Savannah, GA

Savannah, GA is known as America’s best walking city, a living museum, 2½ square miles with more than 2,300 Colonial and Victorian homes and buildings. The city was laid out in 1733 in a perfect grid by its founder, British General James Oglethorpe. Although he wasn’t Jewish, the Jewish residents put up a monument to him, with a Star of David, since he did so much for them. We saw many buildings with lots of wrought iron balcony railings and decorations, which reminded us of New Orleans. There are twenty-one of the original twenty-four, one acre squares in the city, which originally had 40 families living around each of them. Each square is like a miniature park. At President Lincoln’s request, Savannah’s fabled architecture was spared burning during the 1864 scorched-earth military campaign of General Sherman.

We went by Paula Deen’s restaurant where you have to get in line in the morning to see if you can get seated for lunch or dinner. Several natives told us that she is so busy with her many other interests that the restaurant isn’t quite as good as it used to be. We decided to eat at Mrs. Wilke’s Boarding House where we got in line at 11:20 and finally were seated at 12:50. We sat with a family with two high school aged sons who were behind us in line and another couple with their daughter. On the table when we were seated was sweet tea and it was very good! We were served platters of fried chicken, corn bread, stuffing, gravy, okra gumbo, sweet potatoes, red rice, beef stew, creamed corn, collard greens, black eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, beef stew, sausage, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, bbq pork, and more! There were twenty-four dishes in all. For dessert we had a choice of blueberry tart or banana pudding. Lunch was fantastic, and if anyone goes away hungry it’s their own fault. Mrs. Wilkes opened the boarding house in 1943 and though she died in 2002, her spirit is still very much here. Today it is run by the fourth generation of her comfort-food, savvy family, serving old-time traditional favorites that are as unpretentious as the restaurant’s homey setting. When finished with the meal you are asked to bring your dirty dishes, silverware and glasses to the kitchen as was the rules going all the way back to early times.

One morning we had breakfast on Tybee Island, a popular seaside resort since the late 1800’s. We had breakfast at the Breakfast Club which earned national acclaim when John Kennedy Jr. hired the chef to cater his wedding.

We walked on cobblestone streets, which need your attention so you don’t twist an ankle!

Mike then drove to Congregation Mickve Israel, the third oldest Jewish congregation in the United States. It is a reformed temple that was founded in 1733. Its neo-Gothic architecture resembles a church. We took a private tour of the temple. The sanctuary is large and beautiful and in the museum we saw the Torah that the Jewish settlers brought with them dating back to the 15th century. Last week they celebrated their 275th anniversary.

We HAD to make a trip to Leopold’s Ice Cream Store which opened in 1919. They have the typical tile floor and marble fountain plus an old wooden phone booth. Their coffee ice cream WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS is marvelous!