Lux Lotus pal Rob Walker (see also: no notes) is currently in Savannah -- a city I haven't been to yet, but have always been curious about -- and was kind enough to send in a list of hits and misses in his home away from home (for the moment) just for Lux Lotus readers to enjoy:
1. People will tell you that Elizabeth on 38th is good for a very nice, fancy dinner. They are correct.
2. People will tell you that Pinky Master's, on Drayton, is a good dive bar. They are correct. (At least two people told us Pinky Master's has "no sign." They were wrong.)
3. The Rib Castle, on MLK Blvd., might look a little sketchy, and certainly not castle-like, but the ribs are very good. The friendly owner, who I believe is called Mr. Gene, explained that there are three different cuts of ribs, and he only uses the best. I don't know if that's true. But he smokes em good, and the sauce is top notch. He opens at about 1, and there's often a line. There's no phone. There's also nowhere to sit, so you'll want to plan to take your ribs somewhere else, such as one of Savannah's many squares.
4. The Beach Institute is pretty cool. The permanent exhibit is the collection of wood carvings by a Savannah barber named Ulysses Davis, including his somewhat famous collection of wood busts of presidents Washington through Bush I. The other current exhibit is a good collection of photographs of local African-American sign/advertising art; it's also good to check this stuff out by actually driving around on MLK, Montgomery, and other streets.
5. The local newspaper, The Savannah Morning News, runs a feature every day called "Vox Populi," which is a series of disconnected and unexplained comments from readers, some of whom are apparently reacting to recent stories in the paper, others are simply commenting on current events, or, in some cases, personal pet peeves. Buy the paper and read this feature every day. It's actually more effective if you don't read anything else in the paper, so you won't understand the entries that respond to earlier stories, and can thus enjoy them as simple non sequiturs. Here's a recent entry, in full: "I am glad the lady was looking for pickled peaches and not pork brains. Who eats that?" And another: "Am I the only atheist in Savannah? It seems when people get together, all they talk about is their church. Are there any atheist organizations?" I particularly like the question entries, because no answer is provided. It's poignant.
6. There's a coffee shop on about 41st and Drayton, and more to the point, there's a dog park next to it -- the Savannah Dog Park. Assuming you like dogs, this is an excellent spot. It's one of the better dog runs I've seen, and among other things there's a row of seats sort of set up like a small viewing section. You can also get coffee at the StarLander, sit in their back patio area, and view the dogs. Who seem to be having a pretty good time.
7. You ever go to one of these boardinghouse-style comfort-food restaurants, where you sit at a big table with strangers, and the food is passed around, or maybe travels by way of a lazy susan? Do you know what a lazy susan is? Well anyway, a pretty good example of such a place is Mrs. Wilkes, at 107 W. Jones. Open only for lunch, there's generally a line, and it's little on the "olde" side, but it was good. The friend chicken was solid, and while the downfall of many such restaurants is the sides, the sides at Mrs. Wilkes were all strong. And the biscuits: really good, though not quite so good as those at Elizabeth, which E insists are the best she's ever had.
8. What about big old 60s-looking restaurants that serve fried seafood a in a family-friendly setting? You like those? Yeah? Then I suggest Johnny Harris. We liked that place. I got the fried shrimp; I always get the fried shrimp. It's on Victory Dr.
9. On a cautionary note: The actual riverwalk thingy is not very cool. It's for TOURISTS. That's not you, am I right? Sure I'm right. Still, most of the downtown historic area is as beautiful as promised, what with all the public squares and the like, all the greenery, and the oaks with the Spanish moss, and other picturesque details. Consider devoting some time to loafing.
New York-area readers, take note: On Tuesday, March 14th, Rob Walker "reads from, discusses, and perhaps answers questions about his essay collection Letters From New Orleans, covering such topics as celebratory gunfire, urban decay, the relationship between people and places, and the pros and cons of masking" at Mo Pitkin's. 7:00pm, FREE. I'm going -- hope to see you there!
I say 'feh!' to Mrs. Wilkes. Even before the scourge of MITGOGAE it was beset by every tour bus that came through. I found the sides to be uneven, unless you like okra. Go to Nita's Place every time over this.
Rob: if you see this, also check out:
Try the VFW (Bull just south of Brighter Day, south end of the park) for a dive bar. The most credible 'haunted' story I ever heard involved this place. If Adrian is tending, you could do no worse in getting stories about city over the past 15 years. And tho it's not as grungy as it used to be, Vinnie's is still the best Pizza south of Maryland. For local seafood (requires a car), go to Desposito's (under the Thunderbolt Bridge) -- believe the hype.
If you end up driving around for local color, don't bother with Chico's Monkey Farm, unless you are into mostly empty lots (if it's even still that; development on 17 is like weeds). I sort of am, so maybe take that with a grain of salt.
Posted by: miss representation | March 07, 2006 at 11:45 AM
I remember Pinky Masters and his bar from the late 60s. Pinky was always had a king size cigarette dangling from his lower lip; he never smoked. Nor did he drink. We newspaper guys (and the tv news guys) putting the paper to bed would gather at Pinky's. He'd close and lock the doors at the legally appointed time, but would keep the doors open as long as we wanted. No one ran for statewide political office without calling on Pinky.
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Posted by: Podo | June 08, 2007 at 12:28 AM
Just wanted to let you know it's Elizabeth on 37th!
Posted by: Ryan | February 22, 2008 at 04:48 PM