Papillote and A.Lure

The first full day of our Savannah visit was lovely. I had purchased a carriage tour for Mother and Don, because the walking tour we took back in March was about an hour and a half long, and I thought that would be too long and too hot for both of them. So they got up bright and early and headed out for their tour of the city Emily and I slept in.

We talked with Susie and Dick and agreed to meet up around 12:30 for lunch somewhere; however, my sending Mother and Don on the tour had an unintended effect: they had such a good time that they bought tickets to a trolley tour at noon. We agreed to wait for them to eat lunch, and set about deciding where that should be. Emily suggested Papillote, a little French sidewalk cafe, where she had never been, but where she had heard the food was good. And so we all trooped into a teeny-tiny cafe, where aromas of fresh-baked bread was nothing short of intoxicating. The restaurant sold a wonderful brioche, and offered a soup of the day, as well as sandwiches, salads, and wonder of wonders, French wine! Susie ate butternut squash soup and a salad and pronounced them fabulous. Mother and I split an open-face crab and avocado sandwich on the brioche, and I had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Dick ate one whole sandwich himself, and so did Don. Emily ate about half of whatever she ordered, which is why she is a size 0.

Even though we were all full, we headed to what is a Savannah legend: Leopold's ice cream shop. Here is a brief history of Leopold's, which I heard on Paula Deen's show, when she and Leopold's owner were chowing down on a caramel popcorn ice cream concoction - The shop has been in the family for three generations, and the current generation has significant connections to Hollywood, producing movies, and even winning an Academy Award (you can get the details from his web site). The shop itself is decorated in vintage soda shoppe, with movie posters and a projector thrown in. Most important, however, is the ice cream. You can get lunch there, but why? Unless, of course, lunch is a big ice cream sundae or waffle cone. Anyway, we all had ice cream and declared ourselves stuffed - and just four hours before we were to eat dinner at A.Lure, the restaurant where Emily tends bar.

Before going there, though, Emily and I decided to take Mother out for a glass of wine. We had a wonderful time at the top of the Bohemian Hotel, and then went back to our respective hotels to get ready for dinner. By this time, Max was on his way to meet us, and I enjoyed a relaxing hour or so out by the pool at the Sheraton Four Points. When Max finally arrived, it was time to head out to A.Lure for our second wonderful dinner with wonderful family.

A.Lure is an attractive restaurant in an old building somewhat off the beaten path in Savannah - just like many restaurants in the city. It has a cute little bar area - emphasis on "little" - and exposed brick walls throughout the building. It has many hard surfaces, so the area can be kind of loud, as it was the night we were there. We couldn't help it that we had been seated right across from a "girls night out" group - whose laughter and enjoyment became louder and louder as the night went on and the martinis kept coming. Regardless, we enjoyed our meals. Against my better judgment, I chose shrimp and grits, even though I knew at the time that the best shrimp and grits in the world can be found at City Grocery, run by John Currence in Oxford, Mississippi. I was proved right - the best shrimp and grits are still in Oxford, but A.Lure acquitted itself well, regardless, by serving wonderful chicken and waffles. We sat around and talked and laughed and had a wonderful time, until we left around 10 to get ready to go to the beach the next day.

NEXT: Beach, Crab Shack, and Savannah Dan