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:

• Deathless Food Truck has found a home and is nearly ready to roll! 🚚 🌯

• Get ready for the Connect Savannah Fall Festival! 🎃 🍁

• homemade Tomato soup recipe perfect with grilled cheese

• Been There. Ate That. Java Burrito. 🌮🍹

THE MAIN DISH

Deathless Food Truck has found a home and is nearly ready to roll 🚚 🌯

Gretchen and Logan Needy are all-in on their vegan street food concept. Just click on their Deathless Food Truck homepage and you shall see. I’ll wait while you check it out for yourself…

…I know, right?

Take that, all those who unfairly stereotype the kumbaya-singing hemp-wearing meat-freers. Maybe that kind of in-your-face herbivory is exactly what we all need, especially when the edict and the eats come from such sweet and passionate people.

Exactly two years ago, the Needys relocated to Savannah, bringing with them their vegan brand aboard a fully equipped food truck, but their wheels have yet to roll out. There were his cheffing stint at Folklore, the customary red tape, and the want of a commissary kitchen, all sizable hurdles.

Enter James and Liz Massey of Two Tides Brewing Co. to breathe life into Deathless.

“Liz reached out to us on our Instagram page,” Gretchen Needy explained. “It just went from there.”

The ‘it’ is what she called a “little buddy partnership” born in our aptly nicknamed city: when the Masseys open The Laundry Diner later this year, the Needys will park their food truck outside and use the restaurant’s kitchen as their base of operations.

“Our timeline is mirroring their timeline,” Gretchen Needy added.

A food friendship that effectively gives the city two new restaurants in the space of one.

CONNECT SAVANNAH FALL FESTIVAL

Savannah, GA — Dust off your cozy sweaters and get ready for a day of fun! Connect Savannah is hosting its highly anticipated Fall Festival at Red Gate Farms on Sunday, October 27, 2024, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. This year’s festival promises a jam-packed day of activities, perfect for families and residents looking to celebrate the beauty of the fall season. 

From exciting pony rides to colorful face painting, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Want to show off your competitive side? Jump into the sack races for a chance to win prizes, or join the classic cake walk and see if you can walk away with a sweet treat! For those feeling creative, grab a brush and paint a pumpkin at the mini pumpkin painting station, or hop on a carriage ride and take in the beautiful scenery at Red Gate Farms. 

But that’s not all! There will be live music filling the air, inflatables for the little ones to jump around in, and a variety of local vendors and craft booths offering unique treasures. Hungry? Several food trucks will be on-site, serving up delicious options to satisfy your cravings (note: food and vendor purchases are not included in the ticket price). If you're excited about pony rides, you can secure your spot in advance for an additional $5 to guarantee a time slot. 

“This festival is all about bringing people together and celebrating the best of what fall has to offer,” says Erica Baskin, a representative of Connect Savannah. “It’s a great opportunity for people to connect, have fun, and create lasting memories.” 

Red Gate Farms, located on the outskirts of Savannah, provides the perfect backdrop for the day’s festivities. Its spacious fields and scenic views create an ideal setting for families to explore, relax, and enjoy all the fun activities the festival has to offer. 

So, mark your calendars, grab your family and friends, and get ready for an unforgettable day! Tickets are available online, and parking at Red Gate Farms will be free for all guests. Be sure to arrive early to make the most of this exciting day. 

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.showclix.com/tickets/connect-savannah-fall-festival-2024-9yckwm2, and follow Connect Savannah on social media for the latest updates! 

Special thanks to our sponsors: Jamie Casino Injury Attorney, United Community Bank, Chatterbox Pediatric Therapy, Savannah Blinds, and Renewal by Andersen. 

ABOUT CONNECT SAVANNAH
Connect Savannah is a leading source for local events and entertainment in Savannah, dedicated to creating memorable community experiences. Through its festivals, forums, and media platforms, Connect Savannah celebrates the city’s vibrant culture and fosters connections among its residents. 

For further inquiries, please contact Erica Baskin at Connect Savannah. 

TRIED, TASTED, TRUE

Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe

THE STORY BEHIND THE RECIPE

Loyal Triple T readers know that I always have at least one batch of homemade chicken stock in my freezer. In Savannah’s hot-hot-hot summer months, the conundrum is what to cook with it, so the stock often chills out for a month.

Two days before they opened Trombone Bakery for retail sales, owners Bee and Mike Vaudrin and pastry chef Chelsea Clarkson nicely gifted me a gorgeous sourdough round that had grilled cheese sandwiches written all over it.

With evenings now marginally cooler, I thawed a big Rubbermaid tub because it was tomato soup time.

As millions of home chefs know, America’s Test Kitchen’s exhaustive research and experimentation has been hard-targeting the best ways to make anything and everything for more than three decades. During our Baltimore Days, I subscribed to Cook’s Illustrated and read each issue cover to cover. Even if I did not attempt a given recipe, I found Christopher Kimball and Co.’s trials and errors edifying in terms of ingredients and techniques.

Even before Kimball parted ways with the enterprise he founded, ATK’s online arm had erected a high paywall, so I am glad that I kept a few dozen of the original Cook’s Illustrated issues when we moved. 

Because the worldwidewebternet is what it is, almost every ATK recipe can be found in electronic form, even if it takes a bit of doing. Thankfully, that is the case for its Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup, probably my most often made single dish from the ATK annals.

The brilliance of the recipe is using white bread to create a thickish and creamy texture, which may sound mad, but it works.

Spoiler alert: the rendition does not call for or need any cream, but I use just a bit.

All in all, this is a one-pot preparation plus a blender. In a dutch oven, a sliced onion and chopped garlic are sweated in olive oil with a dash of red pepper flakes before the cans of whole tomatoes and stock are added, the whole pot brought to a slow boil.

Cook’s Illustrated calls for the stock to be added after the tomatoes and aromatics are puréed in a blender, but I like all of the liquid cooking together for a bit with the torn-up pieces of white bread, tablespoon of brown sugar, and bay leaf. I never have brandy handy, so I skip it.

The ends of that Trombone Bakery sourdough made for a classy white bread to bolster this batch, first trimmed of the crusts. As the pre-soup simmers, the bread breaks down, along with the whole tomatoes, allowing for a few gentle presses with a potato masher.

The only palaver in the process is blending the soup, which I have to do in batches in my relatively small Cuisinart Hurricane Compact Juicing Blender. At 32 ounces, this means three separate whazzes, each with a tablespoon of olive oil, and I then press each turn through a chinois and toss whatever pulpy bits remain.

Back in the dutch oven over medium-low heat, my version of this already creamy soup is christened with a half-cup of actual heavy cream that lightens the final product both visually and palatably.

Drizzle a little more cream into serving bowls and dress with chopped fresh chives.

Dead-simple and delicious, this is the best tomato soup you will ever make at home. It does not need an accompanying grilled cheese, but why wouldn’t you?

-Neil Gabbey

THE RECIPE

HARD GOODS 

• 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 🧄

• Pinch red pepper flakes

• 1 bay leaf 🍃

• 2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes with juice

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 3 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed and torn into pieces 🍞

• Kosher salt, to taste

• Ground white pepper, to taste (optional)

• ¼ cup fresh chives, chopped

WET GOODS

• ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, used separately 🫒

• 2 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth 🐓

• ¼-½ cup heavy cream, plus more for service (optional)

DO THIS

1. In a large stock pot of dutch oven, heat ¼ cup of the olive oil over medium heat

2. Sweat the onion and garlic until translucent and just coloring (8 to 10 minutes)

3. Add the red pepper flakes, stir, and sautée for another minute

4. Add both cans of tomatoes and their juice, the stock, and the bay leaf

5. Bring the mixture up to a gentle boil

6. Reduce the heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes

7. Add the bread pieces and the brown sugar

8. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes, at least

9. When the bread pieces have broken down, use a potato masher and gently break up the tomatoes

10. Simmer for another 10 minutes

11. Remove the pot from the heat

12. Working in batches, blend the mixture, adding 1 tablespoon of olive oil through the steam hole with each

13. Press the blended soup through a chinois, discarding any remaining solids (optional)

14. Pour the blended soup back into the pot and warm over medium-low heat

15. Whisk in a ½ cup of heavy cream (optional)

16. Serve with a drizzle of heavy cream and a garnish of chives

BEEN THERE. ATE THAT.

Java Burrito Company 🌮 🌯

I could not remember the last time I had eaten an entire burrito in one sitting.

By noon the day after Hurricane Helene had scourged her way over Savannah, I had spent three hours clearing and cutting limbs, followed by junking three-fourths of our fridge and freezer contents. All told, ours was admittedly more inconvenience than plight, though my wife and I knew that we had to find someplace for lunch at which time she could juice her phone.

Earlier that morning, our cross-street neighbors had social-shared that Java Burrito Company was open for business, so after a Southside sweep to pick up yard bags and two-cycle oil at Maycrest Hardware, we zipped up the Truman.

As soon as Frederika and Michael Feketé brought their quick-casual coffee-Mex concept to Savannah back in May of 2022, it became a beloved keystone on East Broughton Street. Even though they were among the first ‘Chefs’ Cravings’ interviewees, I had not enjoyed their food more than a few times since we met more than two years ago but only because I rarely find myself in that part of town.

Needless to write, the facts that JBCo. had power the idiomatic day after and the Feketés and their crew were open gave it all the drawing power necessary for a return. 

I had built up a burrito appetite.

Before we opened the vintage wooden front door, it was evident that business was booming. The sun was out, and each of the outdoor tables was occupied by happy customers. Inside, the food order line stretched into the coffee bar. My wife snatched up two counter stools and plugged in her phone like she was in the final scene of Mission: Impossible - Fallout while I queued up.

The main dining room overflowed, and not an open outlet could be found, wires strung this way and that over empty trays. Behind the counter, Michael Feketé was part of a trio that scooped chosen fillings into bowls and onto tortillas, deftly shifting places along the line. Once or twice, he came out onto the floor after ringing up another customer to refill his cup: a little lemonade and a splash of sweet tea, exactly what I was going to make for myself.

He and his crew were more than earning their keep today.

Until that moment, I had not even been in a Chipotle in at least two years, so I was a little overwhelmed as I stared at the overhead menu boards. It was not as if I was inching up to order from the Soup Nazi, but I did not want to hold up what was a lengthening line with any tenderfooted timidity.

My wife cuts carbs as much as she can, so her rice-less bowl’s contents comprised black beans, grilled chicken, plenty of salad fixins, and a scoop of guac. I went big with a braised steak burrito with white rice, black beans, cheese, lettuce, pico, and sour cream, plus a big bag of chips.

I stole a few seconds with Michael as he wrapped my tortilla missile, just to see how he was holding up. As is his wonderful nature, he was nothing but smiles and positivity, though he whispered across the plastic guard that they might have to shut down food sales shortly simply to give themselves time to restock before that evening’s service.

Two bites into my burrito, a barista taped a handwritten apology to a bistro chair, blocking any further entry into the main dining room. Great timing and clean living by us.

Our lunch was delicious and not only because we were so hungry and so thankful to have found a place to eat.

Because it had been so long, I was initially taken aback by the sticker prices, but some cursory Google ‘research’ revealed that Java Burrito Co.’s prices per protein option are barely a buck more than those at that familiar nationwide chain. For a locally owned restaurant serving scratch-made food in such a stylish setting, what the Feketés are doing defies explanation and deserves praise.

Now that baby has made four in their darling family, I doubt that another JBCo. location is in the offing, but if so, can I suggest a spot in Ardsley Park?

-Neil Gabbey