Savannah in July

Savannah, Georgia

I once again had the chance to travel to Savannah, Georgia with Nisheet. He was on business. I was on vacation. It was bad timing as I had a million and one other things to do, but I couldn’t resist. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to travel with Nisheet on his business trips since I’ve decided to start looking for a job. But anyways, long story short, we ended up back in Savannah. Since I’ve already blogged about Savannah, I’m not going to go into detail of what I did day by day. Instead, I’ll just point out where to eat and the highlights. Let’s start with the attractions first and then move on to the food.

Savannah Attractions

Trolley Tour

I took the free walking tour last time, so this time I took a trolley tour. There are tons of trolley tours, all with decent reviews, so I randomly picked one. I ended up on the Old Savannah Tour. Huge mistake. It was boiling hot outside. Combined with the humidity it felt like 114F. I’m not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to sit on a trolley. Maybe I thought there would be a breeze on my face from the movement. Perhaps I thought they had AC or fans on the trolley. Nope. Nadda. Nothing. It was worse than walking outside in the sunshine. Everyone crammed into a tiny space. And I’m almost positive there was a heater blowing 200F air onto my already hot feet.If you are in Savannah in July, DON’T DO IT! The tour was also more than boring. As we passed each stop we got only a tid bit of information. Someone was born in that house. That building was built in 1876. Very few stories. Nothing to keep me interested. However, the quality of tours highly depends on the guide. I could have just gotten a sucky guide.

I ended up getting off the trolley early because I could not handle the heat for another second. My pants were literally dripping wet when I got off. So gross. So embarrassing. I dashed into the nearest store to cool off which happened to be Paula Deen’s gift shop. I didn’t particularly want to buy anything there, so I pretended to look at sun glasses in the corner. Then I notice him. It was Jamie Deen! Standing right next to me! He was super nice. He even took a selfie with me even though I looked disgusting and drenched in sweat.

Forsyth Park

You can’t go to Savannah and not visit Forsyth Park. Actually, a lot of people don’t make it to this park. But, it’s a real shame. It is beautiful. Forsyth fountain is the main attraction. It is whimsical and peaceful.

Don’t stop here though. Continue further down the path and you will come to the Confederate Memorial. It is dedicated to those who gave their lives fighting for the Confederacy. The interesting fact about this memorial is they were so concerned about it not touching Union soil that it was built in Canada and then shipped by boat to Georgia.

Another spot not to miss in the Park is the rose garden. I almost missed it. Nisheet has been to Savannah countless times and has never seen it. It has high concrete walls, and is off the main path. Once inside, it is a haven of peace. So serene. Full of roses and quiet. When I entered the serene space, an older lady told me a story of how she used to climb the walls and play here as a little girl.

Shopping

I’m not one of those females who can spend an entire day shopping, but I do enjoy it once in a while. And, there are a couple stores in Savannah that deserve some attention. Sure, there are the candy stores with pecan pralines and the famous Byrd cookies. But, the two stores I most adore are Savannah Bee and the SCAD gift shop.

You absolutely must check out Savannah Bee. When you walk in the door, you are greeted with everything honey. Regular honey, honey wine, honey soap, honey creams, honey lip balm, etc. The best part is you get to sample everything. You can taste the honey for teas and try the honey creams. I can’t walk out of this store without buying something.

My other favorite store in Savannah is the SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) gift shop. The reason this shop is so cool is that everything is unique and created by SCAD alumni. They have paintings, sculptures, jewelry, cards, you name it. I snagged a pair of purple earrings made in a 3D printer for myself.

River Street

Walking along Riving Street is another must. Have I mentioned that you can drink outside in Savannah? Well this is the place to do it. Grab a drink (preferably a martini from Jen & Friends – not located on River Street), and walk along the river. There are shops on one side of the street and the river on the other. If you are lucky, one of the humongous cargo ships will sail by.

The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist

The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist is definately worth checking out. Especially when it is hot outside as it is nice and cool inside. I find it provides a peaceful retreat from the busy Savannah squares. Also, it rivals some of the cathedrals in Paris. Have you ever been to Sainte-Chapelle? If not, google it. And, tell me the blue arching ceilings don’t look the same.

Ghost Tour

I have to say, I had very high expectations for a ghost tour in Savannah. It is supposedly one of the most haunted cities in America after all. But at last. Disappointment. Just as with the trolley tour, I think it had to do with our guide. She didn’t seem to believe in ghosts at all. She would tell us what other guides would say and how they were wrong. And, on a 90 minute tour she only told us 3 haunting stories. Most of what she yapped about was history. I didn’t pay for a history tour. I paid for a creepy adult only ghost tour.

Breakfast

Enough with the attractions. On to the eating. My favorite part.

The Double Tree Hotel

The Double Tree served breakfast for a fee, but since Nisheet is a Hilton gold member, we had free coupons. It was alright. Your standard hotel breakfast buffet. They had scrambled eggs, biscuits, potatoes, yogurt… you get the picture. One of the days I ordered a waffle off the menu, and it tasted just like any ordinary waffle. Good, but nothing I’d write home about.

[Breakfast buffet = $15.95]

The Collins Quarter

That being said, Savannah has great breakfast options. My favorite is The Collins Quarter. It must be everyone else’s favorite too because we had quite a long wait. Nisheet had brioche french toast with a berry compote drizzled on top. Pretty amazing, but mine was even better. I had a short rib hash served on hash browns and topped with a fried egg. Absolutely scrumptious! And to wash it down, I had a Vietnamese Ice Coffee. Dark roasted coffee with sweetened condensed milk poured over ice. Oh my!

[French Toast = $12, Short Rib Hash = $14, Vietnamese Ice Coffee = $5]

The Coffee Fox

Next on the list is The Coffee Fox. I didn’t exactly eat breakfast here, but I did have their coffee. Twice. So it counts, right? The thing to get is a horchata latte. Since it is summer, I got it iced. Sweetened Mexican rice milk and a double shot of espresso. It is the perfect way to start your day. What makes this place even better is the amount of power outlets. They have power outlet strips everywhere you look. Makes it the best spot around to bring your laptop and do a little work. Or research attractions for the day. Whichever you prefer.

[Horchata Latte = $3.75]

Cafe M

Lastly, another one of my favorites for breakfast in Savannah is Cafe M. Well… it used to be one of my favorites. When I came last December, this cute little French cafe was new to the area. There was zero wait, excellent service, and delicious food. With that came rave reviews and a lot more customers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy they are doing well. But now there is a long wait and the quality has fallen a bit. The pecan praline latte that I have dreamed about since that last visit now tastes more like cream and coffee and less like pecan praline. I also had the Parisian baguette sandwich. It was very tasty, and it had me wishing I was back in Paris.

[Pecan Praline Latte = $4.40, The Parisian = $7.45]

Treats

Leopolds is THE place to get ice cream in Savannah. Therefore, watch out for lines. If you hit it in the middle of a sunny, humid, summer afternoon the line will be 40 minutes long. Their specialty is Tutti Frutti, but in my opinion they have so many other better flavors. Such as peppermint that has actual peppermint chips in it. Also, one scoop is more than enough. I can’t even finish one scoop.

[Single scoop = $4.00]

Lunch or Dinner

The Grey

Savannah is paradise for foodies, and The Grey is no exception. They are a high-end retro dinner in an old bus terminal. I love how they have restored and kept key features in the terminal. It gives the place charm. The food is heavenly, but it comes with a price tag. If you are trying to make it cheaper, order a couple small plates. We shared a butternut squash risotto and slow cooked lamb roti. Both were delicious, but in hind sight, I wouldn’t have ordered the rice. It was 3 bites. For our dessert, we shared a slice of sweet potato pie. It was the perfect southern ending to an amazing dinner. But let’s not forget the best part of The Grey, the phenomenal cocktails. I had the Maiden’s Blush (because I’m currently in love with absinthe). Nisheet had the Overland Flyer. Both were superb.

[Cocktails = $12 each, Carolina Gold Rice = $12, Lamb Roti = $14, Sweet Potato Pie = $8 ]

Cotton & Rye

Another foodie restaurant is Cotton & Rye. I’ll admit, I was annoyed when we walked in, and I was determined it wouldn’t be good. It was supposed to be a 20 minute walk away. Google maps was wrong. We walked over an hour. And I had on heels. (You better bet we took an uber back to our hotel.) And I was right. It wasn’t good. It was fantastic. I ordered fried chicken and mac-n-cheese. You can’t get much more southern than that! Excellent. The chicken was juicy on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside. And, you could top it with a spicy honey. I’m a connoisseur of mac-n-cheese (just ask my mom). And this one was creamy, cheesy, and perfect.

[Fried Chicken = $19]

Pie Society

Pie society was one of the cheaper places we ate. That is because only I ate there, so I had to pay for it. But, it was still one of the top meals I ate on the trip. I had a thyme and chicken pie, and it was bursting with flavor. The crust was light and flaky too. I planned on saving part of the pie for Nisheet. But… that didn’t happen. Anyways, definitely check it out. They have so many tempting looking pies. And, some of them are sweet too!

[Chicken and Thyme Pie = $7.99]

Belford’s Savannah Seafood & Steak

I don’t like blaming things on other people. But, I’m going to blame eating at Belford’s on Nisheet’s co-workers. It is where they wanted to eat. It is a steak restaurant in tourist central, the city market. If that doesn’t sound an alarm bell, I don’t know what does. I’m not much of a steak person, so I ordered BBQ spiced Scottish salmon. Neither is Nisheet, so he ordered the Berkwood Farms pork chop. Neither of us could finish our dishes. The salmon was tender and flaky, but it was over seasoned and super salty. The pork chop was just meh. In my opinion it is over priced mediocre food. But, there is always a line, so what do I know?

[Salmon = $27, Pork Chops = $30]

Vinnie Van Go Go’s Pizza

Vinnie Van Go Go’s will most definately have a line. We were running late to our ghost tour, so we skipped the line and ordered a slice to go. It is a little confusing to do this, so listen up. Go past the hostess and walk inside. About halfway down, order at the cash register. Then, head back outside and wait for your name to be called. You may have to walk back inside to grab your order. The slices are greasy, gigantic, and cheap, just like pizza should be.

[Slice of cheese pizza = $2.75]