Savannah ~ A Maid Marian Migration, Part One

Savannah. One of my favorite places on earth. I traveled to Savannah this week for a business meeting. I'm planning a conference that will take place there this March. As part of my duties, I am to recommend some local points of interest to the conference attendees. Savannah is one of the jewels of the South. She is a tantalizing city full of mystery, beauty and some of the best food in the world.

I'm a foodie so much of my travels are around food. Blame my mother, who worked as a personal chef in Manhattan, for making me a food snob. I'm the go-to girl for several friends when they need a recommendation for a great place to eat. That's how I came to be the one on the planning committee to come up with a list of restaurants for networking dinners. Savannah has hundreds of restaurants, several of which are outstanding. How do you choose which ones would be the best to showcase to visitors?




Paula Deen and her restaurant The Lady and Sons is synonymous with Savannah. It is one of the most popular, if not THE most popular restaurant (at least with tourists), in Savannah. I have dined there several times and have had to wait an eternity to get in every single time. Tonight, I was seated immediately without a wait. Amazing! That's the beauty of going to a destination during the off-peak season, during the week and not with a large group.

I typically get the buffet which is a wonderful smattering of Southern country staples such as fried chicken, butter beans, creamed potatoes and mac n' cheese. Tonight, I wasn't in the mood for a heavy meal so I opted for the tilapia with crab butter, roasted asparagus and mushrooms and jasmine rice. It is a Paula's Pick on the dinner menu. It was delicious...filling but not overly filling. A wonderful medley of flavors. Yum-e!

All meals are served with a garlic cheese biscuit and a hoecake. For those of you not familiar, hoecakes are like pancakes except that they are made from cornmeal. They are best served with syrup preferably cane syrup. My grandmother Florrie used to make them. The closest I have found in taste to Grandmama's hoecakes are the ones at The Lady and Sons. I got a hoecake to go. God bless you, Paula Deen!

For those in the mood for seafood, Uncle Bubba's Oyster House has become a recent favorite of mine. The restaurant is a sister restaurant of The Lady & Sons and is named after Paula Deen's brother. Uncle Bubba's has great marsh views to enjoy while dining. Try the grilled oysters as an appetizer. Yum-e! The hint of Parmesan cheese makes them out-of-this-world.



Life is short...eat cupcakes first. For those of you with a sweet tooth, head down to Back in the Day Bakery on Bull Street. This quaint, vintage-decorated bakery is run by Cheryl, a delightful woman who asks it if you "enjoyed your treat" after you have finished one of her delectable confection. I had a red velvet cupcake that was DIVINE. I happened upon Cheryl's bakery by reading Jennifer Hayslip's blog, Sweet Eye Candy Creations. What a great tip! I picked up a sample of cupcakes and cookies to go. I got a carrot cake cupcake, an old-fashioned cupcake with pink icing, a couple of lavender shortbread cookies and some Mexican hot chocolate cookies. Where do I begin? All of them were exquisite. You will have to sample them yourself. Words are not enough. I will be visiting this bakery again. And again. And again.

Here are some of my favorite restaurants in Savannah:

• Garibaldi's Cafe ~ try their crispy flounder. It's the restaurant's specialty and a personal favorite.


• The Crab Shack ~ though it is technically on Tybee Island, this is "where the elite eat in their bare feet."


• Leopold's Ice Cream Shoppe ~ the place for ice cream in Savannah since 1919.


• The Chart House ~ a chain restaurant but wonderful view of the river especially at sunset.

These are some of my recommendations. I always like to try out new restaurants on my travels and need a few suggestions for my return trip in March. Do you have any favorite haunts in Savannah? I would love to hear about them.

I have another post about my favorite shopping spots in Savannah. Stay tuned.