Welcome back to Savannah Flavors, our weekly newsletter bringing you the latest delicious details from Savannah’s culinary scene every Thursday.

Here is what’s on the menu today:

• Sobremesa solidifies itself as much more than a drinks destination 🍷

• The Starland Disctrict’s favorite Savannah restaurants 🧋🌮

• Autumn roasted vegetable pasta recipe 🍝

• Trying Squirrel's Pizza on Bull Street 🍕

THE MAIN DISH

Sobremesa solidifies itself as much more than a drinks destination 🍷🥖🧀

As soon as Jason Restivo joined forces with Ryan Ribeiro in September of last year, the Sobremesa partners had their sights set on amplifying the food facet of the stylish Starland sit-and-sip.

What originally opened as a ‘wine bar’ two years ago has evolved into so much more and now sports a physical layout that speaks to everything proffered. If you have not popped into Sobremesa since summer’s end, you need to see what Jason and Jennifer Restivo, Ribeiro, and their team have achieved, all to satisfy our collective cravings. 

Though the bar side remains largely unchanged, the dining room is entirely different. Gone is the Euro-dark lounge look, and in its place is a proper bistro, tight-set square tables surrounded by a banquette to create a discrete eating space.

Jason Restivo said, “Standing on the hill and saying, ‘This is what we are’ attracts a lot of people, but you also put yourself in a position where there are still people who may not be attracted to that.”

In concert with the spatial renovation, the new menu is a handsome hand-holdable booklet whose text underscores the restaurant’s ethos: a ‘neighborhood gathering place’ that embodies the colloquial translation of its very name, a nod to Riberio’s Portuguese roots.

CHEF’S CRAVINGS

Marguerite Seckman, Emma Bess, & Gabby Reilly - Fête, One for the Road, Starland Strange, and Superbloom 🌺

Each week, I ask the folks behind the phenomenal food at our favorite places around Savannah these same simple questions:

When you are not in your restaurant kitchen, where do you go out to eat and what do you order?

Though she would most certainly blush at the moniker, Marguerite Seckman is the unofficial Mayoress of Starland. The phrase ‘beloved entrepreneur’ is not commonly used, but it fits Seckman to a vintage T as she bops between her three businesses that are all within a block of one another. 

In 2018, she launched Fête as a party planning and bartending business that pivoted during COVID and is now her unique product line of cocktail infusions. Superbloom took root on DeSoto Avenue in the summer of 2019, a neighborhood coffee shop specializing in menu options for diners with allergies, restrictions, or sensitivities, while also helping Starland live up to its arts district epithet through free craft nights and FoH retail that supports more than 30 local artists. 

Seckman opened Starland Strange in January of 2020 with the intention of offering “a cool representation of Savannah” retail in what is a food-and-beverage-first area, though it also serves up tasty bubble tea and ice cream. Back in March, she added One for the Road to her stable of Starland storefronts as a home for Fête, and it has also become a space for other entrepreneurs to “test the waters” in square footage without having to sign into a brick-and-mortar lease.

This week’s Chefs’ Cravings come from Seckman herself, Superbloom’s Emma Bess, and Starland Strange’s Gabby Reilly.

MS: This might be no surprise, but I don’t venture far out of the neighborhood. Shocker! I love to go to Over Yonder for dinner. I’m sure you’ve heard that one. Their burger and fries are my absolute favorite, but that’s where I really go late night. If it’s after ten p.m. and I know that no place is open or if I want to go have a few drinks with friends and get dinner, that is amazing for me.

GR: Green Truck is also really good. My go-to is the Chicken & Apples Sandwich. Anytime I have visitors in Savannah, I’m like, “We need to go to Green Truck.”

EB: I’m a big fan of the turkey reuben at Crystal Beer Parlor and the Mac & Cheese Bites from World of Beer. I really do love those.

MS: If I am up early in the neighborhood and want to grab a quick to-go meal or even sit there by myself, Sixby. I love to get their breakfast platter. It has the broth, it has the egg, it has the salad, and I love to just sit there myself and check emails, or I’ll get it to go and sit at my desk in my office.

EB: Our favorite sushi is probably from The Vault. We go and eat a few rolls.

GR: I definitely go to The Vault. That’s one of my favorite places in Savannah. Their sushi’s really good, but usually when I go there, my go-to is their Teller Chicken Tacos. They’re really good, and you can’t beat the view because it’s the inside of what used to be a bank.

EB: Every Monday, I go to Bella Napoli for Service Industry Night. They do half off the whole menu if you work in the service industry. Their manicotti with the vodka sauce and then tiramisu are my top two favorites from there. It’s awesome. It makes it way worth going because bottles of wine, desserts, everything is half off.

MS: Every Monday, you can find me at Bull Street Taco. Whether it’s lunch, whether it’s dinner, I’m there because Monday is my day off. I only have one day off a week, and that day, I’m going to have margaritas with friends and some cauliflower tacos. I’m not vegan, but I’ve always loved cauliflower and broccoli. If someone can make it taste so good, I’m going to get it every single time.

GR: You can’t beat them. They’ve got a good selection of tacos and vegan options. The shrimp taco is up there. 

And for a special occasion?

EB: We’ve gone to the Chart House on River Street. Their steak was really good, and [my boyfriend] got some kind of fish in miso broth that was also delicious.

MS: Brochu’s, Brochu’s, Brochu’s. My husband and I love Brochu’s. We tell everyone to go there. Everyone in my family wants to go there when they visit. I could eat there every day, but I make it a place where I only go for special occasions. We always get the whole chicken dinner, even if it’s just the two of us, and we will just eat. So good.

EB: Oyster-wise, Brochu’s. The green peppercorn and yuzu ones. They’re raw. They’re probably my favorite oysters in Savannah. 

MS: I have a shellfish allergy, so I can’t participate in the oysters and the shellfish part of the menu.

EB: The best espresso martini is at Collins Quarter. The Thompson Hotel, the rooftop bar?…Bar Julian. Good cocktails as well. They grow their own herbs. They make everything in-house. Their flatbreads are really good. 

GR: I would have to go somewhere downtown, if money is no object. Maybe Perry Lane Hotel because they’ve got a really good view of the city, and their drinks and mocktails are great.

EB: Jazz’d, the tapas bar. They have a really good deal, Tapas for Two, and it includes four tapas and two desserts. They have good cocktails, and it’s smaller portions, which is kind of nice to sample things. It’s really fun. They typically have live music, so you can always get up and dance. It’s not like ‘club’ dancing. You can slow dance. It’s really cute. I like it for date night.

MS: And if we are going out on a regular night when we don’t feel like cooking, Das Box. 

(NWG interjects with mouthwatering praise for Chef Nick Chambliss’s fried rice.)

MS: That’s what we get! It’s so good! We get the fried rice, the Asian green salad, and the potatoes. They call them their Das Fries. We split the three and pick and eat and chat.

-Neil Gabbey

TRIED, TASTED, TRUE

Autumn roasted vegetable pasta

THE STORY BEHIND THE RECIPE

I make no bones about hating cold weather. We moved here expressly to escape ice and snow. These 40-degree mornings are for the non-migratory birds.

My only fall and winter consolations are a strong sweater game, a closetful of holdover quarter-zips from our Baltimore days, and the return of roasted root vegetables, which simply seem to taste better at this time of year.

Before we moved to Savannah, our scouting trips were made during Marches and Decembers, when I had extended time off from school, so we came to know the city in cooler climes. The Public Kitchen & Bar quickly became a favorite for a cozy dinner, and while Brandy Williamson was its executive chef, her autumn linguine dish was a sensational seasonal rite. 

Williamson’s pasta conception comprised bite-sized pieces of butternut squash, halved and blanched Brussels sprouts, and red onions, all roasted and tossed in a manchego-parmesan cream sauce and topped with chopped pecans.

Slices of salty seared chicken breast made a superbly colorful and fall-flavorful entrée sublime. 

Understandably, The Public’s creative and talented culinary team have changed out the restaurant’s pasta preparations over the last few years, and the autumn linguine, as it was, is no longer a fall classic.

That left me with no other option than to recreate it at home. I bought a small bag of Brussels, a butternut squash, and a wedge of manchego. I thawed two leftover chicken breasts and butterflied them. 

I even went the extra few feet and made the pasta from scratch, but that is food for a future Triple T.

Honestly, the only ‘difficult’ part of the preparation is peeling and seeding the raw squash. Once done, chop it into half-inch pieces. Remove any blemished outer leaves from the sprouts and halve them.

My other alterations were replacing the red onions with shallots and subbing in roasted pepitas for the pecans.

In separate batches, I tossed each vegetable pile in a tablespoon of olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. The roasting can all be done on the same parchment-papered baking sheet, but I kept the components to themselves for more personalized plating.

In a 400° oven, all of the veg will roast to tenderness in about a half an hour, which is plenty of time to boil the pasta, to prepare the cream sauce, and to cook the chicken breasts. To minimize the kitchen kerfuffle, I grilled the chicken on the Weber. 

For the cream sauce, I melted a stick of unsalted butter and sautéed two grated cloves of garlic for a minute. I whisked in two teaspoons of flour until it fully dissolved, warmed up, and began to bubble, another two minutes. I slowly added the whole milk first, whisking constantly as the sauce came together, and then added the cream. If you want to use only milk, just increase the amount of flour.

Off the heat, I stirred in plenty of freshly grated Parmesan and a little manchego, saving more of the latter for shaving atop each plated portion.

So that the pasta does not stick together if it is allowed to cool, it is best to toss the linguine or fettuccine in the cream sauce right away to coat each noodle and to keep the main component warm as bowls are topped to taste with the roasted veggies, chicken, and pepitas.

On one of these cooler nights, this particular pasta recipe warms my belly and makes me hate the season’s change slightly less. Just in case it never reappears at The Public, you can stay in your sweats and slippers and make it yourself.

-Neil Gabbey

THE RECIPE

HARD GOODS 

• 10-12 ounces pasta, linguine or fettuccine

• ½ of a butternut squash (about a pound)

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, preferably small

• 4 shallots or 1 medium red onion

• 2 boneless chicken breasts

• 2+ tablespoons kosher salt (used separately)

• Fresh-cracked black pepper

• ½ cup pepitas (roasted and salted) or chopped pecans

• 2 garlic cloves

• 2 teaspoons flour (or more if using whole milk)

• 4 ounces Parmesan, freshly grated

• 2 ounces manchego, grated, plus more for servings

WET GOODS

• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

• 2 cups heavy cream (or even cups of whole milk and heavy cream)

DO THIS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

3. Peel and seed, if using the bottom portion, the butternut squash

4. Cut the squash into neat ½-inch cubes

5. Remove any blemished outer leaves from the sprouts

6. Halve the sprouts

7. Peel the shallots (red onions) and slice into wedges from pole to pole

8. In separate batches, toss each vegetable with a tablespoon of olive oil and half teaspoons of both kosher salt and pepper

9. Spread each seasoned vegetable onto the baking sheet into single layers, keeping them separate

10. Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes or until the shallots and sprouts are nicely charred)

11. While the vegetables are in the oven, butterfly the chicken breasts and pound thin between layers of plastic wrap

12. Season both sides of each piece of chicken with salt and pepper

13. Put a stock pot of water, seasoned with a tablespoon of kosher salt, on high heat and bring to a boil

14. While waiting for the water to warm up, start the cream sauce by melting the stick of butter in a saucier over medium-low heat

15. Sauté the grated garlic in the melted butter for about a minute

16. Add the two teaspoons of flour and whisk until fully dissolved

17. Slowly pour in the heavy cream (or whole milk) and whisk as the sauce thickens and then thins out again

18. Continue to warm the sauce until it begins to bubble slightly, scraping the sides and stirring occasionally

19. After 15 minutes, the sauce will have thickened appropriately and can always been loosened with a tablespoon of cream (or milk)

20. Meanwhile, pan-sear the chicken in a skillet, bake in the 400° oven, or grill - each method requiring between 10-12 minutes of cooking time

21. Put the pasta in the now-boiling water and cook to al dente

22. Empty the pasta and water into a colander and shake

23. Pour the pasta into the warm cream sauce and toss gently to coat

24. When the chicken is done, let rest under foil for five minutes

25. Slice the chicken into thin strips

26. Plate a nest of pasta topped with desired portions of squash, sprouts, shallots, chicken, pepitas, and shavings of manchego

BEEN THERE. ATE THAT.

Squirrel's Pizza Bull Street 🍕🌃

November kicked off with a lively evening in Starland as ARTS Southeast held Art on Bull, marking the nonprofit’s tenth anniversary. While the stage was being set up on West 39th Street, my wife and I went into Sulphur Studios to see friends and to check out the impressive displays and installations.

Rather often, I fear that I opine the obvious, but it bears repeating how much Starland means to Savannah and how much it has developed over the last decade into the city’s cultural nucleus, the mecca where art and music meet food and drink and not only on nights such as these.

That Chamber of Commerce Friday evening, we were spoiled for choice for dinner. Despite the larger crowd attending Art on Bull, options were aplenty, and because we had not been back in a while, we went with Squirrel’s Pizza.

Pizza is always our Plan A.

Driving down Bull over the past couple of years, I have occasionally worried about this original outpost of Chris Dickerson’s uniquely upscale-casual pizza bar, only because it never looks busy. As my wife and I seated ourselves at a booth, I noticed a number of cardboard boxes being filled with pies and surmised that the takeaway trade must be a sustaining factor.

Perhaps due to the ARTS Southeast event, more seats at Squirrel’s were occupied that evening, maybe a third in total, and every now and then, a customer came in to carry out a couple of those boxes.

Because it had been a minute, my wife and I chose our favorites - a cupping pepperoni pizza ($12.95) and a Benny Blanco ($12.95) - plus six jumbo wings, marinated in Korean buffalo sauce and wood-fired to order ($12.95). Our order beat the happy hour buzzer by a few minutes, nicely knocking three bucks off the wings.

Being a Western New York native, chicken wings are a cherished cuisine subset, so I know whereof I eat. Unfortunately, these drumettes and flats were far from ‘jumbo’, just standard-sized. I asked for them to be left in the Pavesi forni a little longer than normal to crisp them up, but even after sending them back once, they returned barely cooked, the skin not at all charred and still limp on most.

For more than two dollars a wing, I expected better, though the kicky toss sauce was as good as I recalled.

As has been the case whenever we have dined in, our server was attentive and cheerful, and she kept checking on us throughout the meal.

The two pizzas came out quickly, both a bit overdone, which with this crackery crust might have been the matter of a few extra seconds. The flavors were still superb, especially the bright Benny Blanco that is uplifted by the lemon Agrumato and hint of rosemary.

Even though it is not supposed to be, the standard pepperoni pie was drizzled with hot honey, all the rage around these parts at present but not an expected or appreciated addition to our palettes. We want salty and savory to be just that. Sadly, the special basil oil did not stand chance against the sweetness, and relatively few pep cups topped the pizza.

As I crunched the final bits of crust, I cracked a smile as Ben Kaiser, providing ambient acoustic entertainment in the front corner of the restaurant, played a rendition of “Little Wing.” True that.

One slightly lesser esculent experience at a favorite eatery is certainly excusable, even if I hope that Dickerson does whatever he can to ensure Squirrel’s Pizza Bull Street remains as great as it was when he launched the brand five years back.

-Neil Gabbey