11 Things to See and Eat in Savannah, Georgia

There are many reasons I’m thankful I moved back down South, but getting to travel every weekend absolutely tops the list. Being able to pack up the car and drive to a different state is so refreshing. No train hopping, no stinky people rubbing too close to you on the subway, no cries of “SHOWTIME!” to interrupt sightseeing. (That last one may be a bit of a stretch, but if you’ve ever been on a subway in NYC you know what I’m talking about.)

I’ve been lucky enough to get to see Savannah twice in as many months, and you better believe I’ll be back again. The art scene is fantastic thanks to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), the historic district is well-kept, and the food is seriously some of the best I’ve eaten. 

1.     Forsyth Park (bonus points if you go during the Saturday farmers’ market)
All those fountain photos you always see associated with Savannah? Yeah, that’s here. Stroll the park and take in all the stunning Spanish moss. My mom took a historic tour the day before the gentleman and I arrived, so she played unofficial tour guide. If you’re interested in learning the history behind all the statues in the park, a traditional tour is a must. The Saturday farmers’ market isn’t huge, but the blackberry popsicle vendor saved my life in the afternoon heat.

2.     700 Drayton Restaurant
The boutique hotel (The Mansion on Forsyth Park) located next to this restaurant is awesome, but definitely a splurge (like romantic vacation kind of splurge). You can feel like you’re in on the fun, though, by visiting 700 Drayton. Decorated in the same style as the hotel, the restaurant is bursting with lots of cool artwork and the upstairs bar is cozy. The food itself was good, but I think it’s worth going inside just to check out the funky vibe.

3.      Savannah Bee Company
Beyond the obvious bee-related products like honey and lipbalm, stop into the Savannah Bee Co. for a mead tasting. For $5 you try five meads, and can of course revisit any you really like. Make sure to try a piece of honeycomb with apple, and definitely wash it down with a ginger beer.

4.     The Historic District
The historic district as a whole is full of interesting architecture and photo opportunities. SCAD took a lot of the old historic buildings and restored them for classrooms/dorms/libraries/etc. Definitely take the time to wander into whatever random shops catch your eye. We stumbled into some really cool antique stores just because we liked the outside architecture of the building (see left).

5.    The Salt Table
This place has every kind of salt imaginable. Sriracha salt? Check. Salt specifically for popcorn? Check. Salt that tastes like Spanish moss? Check. As an avid cook, I've always wanted a Himalayan salt plate, and, yup, they have those too. There's also a whole wall of sugar products if your tastes are so inclined. The shop hosts wine tastings downstairs featuring local bottles if you're feeling a bit parched while shopping.


6.    Nourish 
In need of some pampering? Head over to Nourish. My mother is now BFF with all the ladies who work here. Definitely try one of the company's fizzing bath bombs, along with any and all of the amazing smelling soaps. I also bought loofah seeds so I can grow my own loofah tree! How cool!? The best deal, however, comes from what the store calls "grab bags." For $18, you get $40 worth of products. The catch is that you don't know what's inside until you take them home. I wasn't originally going to get one, but totally got suckered in (and I'm glad).

7.     Leopold’s
Best ice cream, ever. The flavors change every month and the shop itself hasn’t been updated in years; you’ll feel like you stepped back in time.

8.    City Market
This area has tons of cool little shops, but my favorites finds are below:

• Savannah Candy Kitchen
  

Three words: rice krispie treats. These puppies are your favorite childhood snack on steroids. Get ‘em covered in chocolate, rolled in nuts – you name it! They gladly give out free samples of salt water taffy, and you’ll get a toothache from just looking at all the sweets available.

• Peach Sangria
  

Peach sangria is the greatest thing ever invented. Especially when you’re pouring sweat in the middle of August. The Café at City Market came up with the genius idea of making a to-go line right outside the restaurant, and I bow down to them. The sangria was so refreshing and the perfect thing to sip on when you have to walk nearly a mile back to your hotel.

• Byrd’s Cookies
  

These bite-size pieces of fun are available in tons of different flavors. My favorite, of course, were the key lime coolers, but they do a pretty good job of emulating black and white cookies, too.

9.    B Tillman
Before heading to Tybee Island, we went to brunch at B Tillman. The restaurant is actually attached to the Byrd cookie factory, so you get sugar cookies with your coffee. We went before the church crowd had let out, so we basically had the whole place to ourselves. My meal is the one pictured above: a burger topped with a fried green tomato, a fried egg and pimiento cheese. Decadent, yes, but totally worth every single calorie.

10.   Tybee Island Lighthouse
We honestly didn't stay at Tybee Island too long, but it was fun to climb the lighthouse and see the nearby beach. If you like "old shit," as my mom fondly calls it, there are lots of little cabins on the property for you to explore. Admission is $9.


11.   The Florence + Pacci Italian Kitchen & Bar
I'm putting these two restaurants together just because I couldn't tell you which one I liked more. Both just recently opened in Savannah, and both focus on Italian food. The Florence had more adventurous pastas (I got the pepperoni ragu with sardines, squid and calabrian olives), while the coca-cola short ribs at Pacci were fall-off-the-bone good.

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