I Love Savannah, G.A.!!

My Trip To Savannah

I promised many people I would provide some tour guide like details describing my wonderful trip to Savannah, G.A. I want to start off by saying that this city has a beautiful southern charm to it. From the buildings and history to the southern hospitality, restaurants, shops, bars and pubs. All the places that we visited had a certain charming appeal that can only be found here in the south. I’m Thankful that I had the opportunity to spend a lovely time in such a welcoming city!

Ok, so here it goes….How To Do Savannah!!!!

1. Bring your pallet, you’ll be needing it!…a lot!

2. Bring some optimism and adventurous spirit mixed with a bit of curiosity.

3. Bring lots of cash….most places don’t accept your plastic money or checkbooks….CASH people!

4. Love wine and beer….this city certainly does…and will expect that you do too!

5. Take time to enjoy the open container law…it’s f*%&ing righteous!!

6. Bring your walking shoes….your not going to get anywhere fantastic in a car…all the good places are in alleyways, lanes and street corners where parking is not available.

7. Take a tour, whether it’s a food tour, martini tour, or trolley tour! The maps may tell you where things are, but the people living there are much more informative…and the trolley takes you to all the good spots!

8. Bring a love for music, as you’ll find blues/jazz almost everywhere you go!

Ah, The Glorious Days…..

Day One:

We arrive in the city, only to be dazzled by period buildings, sidewalk shops, the smell of pizza, french fries, beer, ketchup, chocolate, ice cream and freshly lit cigarettes. We park the car in a garage about 5 minutes walking distance from the hotel (the parking at the hotel was ridiculously priced to avoid!). I had other reasons for picking this hotel; not only because it’s a Hilton, but due to it’s location. It’s located perfectly left of center to all the shops, pubs, wine bars, pizza parlors and foodie lovers restaurants. We walk to the hotel and check in, dropping our bags inside and scurrying for the streets.. The smells had to be coming from the City Market!

Vinnie Van Go Go’s

As soon as we breeze in to the city market, the perfume of food is making the decision quite clear for us, it’s time for pizza, and so we wait. During the afternoons here, it’s quite busy. The wait for 2 people was about 20 minutes, and well worth the wait in the end. I would have waited an hour if need be for the flavors my taste buds were graciously gifted! While waiting in line, the sounds from the hostess bellowing out the names of those also waiting were an interesting addition to the already chatter ridden streets. It makes for desirable ambiance, I think. Once finally seated after our name was chimed across the way, we sat at a small table outside and were immediately greeted by a nice young lady in khaki shorts, tennis shoes and a green t-shirt, there is no uniform here, only great food and, from what I read on the menu, some cheap beer. We ordered tea and water to compliment our left over fourth of july hangover, and waited patiently for our large cheese pie. As we sipped our drinks, waiting for the pizza we are now drooling for, we watch through the window to the prep table as a talented young man flips around pizza dough, creating each table’s individual and perfect selection of cheesy, saucy, doughy goodness. The pizza was perfect, exactly what our hungry stomachs needed. I think I will dare to say it is the second best pizza I have ever had, my first being from a small shop in New York City. New York pizza is hard to beat, but Vinnie Van Go Go’s comes as a very fine second!

Where’s The RiverFront, And A Little Frozen Yogurt

So, It’s hot, not sticky hot like Florida, but very hot, none the less. We finished our pizza and headed again for the streets. Looking for the Riverside that everyone so ardently tells me I must find and frolic in. Still feeling the heat and some of the hangover as well, we walk down one of the steepest, pebble and cobblestone street inclines I’ve seen thus far in my life. Need I mention, for those of you who have not yet done so, hangovers and steep inclines mixed with slippery shoes equals DANGER! We walked down carefully, hand in hand, and arrived smiling at a beautiful sight: 2 touring riverboats, a water taxi, and lots of riverfront! The water glistened as the sun slipped under the horizon, leaving the city post lights to lead the way through a riverfront wonderland of more shops, eateries, sit down restaurants, pubs and bars. The smells that we experienced in the City Market were back again, this time teaming with seafood and beer as the dominant scents. As we walked the stretch of it, which seemed to go on endlessly, we were surrounded by smiling, wide eyed adventurers such as ourselves. All the people were stopping every 15 seconds or so, to read a sign or look inside a glass pane ensuring that nothing is missed at all.  At the end of one of the long stretches of sidewalk is a creamery, or frozen yogurt shop if you will. I inhaled the cool creamy air within and unconsciously followed the scent. Staring beyond the glass covers into the heavenly frozen dreams that summoned me here in the first place. As I read all the flavors, I realize I cannot have them all, even though orange creamsicle dream, strawberry cheesecake, lemon meringue pie, chocolate fudge brownie, and many other flavors were calling to me. I made my selection; birthday cake is a favorite of mine anywhere I go. Creamy sweet goodness of cake batter mixed with blue sprinkles and pink sugary icing! It was better than expected with all the heat lingering around outside. Thanks to Olympia Frozen Yogurt my palette was satisfied! We walked over to the benches right in front of the river and ate our creamy frozen treat and enjoyed the sounds of a local man singing his blues, while in the distance a saxophone played as riverfront walkers stumbled out of bars and crossed the streets talking. I was at peace with my ice cream, the riverfront, savannah, and the world.

Day Two:

We woke up early on the second day. Falling out of our high-top matressed king size boat bed and jetting into and out of the shower in rapid fashion. Once ready for the day, and myself decked out with makeup and comfortable attire, we scrambled to the car. We made it right on time for the bus to arrive.

The Tour of A Lifetime

We were off on our tour, the best kind of tour one can take; a foody tour. This tour was fantastic. Our tour guide was slightly eccentric, which made it all the more enjoyable if it weren’t for some of the snooty people who can’t find eccentrics entertaining like I do. For those of you who don’t know, I’ve worked most of my life in the Food business. And if nothing else about the food business, you must know this; Food & Beverage people are all a little if not entirely crazy, you have to be to work in this business. If your not, you will never make it!

Our first stop was to the Distillery. And with a slogan like “No Crap, Just Craft” how can you go wrong, right?! And you can’t go wrong with this place. You won’t find beers like bud light, corona, amstel and other such rubbish. You will find however, McSorely’s, Dogfish, Sam Adams, Bells, and other local beers that are sure to please your beer tongue. I had the Ace Pear Cider and it was scrumpscious!  We also had a sampling of some of the food, which is all infused with beer, every last morsel! I had a beer hamburger slider, with a beer infused remoulade, beer fries (which I graciously dipped into the remoulade) and a garlic pickle. This dish, although visually simple, was orally complex. The flavors in the remoulade went good with everything on the plate, even the pickle!

http://www.distillerysavannah.com/

The second stop we made was to a local pastry shop and bakery. It was very French, very calming, and very yummy! Harris Baking Company is a delicate blend of puff pastry, friendly and knowledgeable staff, freshly baked smells, glistening and sensual lemonade and coffee mixed in with a hearty yet inexpensive lunch spot. Everything is priced to sell and sell it does! During our 7 minute visit, there were dozens of people coming in. Some for the lunch menu, others for a loaf of freshly baked olive bread or perhaps a pecan chocolate chewie, almond macaroon, or a fresh mixed berry cheesecake. All equally delicate, decadent and well worth the money spent. If you find yourself in savannah and you’re craving a fluffy baked treat, COME HERE, you won’t regret it! As Sam, the owner says himself, “The art is in the quality.”

http://www.harrisbakingco.com/

Third on the agenda, we visited a local produce market. Polk’s has been in the business of selling produce and georgia’s goodies for over 15 years. Not only can you find fresh blueberries, peaches, strawberries, okra, tomatoes and other locally grown farm fancies here, you can also chow down on local grub made from the fresh fruits and veggies that you see when you first walk in! While I was there I bought two juicy, drip down your chin peaches for the price of a dollar. Yet again, well worth the price. It seems to be a commonality as I explore Savannah’s charm, it’s all good for your pocket too! If your lucky enough to be here on a Saturday, Polk’s Fresh Market holds a Bazaar where you can find specialty foods, local arts and crafts, as well as handmade and vintage jewelry. When I re-visit Savannah, I will be back……on a Saturday!

http://polksfreshmarket.com/

The next stop made Sonny’s and Bono’s bbq look like a laugh in a school hallway. Both are way too common and busy for my liking. This BBQ was phenomenal! Angels’ BBQ, or a “little taste of heaven that’s been through hell” is my kind of BBQ joint! Let me give you the pre-text before I tell you more about this quaint “heavenly hell.”  Savannah, being one of the last of the 15 states to join up, still holds onto the idea of alleyways, which are referred to as “lanes.”  Located on Oglethorpe Lane ( a tiny alleyway really), is a small shack of a place, with a bottom story, where the bbq is cooked and served, and a top story, where the owners and there cute and cuddly cats live. As you enter the bottom floor through the tiny front door, don’t be alarmed, just make yourself cozy in this 2 table joint. Don’t be fooled by the small size of the Trice’s eatery, the tastes that follow are HUGE! Don’t be a wussy when you order your BBQ either, try all the sauces…some of them will burn your brain right out of your head, if your into that sort of thing. There pulled pork BBQ sandwich is the best damn BBQ pork I’ve EVER HAD! If you leave without trying the greens with peanuts, you’re going to regret missing the interesting concoction of juicy green flavor!

http://www.angels-bbq.com/

For our next local visit, we discovered the delicate chocolate wonders present at the Wright Square Café and Chocolatier. I have to say, firstly, that the smell of chocolate wafting in the air vacuumed me inside of this sweet little shop and café. When you walk inside, you are welcomed by a staff that treats you as old friends. Moving towards the center, we got eye glued to the glass display case full of high end chocolates made by the young man who attended the CIA to learn how to create these elegant and tasty confections. Try the bacon ganache or the chocolate covered pretzels, they are to die for. As for the café side, it’s elegantly eclectic decorations, cool copper and light brown hues, wooden tables mixed with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and daily made pasta salad or a generous piece of red velvet cake is comforting enough to have you sitting here happily for hours.

“Bee Well” is the pitch for the next stop on the list. We were in for a real treat, which also aided in the digestion of our previous flavorful eats. Welcome to Savannah Bee Company, where inside you will find a delicious variety of honey’s including Tupleo, Sourwood, Acacia, Orange Blossom and Raw Honey. As we all stood in line, one after another, tasting the honey’s in this order, we went on a flavored rollercoaster ride of Sweet, Sour, Tangy, Fruity, and Delicate. At the end of the tasting, you were given a bit of sweet honeycomb, on a sliver of juicy granny smith apple topped with a glob of salty manchego cheese. It was a perfectly blended snack after such a sweet variety of honey. The staff was not only charming, but very knowledgeable as well. Guiding us through the shop informing us on the many benefits of honey in it’s natural and refined states. Some of the neat ways to enjoy this honey are natural skin care, bbq sauce enhancement, lip gloss and chapstick, tea sweetener and flavorful afternoon snacks. This place gives you the ability to Bee Natural and Bee Sweet at the same time!!

http://www.savannahbee.com/

Our final stop on the guided tour was to the Lady and Sons. I will say this about Paula Deen, she is a great cook. The food here was very tasty, and the staff was southern style friendly, however, in conjunction with the many reviews I’ve read from previous patrons of this place; it’s jam packed with people at all times, it’s best to make reservations, and be ok with a buffet style restaurant like that of the golden corral or sizzlers. I will confess that I have a bit of hostility when it comes to buffets, mainly because I dislike intensely being crowded next to people who are shoving me forward while I attempt to make well thought out decisions as to what my plate will entail, due to the obvious personal notion that I will not return to the line again. I have two issues with buffets: Closter phobia and the inability to fit more than about 2 cups of food in my gut at one time. I’M SORRY….deal with it! Therefore, due to my own personal issues, I will not return to the Lady and Sons. Seriously though, if you like collared greens, fried okra, baked spaghetti, country style baked macaroni and cheese, green beans, red beans and rice, fried and grilled chicken and other tasty morsels from a southern woman’s kitchen, I urge you to go, the food is lovely!

http://www.ladyandsons.com/

At the end of the tour, we were fat, full and fascinated by all the amazing places that we managed to visit, all in the course of 2 and a half hours,  and while in the presence of a cheery tour guide who really cared about her job in an honest to god way. I’m very thankful that we had the opportunity, while in Savannah, and the money, to go on this awesome adventure. I urge you to use this service, if you are in the area, you won’t regret it!

http://www.savannahmovietours.net/

!!!!! AMAZING !!!!!

We returned to the hotel, in need of a revitalizing nap. Once we woke up, we changed into some more presentable clothing and decided to do it up, jazz infused style. I dressed up sexy in my “hey there girl” outfit and he put on his “helloo there” clothes and we hit the streets, hard! We headed to the only place you should go if you want great music, local and tasty food (well presented I might add) with a bottle of the best wine served with a twist of Great service. Jazzed is “The Ultimate Night Out”. Located under the streets, this beautiful and sexy/sheik decorated restaurant/bar is the place to be, no matter what night it is. It’s dimly lit atmosphere is the perfect place to have a romantic date or if your single, to be on the prowl for your next victim. The sultry blues/jazz music is the way to go while you’re immersing yourself into the paintings on the wall with subtle music notes, yellow and orange hues, or two bodies dancing cheek to cheek inside a slick black frame. We ordered the “Tapas for Two.” He picked the Five Onion Soup, flavorful and robust, served with a cheese crusted top and a freshly baked sliver of juicy dunked in soup bread, while I enjoyed the fresh and flavorful balsamic and pesto glazed Caprese Salad with juicy tomatoes and fresh water mozzarella for starters. For the main tapas we enjoyed the Baked Cheese Terra Cotta Plate with three creamy delicious chesses, succulent grapes, roasted garlic, and rosemary baked flatbread, the Coconut battered fried shrimp with a tangy mango-citrus marmalade, the Calamari flash fried and served over butter sautéed julienne jalapeños and sweet banana peppers, served with a spicy marinara, and the baked Lasagna made with spinach, mozzarella, mushrooms, goat cheese topped with beef and provolone cheese all while sipping glasses from our selected bottle of pinot noir. To finish it off on a sweet note, I had the Grand Marnier Crème Brule and he enjoyed the flourless chocolate cake with a swirl of freshly made whipped cream.

http://www.jazzdsavannah.com/

All I have to say is, we came, we saw, we ate, we fell in love, we went to the hotel and fell asleep!

Day 3:

The next day we slept in, enjoying the comfort of our oversized bed, designed for much more than a king, you could fit four fat ass kings on this bed and still have room for two of his wives, or one fat mistress!!!

After we woke up, we again got dressed, upscale casual I suppose, and went out in search of flavor and fun. We had lunch at the most wonderful Parisian café. It was quaint and quiet, and everything a café should be. All the food was available to eat “here” or also easily made to go. Papillote (meaning served in a wrapped piece of paper to whisk away, very fitting) is a great way to get lost in the delicate and divine aspects of French food. I had the potato leek soup, which although green, was very creamy, flavorful and pleasant to the palette. For a sandwich, I chose the open faced and beautifully designed Le Parisien with Ham, Swiss cheese, brie and paper-thin slices of apple with a touch of honey-mustard on a slice of crunchy ciabatta bread. It was a sweet, spicy, chewy bit of heaven and I loved every moment of it. The macaroons, priced at a steep 1.85 a piece were creamy and crunchy (3 different flavors available), are a much better deal when you buy 5, they cost less a piece. I LOVE this place!!

http://www.papillote-savannah.com/

*~Let’s Get Lost~*

Immediately after our Parisian experience, we goofed around, looking through shop windows, passing street corners with acoustic guitar players, blues singers, saxophone-ists and local residents out on the town. As it continued to get darker and darker, the sun hiding and the moon coming out to play, we decided to head down a small street, where we got lost in the sounds of drunken joy, coming from a small wine bar, tucked in between quiet, closed painting shops and health/beauty stores. Bacchus One was romantically lit, wood grain decorated and just the kind of place we had hoped to find. If only there was a wine bar like this in Jacksonville. There were beautiful couples dressed nicely sitting at high top tables and casually chatting friends up at the bar socializing while enjoying the grand selection of wines, smoking cigarettes, and watching others pass, some sneaking in to this lavish and lime-lit joint. We spent a few dreamy hours, sipping wine, smoking stogies and talking about everything and nothing at the same time, Enjoying the occasional people watching, mingled with the smell of sulfur as we light another match, for another smoke, for another sip of delicious wine. After being fantastically buzzed beyond return, we decided to find somewhere to grab a bite to eat, filling our stomach with greasy and tasty pizza from Allyannas Pizzeria before we went for a 5 minute walk, leading us back to the riverfront.

A Room With A Vu

Vu Lounge was easy to find, located at the top of the Hyatt hotel, a great view of the River and all the passersby on the cobblestone laden paths to get to it. The Guinness was cold, on tap and moderately priced at 5.50 a glass. I had 2, snapping buzzy pictures of this city river front that I knew I was going to miss come tomorrow. We watched on the television as some child star got sentenced to jail time, while listening to the up beat tunes from the All American Rejects, Good Charlotte, and Imogen Heap playing softly on the speakers above us. The night was beautiful; the smell of salt water and fried food filled the air as we both sat in the iron lounge chairs enjoying it all for the last night. Both of us dreading the 2am last call that came too soon, and the return to the hotel that seemed to brisk despite our best efforts to walk so ghostly slow.

Day 4

We woke up early although already pre-packed from the night before. We showered and then took advantage of our included breakfast buffet just as we had the past 2 mornings. Trust me when I say the breakfast at the doubletree buffet is NOTHING to write home about, therefore I won’t. What I will tell you is, the staff at the hotel was very friendly, informative, and I love their cookies. If you do decide to stay in Savannah, I will not say it’s the best hotel there, but it’s a great location, and don’t valet park because there are parking garages and lots right behind the hotel that will charge you as low as $15.00 less than you would pay there….it’s worth the walk people, you need the exercise anyway to warm you up for all the walking you should be doing during your stay in the historic district and burning off the oodles of calories you’ll be dreading to count afterwards!.

In closing, I love Savannah, I will be back, it’s charming, full of eclectic variety and flavor, cool music and jazzy street life. The trip moved me, in a way I’m usually not moved. I’m calm, relaxed and happy. The sights, sounds, smell and soul will stay with me forever or at least until I return for another dose. I hope you can use my story as a guide, a tried and true description of some AMAZING places to visit while you’re in this joyous city. I’m not saying you have to go everywhere I did; however, I think if you don’t, you’re a fool. Dear Savannah, I love you, miss you, and will return to you as soon as I can. Until then, Stay Perfect, Stay Charming, Stay You!

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