Exploring the Food Scene in Savannah, GA-Part 1
Exploring the food scene in Savannah, Georgia Photo: The Collins Quarter
AUTHOR: ARTSY CHOW ROAMER
Dining Out
EXPLORING THE FOOD SCENE IN SAVANNAH, GA-Part 1
There are many wonderful Southern cities to visit but not all offer the number of excellent restaurants and gourmet food of Savannah, Georgia. There you won’t just find the usual run of favorites such as fried chicken, collard greens, cornbread and grits but contemporary riffs on such, seafood, barbeque and more.
We hadn’t visited in awhile but a recent reread of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil made me decide that a road trip was in order. For those who don’t know, John Berendt’s non-fiction Southern Gothic best seller of 1994, followed the murder trial of a local antiques dealer in Savannah who was accused of murdering a male prostitute. Clint Eastwood adapted it in 1997 for his famous movie of the same title.
Watch the trailer from this classic Southern movie to get you in the mood
In this listicle post we are going to concentrate on a few newer restaurants to open in this famous city along with some classics that remain crowded and difficult to get a reservation for to this day. All have great chefs putting super food on their customer’s tables every day. BTW, there will be a part 2 for even more so be on the lookout for it! Ready? Let’s eat!
Innovative food in a casual atmosphere at Collins Quarter Photo: Courtesy of Collins Quarter
THE COLLINS QUARTER
Once we checked into our hotel we drove around to the area of Bull Street which looked great for taking a walk about. Let me just say parking in the area can be a challenge so you might like to take the trolley cars. It was a beautiful day with perfect weather for sitting outside while the pandemic was still in it’s outdoor patio stage.
The Collins Quarter came into view with just such a patio and we decided to check out what the locals call their main hang for brunch. Styled after Melbourne’s historic Collins Street, this casual cafe offers innovative food with specialty coffees and a relaxed vibe.
It isn’t a big place so it was crowded with a line forming outside to get in. Grab yourself a pretty great Bloody Mary or Espresso Martini while you study the menu. You might want to try one of the classics such as Eggs Benedict, Gravy and Biscuits or Upstream Supreme which is everything you could possibly want on a bagel.
Or you might be the kind that likes to shake things up. If so, the Bananas Foster French Toast, Short Rib Hash or Bubble N Squeak just fit the bill. You say you like to get your fruits and veggies in for the day? Try the Avocado Smash or Coconut Chia Pudding.
They also offer a great burger, chicken sandwich and BLT after 11. Most of the offerings won’t run you more than a range of $11-16 which is affordable pricing for the city. I can highly recommend this local favorite-don’t miss it. And BTW, they also have a second location on Drayton in Forsyth Park.
COTTON & RYE
Located on Thomas Square, Cotton & Rye bills itself as a new American restaurant “fusing modern techniques with traditional arts” like sausage making, bread baking and meat grinding. I immediately liked the contemporary interior design that felt chic in a modern farmhouse kind of way.
There were lots of spots to enjoy your dining experience; seats at the bar, in several different dining rooms, a covered patio and outdoor space as well. Since we were the earliest diners we opted for an indoor two top by a window with a view.
The menus at Cotton & Rye; casual farmhouse chic dining
First we checked out their wine menu and ordered a couple of glasses; a Chardonnay for my husband and a Zinfandel for me. They were both delightful and worked well with the homemade breads and butter that were brought to our table for noshing while deciding what’s for dinner.
The menus change depending on the availability of ingredients and the season. We decided to share a Nicoise Tuna Tartare starter plate. Being so close to the water the seafood offerings are fresh and plentiful around the city.
It was delicious with a soft sweet tanginess that was contrasted nicely by some crispy veggies and crackers with different kinds of seeds. Right now they offer shrimp and grits, sweet potato carpaccio, chicken wings and chicken with dumplings on their starter menu running from $14-22.
Next up was a Mushroom Bourguignon-a riff on the beef dish which was very hearty and delicious involving veg like portabello mushrooms, carrots and onions in a dark lovely sauce. The large juicy mushroom tops were a perfect substitute for the meat. I’m quite sure the vegetarians in your party would be happy with the dish.
I love a good pasta and since they make their own I opted for a Pork Ragu. This was also a riff on the more traditional styling of this dish in that the sauce was more like a soup and the meat was in chunks instead of shredded. This one while entirely delicious was not as successful.
What was billed as tagliatelle was more like pappardelle which wants a sauce that clings to it and this simply couldn’t provide that element. While delicious, the pasta was well made, it just wasn’t the choice for the styling of the dish as the chef presented it. I might have preferred the Beef Tenderloin Tagliatelle the chef has on the menu now or the Pork Osso Bucco.
BELFORD’S SEAFOOD & STEAK
City Market is a great spot for a day of exploring, eating and shopping. You’ll find lots of stores with fun fashion for both men and women. Everyone can use a stylish straw hat to protect from the sun and heat during the day amma right?
You can also grab some drinks, fresh seafood and a gosh darn good piece of meat at Belford’s while there. It’s one of those been there forever type of restaurants that remind you of spots in New Orleans. The place has just got that kind of vibe and even at lunch there were some serious meat eaters chowing down.
Having said that we were trying to eat light and save room for an early dinner. After looking over classic choices like shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, oysters rockefeller and crispy calamari we opted for the fried goat cheese arugula salad and added fresh shrimp to it.
The cheese was salty, tasty and fried perfectly for texture with the pepper of the arugula sweetened with strawberries and the fresh shrimp. With their house dressing it was the perfect choice for a light summery meal.
For those big eaters in your family the steak sandwich, surf & turf tacos or shrimp po’boy might be the better way to go. They also served a really nice steak & eggs with a 5 ounce filet mignon, fish and chips and a crab benedict.
This spot is an old standard for Savannah. Don’t forget to stop in when in City Market. Tell ‘em I sent ya and have a Bloody Mary while you’re there too!
What’s brunch without a good spicy Bloody Mary?
THE OLDE PINK HOUSE
If you want something a little dressier with a romantic ambiance for your date night I would suggest a reservation at The Olde Pink House on Abercorn. It is another standard in Savannah that is always count- onable to deliver a fine Southern meal.
While they have a lovely small outdoor patio we chose to sit fireside for our dinner and ordered drinks. Since it was date night we decided to share a platter of blackened oysters on the half shell with watermelon relish, pear & apricot chutney and green tomato chow chow.
Now it just doesn’t get much more Southern and we were not disappointed. This dish is absolutely spot on with the added flavor of the sweet cooked oysters it is a symphony of perfect flavors gathered into one shell. Other starters you might enjoy are the goat cheese stuffed fritters, pan seared jumbo lump crab cakes or the pulled pork sliders. Apps run from around $10-26.
We moved on to the chef’s fried chicken served with mac n cheese and collard greens. I just don’t even try to do fried chicken at home anymore because it is never going to be as good. The collard greens in any Southern restaurant worth it’s reputation are simply the stuff made in heaven. There should be a little brown sweetness to balance the earthiness, a little onion, chicken stock and some red pepper flakes for added heat.
You put that with mac made with real velvety smooth sharp cheddar cheese and a biscuit - that is some fine eating. If chicken is not your thing they have a variety of seafood offerings including flounder, tilapia, salmon, scallops and shrimp. A beautiful filet with demi glace and twice baked potato should please any meat eater in your group. Entrees will run you around $19-50.
This restaurant never disappoints and it is huge so they are able to spread their tables out to make pandemic indoor eating more comfortable. Put it on your list.
Outdoor patio is the perfect spot for drinks and dinner at The Olde Pink House
CONCLUSION
Savannah is one of the best cities to go exploring in. There is a mysteriousness to it at night. It is Southern Gothic at it’s best. The architecture is lovely and the old trees with Spanish Moss hanging on their wide limbs elicits fond memories from my childhood vacations.
Try out the restaurants here and eat some fabulous food. Don’t miss part 2 in this series that will give you some more choices from our days eating around this pretty city with a gourmet food scene.
If you liked what you read, you might like other posts under Explore the World and Edible Fare. Hey, don’t be a stranger! Have you ever visited Savannah? Give me a holla and tell me where you love to eat. Until next time…
Cheers,
ArtsyChowRoamer
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