Some good ol' Southern Cookin'

So intent were we on the street map that we didn't hear the Savannah police officer come up behind us.

"Can I help you folks?" he asked, looking towards our map. When Joel replied that we were trying to find Angel's Barbeque, (912 W. Oglethorpe Lane, 912-495-0902) the officer looked up from the map, took a good look at us and said, "We don't get a lot of tourists looking for Angel's."

And that's exactly why we wanted to go there. 

It had been recommended by a fellow at the Savannah Bee Company (another favorite stop of ours at 104 W. Broughton) as a place 'where the locals go' and that's exactly what we had in mind. 

Angel's Barbeque - Savannah
Jackie Smith photo, (c) 2010

Even with the officer's directions, we could have missed the unadorned store front on a small alleyway had it not been for a bright yellow banner that read "BBQ" and a stack of firewood in front of the otherwise unremarkable building. 

Angel's Barbeque
Jackie Smith photo, (c) 2010

We got there at 2 p.m. so we snagged a couple of seats in the teeny-tiny interior and found we had a perfect spot for watching the parade of locals coming for take-out.   We were stuffed when we split an Angel's Special sandwich that was piled so high with pork and cole slaw we used forks to eat it. Cost $6. 

At the other end of the spectrum we dined one evening at 700 Drayton Restaurant at The Mansion on Forsyth Park. The setting was exquisite and the food. . .oh my. . .the food!  Yummy!!!  We began with salads and then the waiter placed before each of us the largest pork chops I do believe I've ever seen.  The melt-in-your-mouth desserts were wasted on us as we could only nibble on them. It was the most expensive meal we ate while in Savannah -- $65 per person including taxes and tips -- but food quality and ambiance made it worth every penny.

And nothing will top the BLT Salad at The Olde Pinke House (I've written about this place in earlier posts) where fried green tomatoes are served atop strips of bacon and lettuce and all are topped with ranch dressing.  I could have skipped all other food there and eaten plate after plate of this salad . . .it alone would take me back to this southern city.

So tell me, if a tourist were to ask you to recommend a place where locals go in your town, where would you suggest? And knowing we have readers all over the globe I am hoping for some great insiders tips that we all can file away in our future travels file.