Savannah & Southward From There

[lapageria]

Howdy, everybody. Have read with great interest the various postings re Savannah and environs. My partner and I live in the Napa Valley (and I work in San Francisco) so we're default foodies.

Have a little place in coastal Darien, Georgia (61 miles due south of Savannah, about 14 miles north of Brunswick--home of kicking shrimp, oysters, clams, blue crabs, and, believe it or not, hackleback sturgeon caviar).

Back for a quarterly jaunt, and wanted to know if anything new is shaking foodwise. We're traveling with a English gal-pal who's never "gone South" so anything "typical" would be great. My other half is an Albany, Georgia native, so he knows Southern food.

So far we've tried Lady & Sons (obligatory visit--Paula went to school with his sister--I found the food a bit dull and the whole "scene" off putting), various fish shacks near Darien, the Old School Diner near Harris Neck/Midway (crazy ambience, interesting food by Chef Jerome, darling of Ben Affleck and Paris Hilton!!!!), Meredith's cooking at Melon Bluff (awesome), Sterlings in St. Mary's (excellent the two times we went), Sapelo Station in Eulonia (New Orleans-style & good--odd service, though. You bring a bottle of wine and they pour the entire thing out at one time into three water glasses!), The Buccaneer near Pine Harbor (scary!!!! fried everything and tons of it).

So, anything I'm missing starting in Savannah and heading south???? Speed's Kitchen is on the list, but it's never open when we're there.

I'm particularly interested in local stuff (smoked mullet, shad row, oyster shacks).

United House of Prayer sound like a winner.....

Unfortunately we no longer do pork (pet pig at home) or beef, but seafood is high on the list as are chicken and game birds.

Thoughts?

Noel in Napa

[annecros]

Oh wow, your partner and I may have gone to high school together. There are only four High Schools total in Albany, Georgia. I went to DHS, a "river rat."

I would suggest hitting Jacksonville. Lady and Sons is great for the tourists, but home folks don't go there cause we can prepare it ourselves.

Mullet and oysters, you need to drive to the panhandle of Florida. It doesn't get better than that.

If you feel like taking a little drive - then Thomasville has a great farmer's market that has a great pile of food prepared homestyle. There is another place up the road in Montezuma Georgia that is oh so good. Southern cooking skillfully prepared by Mennonites. Fantastic and fresh.

Otherwise, I am sure others will chime in here...

I need to make a couple of calls to see what is new and jumping in that part of the country. Take care and have fun!

[robyn]

If you'll be making it as far as the Jacksonville area and/or St. Augustine - I can make some recommendations (I live in the area). Let me know whether you want lunch or dinner suggestions or both. Robyn

[annecros]

If you'll be making it as far as the Jacksonville area and/or St. Augustine - I can make some recommendations (I live in the area).  Let me know whether you want lunch or dinner suggestions or both.  Robyn

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Very nice of you. Sounds like the poster will be in your back yard.

Is the Raintree still open in St. Augustine? I knew the owners once upon a time, and it was a fine place to have a nice meal.

[lapageria]

Not sure if we'll make it much south past St. Mary's. We fly directly into Brunswick, and then dash up the road. But I'll put it all in my file, to be sure!!!

Thank you.

[robyn]

Raintree is still there - I think. Haven't been there in a long time - because there are better places in St. Augustine these days.

Lapageria - if I had to make one recommendation - it would be this. If you're around in January - do an overnight trip to St. Augustine. They're still having the nights of a million lights. The city is all lighted up and it's beautiful. Do some sightseeing in the afternoon. St. Augustine is the oldest city in the US - it has remained relatively untacky - and there are interesting things to see.

Stay at one of the nicer hotels or B&B's downtown. And have dinner at Opus 39 (IMO the best restaurant in the greater Jacksonville area - which includes St. Augustine - these days). Even though you're from Napa - I don't think you'll be disappointed. Being from California - you will probably laugh at the prices.

If you're interested in this trip - I can make more specific recommendations (like the driving route - things to see - etc.). Robyn

[lapageria]

Robyn (and All):

Thank you for the recommendations! I was reading your e-mails outloud to Brandon and he started waxing poetic about St. Augustine. It's one of his favorities. I Googled it, and it's only 120 miles from Darien (2 hours), so we might just give it a go (if not this trip, then in the future).

So, that's a long way of saying, "Yes, please" as to anything and everything recommendation-wise.

Our current trip is January 5 to 17, but we go back frequently and I'm building a database.

As a dedicated foodie-wannabe, y'all will be pleased to hear that my last trip on Delta involved an ice chest full of frozen roasted Chinese ducks, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, preserved lemons, chilies, and curry leaves. Thank goodness no one opened my checked luggage. I wanted to make Thai duck salad for friends, and I knew my chances of finding good roasted duck was slim to nil.

On the return trip, I stock up on Georgia wild shrimp (the shrimp boats dock at the end of my street), which I bring back for my fellow Californians. Even my Hong Kong born-and-raised co-worker gave them a thumbs up.

Believe it or not, our seafood out here in the Bay Area is not so hot, with the excetion of locally raised Hog Island oysters (really incredible) and, of course, our honkin' crabs. I'm tempted to bring a few of those back to the South...LOL.

So, please, continue to fire away with any and all suggestions, and thanks again.

Noel in Napa (and Darien)

[lapageria]

Back from the trip and boy o' boy, United House of Pray rocked!!!!

I'm still thinking about the rice. Also, I have a feeling they've opened another one (UHoP - Madison Cafe). We didn't stop in, but it looked the same (lions, etc.) In the Victorian section of town. I need to investigate that.

Can't recommend UHoP enough. Great people, great price, wonderful food. And do go for the oxtail gravy.

Have been hearing great stuff about Cargo in Brunswick, but haven't tried it.

Back to Christie's there and I can't recommend it. The biscuits were so over the top they fell apart before you could get them out of the basket and tasted of baking soda and salt. Rawish chicken pot pie. Perhaps it was an off day.

BTW, Darien now has a very upscale and reasonable wine & cheese shop (excellent beef and cheese from Thomasville). And The Painted Moon Cafe across the way had a caramel cake which was to die for!!!!!!!

Robyn (and All):

Thank you for the recommendations!  I was reading your e-mails outloud to Brandon and he started waxing poetic about St. Augustine.  It's one of his favorities.  I Googled it, and it's only 120 miles from Darien (2 hours), so we might just give it a go (if not this trip, then in the future).

So, that's a long way of saying, "Yes, please" as to anything and everything recommendation-wise.

Our current trip is January 5 to 17, but we go back frequently and I'm building a database. 

As a dedicated foodie-wannabe, y'all will be pleased to hear that my last trip on Delta involved an ice chest full of frozen roasted Chinese ducks, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, preserved lemons, chilies, and curry leaves.  Thank goodness no one opened my checked luggage.  I wanted to make Thai duck salad for friends, and I knew my chances of finding good roasted duck was slim to nil.

On the return trip, I stock up on Georgia wild shrimp (the shrimp boats dock at the end of my street), which I bring back for my fellow Californians.  Even my Hong Kong born-and-raised co-worker gave them a thumbs up.

Believe it or not, our seafood out here in the Bay Area is not so hot, with the excetion of locally raised Hog Island oysters (really incredible) and, of course, our honkin' crabs.  I'm tempted to bring a few of those back to the South...LOL.

So, please, continue to fire away with any and all suggestions, and thanks again.

Noel in Napa (and Darien)

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[tampabayrealtor]

Robyn--THANK YOU for recommending Opus 39 in St. Augustine, FL. It was nothing short of perfect through and through--food, wine, and service. And really not all that pricey.

We will definitely hit The Tasting Room next time we're in St. Augustine.

We did also find "Collage", a new name in the St. Augustine restaurant scene, and found it to be excellent. It is also in the historic downtown district. They had a quiet and comfortable dining area and fabulous steaks (5 variations) along with some great seafood selections. And their homemade coconut ice cream was awesome!

If anyone is looking for fun quality waterfront dining in St. Augustine, I can recommend "Cap's on the Water" a bit northeast of the historic district off of A1A.

We were thrilled to find such great dining in St. Augustine. We'll be back!

[robyn]

I'm really glad you enjoyed St. Augustine in general - and Opus 39 in particular. Robyn