A package arrived last Friday. In our collective shut-in consumer existence, I admit that the delivery of a cardboard box is about as far from "news" as an SNL "Weekend Update" rundown.This particular box, though, did not bear the familiar blue arrow and did not contain anything for the pool that I am building, making it novel in both recent respects.My dad had let me know that something was on its way, so as soon as I saw the wide and thin Priority Mail package, I knew ..read more

Allow me to slice to the chase: brine your turkey.If you have tried brining your Butterball in the past and were not convinced that the extra work was worth it, dip your wing in the water again, and if you have never set aside your Turkey Day headliner to soak overnight, do it.Whether you are going to roast a bone-in breast for a small family, such as I have done for just my wife and me these past several Thanksgivings, or a twenty-pounder, this preparatory step will ..read more

My Thanksgiving menu is all set: a brined bone-in turkey breast, roasted Brussels sprouts sprinkled with crispy bacon, carrot-cashew purée, and scratch-made Parker House rolls. Because this is a once-a-year meal that I have down pat, I never veer much from the courses, perhaps substituting one veg dish for another or every so often changing up the bread.It is far from broke, so I will keep fixing this same savory supper.The only annual deviation is the dessert I ..read more

Let me be the first to admit that I am not Hop Atomica’s target diner for the simple reason that I do not drink.Those who do have undoubtedly and happily tossed a few back here once the stylish corner brew pub opened mid-summer, the latest venture of Southbound Brewing brothers Pratt and Smith Matthews and one that has allowed them to branch into offering food to be eaten alongside their small-batch experimental concoctions.About the brews, I will defer to the ..read more

The newly opened Plant Riverside is offering a cornucopia of flavors throughout its new facilities. Just like its decor, which covers everything from the Jurassic era to the Edison and modern era, Plant Riverside has just about everything for every palate.Executive Chef Kyle Lipetzky aims to work closely with the local community and further the growth of Savannah's booming food scene. His menus are like history maps and his love of our area shows with the vast offerings throughout ..read more

Although anything made with pumpkin tastes terrific all the year round, only at this particular time does the great orange gourd make its annual return to the shop shelves, produce displays, and restaurant menus.Sure, the pumpkin’s planting cycle primarily dictates its own seasonal resurgence, but how funny that an October nip in the air, the NFL football season’s sixth week, and a street strewn with fallen leaves make us all smack our lips and suddenly jones for ..read more

There are dozens of reasons that a restaurant does not make it, though only a handful are out of the control of an owner, restaurateur, general manager, or chef.Fine places fail. Poor places prosper in spite of themselves.In the five-plus years that we have lived in Savannah, plenty of eateries have shuttered up for good, but until a few months ago, no proprietor or patron could have ever imagined that ‘worldwide contagion’ would be the cause for closure ..read more

Chances are you have just driven by Erica Davis Lowcountry at some point since last October and have not yet stopped in to eat.At 48 miles per hour eastbound, maybe you have not taken the time to recognize that the sharply renovated property that once was home to Charlie Teeple’s Seafood is not another realty office or a gift shop, or simply the central operations for a first-class catering concern.Those of you who are back-and-forth across the Wilmington River ..read more

Soldiers stationed at Fort Stewart were handed a new mission this year – bring tasty and convenient food options to their fellow ranks.It’s part of a food truck pilot program the U.S. Army has launched with Fort Stewart selected as the first roll-out point. Army officials say it’s all part of new modernization initiatives to update garrison food operations.From burgers and fries, to tacos and salads, soldiers say they are happy to get a hot meal when ..read more

As has been the case for the six years that we have lived in Savannah, I looked forward to last week’s printing of the Savannah Morning News’ "The Best of the Best," specifically the "Dining in the Coastal Empire" results, mostly to roll my eyes and groan.The French version of the familiar and oft-appropriated axiom is à chacun son goût: to each his own taste. The issue, sadly, is that some people think that Jimmy Buffett makes music and that Titanic was ..read more