After getting settled into our Savannah Airbnb, we took a stroll and wandered to find some dinner. We had nothing on our schedule, and starting just below Forsyth Park, we headed down Bull Street through a series of local Squares.
Strolling Through Savannah’s Squares
We wandered through Monterey, Madison, and Chippewa Squares, taking in the scenery and history.
Savannah is well known for its 22 Squares – these are unique green spaces filled with Live Oak Trees, historical monuments, and plenty of benches to sit and people watch.
Probably the most famous of the Square would be Chippewa, best known for the scene in Forrest Gump where Forrest is sitting on the park bench waiting for a bus. Unfortunately, the bench is no longer there and has been moved to the Savannah History Museum.
One of the things we loved about our stroll was walking through Madison Square. The Square was filled with art students from SCAD – The Savannah College of Art and Design – sketching the 15-foot-tall bronze sculpture of Sargent William Jasper. From charcoals and pastels to touch screen computers, they all looked unique and different.
The Common Restaurant
We eventually landed on Broughton Street, lined with shops, unique restaurants, and pubs. We decided to check out a place called Common Restaurant.
When traveling, we have one primary rule: we don’t eat places that we can eat a home. Truthfully, we rarely eat at chain restaurants, but we try to focus on local foods when we travel. Or, at least foods with fun local twists.
They offered outdoor seating, but the inside, located in a 140-year-old building, provided lots of space between the tables. As it was still Happy Hour, we decided to share some appetizers and have a cocktail.
Cocktails
Mark, not a Bourbon drinker, went way out of his comfort zone and tried their Bacon Old Fashion. Bacon infused Bourbon with a Brown Maple Simple Syrup and Bitters. We found it a bit on the sweet side, but the Bacon was a great addition. Chuck stayed the course with his Gin and Tonic – we did find it odd that they only have dehydrated fruit. The dehydrated Lime slice added nothing to the cocktail.
We found it interesting that the servers seem to be carding everyone. While we were old enough to be her father, the server handled the situation well.
Oysters and Nibbles
While they were out of a few dishes, they did offer .50 Raw Oysters! Mark went for a dozen, which were fresh and delicious. The Cocktail Sauce made with Bhuna, a medium spicy curry, was excellent, something we’ll try at home! However, the Sangria Mignonette lacked acid. It tasted like Red Wine with nothing else.
Chuck picked the Smoked Pork Sliders. This was a fun twist on what we would have expected in BBQ country. The three Pork Sliders came with Pineapple Slaw, Asian Pickles (on the side for Chuck), and Gochujang Sauce on Hawaiian Rolls. Great dish. We could have eaten a dozen!
And, we opted to share the Pub Poutine Fries. Crisp Fries with a homemade Cheese Sauce, LOTS of chopped Bacon, and Scallions. We enjoyed these, they might have been a little heavy-handed with salting the Fries, or it could have been a combination of the Fries, Cheese Sauce, and Bacon.
Overall not a bad first meal in Savannah. The service was excellent, the place was cute, and their entrees had some interesting dishes.
Leopold’s Ice Cream
It’s hard to go to Savannah and not get Leopold’s Ice Cream. Judging by the lines we’ve seen in YouTube videos, we’re not the only ones that feel that way. Fortunately, the line moved pretty quickly.
We’re both Ice Cream junkies – we don’t do dessert often but really enjoy well-made ice cream. Leopold’s has been around since 1919, is a Savannah landmark, and claims to be the home of Tutti Frutti Ice Cream.
Leopold’s Tutti Frutti Ice Cream combines Rum ice cream with Candied Fruit and fresh Georgia pecans. While Candied Fruit is not our thing, there were close to thirty other flavors to choose from. We went with:
The Savannah Socialite – Milk and Dark Chocolate Ice Creams bursting with roasted Georgia Pecans and swirled with Bourbon-infused Caramel.
And, the Chocolate Chewies & Cream – Crispy Chewy Chocolate Cookies with Georgia Pecans in their Classic Vanilla Ice Cream.
Both were excellent, and for future reference, if Chocolate, especially Dark Chocolate, is involved, it’s probably Chuck’s.
Not bad for our first night in Savannah. Lots of great food, and we enjoyed a low-key walk through the historic district.
