Sadly, I've just heard from a friend that Mrs. Wilkes passed away Oct. 31, 2002 at the age of 95. Anyone who has eaten here knows it was a Savannah tradition and institution, as was she. She started the 11 AM sitting every day for years with a short prayer, and was a warm and hospitable presence in the dining room until the last diner had finished and carried his dishes to the kitchen.

Although the restaurant is traditionally closed in January, the person who told me of her death, said that family members are evaluating continuing the with business.

What an instituition! I was so sad to hear this news.

Funny story. Yes, we heard about it too, but in November stopped in Savannah overnight and had breakfast at Wilkes. There was a seemingly very old man, on a cane, who guarded the cash register. When we went to pay our check, I said, "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about Mrs. Wilkes. Was she your wife?" To which this man replied, calmly, "Thank you, no she was my grandmother."

Don't you hate when you do things like that? 'Course, as a tourist you're forgiven. You probably had no idea how old she was...but don't ever ask a woman when her baby is due. There *is* no out for that one.

I certainly hope they don't close, but even her daughter, who was always in the dining room with her, is getting up in years. I don't think it would be the same outside the family, unless my mother-in-law ran it. Then the food and probably even the prayer would be the same! gt;

Here's more info for anyone interested:

http://www.savannahnow.com/stories/0...rsWilkes.shtml

I'll be in Savannah in a few weeks and was hoping to go to Mrs. Wilkes' based on all the previous comments here. Sorry to hear about her passing.

Any idea how i could find out if the family will be re-opening the restaurant?

I'll always treasure my autographed copy of Mrs. Wilkes' cookbook. Such sad news.

My family is from the South so while the food is very good, it's basically like eating at Grandma's for us. I'll never forget sitting at one of the big tables with an architect and his wife visiting from Manhattan. The guy just couldn't get over the food. When I mentioned that we eat good Southern cooking like that all the time and take it for granted, he looked at me with this sad look in his eyes and just said, "Don't."

Thanks, Mrs. Wilkes, for the wonderful memories!!

Although those meals seem to be artery-clogging specials, there's another way to look at them. Take one piece of that wonderful fried chicken and just a small slice of that wonderfully cured ham and try (just try to stop with only one homemade biscuit), but then enjoy the 6 to 10 vegetables. Where else but in good old southern cooking to you find so many vegetables (OK, let's forget about the sugar laden sweetpotatoes -- I'm talking about the greens, okra, squash, green beans, fresh sliced tomatoes, etc.).

Patrick, those weren't the healthist vegies. "Southern style" vegies usually have some lard in there somewhere. And the cooked to mush vegies migh taste good, but aren't the best nutrition wise. I have nothing against breaded, fried okra or any vegie cooked until they are mush but have realized it's not the same thing as lightly steamed or raw.

Now I'm craving fried chicken and sweet potatoes and biscuits (love the lard!) and cooked to mush vegies.

Darn you, ncgirl, can't you let us have our illusions? I'd like to make myself believe something about that meal was healthy. Sort of like when a friend of mine orders a huge piece of apple pie alamode and says, "oh, but apples are good for you.

I love illusions. I love the apple pie story. I love green beans with fat back. And tell you friend to keep ordering the ice cream, because we all need more calcium in our diet (it's good for the bones).

You must know my friend. That's his other line, while downing a huge milkshake -- "the doctor said I could use more calcium."