Candy & Beer in Savannah

​Night 3 in Savannah
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Last January, Don and I spent 3 days exploring old Savannah.  Our last day was drizzly, but it only added to the character of the waterfront and buildings, like the Savannah Cotton Exchange.

By evening, we were in a wandering mood. One of those times neither one of us could make a good decision. ​

Playing Tourist
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​The weather grew chilly and few were around the touristy City Market area.  

The giant ice cream cones didn't lure us in as much as the copper kettle hanging over the door.  The idea of candy actually cooking, sounded warm.  

Don posed with the colorful candy and we bought some pralines and other goodies and then, we wandered more.

Crystal Beer Parlor

We shivered in the dreary weather and headed towards this old brick building on West Jones. 

We had 2 good reasons to give the Crystal Parlor a try. First of all, it was within walking distance of our small hotel. That's a huge plus.  And we were told it was a place where locals hang out and that can be a good thing.

Gerken Family Grocery Store
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​In the early 1900's this was a family run grocery store, with the family living upstairs. It wasn't until 1933 that the Mannings bought the place and turned it into the Crystal Beer Parlor.  

 

It's rumored that the Parlor operated a speakeasy during prohibition.  That may or may not be true, but we do know the place was well loved by locals, who came for 10-cent beers and 30-cent grilled burgers!

Cozy
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​It was a Friday when we arrived, so things were already hopping.  

Obviously a lot of people had come straight from work.  It felt a little like the bar in Cheers.

2 Seats
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​Don and I were able to grab 2 seats at the bar.

The red vinyl booths were all taken and the long wooden bar felt welcoming enough.  
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Beer at the Bar
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​Don made use of the fact we were at a beer parlor. Most of the people around us were drinking beer, but there was quite a bit of feasting, too.

 The hamburgers looked wonderful.  I learned later, that many consider them the best in Savannah.

Photos!
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​I love a bar or restaurant with lots of old photos.  One image reminded me of my brother's old cartoon drawings and it gave me a very silly reason to strike up a conversation with the ponytailed man sitting beside me.  

After he left, a nurse took his seat and we talked about her life in Maine and what it was like to move to the south 15 years ago.  It was nice that people were talking with each other and not staring at cell phones for a change.

Exploring

I went on a little exploring mission after a while and found the Monroe Room, with lots of old photos. Monroe Whitlock and "Smitty" Smith were well loved servers at The Parlor for over 45 years.  ​

What does that tell you when a restaurant names a room after an employee? And I also loved this photo of lyricist, Johnny Mercer with the young boy... who looks very much like Don as a kid. 

Johnny Mercer
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​Savannah is very proud of their Native Son, Johnny.  We found his image on park benches and plaques here and there.  I'm guessing he was a fan of Crystal Parlor back in the day.

I'm feeling really bad now, that we didn't end up trying one of those burgers or some She Crab Soup.  We failed on our last night to have any real dining adventure, but we did find good atmosphere.
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