Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

I love the movie Fried Green Tomatoes.  I can't even tell you how many times I've watched it.  It's simply a classic.  Between Fried Green Tomatoes, Gone With the Wind, and Steel Magnolias, it is no wonder I fell in love with the South.

Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed in Juliette, Georgia, and the little hardware store they converted into the Whistle Stop Cafe remains open today as a restaurant.  Since it was along my route to Tennessee, I made sure to time it right to stop in for a bite.  I perused the adorable antique stores nearby (I found some amazing deals!) and sat down at the counter for some fried green tomatoes (of course!), fresh lemonade, and a hot ham & Swiss sandwich.  Yum!  The food was great, and the place looks just like it did in the movie.  It was in the middle of nowhere, with no cell reception, and it's right on the railroad tracks!  (A train even passed through during my meal.)

What a hidden gem of a place... so glad I stopped by, and crossed another thing off my Before I'm 30 list.

P.S.  I also knocked off another thing on the list, and drank a shot of absinthe.  It burned so much I felt it in my ears and eyes.  Never again, Green Fairy.

Savoring Savannah...

The house is empty, but I'm still tying up loose ends in Georgia... so I decided to indulge and get a hotel room in downtown Savannah for the weekend.  Best. Decision. Ever.  And since it's a fond farewell to a beautiful city that has treated me so well since 2007, I also decided to continue this indulgent streak with some phenomenal dining.  So me and the boyfriend (oh yeah, I've never mentioned him... but from here on out shall refer to him as Duke Silver, a la Parks & Rec) hit the town and filled our bellies with some delicious and romantic delights.

Bellini Tini @ Jazz'd

My Picks:
The Chart House:  Tenderloin Medallions w/ Teriyaki Glaze & Mango Sauce, Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, Sizzling Mushrooms, & Hot Chocolate Lava Cake, and a Strawberry Basil Caipirinha to drink

Pakwan:  Chicken Tikka Masala, White Rice, Garlic Naan, and more treats from their buffet

Jazz'd: (Tapas for Two is phenomenal!)  Five Onion Soup, Jazzy Chèvre Tomato Dip, Southern Crab Cakes, Tapas Lasagna, Lamp Chops with Garlic & Rosemary, and a Bellini Tini to drink

Soho South Cafe:  Modern Grilled Cheese & Tomato Basil Bisque (smoked gouda, Cheddar, gruyere, and pimiento aioli on sourdough bread)

Vinnie Van Go-Go's:  Pepperoni & Pineapple Pizza... by the slice, because they're HUGE!

Meeting @Paula_Deen

Photos by Christine Hall Photography

When many people think of Savannah, they think of Paula Deen.  She started off delivering lunches, built a restaurant (The Lady & Sons) and now runs a veritable empire of cooking shows, products, and multiple restaurants.

Paula put Southern cooking on the map, even though she took a lot of heat for pushing butter-laden and fried foods onto the already-obese American masses.  Her recent admission to having diabetes brought on another onslaught of criticism.  But throughout it all, she's remained the picture of a Southern lady, with her charming accent and blinding smile.

Paula and her son Bobby recently did a book signing at The Lady & Sons, so I headed to Savannah to meet and greet the pair and get my Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible autographed.  Since they limit the signing to 350 people, I showed up early to get in line.  I wore a cute dress and cardigan, but then the weather happened.

As we were standing outside in line, a torrential downpour started coming down.  Even though a couple of tourists let me huddle under the edge of their umbrella, I got completely drenched.  Drenched like I jumped in a pool.  I shivered for two hours as I waited to meet Paula and Bobby... and then it was my turn!

They were smiling and super nice, and Paula looked GREAT.  She looks like she's lost a few pounds, but she is positively glowing.  You can tell that the person she is on television is the same person she is 100% of the time.  It was a fleeting moment when I got to meet them, but I am glad I did.  After all, how could I leave Savannah without meeting the woman who helped put it on the map?  She's done some amazing things for the city, and I'm glad I got to see her in person.

Savannah Nights

Savannah Tall Ships Challenge

This weekend, I spent Friday and Saturday night hanging out in Savannah with some friends in from out of town.  I hadn't seen my girl LK in forever, and she brought along a couple of other girls I knew too!

I was working on moving/house stuff this weekend, but I let myself have the evenings to have a little bit of fun.

Friday night, I headed downtown a little early, to catch sight of the Savannah Tall Ships Challenge, which brought some gorgeous boats in along the river.

I also took a walk around downtown, passing by Debi's, the restaurant where Jenny worked in the movie Forrest Gump.  Forrest Gump was filmed in Savannah, so there are a lot of little places you can find from the movie.

Once the girls got into town, we grabbed some beer and pizza (DELICIOUS pizza) at local favorite, Vinnie Van Go Go's.  It's probably the best slice in town.  It's cash only, always packed, but the slices are as big as your head!  I always make the mistake of ordering two, and never finishing.  So take my advice and order just one!  Afterwards, we hit up Bar Bar and danced until I had to head home.

Last night, I picked up the girls and we ate another awesome meal at Churchill's Pub.  We started with the soft, sourdough pretzels, then we each enjoyed some amazing dishes: prime rib sandwich, crab cake sandwich, and fish & chips.  YUM.  I also had a Forrest Gumptini, which was delicious.  It was sweet tea vodka, lemonade, sour mix, and a sugared rim martini.  Yay!  We finished out the night with a trip to the always-raucous Savannah Smiles, listening to dueling pianos into the night.  Savannah has a great night life, and I'll definitely miss downtown!

Bonaventure & Telfair Museums

Bonaventure Cemetery

Since I had some free admission passes and free time, I decided to head back to downtown Savannah to enjoy another gorgeous, sunny day!

First off, I took a detour to Bonaventure Cemetery, which was featured in The Book and The Movie that helped make Savannah even more of a destination: Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil.  I read it before I moved here, and it definitely led to me visiting Mercer Williams House and seeing the famous drag queen, Lady Chablis!

Bonaventure is gorgeous.   I couldn't imagine a more beautiful place to be laid to rest.  The willow trees were definitely striking, and the headstones were eerily beautiful.

I headed downtown directly after my walk through the cemetery, to visit the Telfair Academy and Jepson Center.  I'd been to the Jepson Center before for a wedding, but both of these were great stops.  I especially loved that the Telfair used to be a home, and that you could see the bones of what that great house used to look like.  The modern architecture of the Jepson is stunning as well.

All in all, I had a great day downtown, checking off a few more things on my Savannah bucket list before my move to Tennessee!

Jepson Center

Telfair Academy

A sunny Savannah day...

I had a wonderful day in Savannah yesterday!

After sleeping in, I decided to head downtown to visit the Owens-Thomas House, a historic home I've been meaning to visit for a while now.  Since I'm leaving the area in the coming months (more about that later!), I've decided to start knocking things off my Savannah-area 'bucket list' in the coming weeks.

This is one of my favorite homes in Savannah.  I've been to Mercer Williams House twice, and Davenport House too.  But this one was so well-restored and decorated.  I really loved it!  And my admission ticket also gets me admission to Telfair Academy and Jepson Center this week, so I'll be headed back to town to explore those for free.  I also walked over to Tier Luxury Cakes to grab a Tahitian vanilla cupcake, but ate it before I could snap a photo of its cuteness.  I was served by Ashlee Perkins herself!  :)

Then I headed to a Shake 'n' Share Shakeology party that one of my friends was holding, and got to see some ladies I haven't seen in a while!  I linked up with LD and we headed back downtown afterwards.  We grabbed iced coffee/tea at Gallery Espresso and hailed a Savannah pedicab to check out the SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival in Forsyth Park.  It was gorgeous outside!  What a perfect day to walk around and take in the Spanish moss and atmosphere... a literal walk in the park.  We finished up the evening by joining LD's hubby PD for a delicious meal at Sam Snead's in Pooler.  It's one of our favorite places, and it's a hidden gem near the airport!

It was a gorgeous, sunny day... and I loved every minute of it.

Savannah Celebrations

Afternoon Adagio

I had spent two great days enjoying the best of downtown Savannah this weekend, all with my friend LD!

Friday night, I was invited to the New Space Party for Fabrika Fine Fabrics!  Emily and Ashley are two super awesome chicks, and their new store location on Bull & Liberty in Savannah is AWESOME.  They taught me everything I know about sewing, and I love their cotton prints!  There was a DJ, catered food, a photo booth... what a neat party.

Then, in the spirit of Savannah Restaurant Week, LD and I hit up another favorite, The Chart House.  (We went to the amazing Alligator Soul last weekend with our friend TP!)  Their 3-course menu was divine, and the few bites of pecan pie I had were the best.  It may be a chain, but the Savannah restaurant is set in a beautiful old building int he heart of River Street.

Saturday, LD and I experienced the South at its best!  We dressed up in our Lilly Pulitzer-esque finest (I even rocked some pearls!) and headed to the sold-out Afternoon Adagio at the Olde Pink House, a champagne and tea party to benefit the Savannah Philharmonic.  We sat with an amazing group of ladies (who all questioned whether we were of age to drink!) and had some amazing treats and teas.  The scones were amazing!  I felt so Southern, like a true "society" lady at this party... even the Mayor and a local news anchor were there.  It was like a modern-day scene from 'The Help'!  There were opera singers and small ensembles playing music, a hat contest, and a silent auction.  Everything was gorgeously decorated.

What a perfect couple of outings in Savannah... I will miss this city.

2nd Grade Best Friend Reunion!

1994

I've written about my best friend from 2nd/3rd grade, Nicole, before.  Well, I finally got to see her again, after eighteen long years apart!  She was in Savannah for the holidays, so we met up at Leoci's Trattoria for lunch and some catching up.

First off, the food was great!  Nicole had the Wild Mushroom Risotto, and I had the Pappardelle alla Nonna.  It took us a while to order, though... we spent so much time talking, the waiter came by three times before we had even glanced at the menus!  It was so neat to see my old buddy, especially after we'd remained pen pals for so long after our families moved.  It was amazing we still had so much in common, and I don't intend to let her slip away again.  I even stopped by to say hi to her mom, who knew my mom and aunt from our time in Korea.

I am so happy!  Life is funny, and the world is a much smaller place than you'd think.  Maybe there's an old friend in your life that you need to look up?

2011

Savannah Bridge Run 10K

Me and my running buddies... who both beat me.  :)

If I had to describe the Savannah Bridge Run in one word, I think my feet would choose "OUCH".  The Savannah Bridge Run is probably the most iconic Savannah road race there is; tons of runners sign up for the 5K, 10K, or even the 'Double Pump', which means running them both nearly consecutively!  It's a huge celebration, with costumes and a party afterwards.  It's the only time you're allowed to run over Savannah's gorgeous bridge, and if you choose the 10K (like me!) you run over it twice.

I hadn't trained as much as I should have beforehand, and I was nursing some blisters from earlier this week, but I really wanted to do this race before I move away from Savannah.  It's such a tradition here, and the view from the bridge is incredible.

That said, it was probably one of the toughest runs I've ever done.  The steepness of the ramps and bridge go for so long, and even the downhills are hard on your legs.  I was able to manage about a 10-minute pace per mile, but I couldn't will myself to go any faster; I even had to walk at some points.  But it was pretty cool to see the view that you would only otherwise see from your car, and having TONS of other runners made you feel like keeping with the flow.  We also ran down Broughton Street, which was decorated for the holidays, so I enjoyed that too!

All in all, I'm glad I did it, and glad my friends VV and BD could join me.  My feet are almost covered in blisters that I need to nurse, but at least I've got my bragging rights!  I made it across the bridge.  :)

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin @SavannahCooks

Y'all, this recipe uses FOUR ingredients.  Seriously.

I attended a cooking class/demonstration at Kitchens on the Square in Savannah (one of my Before I'm 30 tasks!) this weekend.  KoTS is one of my favorite stores, and I can't help but want to buy a half dozen things every time I'm there.  (And I totally did, after this class...)  But I loved the cooking demonstration!  So when I got home, I decided to try one of the recipes we learned, the Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin.

Mustard

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin (serves 8)  Recipe by Kitchens on the Square
Ingredients
1 (1-lb.) pork tenderloin (I used a honey mustard-seasoned center loin by Hormel)
2 T. coarse stone ground mustard
3-4 bacon slices, cut in half (I used center-cut bacon)
1/2 cup brown sugar (I didn't use that much)

Bacon!

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F).
Using a basting brush, coat the tenderloin evenly with mustard.
Wrap the pork in bacon, and place on a baking sheet. (Line the sheet with aluminum foil or a Silpat!)
Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155 degrees.
Remove the pork from the oven and distribute a layer of brown sugar over the top of the loin.
Increase oven temperature to Broil.  Broil pork 3-5 minutes, watching the sugar brown on the top.

Mmmm.... brown sugar.

Remove from oven, making sure thermometer reads 160 degrees, and let stand 10 minutes.
Slice pork and serve!  (I like to slice along with the bacon strips.)



Oh, and I discovered a new foodie store in Savannah!  The Salt Table is a great spice and tea destination...  I loved so many things (habanero sugar?!), and the prices are reasonable too!  You can tell the owners and workers are passionate about what they do, and I really like the layout.

Wounded Military Heroes 5K

This morning I ran a 5K in Savannah, the Wounded Military Heroes 5K!  It was held to benefit wounded veterans, and there was a booth there from the Wounded Warrior Project, a great organization for the cause.

Me and the Wounded Warrior Project guys

Today was a great day to run, definitely a bit chilly but perfect for a race.  I actually ran my personal best for a 5K this year, 25:20!  This also puts me at halfway through my Before I'm 30 task of running ten 5Ks.  I won 3rd place in my age group, and everyone got have a free breakfast courtesy of Wild Wing Cafe.  What a great way to spend a fall morning in Georgia!

My 'dog tag' award!

Cabin Fever!

Georgia/Tennessee Line! Two places at once!

The Cabin

I recently went on a beautiful fall mini-trip into northern Georgia with my friends VB, LC, and PD.  We rented a luxury cabin overlooking the Toccoa River and really took in the things the area had to offer.  We cooked all of our own dinners at the cabin, one of my favorite things about staying in rental properties vs. hotels.  The ambience was incredible, and the cabin was one of the prettiest places I have ever stayed in my life.

On our first full day, we woke up early to catch the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, linking the two quaint towns of Blue Ridge and McCaysville.  It was a neat trip, but I think most of the passengers were senior citizens!  Still, it was a nice, slow way to see the sights.  I picked up a couple of souvenirs (I'm collecting Christmas ornaments from my trips!) and enjoyed standing in two places at once... the Georgia/Tennessee line!

Wolf Mountain Vineyards 

We grabbed a delicious belated birthday lunch for VB at Harvest on Main, an incredible restaurant in Blue Ridge.  The menu is seasonal, with ingredients coming from a local farm.  We spent the rest of the afternoon walking on the main drag on Blue Ridge, checking out the shopping.  Everything was very cute and had that rustic feel.  On the way back to the cabin, we stopped at Mercier Orchards for some apples and fried pies!  I also picked up a maple praline syrup and apple cinnamon barbecue sauce.  YUM!

A-Maize-ing Race 5K!

VV and me!

This morning my friend VV and I headed to Jesup, GA to run a 5K to benefit the March of Dimes.  The weather was PERFECT for running and fall!  It was mostly on dirt roads in the countryside, and actually had a few hills to boot.  I ran a minute faster than my previous 5K, and I added one more race to my Before I'm 30 challenge. Woohoo!

Poppell Farms is a hidden gem!  Their intricate corn maze (hence the race name, A-Maize-ing Race) was amazing, the animals were adorable, and it was an enjoyable, small race that actually gave out trophies and medals to age group winners.  I really love races like that... there were also a bunch of middle school cross country runners that reminded me of my younger self!

What a great way to spend a fall morning in Georgia!

Corn!

Goats!

Help the Hoo-Hahs 5K

On Saturday, myself and three of my girlfriends ran the Help the Hoo-Hahs 5K!  (We gotta admit, the name drew us in.)  Help the Hoo-Hahs was created to bring awareness to gynecologic cancers and promote a greater understanding of warning signs, available screening, and prevention options.


It was a warm morning for a run, but I had a blast!  We all rode in my car, so it was fun to have some 'girl time' and have a group together.  JC ended up WINNING the 5K for the women, and she was at the finish line with cold water for me and VV when we got done.  It was all made possible thanks to CG, who registered for the race first and inspired me to bring the others along.  My coworker JM and her kids finished the race too!

We had a delicious brunch downtown at J. Christopher's afterwards.  It was the perfect ending to a great morning...  then I promptly went home, showered, and NAPPED.  :)

The Girls!

I'm starting to get back into the swing of running...  Registering for these local races not only forces me to run (because you pay to register!) but gives me a good feeling afterwards.  I registered for the A-Maize-Ing Race 5K in Jesup, GA in October, as well as the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February!  I've got my eye on a few other 5Ks (and maybe 10Ks!) for the remainder of 2011.  It costs money to run, but it's money well spent in my mind.  I have to keep myself motivated!

4th of July Weekend

Trolley Tour

For this 4th of July weekend, my family came to visit!  AW arrived first, and it's been almost a week of reunion.

THURSDAY:  I had to work, then AW and I went to a work dinner at Sunbury Crab Company.  We got attacked by mosquitoes, but the atmosphere was just quintessential Coastal Georgia!  It was so pretty right along the water and the marshes.  Then we got some Baskin Robbins ice cream in a favorite childhood flavor (Daiquiri Ice!) and headed home.

FRIDAY:  For dinner, we headed to downtown Savannah to try out a restaurant I've been eyeing for a long time... Vic's on the River.  We started with fried green tomatoes (amazing!) and drinks, then devoured our meals.  I had the crab cakes and macaroni and cheese, which were delicious.  The portion sizes were good, and it was an enjoyable meal with a great atmosphere on the river.  For dessert, we strolled through City Market then over to Lulu's Chocolate Bar, getting some delicious treats to-go before heading home.

Davenport House

SATURDAY:  Mom and Dad finished up their road trip to join us for the holiday.  We grabbed lunch at Chili's then spent some time just hanging out at the house!  Everyone took a nap.  Then we headed out to the movies to watch Transformers 3.  It was a very long movie, but full of action.  Not bad for a summer flick.

SUNDAY:  We spent most of the day in Savannah, doing an Old Savannah Historic Trolley Tour, then eating a delicious lunch at Mellow Mushroom.  Then we toured Davenport House, walked to River Street for some Savannah Candy Kitchen goodies (Dad and AW always get saltwater taffy!), then headed to Fort Stewart for its Salute to the Nation.

MONDAY:  We spent the day at home, and Mom/Dad helped me around the house with some things.  We then had an early dinner at Applebee's and went back to Fort Stewart for the free Fantasia/Zac Brown Band concert and fireworks.  It was crowded, but a great show!  I think we all had fun.

4th of July

TUESDAY:  Mom and Dad headed home bright and early, and AW/I headed to Tybee Island to have some photos taken.  Then we went straight downtown and toured Mercer-Williams House, had lunch at Panera, and walked around Broughton Street.  Then it was off to the airport, where I dropped off my last houseguest!

Ben Franklin famously said that fish and visitors smell after three days.  My houseguests are all gone, and I'm missing the smell!  No matter what, I always enjoy seeing my family, and when they're gone I realize all too keenly just how much I miss their everyday presence in my life.   I'm blessed to have two amazingly supportive parents, a great little sister, and an overall awesome family.  :)



And now... back to the grind!

Sweltering Savannah!

Grainy photo from Rocks on the Roof!  :)

My AC is broken again.  This is the third time, and it happens every four weeks.  And it always happens on a Friday, so I can't get it serviced until Monday.  Did I mention it has been almost 100 degrees every day lately?  But I digress.

In spite of my house becoming my own personal sauna, I had a GREAT time this weekend!  Saturday, I met up with LC and JC for a girls' night out.  We started out with a pitcher of refreshing sangria at Tapas by Anna in City Market.

Then we had reservations to eat at Rocks on the River, the restaurant at The Bohemian.  We started with the bruschetta, and I ate the Chicken Saltimbocca sandwich with their house pomme frites.  The pepper jam on the sandwich's foccaccia bread was great.  I also had the Glow Pop and Pomegranate Sunset martinis, both of which were delicious.  The Glow Pop was my favorite, with Hypnotiq, vodka, and pineapple juice, topped with a little glowstick in the glass.  We had the Praline Ice Box Cake for dessert, and it was so rich and good.  The pralines were from the local candy kitchens, and that made it so much more "Savannah"!  We got drinks at Rocks on the Roof afterwards, and then JC and I hopped around to some different locales...  The Crypt Pub, Pour Larry's, and Savannah Smiles.

I bought a whisk keychain!

This morning, JC and went walking through the shops downtown.  We scored some great little finds at Kitchens on the Square (I bought a cute whisk keychain to show my love of cooking!), and enjoyed seeing what was in City Market.  Then we headed over to The Westin to meet up with LC for the BEST BRUNCH in Savannah, the Sunday brunch at Aqua Star.  I can't even get into how many delicious things I ate... but I'll try!  Belgian waffle with whipped cream, sausages and bacon, cheese blintz, grilled chicken topped with crab cake, flank steak, roasted potatoes, pasta (from the custom pasta station!), baguette, petit four, macarons, and a mimosa!!!   I never eat anything before brunch at Aqua Star... and I'm not even hungry for dinner.  :)  It's one of those meals I think about for days beforehand...

If you're visiting Savannah and hope to visit some of these places, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you make reservations!   It's so easy to use OpenTable.  Even as a local, I make reservations so that I can enjoy the awesome cuisine Savannah has to offer.  I can't tell you the number of times I've seen some angry tourist storm out of an awesome restaurant because they thought they could just walk in.  Some of these places book up so fast, you're lucky to get a dinner table before 9 p.m.  So do your homework and plan ahead!

It was good to get "away" to Savannah, and enjoy a bit of the local flavor.  It was also nice to find some air conditioning!  Love spending time with my girlfriends.

Bluff Creek Stables

Bluff Creek Stables

My friend MTM and I went horseback riding today at Bluff Creek Stables.  Her husband is allergic to horses, and she had never been on a horse before... so of course we had to go do it!  We found this amazing Groupon for a discounted lesson, so we decided to go together, helping check something off her bucket list.  (And since I helped, I completed one of my own Before I'm 30 tasks!)

Me and MTM

Penny and me

Bluff Creek is a piece of heaven on earth.  It is just gorgeous!  I had never ridden in an English saddle before, and I felt very proper.  It was definitely more difficult than Western to me, because your posture and balance make such a difference.  I really enjoyed the lesson, and kind of wish I could continue, so I could learn to go faster and have more control.

Oh, and on a side note, they teach you how to groom your horse!  No spoiled brats here!  You curry comb and brush your own horse before you go out...  they teach you everything at Bluff Creek.  I couldn't say enough good things about this beautiful facility, friendly staff, and enjoyable afternoon!

Riding like a proper English lady

Meeting Madison's pony, Moo