|
A Savannah Landmark Last January, Don and I stayed at a hotel adjacent to this fun landmark of Savannah. The Olde Pink House was not always this color. In 1771, when wealthy planter, James Habersham, Jr. built the mansion, the exterior was brick. The house became known as the Pink House, when the soft native brick began to bleed through the plaster, changing the wall color. Eventually pink painted stucco covered the brick. Cookbook As usual, we were traveling with our vintage cookbook, for dining adventure inspiration. There was only one listing for the state of Georgia in the book and it happened to be for a Tea Room, right next to our hotel. However, we could have overlooked the page, since it was called The Georgian Tea Room, in our 1950 book. Evidently the house, became many things between the time it was a home and a tea room. Over the Years After checking into our hotel, we wandered over to have a peek. We walked up to the Greek portico, which was evidently added when the home became a bank in 1811. During the Civil War, it became headquarters for Union General York. The building held law offices and many other things before in became The Georgian Tea Room in 1929. Inside When we wandered in, it was 4 pm, but a welcoming staff invited us to look around. The hostess pointed out the steep stairway with the narrow twist. "They used to tax the number of stairs and doorways." She explained. We headed up to see the dining rooms on the second floor. Palladiam Window The view of the beautiful arched window was sort of blocked by flags on the outside. Once upstairs we could see the diamond panes and window seat and the view of trees in Reynolds Square. Luckily the mansion was spared in 1796, when fire destroyed much of Savannah. Dining Rooms The first dining room we entered was elegant and formal. I could picture ladies having tea here in 1929 when it first opened as a tea room. Chandeliers... In the 1990's the Pink House was totally renovated, so the wood floors and chandeliers were spotless. Our waiter told us later that there are only 2 employees who are allowed to clean the chandeliers. Fireplaces... I kind of liked the purple, corner room with white fireplace warming things up. But it was awfully formal. We were not traveling with dress clothes. Cozy We asked the hostess which was her favorite room and she said "The Office" which did indeed look the coziest. There was no fireplace, but the small room felt more comfortable with the wood beams and white painted brick walls. The Tavern We walked to the basement to see the Tavern before it opened. When the mansion became "Planter's Bank" in 1811, iron vaults were added in the basement. Today the vaults store wine. We also heard rumors that Mr. Habersham hung himself in this basement and there is much ghostly activity. Not sure about that. Back to Enjoy We returned at 7:30 and had our name put down for an 8:30 dinner. We got the last 2 chairs at the bar and took in the great atmosphere, lit by 2 fireplaces and numerous real candles. Music and Candles The tavern was pretty full by the time this fine woman started up at the grand piano. She wore a black feathered hat and white fur. She also seemed to be wearing black gloves, but I couldn't see her fingers. Maybe the tips were removed. She was taking requests, so I figured I'd make it easy for her by asking generally, "Do you know any show tunes?" There was an awkward pause so, I quickly changed my request. "How about Frank Sinatra.. Strangers in the Night?" She seemed nearly giddy to play that one. It fit well, with the dark room and tall candle that flickered on the bar. Dinner The hostess found us when our table was ready. But suddenly we were winding back into some newer banquet room addition. It was loud with large groups and I hated to be picky, since we had made no special request earlier. But our waiter was gracious. Suddenly the manager appeared and happily ushered us to a wood paneled room with 4 tables and a fireplace. We couldn't have been happier. Additions...? I'm not sure how many additions and renovations have occurred over the years. Our dining room was on the second floor looking out over the terrace. Our waiter said it was added in 1992. Rats, that meant we weren't dining in Mr. Habersham's bedroom. But it was warm and cozy and it felt old. Tom & The Book Our waiter Tom, was pretty excited to see our cookbook with the recipe for Carolina Trifle, which sadly was not on the menu. He shared the book with the manager who had been so nice. Tom also served us an incredible meal. My pecan crusted chicken with blackberry bourbon glaze, sweet potatoes with pecan/vanilla butter and collards was pretty decadent. Don's hefty, 16-17 ounce braised pork shank with pineapple glaze was very sweet and juicy. His came with macaroni and collards. How fun and Southern. Sadly there was no trifle for dessert. But we didn't have room anyway. Good Memory From the Tavern experience to dinner in our cozy room, we had a great experience. Big thanks to Tom and the whole staff of friendly folk, who greeted and served us!
0 Comments
Sunday Supper! Don and I actually ate "lunch" at Mimmie's last January, but "Sunday Supper" sounds more like the Southern Experience that we enjoyed. We had a meal I'll never forget and what lead to the meal was even more memorable! Church First Don and I had planned a night in Americus, GA on our road trip. We were excited about our stay in an historic hotel on Saturday night. As we were heading on the highway towards the small town, my friend texted me out of the blue. She knew about our trip and wondered if we were anywhere near Plains. I checked the map and Plains was 10 minutes from Americus. After much texting and nudging, Don and I ended up altering our travel plans. Instead of heading out early for New Orleans on Sunday morning, we got up at 5 and found ourselves in line outside of Maranatha Baptist Church. As the sun rose and a full moon faded, we shivered and chatted and laughed with others, as the FBI and Secret Service and bomb sniffing dogs did all their duties. Sunday School With The Carters We went through security and then spent 30+ minutes in the pews being given strict instructions by Miss Pat. She was quite a character as she handled the packed crowd of "tourists" like a gym class. By 10:00, about 35 local church members (and visiting Paula Deen) arrived and were seated near the front. Then President Carter began his weekly Sunday School. The crowd of about 300+, was mesmerized. Mr. Carter spoke for 45 minutes in a gentle voice that made me crave each word... stories about his childhood and thoughts about an accepting God... And then there was a break and a whole church service with hymns and collection. And then! The Carters graciously greeted a long line of folks who had traveled from at least 45 states and numerous countries, to hear him speak. What an amazing morning. Lunch at Last By the time we left the church it had been over 6 hours since our granola bar breakfast. We headed to the only Sunday lunch option in Plains. We had heard that Mimmie's was the place to go. You can actually see the cute building in this photo, but the view was blocked by a full lot when we first arrived. Another Line We walked inside to find yet another line. We saw many of the same people we'd seen in church and figured their stomachs were growling, also. It was hard to believe we'd just driven to Mimmie's. It seemed more like we'd just followed the crowd down to the church basement. Locals There were quite a number of people dining out on a sunporch area. They must have been locals, since many were finishing up. We heard the Carters often come to Mimmie's after the service. But we didn't get our hopes up, since we knew the Carter's friend Paula Deen was in town and they probably had bigger plans. Soul and Southern Food The line moved quickly, so I didn't really have time to figure it out, until we were standing there right in front of the steaming food containers. Luckily the servers were patient as I studied the options. Dinner Tickets I kind of liked the "meal ticket" plan. We quickly decided if we wanted a "meat and 3" or a "meat and 2". My green ticket got me fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, greens, cornbread and iced tea. Community Seating We were handed our trays and then decided where to eat. The smaller tables were all on the porch and the 2 large rooms seemed to have community tables. It felt like we were having a meal in a church hall... except for the antique saws on the wall. Table 14 We looked around to see what the other diners were doing and decided to keep our dishes on the trays. I was amazed to see the family staff in their white aprons efficiently clearing tables. I could see how dining on the trays helped with efficiency. As for the food, it was like going to eat at your Southern grandma's. My fried chicken was tasty and better than Don's baked! My collard greens and Don's lima beans were pretty much what was expected. Don's yellow ticket got us a pecan pie to split! Yay for Georgia and pecan pie! People Watching As we sat eating, it was curious to watch the people in line. Who were all these people, who had traveled so far to hear the former president speak? And would any of these people join us at our table? It was kind of like being in the school cafeteria wondering who would come sit next to you. Mark and Debbie We felt pretty lucky when a couple from New York asked to join us. They were also on a road trip and had decided to do the church stop as well. Mark actually had some kind of job with the Senate back in the Carter years, so he had some interesting stories. Mimmie and Family As things calmed down, I was able to chat briefly with Terrel and I think, his cousin. The restaurant is run by the Raven family, all descendants of Mimmie Hightower. I read later that she was a former slave, which would mean Terrel and Kristen would have to be great-great grandchildren... or maybe we'd need to add another great?Terrel and Kristen posed under her photo. Milton and Willie Bell Raven opened the restaurant just a few years ago. Milton was a former educator who grew up in the small community of Archery. That's where the Carter Family Farm still sits today. Milton passed away a couple years ago, but he knew Jimmy his whole life. Celebrity Photo At one point I recognized Miss Pat. She was standing around chatting and laughing with people like she was at a cocktail party. She looked a lot friendlier than when she was in the church laying down all the rules. After being intimidated and amused by her before the service, I was eager to go have a chat, myself. Miss Pat was a delight. She said she loved my sweater. I felt like I was one of her local friends when she reached to read my clothing tag to find out where she could find one. I felt giddy, like I'd met another celebrity! On the Road We headed towards Montgomery with full stomachs and happy memories... which all began with the full moon and freezing temps that morning. A real dining adventure!
Welcoming Visitors Since 1700's This old place first opened as an inn, serving seafarers traveling down the nearby Savannah River. There are lots of stories of pirates and grog and underground tunnels to the Rum Room. But mostly the grog drinkers have been tourists, since it became a restaurant in the 1940's. Don and I were 2 of those tourists, last January. Cozy House There are a number of buildings that make up the Pirate's House and its 15 dining rooms. This homey one with the porch, was part of the original inn. The attached structure on the right, with the slanty-roof, was built in 1734. It was called the Herb House and it was home to the gardner who tended Savannah's carefully planned botanical garden. Cookbook Illustration I'm sure the exterior has gone through many changes over the years, but not much since 1964. This illustration is from my 54-year-old Ford Motor Cookbook and it shows the same paint colors on building and shutters. Of course I brought along the book, hoping to share with an enthused server or cook... Late Afternoon Visit It was around 4, when Don and I squeezed in a visit during our short stay in Savannah. There were a few young and bored women chatting at the hostess desk, during the lull. They told us to feel free to roam around and to enjoy the gift shop. That was a bad sign right there. I don't care about souvenirs. I just wanted some history and these youngin's didn't have much interest in that. So we looked on our own. The first room we peeked in, was the original Herb House. You can see the slanted ceiling with thick beams. The Captain's Room The Captain's Room had great old floors and wooden walls. The fireplace looked authentically rustic. But what was with the skull and parrot theme? Yes, real pirates spent time in this room, but I doubt the fireplace was decorated with skulls back then. The Bar Don and I wanted to have a "dining adventure" in this old building, but it was too early and too empty to be fun. So we figured we could at least drink an ale or some grog-like beverage to help remember our visit. Sadly, the bar was a newly remodeled space that could have been anywhere. But luckily Joshua was still on duty for a while behind the bar. He had a bit of a pirate look about him, with ponytail and earrings. But best of all he had a lot of interest in the history of the place. Pirate's Pleasure Don had some kind of ale and I went for the Pirate's Pleasure... because it sounded appropriate, with rum. Some lively tourists arrived a while later and ordered the 22-ounce Chatham Artillery Punch. Joshua explained how he makes this crazy concoction in huge amounts each day. Maybe next time. Date and Nut Pudding? It made my day that Joshua was amused by the old cookbook. He laughed over the pudding recipe, which is no longer served. He even flipped through some of the pages from the northeastern States to see if he recognized any of the featured restaurants. A Quick Visit I can hardly say we really experienced Pirate's House. We had no meal. We weren't there at night with costumed servers. I didn't even ask if I could go find a tunnel. But we got to check off one more on the Cookbook List. And best of all, we had a great chat with Joshua. He may not be as young as the disinterested youngin's, but he was still young enough that I was impressed with his appreciation for history and preservation of old buildings.
|
The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
November 2023
Categories
All
|