My Places to Visit in Savannah

If you ever find yourself in Savannah, here a few places I recommend:

1. Moon River. This is the only local beer source. The brewpub is on Bay St., meaning unless you're staying at a nearby hotel, parking can be a bitch (although if you circle the square behind that block and duck between the church and bank, you'll usually find a good metered spot and there's a parking deck within in a reasonable walking distance). The food here isn't really stellar, but it isn't bad either. The brewers are pretty good though, so stopping in for a beer is advised. Actually, I recommend always sampling the local beer whenever possible no matter where you are, but this place is definitely a worthy stop.

2. The Lady and Sons. Honestly, if you grew up in the South and have had good Southern cooking, then you could probably skip this place and not miss out. I know a place in Wrens, GA, run by Mennonites that makes the same type of food just as well (better when it comes to mac and cheese) but serves it up more cheaply and without the issue of having to plan ahead to eat there. They actually put out a hostess in front of the restaurant at 9:30 a.m. for you to reserve a table for lunch or supper and it's a first-come, first-serve deal. K didn't get there until 11 a.m. and the earliest spot available was 2:30 p.m. If you wait to show up until you're ready to eat, you won't get a spot. The food was actually really good, but I probably won't go back. I'm not really a Paula Deen fan (although I don't begrudge her the success she's earned) and I honestly prefer to travel without making plans until about 30 seconds before acting on that plan. If I could eat there without having to plan ahead, I'd eat there again in a heartbeat.

3. The Savannah Bee Company Store. K and I found this place by accident on Friday night during our walk about after settling in at the hotel. They were hosting a party celebrating the store's opening earlier in the week and were turning off the lights to kick people out (it was getting pretty late) so we didn't go in the first time, but we made sure we'd know where to go to find it on Saturday. The store looks amazing. It's a lot like those boutique clothing stores you see in elite shopping districts where there's a lot of open space and interior design is held in high esteem. The packaging is much more interesting than your usual assortment of plastic bears and Mason jars most honey comes in. The big container is a tall, tapering bottle, much like I've seen icewine in before. These big bottles are used as decoration almost as much as they are for sale, clever lighting creating a glow of varying shades of amber depending on the variety of honey. Even better is the big bar at the front of the store where they have several varietal honeys on offer for sampling. A lot of people don't realize that all honey doesn't taste the same. Just on the four offered there was the mild and lightly sweet Acacia glowing palely while next to it the darker Black Sage exploded in an almost cloying richness. They all have that part of the taste that makes honey honey, but if you taste the varietals side-by-side, you get a much better appreciation for how much difference the nectar makes.

4. Vinnie Van Go-Go's. The kitchen is housed in the sliver of a the very end of a building in the City Market area and all of the seating is pretty much outside. Great pizza though. K really liked her oddly shaped calzone. My giant slice of pepperoni, onions and sun-dried tomatoes was delicious. It's one of those places with the perfect pizza crust. Those places are rare. I'll definitely be eating there again.