Caraway Cafe – Fresh & Healthy – Perfect for the New Year!

I have finally found a healthy, tasty lunch spot with a friendly atmosphere where you are treated like family!! 

Caraway Cafe prides itself on healthy, fresh ingredients with sandwiches and specials made daily.  What is even better…..the menu is full of many of my favorite things…goat cheese, roasted peppers, portabella shrooms, artichokes, feta…and more!!  And their freshly made soups are wonderful – they change daily, but everyday is a good soup day at Caraway!

Some of my favorites are …

The Chopped Turkey Salad with onions, tomato, sunflower seeds, avocado, bacon, goat cheese dressed with a whole grain vinaigrette – light, tasty, plenty of texture (which to me is very important in a good salad, and a dressing that brings all the wonderful flavors out and ties the salad together like a gift from the gods!!

The Baja Fish Taco which is pan seared tilapia, horseradish slaw, pico de gallo, spinach drizzled with a chipotle cream.  I am always up for a fish taco and this one is done right!!! Tasty!!

Caraway has daily specials each day such as their famous Black Bean Cakes with sauteed spinach, tomatilo salsa and chipotle cream and the Spiced Butternut Salad over mixed greens, pepitas, lentils, goat cheese and a pomegranate vin.

Caraway Cafe has market items available for take home…Great wines selected from local Wine Guru Tim Rutherford and local cheeses from Sweet Grass Dairy A must stop on the way home!!!

Stop by and check them out, afterall, it is a new year…time to enjoy some fresh & healthy options for lunch!!

Caraway Cafe & Market

Located on the corner of Paulsen and 66th. 912-691-1266

Monday – Friday 7am – 2:30pm, Catering is Available anytime as well!!

The New South Pub at The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum

Being that we all know by now that The New South Cafe has relocated to The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum I thought it would only be proper for me to review The “New” New South Pub – in their new location at The Mighty Eighth.

First let me start out by saying that personally I like this location much better.  It has the feel of an old british pub with the dark wood furnishings and the classic music playing from back in the day of old swingtime and Frank Sanatra.  The New South Pub has altered their menu to reflect the harsh times of this day and age of the sinking economy – what do I mean by this?  Well, it seems that they are smartly adjusting their menu to lower the prices and make every dish afordable and yet still serve the delicious food we all know from them.

My lunch consisted of the Salmon BLT served on grilled pumpernickle with a dill mayo and crispy sweet candied bacon with a side of sweet potato fries.  What a great sandwich – nice and light, tasty and extremely satisfying.  My dining companion opted for the Classic Club served on Texas Toast with a cup of Sweet Potato Bisque soup.  The Club came to our table looking so impressive I almost pulled up a chair for the sandwich itself!!  The sandwich stood about 4 inches high thanks to the texas toast and was ever so tasty.  The cup of Sweet Potato Bisque, which they make from scratch, had a smooth, creamy and delicate sweetness from the sweet potatoes – it was wonderful!

Our overall experience was very nice.  The location is great and the service from Amy was excellent.  While I was there we asked about the Crab Cake Sandwich, which was one of our favorites at The New South Cafe, and were told that it will be making its way back on the menu soon.  They also informed us that The Crab Cake Burger will be in the June/July issue of The Food Network Magazine’s Burger Round-up issue – How cool is that! 

I congratulate The New South Pub for making changes when necessary and never losing sight of what is important.  I am glad to see them being sucessful and wish the best for them in the future.  If you haven’t been to see them yet please do, you will not be sorry.

The New South Pub at The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum

175 Bourne Ave, Pooler, GA 31322

912-748-8888 x113 or x115

Tough times claims another independent

Everyone knows that the economy is in the toilet lately and we have all seen restaurants come and go.  One of my favorite restaurants have fallen victim to rough economic times just recently and I was very sad to see them serve their last entree the other night.  

The New South Cafe also operates as the in-house caterers for The Mighty 8th Air force Museum in Pooler and will be relocating to Matt Cohen’s New South Pub situated in the Museum.  It seems they are centralizing operations which is a smart business move on their part but still, I am sad to see the Skidaway road location closed as it remains close to my heart.

In the past month I have seen several independent restaurants closing for many different reasons, but I am certain that the economy has not helped matters in each situation.  In these desperate times we all need to be as supportive as we can to independent operators because I have always believed that those are where you find true passion for what they do.

I wish Matt and his wonderful crew the best of luck in their new adventures.  

And for those of you wondering where to eat out – skip the chain restaurant and visit a local, independent restaurant that truly puts their heart and soul on the menu!  Without independent restaurants where will we go to find good, fresh and amazing food!

See you at The Mighty 8th next week.  I will come check out Matt Cohen’s New South Pub!

The “New” New South Cafe!! Yeah!

I just found out through the grapevine that one of my favorite restaurants, The New South Cafe is not only expanding their dining room to include a new “wine” room but they are also reopening after their remodeling with a new fall menu to include some wonderful dishes like Lobster Sliders, Crab Cake Wontons, The New South Chicken BLT Sandwich, Stuffed Pork Chops and a Lobster Roll!!!

The crew at The New South Cafe have been working hard for the past couple of weeks with construction of a new dining area, a new bar area, recovering furniture, hanging all new artwork from Jack Metcalf courtesy of DesotoRow Gallery in Savannah, creating and implementing a new fall menu, etc.  The will reopen for lunch and dinner on Tuesday September 9th!!

With summer almost over, what a perfect time to start the fall season off with a bang!!  I am looking forward to trying some of the new dishes and can’t wait to see the new Wine Bar!!!  I sure hope they still have Date Night on Wednesdays…what a great idea.

Anyway, check them out!

The New South Cafe – 912-233-7558 – www.thenewsouthcafe.com

The Driftaway Cafe – Casual Coastal Cuisine

I recently have actually had the time to go out to eat so of course I wanted to go somewhere that I have never been.  Accompanied by my son, who is a fabulous dining partner and a very honest reviewer as well, we chose The Driftaway Cafe, located in tiny Sandfly, which is a tiny residential nook in Savannah.

Casual Coastal Cuisine

We started with the Driftaway Blue Chips and the Spinach and Artichoke Dip.  The Driftaway Blue Chips are made with their own housemade potato chips topped with melted blue cheese crumbles sprinkled with green onions, diced red peppers then drizzled with sour cream.  This sounded very interesting and did not disappoint me when I got it.  I did wish there was a bit more of the blue cheese on this ‘nacho’y bites, but to be honest with you it might have been a little too rich as the blue cheese is rather potent.  The Spinach and Artichoke dip is what it is.  There really is not much you can do with this dish to ‘make it your own’ other than screwing it up, so Driftaway did what is best with this one – served it as it should be – creamy, cheesey, goey and yummy!!

For our lunches we tried the Autobahn Buffalo Chicken Wrap and a Blackened Mahi Sandwich.  After ordering and receiving our lunches I really wish I would have tried something else.  Not that it was bad, because it was pretty good – I just think there were other options with a little more adventure to it. 

The atmosphere is exactly what they say it is – Casual Coastal Cuisine.  It feels as if you are on the water with maybe a Key West vibe to the place.  I do wish the servers were dressed a little more neatly instead of the very, very casual shorts and company t-shirts – Save that for Spanky’s!

For the price of the food, they could at least bump up the ‘first impression’ things like server appearance, tablecloths instead of vinyl table covers, etc.

Would I go back – yeah, if I were with company that specifically wanted to go here, then sure.  But on my own, not so sure – it didn’t “wow” me and the items were not “so” tasty that I can’t go to Applebees and get the same quality.

 

The Driftaway Cafe – 7400 D. Skidaway Road, Savannah, GA 31406 – 912.303.0999

Alligator Soul – “The Soul is what truly matters”

Located on Barnard Street just off of Broughton Street downstairs from the Postal Office, Alligator Soul is a unique restaurant with an inviting dining room surrounded with exposed brick walls, lovely tables and several intimate dining rooms that makes the restaurant feel much larger than it really is.

The meaning behind the name…as we are all curious…is very interesting.  Alligator Soul has everything to do with who you are, not what you look like. Too often, we are wrongly judged by our exterior appearance (thus the word Alligator). We all know, however, that the soul is what truly matters.

I visited Alligator Soul recently with a small group and was quite impressed with their menu, their decor, their chef and the waiter – Eddie I believe (Thanks Eddie for an incredible experience).  Now, I am going to mention many, many items – keep in mind that I didn’t eat all of this by myself, but tasted I did. 

Appetizers

• Skirt Steak Omlet – (amuse bouche) – quite tasty, a nice little ‘teaser’ for the night.
• Oyster Bienville – eBlue Point Oysters on the Half Shell Baked with Creole Spiced Bienville Stuffing made with Georgia White Shrimp, House Smoked Bacon, Trinity Mire Poix and Hilbo Cajun Seasoning.  Garnished with Lemon Wedges and Crumbled Bacon. –excellent, served on a bed of rock salt, very good
• Alligator Soul Cheese Course – International and Domestic Cheeses. Served with house made Focaccia and Papadum Bread, Italian Olives and Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes, Fresh Grapes and Savannah Bee Company Honeycomb.  My Favorite!!! Yummy!! Lip smacking goodness!! I would eat this everyday, well, maybe not EVERY day…but possibly!! Did I say it was my favorite yet….yum, I am hungry.
• Fried Green Tomatoes – Organice Fried Green Tomatoes, Cornmeal Battered Crisp and Golden.  Served with Alligator Soul Chipotle Mayo and Purple Perubian Potatoes.  Garnished with Salsa Verde and Sliced Citrus.  Fried Green Tomatoes are becoming to Savannah what the Crab Cakes are currently – all restaurants are starting to have them on their menu and everyone claims to have the best.  These were good, nice breading, great taste, I loved them.
• Beef Carpaccio – Thinly Sliced Beef Tenderloin Served with a Dijon Horseradish Sauce and Baby Mustard Greens with Fresh Shaved Parmesan Cheese and Truffles.  Drizzled with a Caper and Citrus Basil Vinaigrette.  Garnished with Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper and Herb Crostinis.  Excellent!

Entrees

• Diver Scallops – This was my entree.  The scallops were perfectly cooked and seasoned.  I did not care for the huge leek stalk that was with it thought, but overall the taste and presentation were very nice.
• The “little” Eddie – Eighteen Ounces of Choice Rib Steak Cold Smoked, Blackened in cast iron with Cajun Spices and Finished in the oven.  Served with Bourbon Peppercorn Cream and Skillet Roasted Potatoes – Slightly, well actually way too much blackening seasoning – almost unpleasant to eat.
• The ‘Big’ Eddie – Not on the menu but basically the same as the ‘little’ Eddie with a bone sticking out of it and approximately the size of a human head!!  (not the visual you would want, sorry, but for size factor, trust me, I am right on).  Seasoning was much better on this one, but slightly charred on the outside.

Done…

Needless to say after this meal, I was stuffed like that snake on the news that ate that alligator a couple of years ago.

Overall, the restaurant is a great place.  I love the menu and the chef seems to have a true talent for putting flavors and textures together that are interesting and inviting.  I would recomment this and I will be returning.  As far as the prices go – for downtown, high but right in place with other high end restaurants of this calibur.  Check it out!!!

www.alligatorsoul.com

13th Annual Savannah Asian Festival!!

Yeah!! Come one and come all!!

From Mehndi to Mandu, the 13th Annual Savannah Asian Festival brings an entire continent of unique cultures, cuisines, performances and fun to the Savannah Civic Center! This festival continues to grow in popularity every year, and has become one of the largest celebrations of Asian culture in the Southeast. The City of Savannah’s Department of Cultural Affairs and hundreds of Asian-American volunteers work together to present this one-day, whirlwind tour of the East under one roof.

This is a great time and place to sample the culinary delights from all of Asia in one spot!! A must see for travelers and locals alike! Check it out!

A review of this festival will be coming after I sink my teeth into the offerings!! Check back!!

 

The 13th Annual Savannah Asian Festival

Saturday, June 7 — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Savannah Civic Center MLK Arena
Presented by the City of Savannah’s Department of Cultural Affairs
and the Savannah Asian Festival Committee

The 13th Annual Savannah Asian Festival

Savannah Foody Tours Review

Last Saturday I had the pleasure to go on the Savannah Foodie Tour hosted by Ron Higgins in Savannah.   The tour starts around 11 am from the Savannah Visitors Center but Ron suggests all “Foodies” show up by 10:45am.  We had a full bus with 25 like-minded foodies that went on the tour.

 

Our first stop was Mom & Nikki’s Soul food located at 714 Martin Luther King Blvd 912-233-7636.  Mom & Nikki’s is a very popular soul food restaurant that is growing each day.  Our “treat” for the day was Southern Shrimp served over creamy grits – a southern tradition that is eaten at all times of the day from breakfast to dinner. 

Second stop was Back in the Day Bakery located at 2403 Bull Street 912-495-9292 www.backinthedaybakery.com  which was voted by Savannah Connect as “Best Bakery” for 2008!!  We had the joy of tasting the mini-cupcakes with butter cream icing! Yummy! (and as cute as could be!).  Actually, the Back in the Day bakery was probably the “cutest” little place I have ever seen – very lovely shabby chic decor that served the food to match – I will be visiting this bakery in the future!

Third stop was The New South Cafe located at 2601 Skidaway Road 912-233-7558 www.thenewsouthcafe.com .  As you all know, one of my favs.  Just recently The New South Cafe was named 2008 New and Emerging Business of the Year and Chef Matt was name 2008 Best Chef by Savannah Connect!! Congratulations Matt and Staff!  We had the Fried Green Tomatoes which were wonderful of course and an excellent showing of Southern Cuisine for the Tour!!

Fourth stop was Angel’s Barbecue located at 21 West Oglethorpe Lane 912-495-0902 www.angels-bbq.com .  Serving up some Memphis Style Barbecue in a truly unique setting.  This little hole in the wall (that is a good comment, I promise!) is kind of like the Vinnie Van Go Go’s of Barbecue in Savannah.  The food is excellent and the walls are decorated with so much tacky and fun stuff and lights it makes this place really stand out as a ‘one of a kind’ joint!!

Fifth stop was Savannah’s Candy Kitchen located in City Market at 318 W. St. Julian Street www.savannahcandy.com .  We stopped off and had some samples of the taffy, ice cream and left with a gift bag that included a praline.  Tourist love this place – being from Savannah, kind of boring, but still yummy! I thought this stop left something to be desired personally.  There was no personal touch like most other stops, but what do I know.

Sixth Stop was at The Paris Market located at 36 W. Broughton Street www.theparismarket.com .  I kind of thought this was an odd stop being that it is not a restaurant, but we had some lovely frozen hot chocolate that was cute and tasty, plus we got to do some shopping if we chose to.  Personally, this is another of my favorite places in Savannah – not for the food, but in general, this place is beautiful and everything in it is beautiful – I fell in love with The Paris Market when it arrived in Savannah and still love it today!  Now I know they have some lovely beverages and tea cakes, I will have one while I shop! Cool.

Last stop…can you guess….

Of course it was Paula Deen’s The Lady and Sons located at 102 West Congress Street www.theladyandsons.com .  Suprisingly we didn’t have to wait in line!! We were handed a little styro bowl as we walked in and our treat was to fill our little mini bowl from her Southern Buffet!  Kind of cheesey I thought, but still, I loaded my bowl with veggie casserole, sweet potatoes and mac & cheese.  Ok, Ok – it was tasty, but I kind of felt like cows being led through the feeding line, just to be whisked out the door to eat my greasy treats on the sidewalk!!  There is nothing that I would rather do in 100 degree heat but eat some hot – fattening Thanksgiving style side dishes!  Not what I expected at all.

Tour is done…

Now, my thoughts on the Tour in General.  I think it is a fabulous idea.  I would like to see more “foodie” type of information leading to and from each stop and I would have loved to have more interaction from each of the stops – there was only a couple that I noticed that gave that personal interaction.  Ron is great and I believe that it is his personality that carries the tour.  He is a wealth of information with the Movie business so I would love to go on that tour as well.  

I would recommend this tour to any foodies or non-foodies coming to Savannah.  This is a great way to see the city, taste some good food and to be exposed to several neighborhoods and restaurants in one tour!!  Ron, keep up the great work!!

The website for the tours www.savannahmovietours.net – All of them can be booked from this site.

Gourmet Girl on a Roll…and a Kao Thai Cuisine Update

I really wish I could post more each week or month, but to be honest with you, who has the time – Unless my job was a full time critic (which I would LOVE ) I do work and have somewhat of a life to lead, so in my spare time I write.

Nevertheless, I do find time each day to read my stats and to see what people are searching for to get to my blog, which is very interesting to say the least.  My stats show me what people want to read about and are looking for – which I guess that is what anyone does that maintains a blog right, I am new at this.  

Lately, alot of searches to get to my blog has been from people searching for Kao Thai Cuisine in Savannah GA which I did a review on, check it out!  I have been back for dinner not too long ago and it is not the same I am sorry to say, so I thought this update would be in order.  

 

I am under the understanding that the chef/owner has hired his brother to do all of the cooking and creating.  Personally the food is not up to the par I remember it to be, is capable of being, nor do I believe it should be.  

 

On my last visit I got the Num Tok, which is my favorite appetizer, a Spring Roll and Beef Pad Thai and Chicken Kao Pad (another of my favs). It seemed to me all of the dishes were missing that Va-Va-Va-Voom that these dishes used to have.  Which is very upsetting to me.  The Num Tok was not bursting with flavor that it usually is, the Spring Roll was boring and the Chicken Kao Pad lacked very much chicken and flavor to be honest. 

My conclusion to this Kao Update…

What I have learned over the years is when the owner/chef takes his eye off of the ball, meaning his restaurant business, all can be lost in the blink of an eye.  I hope this is just a transition and not a permanent change in the menu.  

 

I also hope all of the searchers for Kao will be satisfied with a wonderful dinner or lunch at a great restaurant that I remember.  

If there is a restaurant in Savannah you would like me to review, let me know!! I will make the time!!!

Enjoy!

Gourmet Girl

I will check back soon.

 

 

 

My New Favorite – Coffee Crusted Beef Tenderloin!! Who would have thought!

~~Gourmet Girl News Flash~~

For some reason in the past 10 years I have turned into one of those people that just don’t eat alot of red meat.  It was never a consious or health decision, I just always choose seafood or chicken – I like it better.  Not that I don’t appreciate a good cut of meat and trust me, a good hamburger every now and then is tasty!! But that is about the extent of it… or it used to be.

 

Not long ago I would proudly say to myself, “I don’t remember the last time… or anytime for that matter, that I ordered a steak at a restaurant”.  Just hearing me say that sounded odd – even to me!  

That now has changed…. Brace yourself, this is a good one!

At one of my favorite restaurants a while back while I was glancing over the seafood entrees, an interesting Beef dish caught my eye.  This was a Coffee Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Oyster Mushrooms with an Espresso Cream Sauce!!  I DO love Coffee so it automatically sounded yummy and extremely interesting – I had to try it.

 

The dish was wonderfully presented on a triangle-shaped plate that was visually exciting and refreshing to see someting other than a round plate!  The Tenderloin was crusted with coffee and cooked to perfection, the mushrooms were silky and sexy and the potatoes were rich, creamy and delicious.  But the sauce…oh! the sauce.  Oh My the Sauce!  This was the best tasting sauce that I have ever tasted.  Sounds kind of strange – coffee and steak – but it is actually the perfect marriage!  Rich and earthy, fantastically delicious, lip-smacking goodness.  This would be good over anything (seriously!), but it was the PERFECT compliment to an outstanding dish!!

Bravo – Bravo – Goes to The New South Cafe for creating an interesting, memorable, fantastic entree that is out of this world !!  Check it out for yourself if you are in Savannah!!

Coffee Crusted Beef Tenderloin – What to order!!

The New South Cafe – 2601 Skidaway Road, Savannah, GA 31404 – 912-233-7558

www.thenewsouthcafe.com

 

Southern Food in Savannah – Served in Many Places

Each week I check my stats on this website to see what the most viewed post is and every week it is the same…My review of The Lady and Son’s (Paula Deen’s restaurant) in Savannah.  I suppose I can understand this being that Paula Deen is everywhere you look now days, but it concerns me slightly to think that people visit Savannah for some good southern food thinking that The Lady and Son’s is the ONLY place in town that serves traditional “Southern” food –

 NEWSFLASH…

Savannah is located in the South, therefore there are many great restaurants to get your fill of Collard Greens, Fried Chicken, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, etc.  

No one, I repeat, no one should have to stand on the sidewalk in the sweltering heat of Savannah in the summer hoping to get a seat at The Lady and Sons.  I have received several comments from my earlier post of The Lady and Sons and this is the number one complaint.  If you find your vacation taking you to Savannah for some southern food, here are some other options for you that are really good – and you won’t have to break a sweat waiting in line like cattle… 

The New South Cafe – obviously one of my favorites! Well, well worth every penny! It is on the “Foody Tour” stop for Southern Food!! 

Mrs. Wilkes – Savannah tradition (if it is still open).  You can always get takeout through the backdoor in the lane behind the restaurant! Good value! 

The Holland House – I have heard through the grapevine this one is as good and less crowded than Mrs. Wilkes – check it out.   

Sweet Potatoes – fun, quirky little place – with great food I must add!   

Keep an open mind while dining, don’t follow the crowd EVERYWHERE!  Meaning, Savannah is a beautiful city with some wonderful restaurants and excellent Chefs that can cook some fantastic dishes  – check them out! 

I will add the addresses and phone numbers of the restaurants that I have listed soon.Enjoy! 

Gourmet Girly in Atlantic City…

Yes, that is correct, I just got back from Atlantic City.  I had reservations to Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant but did not make it due to the horriffic travel conditions!!Yikes!!  So, for the food, this is what I had the pleasure of dining on while in the “Las Vegas of the East” (or at least that is what they say, right!)…

I had to have a cheesesteak while this close to Philly, so the only thing open at the time was Tony Luke’s Cheesesteaks  – sounded good, I mean, is it possible to mess up a regional favorite on home territory… I think it must be.  The flavor was alright, but it was not moist at all – even with the cheese that they said was on it – I think it melted into the dry bread, at least that is what I am guessing.  So, my hopes were up, but it did not pan out – the cheesesteak was not all that great – sorry Tony!

 For dinner the next night we had reservations at Bobby Flay Steak located in the Borgata Resort and Casino (which is where we were staying…that is a whole different blog!!).  Let me just say first – ALL of the restaurants located in the Borgata are beautiful, absolutly perfect atmosphere.  I loved the look and feel of all of the restaurants – fantastic!! For my dinner I had the Lobster-Crab Cake with Tomatilla Sauce and  and  Saffron Aioli.  Now I wanted this to be ‘mind blowing’, I really did, but the Lobster-Crab Cake was just pretty good – not outstanding, not mind blowing, but still very good.  I also had the Tuna TarTare with Classic Garnishes which was good, but again, not mind blowing.    We were quite suprised that there was nothing in the appetizers category that was not a seafood dish – my dining companion has alergies to seafood, so he was out of luck for the apps!!  Chef Flay – you, of all people, should know to have some diversity when it comes to your menu, especially when you have a restaurant called Bobby Flay STEAK – and all you do is offer seafood appetizers – what is up with that!

 Now, do I think that Bobby Flay was actually preparing the food – of course not, that would be absurd!! He is much to busy to be slaving over a hot grill (well, except on TV!).  But did I still expect something outstanding – yes, yes I did.  What I do know is that I was excited to go, pleased to dine on some great dishes and almost in heaven with the decor – so, I guess in some way it did live up to my expectations, just in different ways.

Great job Bobby!  You have succeded in providing me with a memorable dining experience, which, face it – that’s what anyone in the restaurant business strives to do with every customer.  Check out the website of the restaurant www.bobbyflaysteak.com located in the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, NJ 08401 – 866-692-6742 www.theborgata.com

My Best Meal in Savannah so far…

I like all types of food, but I must say I am partial to seafood – in fact, I can not remember the last time I have ordered a steak at a restaurant – I have tasted, just not ordered. 

The other night I was in the mood for a good piece of fish – not a flimsly, thin slice of fish, a nice thick chunk that is substantial that melts in your mouth.  As we all know, this is easier dreamt of than found. 

Well, I got lucky!

I was at The New South Cafe the other night and ordered the Blackened Redfish from the menu.  This dish, for some reason, I have never had.  The Blackened Redfish is presented over a nice bed of Coconut-Leek Risotto with a Blood Orange Gastrique – OH MY GOD!!  How on earth did this dish never make it to my pallet I have no idea.  This was the best dish I have ever eaten in Savannah.  The fish was perfectly seasoned – not too spicy, just right.  The coconut-leek risotto was to die for – the flavors blended so perfectly with every bite.  And if it could not get any better than that – the Blood Orange Gastrique was the perfect accompanyment that accented all of the flavors and married the entire dish to be a wonderfully created dinner that was so satisfying I did not want it to end!!!  The flavor that was left in my mouth was beautiful – spicy, sweet, sour, tart – all combined to make this a sensory explosion experience!

Now, I don’t usually write about individual dishes that I eat, but in this case – it is well deserved!

My hat goes of to the wonderful chefs at The New South Cafe for once again, creating an experience that all others will have to live up to in my book.

I won’t even say IF you go….this is a MUST GO…

The New South Cafe, 2601 Skidaway Road, Savannah, GA 31404

912-233-7558

www.thenewsouthcafe.com

The New South Cafe Express – Welcomed Addition

Just recently, The New South Cafe – which is one of my favorite ‘finds’ in Savannah, has added on to their wonderful restaurant with an ‘express’ cafe to the right side of the restaurant.  Meaning, in less than 30 minutes, you can get a wonderful, full plate of home cooked southern food, fresh and hot for $10 – including tax, and tea!! There are daily specials that will be the same each week (to allow you to plan your week around smothered pork chops and fried chicken – yummy!). 

I think the addition is a great concept and a fantastic idea for people working with time constraints for lunch, but still looking for a plate of yummy food.  Also, with fall and winter fast approaching, what a better way to stay warm throughout the day!

Some of the dishes that will remain constants each week are…Fried chicken, smothered pork chops, catfish fingers, salisbury steak and pecan crusted trout – with such side dishes such as collard greens, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash casserole and the best….let me say this one more time…THE BEST creamed corn I have ever had in my entire life!!!

So, for your $10, you get one meat, 2 sides and a corn muffin as well as your tea and tax!! In and out – good deal!

Check it out if you are on the eastside of town!  Oh yeah, they also will keep the Express side open until around 7 pm to allow you to pick up dinner sized portions to take home (that way you don’t have to cook – shhhh…you don’t have to tell anyone YOU didn’t cook it, right!! :))

The New South Cafe Express (located on the side of The New South Cafe), 2601 Skidaway Road, 912-233-7558

www.thenewsouthcafe.com

Watch out Paula Deen! The Big Guy is on your heels!

Gravy – New Savannah Restaurant

Yesterday we visited “Gravy”, the newly opened restaurant downtown on Whitaker Street that was formerly occupied by Sawyers.  I had never been to Sawyers, so I am not sure what the inside of the restaurant used to look like, but now the space is quite lovely.  The colors are very neutral, the décor is simple (in a good way!) and the large chalk boards displaying the dinner menu is a great idea – so props to the decorator – job well done.  

 

The idea of “Gravy” is that you get your choice of ‘gravy’ with each entrée.  Personally, I don’t care for the name “Gravy” – call me what you wish.  To me, the name Gravy is a turnoff – I imagine hot, heavy, thick, country gravy or something similar.  It is summer time in hot, humid Savannah and I am trying to do my best to fit into a bathing suit – the last thing I want is some Gravy, right!  But actually the types of “Gravy” offered at Gravy are more suited for the name of “Sauce” or “Condiment” for me – but let’s face it, Condiment would not make a good restaurant name either.   

 

The lunch menu consists of 2 appetizers (3 if you consider fries an appetizer), 3 salads, 5 sandwiches and 1 sandwich tasting plate where you get 3 of the 5 sandwiches on one plate.  Now the fun starts….You get to pick your choice of ‘gravy’ to accompany your entrée – Ta Da!!! (oh yeah, you can order extra gravy, if you can not decide on just one, for $2 each – quite steep in price considering the tiny ramekin it comes in).  There are 6 gravies to choose from – chicken gravy, roasted garlic cream, andouille sausage gravy, sweet corn cream, spicy remoulade and worchestershire catsup.   

 

For my lunch I had the Sliders, which are 2 mini hamburgers, one with bacon & Roquefort and the other with lettuce and tomato.  The presentation was nice and the burgers had a good flavor to them.  My gravies of choice (I had two) was the roasted garlic cream and the worchestershire catsup.  Both were ok, but they didn’t knock my socks off.  Another sandwich that we tried was the Grouper Sandwich, which was pretty good, with the spicy remoulade gravy (I personally did not like this gravy).  What I did not understand though is why would they put mayo on a burger or tarter sauce on a sandwich when gravies are offered, I thought that is what the gravies were for??  We also had the Chicken Bites with chicken gravy on little mini biscuits – nothing really exciting about this, actually kind of on the bland side for me. 

My Overall Impression:

Visually, the place is great!  I am not too sure about the lack of service (meaning, they don’t have table service) for lunch.  In other words, it just doesn’t look like a restaurant that would have you order at a counter – I think table service for lunch would be a welcomed change.   I was not too impressed with the whole “Gravy” concept at all.  I would think that the idea would be to have several sauces/gravies that accentuate the dishes in different ways with this noted on the menu (kind of like suggested parings of food with wine).  This could also aid in extending your very small menu due to the fact that the different gravies could have the ability to change the flavor of the entire dish.  But having limited gravy choices without a clue as to which one will taste good with your choice of entrée is kind of defeating the purpose of the concept in my eyes.  

Gravy – 109 Whitaker Street – Savannah, GA 31401

912-236-1557

Review of Isaac’s on Drayton – Savannah

Isaac’s on Drayton was my destination the other night and luckily we had quite a large group so I was able to try many dishes.  Before I get to that, first, let’s talk atmosphere.   

I remember the location from the days that Churchill’s occupied it and was expecting the same dark, crowded, sort of cozy, fun ‘bar’ feel about it, but Isaac’s is not that ‘type’ of restaurant.  Isaac’s on Drayton is aiming, I believe, for a more upscale environment.  The décor was nice, colors were pleasing and artwork was ‘historic’.  Nice also is the fact that they have a small dining area upstairs for private parties as well as a very nice deck upstairs for outside seating which is great. 

Now, on to the food…Keep in mind I did NOT eat ALL of these appetizers by myself…I had a lot of help – just wanted to clarify that J! 

For the appetizers we had The Plantation Crab Cakes served on a puddle of roasted red pepper sauce, blue cheese & toasted pecan slaw – just ok for me.  In the Savannah world of Crab Cakes, I have had much, much better, but also much worse – for me, it was a little too much filler, but the flavor was nice. The Beef Roulade – very small, but several on the plate – the flavor was ok but they were kind of tough and not very exciting.  And last was the Baked Spinach & Cheese Dip and The Crab Au Gratin – both were very good – then again, smother anything in cheese and it puts a smile on my face! 

For my entrée I had “The Left Hook” – Pecan & Almond Encrusted Yellow Fin Tuna topped with Georgia Peach compound butter.  For me, I wish the Pecan & Almond “crust” would have been a less ‘ground’.  What I mean is that it was barely distinguishable as a ‘nut’ crust at all and they were so finely processed (into a powder) that it did not allow for any of the wonderful nutty flavor or texture to be had.  The cut of the Tuna was not the best, but it was cooked perfectly (rare) and the flavor of the tuna was good although, mine did not have any Georgia Peach compound butter on it, maybe the kitchen had ran out or just forgot it, so, it might have been a little more exciting with the Peach butter. 

For dessert we wanted the Crème Brule, but the torch was not working we were told, so we opted for the Chocolate Indulgence, which was pretty good – it’s Chocolate – of course it was good, right!! 

My overall experience was ok, just ok.  The appetizer price ranges are from $6 – $13 and their entrée price ranges are from $17 – $30.  Isaac’s has some good potential, but I think they need to work on the execution and development of their menu in order to gain respect from the locals and get repeat business from them. 

I will plan on coming back to check out Isaac’s on Drayton at another time. 

Lulu’s Chocolate Bar – Sweet Success in Savannah

What a way to end the evening!! Saturday night my goal was to check out the new Lulu’s Chocolate Bar on Martin Luther King Blvd. in Savannah. After several stops earlier in the evening we made our way to Lulu’s.

Lulu’s Chocolate Bar is what Downtown Savannah has been missing. I mean, there are great restaurants, fun bars, local hangouts – but there really has not been a place like Lulu’s ever (at least not that I can remember). It is the perfect combination of a well thought out ‘theme’, decadent sweets, fantastic wine choices and delicious martins that blend together like…well, sweet luxurious chocolate – and who, in their right mind doesn’t like chocolate.

I had the Cheesecake paired with a sinfully good Raspberry Truffle Martini and my friend had the Triple Chocolate Cake with an Espresso Martini. Both were excellent and the Martini’s were to die for. They have many other dessert options to choose from so I would recommend trying a different combination each time you visit, and trust me, you will want to visit many, many times.

The only, and I mean only, problem I would foresee happening is that they will need to find a larger location because Lulu’s has just opened, and when everyone finds out about what they offer, everyone will want to stop by their on their way home. It is a perfect way to end a night, whether you are a couple, a first date, friends, buddies, it doesn’t matter – to end the night with chocolate – who could ask for anything more.

And might I add, I must give kudos to the owners because this is the best concept for a restaurant/bar that I have seen in a very long time. Keep it simple & sweet and success will follow!

Great job Lulu’s, I wish you the best. I will be back many times!

Lulu’s Chocolate Bar
42 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Savannah, GA 31401
912-238-2012
www.luluschocolatebar.net
M-W 4pm-12midnight
Th-Sat 4pm-1am
**Large orders and whole cakes available with 2 days advance order.

Pre-Review of The Local 11 Ten – Savannah

As I do many times prior to submitting a restaurant review I check out the menu of the restaurant that I plan on visiting. The Local 11 Ten is one of Savannah’s newest restaurants that has been getting a lot of buzz lately so I plan on doing a review of it very soon. I went to their website (which by the way does not do justice to the excellent and unique location that it resides within) and printed out their menu to review ahead of time.

Now, I can honestly say, I am not a professional chef or even a chef at all, but I do know the restaurant business fairly well and have worked in many types of restaurants from casual to fine dining. I do consider myself to be rather adventurous as far as my taste buds go and will try most anything at least once.Reading over the menu for The Local 11 Ten I was actually taken back a bit. By that, I mean, there were items on the menu that I have never heard of in my life. Ok, ok, call me what you wish, but if I need a translation book to read my menu and a Professional Chef Cookbook to explain the dishes, I am just a little unsure to be honest. This is not saying that I won’t order any of the dishes that confuse and scare me, I am just being honest. I am sure everything is very good – I will soon find out for myself

Here are some dishes that I am a little uneasy about…

• Bacalao – salt cod-potato gratin, grilled toast (salt cod?? doesn’t’ wet my whistle)
• Meatballs – pork and veal albondigas, jerez vinegar jus, golden raisins (what the…..?? Glad they said it was meatballs, otherwise I would have no idea what it was)
• Soup – chilled sweat (not a typo on my behalf, but I think they meant to write Sweet (at least I hope)) pea soup, lobster salad, pea shoots – (No, don’t think so – cold pureed peas just doesn’t do it for me)
• Beet Salad – (Now it does have goat cheese on it, so you would think I would go for it—but it is BEETS!-yuck)
• Charcuterie Plate – fra’ mani salame toscano, caw caw creek prosciuto, bresaola (I have no idea what I just typed, but I think it is a few types of meat from fancy suppliers that I am not aware of – the names scare me but I would order it)

Some other names/descriptors in the main courses that I don’t recognize:Gascon sauce, paparadelle, barigoule, stinging nettle broth, hanger steak – It would not stop me from ordering the dishes, I just do not know what they are really.

I believe that when you visit a certain level of restaurant you either must be very educated in your knowledge and experience of gastronomy in general or you must be willing to order what is on the menu having no idea what it is and be completely happy about it (I suppose from my writings today, the later must be me). I also believe that when your diner decision leads you to a ‘finer’ quality of establishment, the “questioning” of the menu is frankly – out of the question.

My point that I am trying to make is that I don’t believe you have to go to such a major extent to try to be so descriptive with dishes that it confuses the average diner.

Before you beat me up with this, I do understand that they are trying to make their “stand” in Savannah as an upscale establishment that is doing what some others in Savannah are not, but I don’t think the extreme menu descriptors are necessary to impress….Impress them with the food, decor, staff and general atmosphere – not how fancy they can make a menu sound.

Now I know others have reviewed The Local 11 Ten recently and loved it, I will have to see for myself.

Like I say on my blog…“I am a Self-Proclaimed Foodie that enjoys the complete package of dining out. It is not all about the food at a restaurant, all factors come into play – atmosphere, staffing, decor and location are also very important. I just review restaurants for fun! Hope you enjoy!”

And of course…“Remember – Try new foods often and broaden your horizons, you might come across a flavor you never expected to love! Don’t deny yourself of that!” –

Will do – that is the fun part about doing this – trying new things!!!

See you soon Local 11 Ten!

Belford’s – Savannah Seafood & Steak

 

The location of Belford’s Savannah Seafood & Steaks is one of its main draw, but it doesn’t hurt to have excellent food, a great staff, outside dining patio and a wonderful atmosphere – oh yeah, did I say excellent food… 

 

Savannah’s City Market area is, in my opinion, the heartland of Savannah’s best dining.  With upscale neighbors such as Garibaldi’s and Savannah Bistro, eclectic fun neighbors such as Vinnie Van Go Go’s and Tapas and the casual comfort of City Market Café and the all-so-popular chain of Wild Wing’s – there is something for everyone in City Market!   

 

Belford’s has remained consistent for quite sometime now offering local dishes such as Shrimp, Greens & Grits with apple smoked bacon, green onions and a Chardonnay butter sauce served over buttery grit cakes and wilted collard greens and Grouper Provencal – a fresh filet of black grouper layered with sliced tomatoes, tapenade & topped with seasoned bread crumbs drizzled with olive oil, baked and served with steamed asparagus. 

But for me, and many, many others, their specialty remains to be their Crab Cake.   

Like I said in another review, a crab cake in Savannah is sometimes a measure of a restaurant.  For me….Belford’s has the best crab cake in town.  Others are good, some are fantastic – but they are not a “Belford’s” crab cake.   

Belford’s Crab Cake is a premium JUMBO lump crab cake with a lemon aioli and spicy tomato jam – sounds simple enough, right.  Well, it’s not.  The key here is “Premium Jumbo Lump Crab” – big chunks of juicy fresh crab meat, not broken down and very, very little filler.  Most restaurants do not use Jumbo lump crab due to the market price.  It can be a risky inventory if you are not selling them for the high price you must offer to get your money back, but at Belford’s – this is not a problem.  And trust me, it is worth the price you pay! 

So, if you go, and I would recommend that you try the Crab Cake, and afterwards this will be your measure of a crab cake for all other restaurants to achieve.  They are also open for breakfast and brunch – one of the few restaurants downtown that offers this!  Enjoy!  Belford’s Savannah Seafood & Steaks

315 West Saint Julian Street

Savannah, Georgia 31401912-233-2626

www.belfordssavannah.com

 

Review – Sam Snead’s Tavern – Savannah

Today I visited Sam Snead’s Tavern for lunch with a couple of friends.  I have grown into kind of a “chain” snob, meaning that I don’t really care for most of the chain restaurants now days, due to the fact that most of them taste like prepackage, frozen food that is dressed up to make you think they actually have a real chef in the kitchen, when really, anyone could do the job.  Don’t get me wrong, the good thing about chains is you know what you are getting – There are no surprises, no mysteries and no matter what location you go to, you will be getting the same dish, so for that, there is a comforting feeling of going to a chain restaurant. 

Sam Snead’s is a small chain consisting of 13 locations, mostly in Florida, but a few others scattered about – and of course, they mostly reside near a golf course.  If you are an avid golfer, you know who Sam Snead is and if you are a not a golfer, more than likely you still know the name.  Here are some stats: 

• According to the PGA Tour points system, Sam Snead is the #1 ranked golfer of all time.
• Snead has won tournaments throughout 6 decades.
• He has set 164 course records.
• He has made a hole-in-one with EVERY club in his bag except the putter!
• He has had 34 holes-in-one and 4 double eagles.
• Snead finished in the Top 10 358 times, and in the Top 25 473 times.

 

Ok, back to the restaurant.  The reason I listed these major accomplishments and proof of ‘greatness’ is that a restaurant with his name attached to it would need to reflect him. 

First walking in, the décor is very classy, lots of dark wood and of course, golf paraphernalia scattered about, but not overly exposed.  I had the Oak Grilled Chicken Flat Bread with Roasted Red Peppers, Goat Cheese and a Balsamic Glaze.  The Flat Bread is kind of like a pizza, but it is very thin and served on a narrow plank about 2 feet long and cut into strips – how cool is that!!  The flavor was wonderful, the texture was crispy and the presentation was fantastic.   

Some other things on the menu sound great as well, such as the Alpine Chicken with spinach, wild mushrooms, Emmenthaler swiss cheese and basil red skin mashed potatoes; the Gulf Shrimp and Maine Lobster Capellini in a light tomato cream sauce; and the Fresh Grilled Mahi-Mahi with cilantro line butter and yellow rice! I will be back to try some of these. 

Overall, this is a very classy, not an overexposed reflection of one of the greatest golfers in history.  The menu is fantastic, the décor is lovely and the overall experience hit the spot.  This is a great restaurant chain that truly is a reflection of Sam Snead in all of his ‘greatness’.  A must visit for golfers and non-golfers alike! 

Sam Snead’s Tavern

7 Sylvester C. Formey Drive

Savannah, GA
31408912-963-0797