Eating My Way Through Savannah

Whenever I travel, finding good eats is always top of the list. This is why Savannah is one of my favorite cities to visit. Let's dig right into my most recent visit there when I ate my way through the city. It can be a curse to like both salty and sweet; my waistline will attest to that. The Florence is on Victory Drive just on the border of the historic district. I've tried it twice and had decent meals, but this is not a place that I put on my "must" list whenever I venture into town. Still, we had a great time (it's all about the company you keep!) and enjoyed our beverages and food. Especially the beverages. Another Pimm's Cup, please!



Leopold's Ice Cream is not only on my "must" list, but it's a an every day occurrence. I just cannot get enough of their ice cream. Somebody start an intervention.



Grant and I had to explain to 20-something Shawn what a phone booth was.



When your trainer eats ice cream, you take photos. They come in handy later.



The Gryphon Tea Room is on my once every 3 or 5 years or so list. It's more about experiencing the historic interior than anything else.



Full of rich details, it still has many traces of its former glory as a pharmacy.



The face Grant is making is not because of the food; it's because we were seated near the bathroom. Yes, we got a discount on our bill.



The Grey never disappoints.



Although it is probably the most hip and trendy place in town, the food is not pretentious. Just creative and tasty. I want more of these red pea pancakes.





My mouth is watering. I can't wait to go back.



We were all happy campers that night. Love this place.



What? Ice cream at Leopold's after having dessert at The Grey? Who cares...you only live once. I wanted my Tutti Frutti ice cream, and I'm sure all the walking I did made everything kosher.



Dinner at The Pink House is also part of my ritual.



No complaints from my travel companions on this one, either. It was a great southern meal.



And yes, I get the same thing every time. I don't care if that's boring; why should you? The Fried Pork Chop is just crazy good.



Grant was digging the basement tour, where the Pink House is supposedly haunted.



After dinner it was back to the Grey for a beverage and to visit Scotty, the best bartender/manager.



And then...yup, you guessed it. Leopold's.



Our last meal together in Savannah was at Huey's on the River for brunch. This one made my once every 100 years or so list.



Still hungry? There's more Savannah goodness at my main website.

Savannah: All That Glitters Isn't Fried

When thinking about The South, one often has visions of golden fried chicken...fluffy buttermilk biscuits...collard greens...oh my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Except for the collard greens. Just not my thing. Each time I have gone to Savannah, I save my big "splurge" meal for The Olde Pink House on Reynolds Square, which features the famous BLT Salad with Fried Green Tomatoes.



Even though there are many tasty dishes on the menu, I typically choose the delicious Fried Pork Chop, which practically melts in your mouth while it glides down to harden your arteries. This is why I ran five miles each morning of my trip. I skipped the greens and went for the mac & cheese and bacon buttermilk whipped potatoes as my sides.



There are plenty of restaurants in Savannah that cater to this type of Southern Fried Goodness, but there are also just as many that specialize in farm-to-table deliciousness. Leoci's serves authentic Italian cuisine with Savannah’s best local ingredients.



The tomato soup was a winner; so fresh you could almost taste the vines.



I've had the Bolognese Gnocchi in the past and had to repeat that delicious choice again.



Off Madison Square you'll find the SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design) run Gryphon Tea Room located inside the 1926 Scottish Rite Building.



Much of the decor is restored from the pharmacy that was once at this location.



Beautiful stained glass.



Gorgeously ornate light fixtures.



This clock is a favorite detail of mine.



The watermelon feta salad was flavorful.



The Croque-Monsieur sandwich was tasty, but would have been better if it had been served hot instead of luke-warm; it was the only disappointment of my experience there. The staff, SCAD students, were very friendly and attentive. I especially enjoyed the very tart lemonade...just the way I like it.



One night, the rain was coming down in waves. Fortunately, one of my favorite hidden gems restaurants, The Firefly Cafe in Troup Square, was only a few blocks away from my hotel.



The interior is very stylish, tastefully decorated with local artwork, fresh flowers, and fun light fixtures.



Once more, I tried the tomato soup. Different from Leoci's, it was every bit as good.



The Rosemary Lemon Chicken was fab-tastic. Delicious crispy skin, perfectly seasoned.



I was going to venture elsewhere for dessert, but I found myself tempted by the Lemon Blueberry Custard concoction. Yum, yum...and yum.



Another new fave this trip was The Public, also located on Bull Street.



The sleek and minimal decor gives it a modern feel that isn't necessarily a good fit for Savannah, but I still (very much) enjoyed my meal.



For this photo of the bar, I cropped out the two "ladies" sitting at the end, loudly discussing female troubles while downing quite a few large glasses of wine.



The heirloom tomato salad was a good choice.



The delicious stuffed chicken breast guaranteed I would be back on my next visit.



Two nights, I ate my dessert at Leopold's Ice Cream Parlour.



Mary Leopold, one of the owners, was graciously serving water to hot patrons patiently waiting in a line that wrapped around the building. I finally got inside and was able to enjoy my three scoops of Tutti Frutti ice cream. No trip to Savannah is complete without it.



My mouth is watering, anxiously anticipating my next visit.

See more Savannah, Georgia photos on my Lucas web pages.