Friday, January 30, 2009

Savory Savannah

Boy oh boy, if the lady next to me isn't my polar opposite, food wise, I don't know who is! But let me tell you, Paula is the sweetheart of Savannah and I can see why she calls it home. Savannah is beautiful and creepy all at the same time! Full of sleepy Spanish moss filled trees, incredible southern hospitality and a plethora of ghosts, it's quite the interesting vacation spot.

I will start with Lady & Sons, since I'm standing next to the Savannah sweetheart in the shot. This cute, 3 floor diner, is Paula's Deen's place and it's always packed. So packed that people stand in line every morning at 9am to just make a reservation for sometime that day! Ok, so what can a vegan eat at the self proclaimed butter queen's palace? The Sho Nuff vegetable sandwich, minus the cheese, was a hit with me. It was between that and the asparagus sandwich but I'd have to modify it to much to chow down. I of course had some sweet tea, duh, and was told that at dinner, the chef prepares a kickin' veggie plate for us non meaty meat eaters ; ) I loved seeing where the magic started for Paula and even more getting a reservation. There is more info available at Lady & Sons online. PS - they offer a gluten free menu too!

Being in the sweet south over new years was fun! What made it great was that we met the nicest people and loved everywhere we went. We stayed in the historic district at the Country Inn & Suites and our concierge hooked us way up! We hopped on to the trolley and ghost tours by Old Savannah Tours and she got us a 1980's limo car ride to Corleone's for our last meal of 2008. I dug the place, along with it's Godfather theme. The food was fresh and tasty and veggie friendly. the Penne Broccoli with white wine garlic sauce was a perfect end to 2008 as was the nice glass of wine I had to start off the night ; ) Make sure you take the 80's mobster limo to Corleone's, call to make arrangements before you dine!

For an organic, chic meal, head over to Cha Bella. It's Savannah's answer to trendy, seasonal dining with a little stylish shabby chic to go with it. The food is super fresh and everything is beautifully presented. I had a savory seasonal vegetable primavera while my beau dined on a pretty awesome looking sandwich. For a nice, southern night out, definitely try Cha Bella.

Being that Savannah is small and quaint, only the main shopping street, Broughton, had a commercial coffee place for my city butt ; ) But I hustled over to Forsyth Park and found the Sentient Bean. Not only was my soy latte yum, and my eco karma rewarded, the vegan sandwich they whipped up for me was one of the tastiest I've ever had. It was new year's day so they had not stocked up on much so they created a magical feast on bread that made my mouth and tummy, do cartwheels ; ) A hispster place located by the big, pretty park and next door to a natural market, Sentient Bean is a must visit for food, refreshments, and even indie film nights!

I love Savannah so much that there is more to come next week!!!