Savannah food tour mixes history, tastings, parks, monuments and more

 

A happy, well fed group of travelers and foodies finish a fun Savannah tasting tour,
with guide Brenden Davis giving the enthusiastic group a "thumbs up" send-off.

SAVANNAH FOOD TOUR OFFERS DELECTABLE TASTINGS, LIVELY COMMENTARY, HISTORY, FACTS, AND WALKING TO WORK IT OFF

Food tour participants sweetened their day
with tastings of delicious honeys at
Capital Bee Company in Savannah.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

WE'RE FOOD tour junkies. We love tasting new dishes, dining in small, interesting cafes and restaurants, visiting places where the locals hang out. 

Christene digs into a double-fried  
pork chop with a tangy sauce.

WHEREVER WE GO in the world, we try to work a food tour into our visit.

We've sampled tapas in Barcelona, crab cakes and key lime pie in Fort Lauderdale and Key West, sushi in Kyoto and fish and chips in London. All on food and walking tours.

Zunzi's chicken sandwich has a double sauce
with a four-letter-word that locals love to order.

Our latest culinary adventure was in Savannah, where tastings ranged from a tasty chicken sandwich with two sauces at Zunzi's, to a satisfying double-fried pork chop, honey straight from the hive, a southern style taco with peach salsa, the best grits and shrimp we've sampled, and irresistible ice cream. 

Delectable shrimp and grits, served in a
creamy sauce at 22 Square, named after the
square it is near, and a Savannah favorite.

    

A GOOD GUIDE makes a food tour work.  Sure, the food is important.  But having a lively, knowledgeable guide is the key to a successful, enjoyable tour where participants learn something about the city as well as its culinary offerings. Food served with fun and facts!

We hit the food tour jackpot with our excellent guide, Brenden Davis.  His genial manner, knowledge of Savannah's finest eats, and a keen sense of humor kept us amused while we tasted and strolled this historic and beautifully designed city.  Davis has a background in radio and TV and is an experienced actor as well.  

FOOD, FUN, FACTS

Zunzi's chicken sandwich comes with 2 sauces.
Its moniker is  four-letter word starting with "s" 
because when a customer asked if he could
have two sauces, the waiter said "s*** yeah." 

HIS TASTE Experience is all its title implies.
The "experience" began at Zunzi's, with Davis introducing himself and giving each of us a turn at introduction. Then a sketch of his own life and background -- he's from Detroit and broke with family tradition to eschew a law or medical degree in favor of  radio, improv and comedy. Before we munched a delicious chicken sandwich, he gave us an overview of central Savannah and its art, architecture and history. Then we strolled to the other five stops, continuing our delightful culinary extravaganza. Besides the leisurely look around the downtown, the tour included a half-dozen of Savannah's most interesting eateries.

Savannah Taste Experience is a
perfect way to enjoy the city's
finest and most fun fare, and
learn something about the town.

BEFORE EACH stop, Davis offered casual commentary.  Fancy Parker's Urban Gourmet, he explained, is famous for its made-from-scratch Southern-inspired food.  It's an expansive, inviting space where locals and visitors come for addictive double-fried pork chops and other specialties for breakfast, lunch, dinner or late-night snacks. It's not all fried options; add beautiful salads, "she crab" and more. The place was originally an 1899 gas station. 
Then on to Capital Bee Company, which rose to local fame with its attractive array of honeys -- more than 30 -- all pollinated by Georgia bees on flowers ranging from the rare to the abundant.
Tacos southern style are a Savannah favorite, Davis explained. The state's famous Georgia peach is the main ingredient in a spicy salsa gracing our tasty tacos at Java Burrito Company.

22 SQUARE offered the best grits we've tasted -- with a creamy butter and cream sauce and perfectly cooked shrimp. We came back the next day for dinner. A dish of Leopold's Ice cream ended our gastronomic romp at the Savannah Taste Experience Marketplace/

Brenden Davis offers commentary, humor,
history and fun food facts on a lively tour.

The company offers several other tours besides the one we enjoyed. Each focuses on a different aspect of southern life, particularly life in Savannah. The tours include Southern Fried, First Squares, Port City and Walktails and Barbites (an inviting happy hour tour.)
The enterprise also has a fun book, "Savannah Food:  A Delicious History," available on Amazon 

A lovely complement to the food tastings
is a chance to learn something about
the history of charming Savannah. 

 

 

 

The tours are reasonably priced because the tastings make for a fine meal. The groups are kept small -- usually no more than 10 or 12.   Prices range from $52 to $79, a bargain. We booked on line, or you can call:

912 221-4439

www.savannahtasteexperience.com

info@SavannahTasteExperience.com 

Savannah's Mercer Williams House is eye catching and a much loved landmark.

NEXT UP: A city of grace and history, Savannah has much to recommend it, from lively theater and   restaurants to a world class contemporary art museum and an abundance of homes with   fascinating pasts.  There's a terrific trolley,  ghost tours and   harbor cruises.   Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fun, fresh look at the arts, nature, travel, family and more.