Savannah - Day 3

Monday September, 13th

We started the day by wandering across LaFayette Square, and over to the Cathedral of St John the Baptist. It's an enormous Catholic church...the first and largest in the state of Georgia, and it's a must see in Savannah.

Lunchtime came quickly and, after hearing rave reviews about Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House, we decided to go see what all the hype was about. Mrs. Wilke's is located on Jones Street (named the most beautiful street in America by Better Homes and Gardens). They don't take reservations, they only take cash and they are only open for lunch (11am-4pm). We wandered the oak-shaded sidewalk of beautiful Jones Street until we crossed at the intersection of Jones and Whitaker, but stopped our quest when we discovered that the line paraded all the way down the block. With a hungry baby in tow, and nearing her nap time, we decided to forgo Mrs. Wilke's for Clary's Cafe, on the corner of Abercorn and Jones.

I think Clary's Cafe is known more for their history (they've been a fixture in Savannah since 1903), and their appearance in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil rather than for their food. The atmosphere was that of a typical diner, but with a little something extra. Maybe it's just that I half expected John Cusak to come walking in the door at any moment. In any case, it was a quaint look at the local life of Savannah, with fewer tourists and more down-home folks.

After lunch, we took a walk, and ended up at a little bakery called the Cupcake Emporium. I was pretty full, but I was determined to take a picture of a dessert for this blog, so I ordered a strawberry cupcake with buttercream frosting. It was ok. I mean, it was a cupcake...how bad could it be. I've never had a cupcake I didn't like, some are just better than others. Personally, I think I could have baked a better cupcake. The cake part wasn't as moist as I'd expected, but the buttercream icing was thick and sweet.

That evening, my mom offered to baby-sit so we could have a "date night," and we happily accepted. To be honest, it took us a while to decide what to do that night. Mike wanted to save money, while my motto is "why? we're on vacation!" We finally came to an agreement and decided to wander down to the river and check out the night life...maybe grab a slice of pizza.

It was Monday night and it wasn't exactly hoppin' down by the river, but we managed to have a good time anyway. First stop was Wet Willy's, a daiquiri bar much like Fat Tuesday, but their daiquiris are stronger, in my opinion. I had a banana daiquiri called "monkey shine," which was enough to give me a slight buzz and make our little night out that much more fun. The river has a strip of tourist-style stores with the typical gift and t-shirt shops, but the best thing is the candy stores. There are two of them...River Street Sweets and Savannah Candy Kitchen...and they each offer free samples of homemade taffy and pralines. We made sure to go to each store and get samples on the way in, and on the way out. There is nothing like a fresh praline, still warm from the oven. The sugary confection literally melts in your mouth.

We never did find any pizza-by-the-slice places, so I convinced Mike to go to the Pirate's House for dinner. Built in1753, it is also a must-see in Savannah. The house has several different dining rooms...little nooks and crannies, updated, yet so antique, its hard not to imagine the pirates, sailors and scalawags that have walked the same old floor boards. The dining room we sat in was very small - just three tables - but quaint and cozy.

Part of the reason we chose the Pirate's House for dinner, is that they serve Chatham Artillery Punch...the official drink of Savannah, or so I thought.  I actually asked several bars on the river if they served the punch, and each one gave me a look like I was either crazy, or a total dork. Chatham Artillery Punch is a crazy drink concocted by women in the 1800's. It's got a real kick...and everyone makes it a little bit different. It's like they threw a whole bunch of left over alcohol into a bowl, added some juice, tea and champagne, and gave it a cool name. I nursed one glass of the punch all through dinner, and I didn't know it had even affected me until I got up to go to the restroom and tried to navigate my way across the 200 year old, slightly unlevel floor of the restaurant. I only stumbled once...not too embarrassing.

For dinner, we ordered their famous Honey Pecan Fried Chicken. It was huge (a half chicken) and came covered in sweet and gooey pecans. We actually shared it and still ended up so full. But not too full to order dessert. Earlier in the evening, before we got our table, we were sitting at the bar next to this woman who ordered the banana bread pudding, and I knew right then and there that we had to try it too. I am, again, ashamed to say that I forgot to take pictures of this meal. This time, I'm going to blame it on the alcohol.