Vacation Time!

Because any vacation time we could have taken this summer was occupied by Josh's hospitalizations, we decided to take a quick trip to Savannah. We got here yesterday and checked into The Marshall House. We had lunch at The Cotton Exchange which sits on the river front. I devoured two pounds of Alaskan King crab (leaving no sliver to languish in the shells, mind you) while Josh and Emma ate a mahi-mahi po'boy. We also tackled a dozen raw oysters.

Then we walked around the river front. Notable purchases include art and a shit ton of salt water taffy. Our hotel has complimentary wine and cheese from 5:30-7:00 (with pink lemonade for the kiddos! yay!), so we chilled out in the library for awhile and then went to The Savannah Bee Company (where we purchased more than is strictly necessary LOL) and Nourish (where we were lamentably restrained in our purchases).

Dinner that night was at Molly Macpherson's Pub which I highly recommend. We shared salmon fingers (smoked salmon rolled around cream cheese and chives with some crisp, sweet cucumbers), a tiny meat pie topped with luxurious dark gravy, Guinness-battered onion rings, and two scotch eggs. Josh had the cottage pie (it was advertised as shepherd's pie, but unless it's lamb, it's not shepherd's pie LOL), and Emma and I tried valiantly (and failed) to polish off a gorgeously seared ribeye nestled atop a bed of mashed potatoes and neeps (turnips).

We started off this morning with breakfast in the hotel, and y'all, Marshall House does a fantastic complimentary breakfast. Best Quiche Lorraine I've ever had, hands down.

Then we took a walking tour for two hours around the Historic District. The live oaks here are so gorgeous. I'm surprised by how much Savannah reminds me of New Orleans (except, you know, without all the trash and vomiting LOL; I love me some New Orleans, but the lady doth stinketh a bit). Lunch was at Papillote, which again I highly recommend. We started off with the cheese plate, and Emma had the crab and mango tartine, I had the Duck Pate Baguette, and Josh had the Melted Angel. I was seriously grateful for every delicious bite I put in my mouth.

After lunch, we bought an amazing gift for a friend (OMG, OMG, I am awesome), more art for ourselves, and a gorgeous ball and chain necklace for me from Metal and Paint.

And it's only half over! Whoooooo! After the summer we've had, this is exactly the unwinding I need. :)

Okay this is just mean at this point but I have to record what we ate for posterity

We went tonight to Elizabeth's and had the best meal we've had since Commander's Palace two summers ago.

Drinks: Josh had a mint julep, I had a glass of Sangiovese and then one of Moscatel that was vinted in Malaga (which I totally chose because I'd studied there one summer and ended up loving the fresh, mineral quality; it was sweet but lightly, lightly so and mostly just fresh) and an after dinner drink of Fonesca (port).

For appetizers we had gazpacho with bits of fresh veggies and bacon poured over a tower of lump crab meat, and here's the thing, my internet friends. After studying in Spain for a summer, I have high expectations for gazpacho. And I am always disappointed. Most Americans think gazpacho is some sort of salsa. I feel like clutching my pearls and retiring to a fainting couch. This gazpacho was exactly, perfectly right. It is only the second restaurant I have frequented in America in fifteen years that's gotten the soup right. Josh had beautiful scallops. The chef sent us tasting plates of salmon that made me want to slap the baby Jesus, a mussel of the gods, and a puff pastry of cheesy yum yum. All the veg is grown on premises, so we had a lovely herb and lettuce salad with feta and watermelon.

For entrees, Emma had chicken breast surrounded by what she called the best gravy ever and all these baby veggies chopped up, Josh had spicy red rice with shrimp and clams and grouper and sausage, and I had grouper with a lovely pickled veggie salad.

The couple next to us was celebrating their 42nd anniversary, and so we paid for their dinner on the down-low on the way out. Too nice a night not to spread the love.