Ok. I did promise to talk about the Lady and Sons Restaurant. Perhaps one of the reasons (among others) I will never be elected President, is that I would not have a White House Chef, I’d have a White House Cook. My first choice would probably be Paula Deen, or at least someone from her restaurant in Savannah.
For those who have not seen Paula on the Food Network or elsewhere, her cooking style is what is commonly referred to as “Home Cooking.” And it is done very well. The restaurant is located on Congress Street in Savannah, and there are two ways to get in. If you have more than 10 people (which we did with the Girl Scout Troop and parents), you can call and make a reservation. If you have less than 10 people, you need to line up and get a reservation in person at the restaurant. Lady CurbCrusher and I had done this on a previous trip, lining up around 7:30AM to get seats later in the afternoon for a late lunch, early dinner.
Once you show up at your appointed time, you’ll be shown to a seat one of the three floors in the restaurant. Your choices at this point are to either order from the menu, or go to the buffet. I’ve been twice and not even looked at the menu, I’ve headed for the buffet. Regardless of your choice, you’ll find hoecakes and cornbread delivered to your table, and a drink choice. But is there really any choice other than sweet tea in this environment?
The plate above is the result of the first visit to the buffet. Clockwise from the top, lima beans, black-eyed peas, fried chicken, pot roast, and collard greens. Let me say that it was all good. Especially the pot roast. It pretty much melted in your mouth. I didn’t take a picture of the second buffet trip, but I added some mashed potatoes, more pot roast and more collards to the plate.
The basic fact is that you can’t get a better meal anywhere. The food all taste great and you get to eat your fill (actually more than your fill). While I’m sure the Michelin Guide and the Zagat Survey either ignore or mark down Paula’s place because of it’s lack of “sophistication,” the truth is that you don’t fancy “plating” of food and black tie waiters and wine to have a five star food experience. You just need some friendly waitstaff and really good home cooking.