Savannah Sojourn--2
by Kurt Epps—The PubScout
We’ve always wanted to see the city Willam Tecumseh Sherman presented to Lincoln as a Christmas gift in December of 1864—Savannah, Georgia.
And with CCF (Covid Cabin Fever) setting in and restricting so much freedom of movement, we decided to head south for a few days with friends for the four-hour trip.
What follows is an account—reasonably condensed to cover three days in three successive posts— of our visits to local eateries and pubs, and there were many from which to choose. I’ve included a star rating for each place based on quality of food, diversity of beer and general ambience, with five stars being the highest.
Day Two
A rainy morning prompted us to hop aboard the 15-stop, hop-on hop-off City Trolley, and, protected from the elements, we took the extended tour of the historic district, which included informative, interesting background you would not get were you simply walking around on your own.
But we eventually made our way down to the river bank, which is lined with shops, restaurants and bars. It was in this area that we had been advised to visit a restaurant called Vic’s on the River by a friend familiar with the best of Savannah. She suggested Vic’s for a memorable lunch.
And Vic’s, an impeccably-appointed, classy, five-story building did not disappoint. I wanted to try different she-crab soups, and our friend had distinctly recommended Vic’s. And, the day being still somewhat drizzly and overcast, that soup sounded most inviting.
Before it arrived however, Angie and I noticed an appetizer that called out to both of us—Crawfish Beignets. If you’re even slightly fond of that particular crustacean, I have just three words: don’t miss them.
The same goes for the she-crab soup that followed them, except there are only three letters this time: OMG. While the soups at other places were absolutely delicious, none topped Vic’s in my book. Creamy, perfectly seasoned and chock full of huge crabmeat chunks, it probably could serve as a complete meal.
Vic’s had Southbound’s Hoplin on the beer menu, and recalling how well it accompanied my Shrimp Carbonara the night before, I ordered it again. I was rewarded with yet another great pairing.
The missus ordered the Fried Green Tomato appetizer (again, as advised by her friend) and she and Angie each had a Grilled Vegetable Salad they thoroughly enjoyed. Ty, ever the adventurous gourmand, ordered Grilled Octopus and a Caesar’s Salad. Vic’s earned 5 stars.
Because Vic’s, as advertised, sits directly on the river, it offers a special ambience, as well as a bird’s eye view of the giant sternwheeler, the Georgia Queen. Yet, as impressive as that riverboat is, it’s often dwarfed by the unbelievably massive—and disturbingly top-heavy to my eye—container ships that ply the river. I’m always impressed by how something that large moves so silently through the water. It’s like watching a floating city block of high-rise condos glide by.
Spend some time on the River Walk. It’s probably even more impressive on a sunny day.
The Crystal Beer Parlor was also high on our friend’s suggestion list, so after a short afternoon nap, we headed there for dinner. Billed as Savannah’s oldest restaurant (with quite a storied past), there’s nothing fancy about the place. But they pride themselves on great food and libations at a fair price, and we found that to be accurate.
Many historic pictures adorn the walls (as you might expect from the oldest restaurant in the city) and the ambience is quite comfortable. The beer list is also quite impressive, as you’d expect a “beer parlor’s” list to be. Twenty-four good beers, some quite unique, were available from the taps.
I ordered the Shrimp and Grits which were quite good and far too plentiful for me to finish. The Andouille Sausage pieces were large and very tasty, but the shrimp were the stars of the show in both quantity and quality. The grits were creamy, cheesy and perfectly prepared, and I tackled the dish with a Three Taverns DDH DBL Hazy IPA called Cush. It packed an 8.5% punch, but was so well balanced, the high ABV was hardly noticeable. It was a perfect pairing.
The Missus, Angie and Ty enjoyed in-house made veggie burgers, big enough for sharing. Ty had an 8.1% DIPA from Monday Night called Space Lettuce, which he declared came very close to New South's Dirty Myrtle, his favorite. The gals had wine, but since “oenophile” is not in my repertoire, and since my wine usually comes in a box, I did not take note of their choices.
With absolutely zero room for dessert (though they looked and sounded incredible), I opted for a liquid dessert called New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk Banana Coconut 2018. It lived up to its billing, for sure.
At 11%, this Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout should have been the nightcap. Ty and I, however, decided to continue our “tradition” of Grand Marnier in snifters. Whoever poured them was certainly generous, and we enjoyed them immensely.
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