April 19th, the group met at the boat ramp on Rt. 44 and took a short run up the road to The Cove Restaurant and Pub on the banks of Lake Henderson. Well, at least there used to be water there....... with the drought we're experiencing the water is down about 5 feet and now the canal looks like a road.
We had a nice turnout and some really good food thanks to the great folks at the Cove. The wait staff made a point to go out and check out all the shiny Corvettes and thanked us for jazzin' up their parking lot. Below the photos are a couple of interesting articles about the Cove from the archives of the SP Times.

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Fire guts a dining landmark

[Times photo: Susanne Tobin]
One of the first firefighters on the scene battles the blaze from the south side of the Cove Pub and Restaurant early Thursday morning.

INVERNESS -- The Cove Pub and Restaurant, an Inverness landmark known for its colorful clientele, hubcap-size hamburgers and fiery chicken wings, was consumed by flames in an early morning blaze Thursday that took firefighters more than five hours to extinguish.

[Times photo: Steve Hasel]
Investigators sift through the ruins in the kitchen area of the restaurant on Thursday morning, a few hours after a fire destroyed the popular restaurant.

Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the fire, which one official said apparently started in the kitchen. Part of the investigation will focus on a 911 call earlier in the evening reporting someone burning napkins in a possible attempt to set fire to the restaurant, said Charles Poliseno, the county's director of public safety.

A task force from the State Fire Marshal's Office, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating. A dog trained to detect fire accelerants commonly used by arsonists sniffed through the embers Thursday, but Lt. Gloria Perrotti of the Fire Marshal's Office said she couldn't release details of the search.

For many in the community, including firefighters and deputies who fought the fire, the loss of the popular pub off State Road 44 E was a shock. "This place was an icon," said Mike Schlaudraff, Citrus County Fire Services Director. "It's a sad day."

Robin Warrington, the general manager of the Cove, was awakened from her nearby residence to the sight of 20-foot flames leaping into the air, destroying the place where she had worked for more than 15 years.

"I can't believe anything is left standing as bad as the fire was," Warrington said Thursday, shaking her head.

The restaurant had closed at 10:30 Wednesday night, and the first alarm sounded at 12:15 a.m. Firefighters from four districts battled the flames for hours. At its height, 26 people, seven engines and five tankers fought the fire. The last crew left at 5:35 a.m., Schlaudraff said.

There were no injuries and none of the outlying cabins at the campground were damaged.

Poliseno said a 911 call about 5:30 p.m. indicated someone may have been trying to start a fire at the Cove, but deputies who responded didn't find any fire.

Warrington said the allure of the 21-year-old restaurant was its blend of people: professionals, blue-collar workers, tourists and families. Also, most members of the staff had worked at the Cove for many years, a rarity in the restaurant business.

"We just got a good blend of everyone," she said. "This place meant a lot to a lot of people."

Kay Bell, the Cove's original owner, built the restaurant in 1980. She said she loved seeing the diverse personalities that flocked to the restaurant for burgers and chicken wings.

"It was a smorgasbord of people," she said. "You would often have a judge, doctor or lawyer sitting next to a construction worker.

"It was nice seeing the restaurant grow and change with the people over the years," she said. "But I'm a little heartbroken. I was going to drive out there, but I just can't do it right now."

Above all, the Cove was known for its chicken wings. Tuesday and Thursday nights were "All You Can Eat" nights, and the early days featured chicken-wing eating contests. Even after chicken wings became a staple at restaurants, the Cove was known as the place to go for hot wings and cold beer.

"I believe I introduced chicken wings to Citrus County," Bell said. "I can't remember anyone else here having them before me, and when they caught on big, a television news crew from Tampa came out here to do a story on us being one of the first in the whole region to have them."

"It was built mainly by a bunch of kayakers who were here, training for the Olympics," she said. Over the years, when the water levels were up, customers could motor to the Cove through the backwaters of the Tsala Apopka lake chain.

The Cove came into being a piece at a time. "We built that first building and just kept adding on," Bell said.

The owners and patrons were always proud of its slapped-together design, even if it meant that going to the restrooms involved leaving the restaurant through a rear door and entering another building. Subsequent renovations added a front veranda and several other rooms.

The down-home decor added to the charm, which endeared the Cove to the public over the past two decades.

Cove staff poked through the smoky ashes and managed to retrieve two small bells that were used to signal servers that a meal was ready. The booths, bar and just about everything else were reduced to charred rubble.

"We're going to rebuild," Warrington said, relaying a message from Wells, who was in Tallahassee. "It may not have the same charm as the original, but we're definitely going to come back."

Regulars lift a glass to old pub

[Times photo: Ron Thompson]
Owner Casey Wells, left, holds his glass as Warren Robinson and Cathryn Criscitiello keep him company at a Cove picnic table.

INVERNESS -- The loyal customers of the Cove Pub and Restaurant are not letting a little thing like a burned-out restaurant stop them from getting together.

Even if they can't enjoy the Cove's wings and belly-busting hamburgers, the laid-back attitude of the restaurant still lures plenty of regulars.

The Cove, which hasn't officially reopened since a fire destroyed it in June, still has daily happy hours from 4 to 6 p.m.

As work crews erect a metal building for a new restaurant, many Cove regulars bring coolers full of beer and soda and sit on picnic tables beneath the oaks.

There, they recreate the casual atmosphere which made the Cove a favorite for many locals.

The Cove enjoys a degree of customer loyalty unlike any other diner. Many restaurants would consider themselves successful if they had long waiting lines on busy nights.

But, how can that possibly even compare to having a steady flow of customers at a restaurant that doesn't even technically exist and sells no food?

"Hey, you think we'd be doing this if Applebee's burned down?" said Liz Chadwell, a Cove regular who attends the informal happy hours.

On Friday night, a small group of people relaxed under the oaks, tipping a few brews and basically doing the same things they did when the Cove was open.

"We just sit around here and solve all the world's problems," said Robin Warrington, the restaurant's manager.

Even though the Cove doesn't provide any food for customers, Warrington and other staffers regularly fire up the outdoor grills. When construction workers completed the cement slab, they were rewarded with a cookout.

Sometimes, other customers will bring over some meat for the grill to share with others.

Among the happy hour crowd Friday evening were Bill and Jackie Morris, who have been regulars since 1994.

"We never knew we'd miss it so much," Bill Morris said. "It isn't just about the food; there's just something about this place that makes it special."

In addition to the people who sat at the picnic tables Friday, a steady stream of vehicles turned into the driveway.

Many times, an occupant would dart out to exchange greetings and ask about the progress.

"Hey, I've been coming here since the day after it burned down," said Jim Curran.

Fire guts a dining landmark

The Cove Pub and Restaurant, which popularized hot wings, is ruined by a fire that probably began in the kitchen. The owner vows to rebuild.

Regulars lift a glass to old pub

While workers build a new Cove Pub and Restaurant, loyal customers still show up evenings with beer in their coolers.