Favorite restaurants in Savannah
Mar 31st, 2017, 09:07 AM
#21
Thanks eks!
Actually, my great-aunt owned and ran two boarding houses in DC and served senators and representatives lunch every day. She remarried, moved to DC with her new husband and he turned out to be not such a great catch. She bought one, then another and both were popular lunch spots for those on Capitol Hill. She was about to buy her third, when her Papa remarried and decicded to move to Florida. All of the "girls" (adult women in their 50s) sold their property and followed him to Florida in the 50s. She was quite the businesswoman there (insurance and real estate). But back to boarding house cooking - like Mrs. Wilkes, the cooking is true southern (and I'm sure midwestern in some cases) country cooking. Nothing fancy, but what people ate every day at lunch. I grew up watching my great-grandfather enjoying a similar spread each day for dinner, but he'd work it all off and have his buttermilk and cornbread at night. We'd eat leftovers and often it was a biscuit with sliced ham and a side of veggies. Pie safes were really used to store leftovers, because of limited space in "iceboxes". Of course, they had "Frigidaires" by the time I was a kid, but my great-grandmother still used that pie safe. They weren't big on dessert, but he always had a saucer with sorghum syrup to "sop" his biscuit in for something sweet. Virtually everything came off the farm, in one way or another, and he'd head back out to work in the garden all afternoon. I like Mrs. Wilkes for a variety of reasons, but they include serving as a bridge to my past that's one generation away. I consider it "good food". Healthy? Given that everyone lived to be 85+, most in their 90s and one to 106, I don't give a lot of credence to the "not healthy" POV. We can't / shouldn't eat that kind of dinner every day at lunch, because we don't do manual labor for 10 hours a day...but that doesn't mean it's unhealthy to eat every once in a while. If you are a vegan, you're pretty much out of luck though. There's meat in veggies for flavoring and dairy in a lot of things. I have a friend (raised in Boston) who is a vegan...until it's time for our monthly pot lucks.
Actually, my great-aunt owned and ran two boarding houses in DC and served senators and representatives lunch every day. She remarried, moved to DC with her new husband and he turned out to be not such a great catch. She bought one, then another and both were popular lunch spots for those on Capitol Hill. She was about to buy her third, when her Papa remarried and decicded to move to Florida. All of the "girls" (adult women in their 50s) sold their property and followed him to Florida in the 50s. She was quite the businesswoman there (insurance and real estate). But back to boarding house cooking - like Mrs. Wilkes, the cooking is true southern (and I'm sure midwestern in some cases) country cooking. Nothing fancy, but what people ate every day at lunch. I grew up watching my great-grandfather enjoying a similar spread each day for dinner, but he'd work it all off and have his buttermilk and cornbread at night. We'd eat leftovers and often it was a biscuit with sliced ham and a side of veggies. Pie safes were really used to store leftovers, because of limited space in "iceboxes". Of course, they had "Frigidaires" by the time I was a kid, but my great-grandmother still used that pie safe. They weren't big on dessert, but he always had a saucer with sorghum syrup to "sop" his biscuit in for something sweet. Virtually everything came off the farm, in one way or another, and he'd head back out to work in the garden all afternoon. I like Mrs. Wilkes for a variety of reasons, but they include serving as a bridge to my past that's one generation away. I consider it "good food". Healthy? Given that everyone lived to be 85+, most in their 90s and one to 106, I don't give a lot of credence to the "not healthy" POV. We can't / shouldn't eat that kind of dinner every day at lunch, because we don't do manual labor for 10 hours a day...but that doesn't mean it's unhealthy to eat every once in a while. If you are a vegan, you're pretty much out of luck though. There's meat in veggies for flavoring and dairy in a lot of things. I have a friend (raised in Boston) who is a vegan...until it's time for our monthly pot lucks.
Jun 16th, 2017, 07:48 AM
#23
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I love the kind of food served at Mrs. Wilkes and other similar places. My early childhood was spent in small town Georgia and I well remember those great "dinner(lunches)" Starrs described. The men would come home from work (offices or whatever) for the big midday meal. My mouth is watering just thinking about all that wonderful Southern cooking - which was lost to me after many moves to big cities in other parts of the country. When I visit my Southern relatives I relish the food!
Anyway, I'll be in Savannah in July for an event, then on my own as a "tourist" for a couple of days and would love to go to Mrs Wilkes. However, I'm hesitant as I'm not sure I could take the hour (or plus!) wait standing in line, especially in the July heat. Unfortunately, I'm not a wimp, just old! I'll just have to decide when I get there, but at least there are some other good restaurant ideas here, so thanks.
Anyway, I'll be in Savannah in July for an event, then on my own as a "tourist" for a couple of days and would love to go to Mrs Wilkes. However, I'm hesitant as I'm not sure I could take the hour (or plus!) wait standing in line, especially in the July heat. Unfortunately, I'm not a wimp, just old! I'll just have to decide when I get there, but at least there are some other good restaurant ideas here, so thanks.
Jun 19th, 2017, 01:25 PM
#25
Sue4, there will be a line waiting for it to open and a fairly consistent line, but know that you will be seated and served as soon as you enter the restaurant. You may want to wait and go about 1 and the line may be shorter. Hard to predict, but worth the wait. If there are two of you, one can wait in a parked car or a bench nearby and then join the one waiting in the line.
Jun 21st, 2017, 06:36 AM
#26
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Thanks for the reply, Starr's. I'll be alone the day I have free for Mrs. Wilkes. Unless I can talk my granddaughter who lives near Savannah to join me - and stand in line for me! She 20-something, and wouldn't mind the line - but all that butter filled food might not appeal to her, unfortunately. I love it!
I was thinking that maybe going at 1:00 or 1:30 might be less of a wait. I'd prefer a later lunch like that anyway, as I'm staying at a place that supposedly has a fabulous breakfast. It's on Lafayette Square, so not real far from mrs. Wilkes. I could check out the line and decide then, I suppose. Then there's Clary's Cafe close by, which might be good for lunch, too. Simpler, of course. Anyone on here been there?
I was thinking that maybe going at 1:00 or 1:30 might be less of a wait. I'd prefer a later lunch like that anyway, as I'm staying at a place that supposedly has a fabulous breakfast. It's on Lafayette Square, so not real far from mrs. Wilkes. I could check out the line and decide then, I suppose. Then there's Clary's Cafe close by, which might be good for lunch, too. Simpler, of course. Anyone on here been there?
