a.Lure

a.Lure has been open a little over a year but I hadn't been so Mark and Allison were anxious to show it off.  When I looked at the menu and saw lamb carpaccio served with blue cheese ice cream I understood why.  Blue cheese ice cream?  That's the sort of thing that gets me toe-tappin' giddy.  If it's done right, that is - nobody likes a gimmick.  And it was, indeed, done right.  Oooh yea it was.  

Also done right: seared scallops with pulled duck confit, truffled cream corn sauce, and savory sweet corn ice cream.  These ice creams!  So new and funky!  Oo la la!  I can't forget the burger.  When I said I was getting too full to share, my dear Bub looked at me and said, "Tess, Wagyu is the Kobe beef of America.  When you see it on the menu, you just have to get it."  I learned long ago that it served me well to listen to my big brother, and this was no exception.  Aged cheddar, bacon, fried shallots, and garlic mayo made it a great burger.  Parmesan truffle fries are just the kind of fried potato a burger like this deserves.

Bonna Bella

One of my favorite restaurants at home (we're talkin top 3 here) is Bonna Bella.  As a family not only from a Lowcountry/river town but whose home is actually on said river, we don't like to stray from the water and dining is no exception.  You can get to Bonna Bella by car or boat (more often than not, we go with boat) and though inside seating exists, I've never seen anyone using it.  Why would you when you can basically sit on a dock while you eat your food.  There's cornhole for while you wait for your food and a general laid back fun atmosphere.  I've never seen anyone in a bad mood at Bonna Bella.  One of my favorite dishes is she crab stew and they make some of the best around.  I had mine with a half pound of boiled shrimp and a beer.  Perfection.

Lulu's

Lulu's Chocolate Bar is a great downtown Savannah spot that always gathers a line.  For good reason.  The desserts are fabulous and going out for sweets and cocktails is a great way to end the night when you're not quite ready to go home but don't want to really go out.  My parents and I shared the pineapple upside down cake, the chocolate peanut butter pie, and the salted caramel cashew tart (my fave, by far).

3 on Thursday

8 days at home was just not enough.  I may be back to my NYC habits, but I still miss lounging on the boat and having all the time I want to read.

Matt and Karina recently hosted us for supper at their new place and although apps are usually my fave, I have to call their dessert course the winner.  We had port with biscotti and stilton and I learned stilton and biscotti go really well together - a new trick that won't soon be forgotten.  We ate dessert while playing Cards Against Humanity, a parlor game that gets even better after a few drinks.  I highly recommend keeping it around the house for impromptu dinner parties.

The best part of being home is home cooking.  When I reviewed the grocery list my mom emailed me I knew immediately that she was asking me to pick up the ingredients for my favorite meal, chicken and wild rice casserole.  I can't get enough of it.  Fun fact: when my Daddy was trying to impress my La La and Grandpa because he wanted to ask for my Mom's hand, he cooked them this meal.  If you eat this meal, you'll understand why they couldn't tell my Daddy no.

The costumes and sets were just about the best parts of the Great Gatsby movie.  The acting was great, too, but the other stuff was what really shined.  And I am being quite literal.  There were sparkly diamonds and glistening marble all over the place.  I love the Roaring 20s and their unmistakable glitzy art deco vibe.  I sometimes think I belong in a different generation and long to have lived in that era.  Apparently I am a step closer thanks to Tiffany's, who created many of the jewels we see throughout the film.  Almost all of them are well out of my reach, but this onyx and pearl ring was actually my favorite item in the collection and at $475 is actually affordable.  My birthday is tomorrow and if anyone is still looking for my gift, this is IT.

Il Bastardo

Steph loves to go to Il Bastardo because it's easy for her to get to from Hoboken and they apparently do a rowdy, dance party brunch. It's hard to imagine that when you're eating lunch there on a random weekday (which I was fortunate enough to do thanks to a pre-memorial day off work), but the lunch deal gives you an idea of how crazy it can get.  Who wouldn't go nuts over a $10, 2-course meal?  I went with the caesar salad to start and the chicken paillard for my entree.  Both were well prepared, simple, Italian staples.  But here's where it goes from mild to wild: just $16 for unlimited wine.  Yes, please.

Oliva

In a smaller town like Savannah, locals flock to a new restaurant the moment it opens in hopes of infusing some variety into their diets.  My brother and sister-in-law are trendsetters and usually the first to try any new eatery, but I managed to beat them to this one (and as a visitor, no less!), which I suppose makes me the trendsetter supreme.

Oliva is an Italian restaurant run by the same folks behind Rancho Alegre.  I wasn't sure how they would transition from Cuban to Italian, but I now know that the wife of this husband/wife team was raised in Venezuela, immersed in the Italian culture and all the recipes are her invention.  Such a situation was surprising to me but even more surprising was that all the fresh made pasta dishes are only $15.  I'm not sure I've ever seen a hand cut pasta dish for less than $20 and I've certainly never seen it when the pasta is filled with chicken liver paté and topped with sage butter.  Also fantastic was my Mom's pappardelle with lamb ragu and my Daddy said his grilled Octopus was like eating lobster - considering lobster's status in the world of crustaceans, that's a high compliment.  Our beef carpaccio appetizer was an ample portion and set off with a nice zesting of lemon.  

Gone Fishin'

Apologies for the absence, but I've been home on vacay.  Posting will resume tomorrow!