Savannah

My husband and I are foodies and proud of it. We both are users of Yelp (David more so than me), and add reviews to the site when we visit different restaurants, businesses and events. We’re also fairly vocal about our adventures on our Facebook accounts, so we often get questions asking for recommendations to various places. The most common locations people ask about being Nashville (where we live), Las Vegas (where we go annually for a conference David attends), Detroit (where David is from) and Savannah (where we got married). I decided to put something together officially so that I can just point people to my blog when they ask. Here’s my recommendations for Savannah, Georgia.

I am from Nashville, and David is from Detroit. We didn’t want to have the wedding here or there and make just one side of the family travel, so we decided to have a destination wedding. I love the beach but didn’t want a beach wedding, so I thought a garden would be cool. Through my searches for garden weddings, I ended up falling in love with Savannah. We got married in Forsyth Park in front of the big fountain.

It’s not a bad drive from Nashville; I think it was around 8 hours. We stopped in Juliette, Georgia on the way there to go to the Whistle Stop Café from Fried Green Tomatoes. It’s probably not a restaurant that interests everyone, but the town and the café was the location used in the movie. It’s a little off the beaten path, but I thought it was worth it. It has a very “country town nostalgic” feeling in the atmosphere and menu.

On the way back from Savannah, we stopped at The Varisty in downtown Atlanta. It’s definitely a great place to experience but far from healthy eating. It’s been around since 1928 and one of those must-see places (at least once) if you’re in Atlanta.

In Savannah, we stayed in 3 different places while we were there…two different Bed and Breakfast Inns (The Eliza Thompson House & The Forsyth Park Inn) and a more modern hotel (Oglethorpe Inn & Suites). Neither of us had ever stayed in a B&B, so we didn’t know what to expect. We found that we’re probably too modern for them. The first one we stayed in was tiny and the second one we stayed in was fairly hot (in February, even at night) and was next to a very busy road. They were both very charming, and the innkeepers were incredibly sweet. I’m glad we got the experience, but I think we’ll keep to modern hotels from here on out.

Wherever you stay, I do recommend staying in the historic area. You can pretty much walk everywhere if you’re not opposed to walking a few miles a day. Most places are within a half mile to a mile of each other. There are several more modern places to stay on Bay Street. My parents stayed at the Comfort Inn & Suites on West Bay, and they had a nice room. A friend of mine stayed at the Holiday Inn on Bay Street and enjoyed it there. David’s family stayed a few miles from the historic area, and I found it rather inconvenient compared to staying closer to everything. It didn’t seem like it was far away, but there are tons of traffic lights, so 6 miles away turned into a 20 minute or more drive to get to everything in downtown Savannah, plus you had to pay to park.

One other thing to note is that it’s incredibly humid there. My hair went nutso, and I was sticky sweaty most of the week, even in February/March. I’ve heard it’s like that all year long. I can’t imagine what it’s like in the summer!

Some places I would recommend:

Leopold’s Ice Cream – Very popular and owned by a Hollywood filmmaker whose family started the ice cream shop in 1919.
The Olde Pink House – Rather expensive but worth it at least once. Make Reservations!
Corleone’s Trattoria – Italian, not much more to say J
The Lady & Sons – Possibly overrated but worth at least one visit once in your life. Buffet-style.
The Pirates House – Historic home turned pirate-themed restaurant, but not too cheesy or anything. The food was delicious!
Lulu’s Chocolate Bar – Next door to Corleone’s. Fantastic desserts and dessert beverages for adults.
700 Drayton – We had our wedding reception here. The food and service is fantastic! It’s right next to Forsyth Park and part of the Mansion at Forsyth Park (hotel).
Some other places I would recommend seeing:
Forsyth Park – You can’t go to Savannah without visiting!
Planet Fun – Retro toys and games
The Spice & Tea Exchange of Savannah
The Salt Table
Nourish
Savannah Bee Company
Bonaventure Cemetery
Tybee Island
6th Sense Ghost Tour – Still fun and interesting even if you’re a skeptic.
Savannah’s Candy Kitchen – Pralines and Chocolates made there!
Oglethorpe Trolly Tours – Or any of the tours. I think this one had the best deal at the time.

Places I don’t recommend checking out:

Sakura – Fairly bland sushi, but cheap
Mercer Williams House – Somewhat interesting to see if you saw Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil, but otherwise the tour just shows off Jim William’s possessions and collections. They don’t even let you go upstairs.
Wright Square Café – Average tasting but expensive sandwiches
Wild Wing Cafe – Just go to Buffalo Wild Wings…much better