Beyond Rivalry

Savannah Photos

Jekyll Photos

What I Had (for Dinner) While on Vacation in Savannah, St Simon's Island and Jekyll Island:

Tuesday: We were staying in a hotel not too far from home, so we ate at a favourite place. I had a green salad with shredded carrots, kalamata olives, red onions, and chick peas, and a vegetarian chili, flat bread, and a glass of red wine.

Wednesday: On the train. Make-Your-Own Salad from Zaros: mesclun, carrots, green peppers, chick peas, and tuna, plus bread. Half a Sam Adams.

Thursday: The worst meal we had on the trip was at Tapas by Anna, at City Market in Savannah, sitting outside in a center of activity (horse-drawn carriage rides, music, tourists, stores). Seemed like a great idea, but the food and the service were both sadly lacking. I had a pathetic house salad, a bite or two of T's she-crab soup -- which was the consistency of wallpaper paste, with a taste not too far removed from it; I had the second bite because I couldn't believe it was that bad -- and finished with some grilled shrimp that were actually quite good. The sangria tasted like Koolaid.  The server, who seemed friendly, totally forgot us after taking our order. Someone else served us and we had to flag down someone else for water and get up and ask for our check.

Though this is a dinner list, I have to interrupt to say that breakfast on Thursday and Friday were FABULOUS! We ate at Huey's on the riverfront both days, had delectable beignets each day, and I had cafe au lait (don't normally drink coffee), and Parmesan garlic grits each day. Also shared a tasty creole shrimp omelette the first morning.

Friday: Ate at the Barbara Jean's on Wilmington Island in Savannah (we had rented a car by now). We split a Carolina Blonde beer, and I had a 5 oz. crabcake and a vegetable platter: corn, green beans, spinach, carrots, and broccoli-rice casserole. Mmmm. We sat on the outside porch by the marsh and watched a preying mantis walk along the railing for a half-hour (photos later).

Saturday: Ate at SeaJay's on Jekyll, outside on the porch. We both had the low-country boil, which includes unlimited corn on the cob, steamed shrimp, andouille sausage (I skipped that), boiled red potatoes, cole slaw, rolls, and banana pudding with vanilla wafers in it.  I had a Newcastle Ale. (Later in the week, CJ's mother-in-law, Meg Roberts, gave us a lovely nature tour.) (Lunch had been spent tasting the Jekyll Island Club's entry in the Shrimp and Grits festival and drinking a couple of G&Ts while wandering outside for a few hours.)

Sunday: Ate at Gnat's Landing on St. Simon's Island (SSI). Love their tres casual ambiance and big outside eating area. In the spring, the scent of the jasmine is intoxicating, but this time of year the vine is scent-dormant. I had a perennial favourite, the crab balls, and the mix master salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, croutons, and topped with grilled mahi-mahi. Split a Sweetwater 420 Ale draft (brewed in Atlanta).

Monday: Ate at the Barbara Jean's on SSI. I had a 7 oz. crab cake with sides of green beans and white cheddar grits. Also a pinot noir, and their wonderful breads (jalapeno cornbread, whole wheat bread, and something gingerbready). Sat outside.

Tuesday: Ate at Spanky's Marshside in Brunswick, GA, another favourite of ours, mainly for their Happy Hour call drinks prices. I had two good G&Ts, and a green salad topped with charbroiled shrimp, plus some jalapeno poppers and some of T's Spanky's spuds. Sat inside for a change. Minimal draft beer selection, which is not uncommon in our experience in this area.

Wednesday: SeaJays again, with a better seat outside, facing the marina and the sunset. It's our favourite spot on Jekyll, though we also ate lunch one day at the Rah Bar next to Latitude 31, also at a marina (and we loved Lat 31's entry in the Shrimp and Grits Festival -- my favourite one). I again had the low-country boil, and Red Stripe. We also went there one day for lunch and I had crab balls and a small green salad.

Thursday: Gnat's Landing on SSI again. I had crab balls and the winter salad, which was greens, Parmesan cheese (I substituted for bleu cheese), carmelised walnuts, and pears, topped with blackened mahi-mahi. Split another Sweetwater 420.

Friday: Back in Savannah again, we went to Huey's for dinner this time. Yummy yummy shrimp and grits in Cajun sauce for my main course, with cornbread and red wine (a McWilliams merlot). We got beignets and cafe au lait for dessert.  Mmm mmm good.

Saturday: Taking the train home. We ate at Center Cafe in Union Station, Washington, DC, during a 2-hour layover. I had a crab quesadilla, which was good, and a spinach salad with radicchio, croutons and balsamic vinaigrette, which was not great -- the balsamic vinaigrette tasted liked too much like plain vinegar. We split a Blue Moon with lemon.

Photos will be posted soon.

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to lean on water. The water,

moving over minnows, is haunted."

-- Mona Van Duyn

"Below what we think we are
We are something else,
We are almost anything."

-- DH Lawrence

"The path from good to evil goes through bogus."

--  Tara Ploughman

***

House: But, I had three reasons.
Cuddy: Good ones?
House: Well, we'll see in a minute, I'm just making them up now.

-- House MD, ep. 1x12 'Sports Medicine'

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***

The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger.

-- Hermann Goering at the Nuremberg Trials

***

Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.

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I'd kiss you but I'm afraid it'd come out wrong

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-- Peter Medawar, Memoirs of a Thinking Radish (1986)