A Taste of Savannah
Although there are still plenty of things I should be doing to prepare for the wedding, I think one of my priority projects needs to be finding an excuse for Mom and I to return to Savannah for another “planning trip.” Let’s be serious, the city is full of reasons to return, and most of them are edible.
This trip Mom set us up with a special treat: a stay at the Ballastone Inn, one of the nicest bed and breakfasts in the city. Located right in the heart of Savannah (next to the Juliet Gordon Lowe House, where thousands of little girls make the pilgrimage to Girl Scout Mecca), the Ballastone really is a very lovely little Bed and Breakfast. The staff is lovely and the rooms are filled with antique Southern charm. I do have to say they have the bed part down a lot better than the breakfast relied on white bread and butter. This seems to be the case with most Inns… maybe I will have to start my own; it would have messy rooms and fantastic cuisine. Their afternoon tea is also a nice touch; the complimentary evening sherry would be as well if it weren’t put away by the time we got home from dinner. I must admit that Spain got me a bit addicted to my sherry nightcap… one evening I convinced (read: begged) the bartender, who had moved on to cleaning the inn, to please pour us just a small glass.
We rarely try to restaurants because it would mean forfeiting one of our must-haves. Unfortunately I enjoyed my dinner like a civilized human being on Friday night instead of playing paparazzi, but Cha Bella is catering our wedding so you may just get a sample. I love their local, seasonal approach… the Grilled, Organic Local Harvest Eggplant & Oven-Warmed Plum Tomatoes with Farm Fresh Sweet Basil tastes straight out of the garden, and will most definitely be making an appearance on the big day. Oh, and the goat cheese cheesecake may be the best dessert I’ve ever had.
Saturday night, we obviously had to eat at the Olde Pink House, where the rehearsal dinner will be. We may have had the best seat in the house by a window in the small, candle lit back room. Whenever I go to the Pink House, I’m tempted to just gorge on appetizers (favorites: Southern Sushi, Fried Green Tomatoes with Lump Crab Cake) and sides (I just ate dinner and I’m drooling thinking about the sweet potatoes with bourbon vanilla butter), but I forced myself to hold back and enjoy an entrée. I don’t generally have duck, but the Crispy Half Duck, with Black Vinegar BBQ Glaze and sides of reason Fruit & Vegetable Crepes was quite possibly the best meal I’ve had at the Pink House (and that says a lot).
Finally, like always, we added one more “must visit” to the list: the famous Leopold’s ice cream. (How did I not know about this?!) Johnny Mercer named a song after Leopold’s Tutti Frutti ice cream. It wasn’t a very good flavor, but still! It’s an adorable old-fashioned diner with home-made ice cream in very creative flavors. Home made ice cream makes all the difference… you could put paint chips in home-made vanilla ice cream and I’d still ask for seconds.
