maf

therese, it sounds like you're thinking of Court Square Tavern. It had an extensive beer list before that was widely overdone, including the German-style dimpled 20-oz mugs. I think the hotel was the Monticello (or some Jeffersonian name). The food was average at best, with cooking facilities apparently limited to a single microwave. I had my first Taddy Porter and first ploughman's lunch there. Compared to my usual hangouts, it was pretty upscale. I haven't been back to C'ville since '99, but it was still there.

Isn't Blossom related to Peninsula Grill? I have enjoyed some nice meals there, as well.

I can confirm that Savannah is extremely quiet. Were it not for all the law enforcement and military on the streets, the town would seem deserted. I would imagine some deals could be had on the many empty hotel rooms that are going unused.

Will be going to Brevard up I-26 this weekend and must admit The Beacon looks to be right up my alley (e.g., if I were unfamiliar with Atlanta I would want to be directed to The Varsity, even though it's gut-wrenching food). Would anyone recommend a better choice for an aging grease lover traveling with a more discerning spouse and two young-uns whose tastes are 1. open to new experiences and 2. won't eat it unless its name is hot dog? Greenville would be better, but Spartanburg's OK, too. For that matter, anyone have a suggestion for Brevard (yeah, I know it's a different State)?

I enjoyed your writing and pictures and am greatly envious of both your ability and your itinerary. I wonder, however, how you can obtain so many great pictures without annoying those at surrounding tables. The pictures are so good that I assume there was more than one shot taken of each dish, and I'm sure a flash was involved. Do you make some special arrangement to do this in a secluded corner? My highest praise is reserved for your giving The Varsity the only “A” for the entire trip. Classic. I especially enjoyed your “Bonus Review” of Gottlieb’s. I live in Savannah and am sorry to say I have only eaten lunch (unexceptional) at this relatively new place. Local talk has been decidedly mixed; the Gottlieb family has a long history in Savannah in the bakery business, and many people seem confused by this effort at upscale.

Our family enjoyed the food at the cafeteria in the African-themed lodge. I know cafeteria sounds decidedly downscale, but it provided an opportuity to try many foods, and the high turnover rate kept everything fresh. Three of the four soups were quite good, as were a couple of the main courses. The space is pleasasnt, although cavernous, and unlike most Disney dining it didn't seem overrun with hyperactive five-year-olds (mine notwithstanding). The wine list included several reasonable South African choices by the glass or bottle. There was a separate area with kid-friendly foods and an extensive selection of desserts. It was by far the best meal I've had on Disney premises, really much better than you are probably thinking. There is also a nicer restaurant in the same lodge, but we didn't try it with the kids. We don't have any African cuisine in my home town, so I felt like I was trying something I couldn't get at home.

The Pink Pig is close enough to downtown Savannah that you can go there for lunch and be back in a hour. I know many people who call this their favorite BBQ. Those people must be dismissed as ill-informed, even taking into account that BBQ is subject to varying personal tastes. The meat is OK, although a little dry. The sauces are also OK, the Gullah spice being my favorite of the three because it cuts the sweet mustard sauce with some vinegar. The Brunswick stew is thin and unexceptional. Lest you think I'm down on the place, I have eaten there many times and will eat there again. Even average que is better than most of the other things that pass for lunch, and I'll certainly give this place its due as average. It has been quite crowded since receiving mention in Southern Living. If you are a rib eater (I'm more a pulled pork person), in Savannah I recommend the Rib Hut on West Bay Street. I'm kinda prissy about my ribs; I like the St. Louis cut, which these are not. Nonetheless, the pork ribs are meaty, tender and smoky, cooked over wood and quite tasty. Ask for the hot BBQ sauce- it's peppery and, in my personal opinion (strong words to follow), the best BBQ sauce I've had.

I am surprised to read that most seem to favor Publix over Kroger. In Savannah, we have those, Piggly Wiggly, Food Lion and Wal-Mart. The Food Lions here are like everywhere: small, dirty, narrow-aisled and generally preferred by the toothless. There is a Harris Teeter in Hilton Head, but that's 45 minutes away. I find their stores pleasant but expensive. Good wine selection, too. A few years ago they looked at Savannah and deemed us unworthy, so they would have to be much better to justify a 45 minute trip. Piggly Wiggly varies greatly, as the newer stores are OK, but the older ones are like a trip back to the 70s, both in appearance and selection. It's the place to go if you need pig's ears, but somehow that makes me doubt the sushi counter. If it weren't for their cool name, I would dismiss them entirely. Wal-Mart is pretty good for produce and staples, but the meat counter isn't very good and the seafood is worse. I know many people despise Wal-Mart as destroyers of the fabric of American life (fabric now made in China), but they always have frest cilantro, which in a small town makes up for the labor unrest in California. Now the only real choices here: Kroger and Publix. My surprise at others' comments is that my experience here has been the oppposite. Publix are nice, clean and friendly, but their meat selection is dismal and more expensive than Kroger. I once asked for flank steak and was told they don't carry it. Where are they getting cows with no flank? Is it going to you people in "better" places, or maybe luxury hamburgers for the Atlanta crowd? Although Kroger has raised the price of this excellent cut of meat in the last couple years (to the point where you might as well get a strip steak, but that's another story), at least they have it. Contrary to another post, Kroger here always has "unimproved" pork and chicken, although you do have to pay attention lest you take home the version "enchanced with a solution." Here's my biggest complaint with Publix: much of their produce is sold on sytrofoam trays wrapped in cellophane. It's not the synthetics that annoy me, although for the record I have nothing against, say, bamboo trays, wax paper and some glue from a tree that was not harmed in its extraction, but sometimes I don't want four zucchini or 1.23 pounds of sugar snap peas. Plus, even though their labor is non-union, it is apparently the job of someone to make sure that one of the five tomatoes so tantalizingly bulging under smell-proof shrink wrap is of suspicious quality. While no melon thumper, I like to see all six sides of the genetically cubic produce that I take home to my decidedly urbane family. One comment on Ukrops. I was in one several years ago and they sold no alcohol (ethyl, not isopropyl, which while useful, seems to last longer on a per ounce basis). I was told this was because the owners didn't believe in the stuff. Is this true?

If you're a foodie, I would echo Therese's suggestion to check out the Dekalb Farmers Market. The place is absolutely great. It's not a "farmers market" at all; it's the greatest grocery store you're likely to see. For the meat-and-potatoes crowd, maybe some bar-b-que would be in order. Your family probably has a favorite place near home. If not, OB's on I-95 near the McDonough exit is passable, and Fresh Air in Jackson is not that far. The latter is a Georgia institution and, although I wouldn't put it among the top ten in the State, othes do. I don't know if you're from a State that considers bar-b-que a noun or a verb, but it's the South's best example or regional cuisine.

Thanks, Milt, all those place sound great. I'll especially be looking for Champs next time we're up there.

Darien is fairly close to home, so I might be able to offer some additional suggestions. In Darien itself, Archies is as good a call as any. In general, the thing to eat in this area is seafood, mostly of the deep fried variety. There are many small seafood places along US 17, which runs parallel to I-95, including the previously mentioned Pelican Point (which I'm pretty sure is actually closer to Crescent than Midway if you're looking at a map). Of this genre, I like Sapelo Station in Eulonia, but many other places have their following. As also mentioned elewhere, the Georgia Pig is good BBQ, but it's about 20 miles South of Darien on US 82 less than a mile East of I-95 (look left). Expect pulled, smoky meat in sauce on a large hamburger bun, toasted in a sandwich press. The sandwiches and sweet tea are very good, but most of the sides are just OK including, unfortunately, the Brunswick stew (you might expect more in Brunswick). Do not ask for fries; they don't have them and for some reason it is surprisingly annoying to the people behind the counter to have to say so. If you are willing to stray as far off I-95 as Savannah or St. Simons Island your choices increase exponentially (at least the word, if not the concept, should appeal to an engineer). If you're up for the detour, I can offer some possibilities in these towns.

We're road-tripping to DFM Saturday, and I have been told that the samosas at (relatively) nearby Royal Sweets on Lawrenceville Hwy are worth a detour. Anyone able to confirm/deny this?

Whitley's is good in the sense that average BBQ is good, but it's not worth a large detour. I agree with the assessment that Ralph's is just OK, but if I were on 95 I wouldn't bother driving past Ralph's to get to Whitley's. I've been occasionally driving on 95 from GA to VA for many years, and I have yet to find a great BBQ place between Wilson and Richmond.

therese, I’m not sure how long ago you ate at the Olde Pink House, but I’m guessing its been several years. While opinions on restaurants can vary wildly, it’s been a while since you could legitimately call the place dreadful. My wife and I were new to Savannah in 1986 and decided to go there for our first anniversary. Dreadful was an apt description; my “Veal Thomas Jefferson” wasn’t even a good microwave thaw-and eat. We didn’t go back for a long time, but the place changed hands a few years ago. It was purchased by the Balish family out of Charleston, who also owns Garibaldi’s and Bistro Savannah here. All three put out a consistently good meal. There is also a Garibaldi’s in Charleston and Columbia, SC, and they may own other places, as well. The bar in the basement of the Olde Pink House is also nice, especially on cooler nights when the fireplace is accompanying the piano jazz. If I have my local history right, the building that houses the restaurant was the first bank in Georgia (the old vault is now the wine cellar). Teeples is still in Thunderbolt (near Savannah), and it one of my favorite dives. I’m a sucker for the plywood table with the hole in the center (with trash can below, just push the shells through). The steamed oyster tray (remember, you can only get oysters in months that include an “r”) would be a good recommendation, especially with some crab stew or grouper. The plastic cup of crushed ice they float in your plastic pitcher of cheap beer is a classic- who wants tepid American draft? A couple years ago they were the only place, anywhere, where you could get Georgia oysters (not that such is on a level with, say, Virginia ham, but when in Rome...), but I’m not sure if that’s true anymore. Beto, you must have been well advised by someone to have found Sweet Potatoes, as it doesn’t seem like a place you could randomly stumble upon. It’s well thought of by locals and one of the few places worth mentioning on the more suburban “Southside,” although it’s more of a lunch place. The same owners also operate the nearby Toucan Café, which is also a great lunch place (Caribbean slant).

Savannah has several decent upscale choices, especially when you consider it's a pretty small town. I personally think 45 South is the best, but it can be a little formal. Prior posts correctly noted that Elizabeth Terry is no longer the chef at Elizabeth on 37th, but it is still a favorite of many. Visitors seem to enjoy their inclusion of "Southern" ingredients, although I sometimes find the effort forced. Most Southerners ate grits, shrimp, country ham, collard greens and even red eye gravy (that’s ham drippings and black coffee) growing up, but never in a cast iron skillet timbale. Most Southerners also blanch at the idea of paying $7 for grits, even good grits. Other good places downtown include Suzabelle's (noisy w/ live piano but fun) Garibaldi's (always order from the many "specials" on the chalk board, never off the menu), the Olde Pink House (nice setting in a late 1700s building), Sapphire Grill (serious wine list), Jean Louise (small, and you mostly eat what the chef feels like cooking) and Il Pasticcio (pretty good Italian, but that may not be what you have in mind). Of these, I would probably say Suzabelle’s is closest to Southern regional cuisine, but all are good. Garibaldi's and The Pink House have common ownership; their signature dish is a whole, crispy scored flounder in an apricot shallot sauce. If you will venture as far as Tybee (the local beach), Georges’ and Tango are both very good. It’s about 20 minutes from downtown. For lunch, I agree that Mrs. Wilkes is good food, and a good chance to taste several Southern dishes served family style (from communal bowls you pass around the table). Most locals don’t eat there, not because it isn’t good, but because there’s always a long line (you can get carry out from the back door, and one lunch will feed two people). Another place popular with visitors and locals is The Lady and Sons. Very Southern. Most people get the buffet, which is quite good for buffet food. Paula Deen, the owner, has a show on the food channel, so this place can get quite crowded, too. Lesser known but great Southern food can also be found at Queeny’s a Go Go. A more refined lunch can be had at 1790 Inn, which is more of a white tablecloth place than the others. It’s in an old inn and quite reasonably priced. Good crab cakes. For an adventure, find Walls Bar-B-Que on an unpaved lane (we don’t have alleys in Savannah) downtown. The only breakfast worth noting is at The Breakfast Club on Tybee. Excellent eggs florentine. It’s OK to get potatoes instead of grits. If you have more specific preferences, I’ll try to be less general. I hope you will enjoy your visit; it's a great time of year to be here.

I should also add that the food at the Plantation is for the most part institutional in character, although the cheeseburgers served poolside by the main beach club are excellent.

You can no doubt get better advice from a local (try Bookstore Bill in the book store on Centre Street; he likes to talk about restaurants), but here's a start. There are quite a few good restaurants in Fernandina (about a 15 min drive from the Plantation). Beech Street Grill (www.beechstreetgrill.com) has long been considered the best all around. Slightly more formal is Horizon's. Both are good choices for local seafood that is not simply breaded and fried (not that there's anything wrong with that). Both have a good wine list and professional wait staff. I would call Beech Street bistro food, while at Horizon's they fuss over the sauce. For the just plain seafood crowd, the Golden Grouper does a nice job. If money is no object, the Ritz Carlton on Amelia has a great restaurant. It's even closer than Fernandina. Lots of game and, of course, seafood. Unless the policy has changed, coat and tie required, which is unusual for the coast. If you're up for a drive, Myra Jean's is hidden on a river near Ponte Vedra. It'll probably take 45 min to get there (you take A1A South, using the ferry to cross over at Mayport). The drive is interesting and goes fast. Myra Jean's has some of the best crab cakes ever, served with (surprisingly) traditional Southern vegetables. It’s extremely casual. If you’re looking in a phone book, make sure you’re looking in Ponte Vedra, not Jacksonville or Fernandina. As for carousing, I would second the above-recommended O’Kanes. Not to be missed is The Palace, which claims to be Florida’s oldest bar and has the layers of stickiness to prove it. For an interesting mix of locals and tourists, check out Slider’s about half way between the Plantation and Fernandina. Go late and be prepared for a dive.

Thanks for the link on dim sum; I'm now ready for a trip to the big city. I also concur on the DeKalb Farmers Market, which is often the reason we visit Atlanta in the first place. We would eat ten times better if we had consistent access to that place.

For the record, I am among those who think the Varsity is great. Not the food, of course, but the place. When I pass through a town and want to eat, I hope to stumble on its version of the Varsity- some place that’s been around forever, has some character, maybe a quirky signature food. Institutions that often leave you wondering how they managed to survive so long but also leave you with a better feeling for the town that supported them. In Atlanta, in addition to the Varsity, I would place the Majestic and the Silver Skillet in that category (but only for breakfast; I have some standards). I know nothing of dim sum in Atlanta- are these places on Buford Highway? Does either do the cart?

I have only fond memories of the Gus Burger, which I always believed were not to be consumed during normal eating hours. I will be in Charlottesville this Summer with the family, and I have decided my ten-year-old must experience the pleasures of the White Spot, complete with the obligatory story on the origin of its name. I do not know how it will taste during the day. Do I understand that you can now get a Grillswith @ the Spot? That formerly required a short stroll to the now defunct University Diner.

I know this is a site for gastronomes, but how about your favorite place to eat in the Atlanta area for under 10 bucks? I'll start by nominating Havana Cafe on Buford Highway near Druid Hills; great cheap cuban food in a place with a sense of history if not spotlessness.

It may be too late for you to care, but there seem to be two versions of Benne wafers. The first are almost paper thin (thinner than ginger snaps) and sweet, and probably too brittle to fill. The others are coarser, grainier (kinda like a small oatmeal cookie) and usually have cayenne in them. These would be intesting to fill, although perhaps not with butter cream. Either way, they're supposed to bring good luck.

I agree that Fat Matt’s is mediocre at best, and Harold’s does not deserve its reputation unless you are just there for the cracklin’ corn bread. Dusty’s is pretty good; I like the vinegary sauces. The beat Que I’ve found so far inside the perimeter is at Aleck’s, which is on MLK near one of the colleges (I’m not from Atlanta, but you go West on MLK off 75/85 and it’s on the right. Great sauce and smoky meat, although the place probably isn’t the most sanitary you ever saw. Haven’t been there in a while, so I can’t swear its still there, but it looks like one of those places that will go on forever. Outside the perimeter, I recommend Hudson’s in Douglasville, although maybe not strictly w/in your 20 mile radius. North Georgia style (vinegar). I have also heard rumors for years about a great place in Austell (which I was told was called Austell BBQ), but I haven’t found it. I always pictured Austell as compact, but when I went there it was the same sprawl as everywhere else. The local phone book was no help, so I drove about aimlessly for a while and found nothing but Olive Gardens and Ruby Tuesdays. While I’m sure Lawen’s offer is superior, if you make it to Newnan I would suggest a trip to Sprayberry’s, which is another of the perennial top ten in the state. On 75 South, try Fresh Air in Jackson. Although I think it’s overrated, it’s an institution, and everyone should try it once just for the sawdust floor.

Skip Castro was playing when I was there (maybe still is). I remember Eastern Standard as being one of the first good restaurants on the Mall, but I could seldom afford to eat there (you could get lunch at the White Spot for $1.99). Best meal I ever had in Charlottesville was at the C&O; don't know if it's still there.

sextons, I believe there is a trail to White Oak Canyon from the Syria side, as well. We’ll definitely check that out. If it’s the one I remember, it’s at least a half day affair, which may be a bit long as I usually end up carrying the younger girl. I also didn’t know about the restaurant at Barboursville; thanks for the tip. JPW, good food advice. I’ve been to the Bavarian Chef a few times, albeit 20 years ago. For some reason I thought it was gone. I was also told by a friend that the Pig-N-Steak (which he said was in Madison) was “my kind of place,” although I’m never sure how to take that.