Savannah rec's

[emilycat]

Hey, all!

I'll be in Savannah this weekend and wondered if any of you might have any suggestions for the best places to eat, don't miss night spots, "must-do's," etc. It's hard to believe that having lived in G.A. all my life, I've never been there, but now that I'm going, I'm so excited! Also, any active stuff you can think of would be perfect -- we're planning on running in the a.m.'s to see the city, but I'd love any other ideas you might have, too. Thanks, guys!

Emily

[This message has been edited by emilycat (edited 01-24-2001).]

[Ralph]

For a not-so-healthy treat, try the Savannah Candy Kitchen on the riverfront. For dinner, the Olde Pink House (I think that's what it's called) was great! Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House serves a great breakfast, but be prepared to wait in line.
Also try http://www.eatinginsavannah.com & http://www.savannahmenu.com/

[Kerri]

I LOVE SAVANNAH! It has taken over San Francisco as my favorite city ever. Have you read "the book"? (That is the Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil. It is a great book, much better than the movie.) I took a book tour and it was so very interesting. I think one of the historical tours would also be neat. The book tour takes you to, um, I think it is called Boneventure Cemetary. I am not sure of the name. But the tour gives you a lot of information about headstones and the symbolism behind them. If you don't take one of these tours, I would at least go to this cemetary. It is so pretty.

[Susann]

Emily-I grew up in Savannah 400 years ago (so I tell my students). I haven't been back since my wedding two years ago, but here are a few tips...

The best place for nightlife is probably Riverstreet. You will find a ton of good restaurants (the Chart House and W.G. Shuckers are two I remember)and a lot of history there. Mrs. Wilkes is a great experience. It is real down-home Southern cooking and you sit at a table and pass the food around. If you do go there, probably count on surpassing your *weekly* calorie intake!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Elizabeth's on 37th is a nationally respected restaurant. When I was in high school, my idea of fine dining was Shoney's at 2:30 in the morning, so I cannot share my own impressions of the restaurant, but it is supposed to be top-notch!

There is also a delicious seafood restaurant on the way to the beach(Tybee Island). I can't for the life of me remember the name of it, though. I will keep you posted! Have fun!

[BethML]

I'm so jealous. I went to Savannah a little over a year ago, stayed at 2 B&Bs/inns in the historical district, and absolutely loved it. My favorite place for dinner was Bistro Savannah, at 309 W. Congress St., in the City Market area. Robert Redford apparently ate there all the time when he was filming "Legend of Bagger Vance".

Every afternoon, we went to the Gryphon Room for tea and cookies or tea and finger sandwiches. It is also in the historic district, a block from the Hyatt at 337 Bull St. Besides the great decor (it used to be an apothecary in a prior life) and the yummy tea & foodstuffs, one of the charms of this
place is that it is run by the Savannah College of Art and Design.

We were forced to miss was Mrs. Wilke's Boarding House, unfortunately, due to the long wait.

[Leslie w]

My mother in law lives in Savannah and we visit her once a year. The Lady and Sons is a great resturant, but the lines can be long. If you have time stop in at one of the shops and pick up The Lady and Sons cookbook. It's not low fat but they have some great recipes in it that I make when I entertain. The Crab Shack, which is off the road to Tybee Island, has a great low country boil. You must visit the squares, Montery Square is where Jim Williams house is, the main character in The Book. Bonaventure Cemetary is beautiful and so is Wormsloe Planation, a historic antebellium house that has a gorgeous long driveway lined with live oaks dripping w/ spanish moss. Makes a beautiful picture! Enjoy

[This message has been edited by Leslie w (edited 01-25-2001).]

[Susann]

Yikes! Emily, it is a good thing you have other people to listen to. Apparently, my suggestions are outdated. Sorry!

[emilycat]

Not to worry, Susann! I love having everyone's input.

I think mostly what hhcowgirl was getting at was that she has developed some very keen insight on my preferences http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif I hate fried food, and to be perfectly honest, do not like traditional southern cooking. I probably should've specified that in my original post, but didn't want to be a brat http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif I guess what I'm seeking is scrumptious seafood and anything that fits, as a friend of mine dubs it, the "yuppie food" bill.

Anyway, though, I have loved reading all of these posts, and can't wait to see it all myself!

Emily

[marys]

If you like crab cakes, I would suggest the Boar's Head Inn. Their crab cakes are incredible!

[hhcowgirl]

Emily--

I livedthere for a summer, so maybe my "research" will be pretty current. You will HATE Mrs. Wilkes', although it is a tourist hot spot. But all the veggies are covered in lard and the entree is fried chicken. Great if you are into that stuff, but I know you aren't.

I second the vote for Elizabeth's on 37th, but if you are not in the mood for a 3-hour affair, other great restaurants are Il Pasticio and The Olde Pink House. There are others, but those stick out.

For nightlife, I would not be that intent on checking out River Street--filled with tourists and very cheesy, IMO. I would go to City Market, to such places as The Bar Bar (yes, two bars) and the Brewing Co.

Also, running through the squares is great fun! See if you can pair up with someone who has done that before. Let me know how your trip goes!

[Abby]

Emily - DH and I went to Savannah last summer as part of our summer vacation, and we had so much fun. I think I probably gained 10 pounds on that trip! We also went to Charleston on that trip. I probably gained as much there!

I second what's been said about the River Street. I didn't like it at all. It is filled with shops that sell a lot of crap, and the one restaurant where we ate reminded me of a Red Lobster - ick!
The Olde Pink House is wonderful, though. You'll probably want to eat downstairs in the pub because the main restaurant is coat and tie, or was last summer. You must try the She Crab Soup with Sherry - not low fat, but worth it! Also, we ate at the Bistro (not sure of the full name, could be the Bistro Savannah as mentioned above), and it was wonderful. You have to have Shrimp and Grits there! This is making me very hungry!

It is also a lot of fun to take a trolley ride so that you can learn the history of the city. Knowing about it all makes the historic district that much more enchanting.
That's all I can think of to add right now. Have fun and don't try to count fat grams while you're there!

After reading Leslie's post, I have to add that our visit to St. Bonaventure Cemetary was a highlight of our trip to Savannah.

[This message has been edited by Abby (edited 01-25-2001).]

[emilycat]

Just wanted to post an update:

Savannah was lovely...we couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather, but it wasn't swarming with visitors like it would be in the Spring.

Anyway, Bistro Savannah was excellent; I had some seared scallops and haricots verts that were just to-die-for.
And we went to a really neat Irish pub that I have managed to forget the name of...I'm not sure if it ever sunk in...

Thanks again, all, for your suggestions!