I was sitting on the bank of a river in Botswana with Eli, enjoying a Montecristo #2 and watching for hippos and the conversation turns to….. The Grey in Savannah Georgia. Really? Turns out Eli’s home base is Atlanta and even Atlantans hundreds of miles away know of this restaurant, currently ranked as one of the best in the country by Food & Wine Magazine, Travel & Leisure Magazine and a host of others. The exterior façade in no way resembles the amazing cuisine you’ll find inside. And The Grey is one of many.
Turns out, Savannah is a bit of a foodie destination, which fits with its emphasis on tourism. A recent trip to Savannah allowed us to enjoy Common Thread, the sister restaurant to FARM, located in Bluffton, SC where we live. Both are known for exceptional farm to table cuisine. As we walked up to the door a couple implored us to order the chicken. We eat chicken a lot at home and almost never order it out. Jane and I both got chicken – and loved it! Carefully brined and then roasted, this chicken was almost as the couple said “a near life changing experience”. Beautifully decorated in a restored colonial house in downtown, Common Thread is on our list of regular restaurants, as is FARM. It’s a short drive.
Stairwell at Common Thread
Savannah is a historically significant city, equal parts southern charm, history and culture. Founded by James Oglethorpe in 1733, Savannah boasts a good amount of Georgian architecture and beautiful oak trees, such as the 300-year-old Chandler Oak found in Forsyth Park, Savannah’s smaller version of New York City’s Central Park. William Tecumseh Sherman, the Union general known for destroying large swaths of the South, made a Christmas gift of Savannah in his 1865 telegram to President Lincoln, declining to burn it to the ground. It is a beautiful city.
We have stayed in The Bohemian Hotel, right on Bay Street in the heart of the downtown area and more recently at The Thompson in the emerging Port River area, also called the Upper East River. Both very nice properties. On Bay St. you are just steps away from River St shops and river view restaurants – most, unfortunately, a bit touristy. At The Thompson we felt like we were in Greenwich Village or Chelsea in lower Manhattan. Trendy? Perhaps. The area is populated by diverse, younger people and the vibe is unmistakable. The Thompson is pet friendly and the rooms and the rooftop bar The Julian have great views. The Savannah River allows access to the Atlantic Ocean just 18 miles away, and the port authority manages the fourth busiest container port in the country, so those views could just as easily be a tug or container ship as a pleasure boat.
Corner room
Forsyth Park is popular for picnics weather permitting and it is dog central for those like us who are always looking to say hi to everyone else’s puppies. The “hop on, hop off” trolleys do a good job of showing visitors the key spots to see. Savannah was carefully designed in the mid-1700’s and 22 of the original 24 squares remain, sprinkling the downtown with green spaces to sit and watch the world go by. Forest Gump sat on a bench in one talking about chocolates for his movie some years ago.
A city of squares
Living nearby, we feel fortunate to be able to visit Savannah several time a month. For the rest of you, it is perfect for a long weekend, just not on St Patrick’s Day when it hosts one of the largest parades in the country. The South awaits. Enjoy.