My original plan for today has been thrown out the window. Whomp, whomp. We were planning to go to Tybee Island but there is a storm brewing just off the coast and there will be pouring rain and gale force winds all day. This weather is uncharacteristic for Savannah this time of year, as are the cooler temperatures, so we are pivoting and spending the day in the city. It helps that Savannah is a walking city so we bundled into our rain jackets and walked to breakfast. 

Goose Feathers Café is a great breakfast option in Savannah. Described as a European style bakery and café, Goose Feathers offers dine-in and to-go ordering. R is a fan of the JP deluxe which is a Jalapeno & Cheddar Cornbread Waffle half with black pepper bacon sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, bacon, scallions, and tabasco syrup. It sounds like a lot but it is a good meal. I mix my order up and usually get some version of eggs like a scramble or omelet. There are also a variety of waffles, eggs, pastries, bagels, and quiche. We have not had a bad meal here, it’s clean, and the staff are always friendly and welcoming. Goose Feathers also offers a lunch menu including hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and soups. We haven’t tried their lunch yet but I am confident it would be good. While the food is not Instagram-ready it is good and reasonably priced. 

I was excited to tour the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist am disappointed that it was closed for worship. I realize that it is an active place of worship and am disappointed because I checked their online schedule multiple times to confirm it would be open. The rain was coming down, the cathedral was closed for worship, and the bookstore didn’t open for another 35 minutes so we huddled under the awning of the De Soto Hotel. At this point, I almost want to cry because this is the worst trip R and I have ever had together. Between the weather, things being closed, and misreading opening hours for at least one site, I’m  frustrated, cold, and wet. I started doing a goofy little dance in an attempt to warm up which made R laugh and we descended into giggles and nonsensical things to make each other laugh. Disappointment fades and we pass the time until one of my favorite Savannah landmarks opens. 

E. Shaver, Booksellers is a Savannah institution and a must visit for any book lover. The building was built in 1842 and was the personal residence of the builder, Eliza Jewett. Eliza, a real estate investor, was the most prominent female property owner and developer in antebellum Savannah. Several properties in Savannah still bear her name, a tribute to the influence and legacy of Eliza, who remained an active developer into her 70s. During the 1950’s the building became an antiques shop. In 1975, a newlywed couple from Louisville, KY visited Savannah on their honeymoon, falling in love with the beautiful city and deciding to stay. Esther Shaver was already a successful business woman with five thriving bookstore and her husband, Ed, was a prominent contractor. They sold off their businesses, relocated to Savannah, and opened E. Shaver, Bookseller. Esther remained at the helm of E. Shaver, Bookseller for 40 years until she sold it in 2015. As the new owner, Jessica Osborne was intimately familiar with the history of E. Shaver as she had been employed by Esther for several years. Soon after Jessica took the reins, some new team members came on board and feature heavily in the store’s social media presence. Bartleby and Mr. Eliot, a pair of brilliantly fluffy bookshop cats, spend their days as the unofficial E. Shaver mascots and visitors frequently stop by to capture photos of the cats napping in the windows amongst the books. The dynamic duo became a terrific trio in 2018 when Skimbleshanks joined their ranks. Jessica continued to helm the thriving business, bringing store manager Melissa Taylor in as a partner in 2020, and in 2021 the terrific trio of bookshop cats became a fantastic foursome when Morticia arrived. 

Today the bookshop continues to thrive and is one of my top two must-dos in Savannah. The building is old and has settled over time so be mindful of your footing and watch out for cat tails as you wonder through. It is thoughtfully organized into sections and the staff are always available and happy to help with any requests. Be sure to check out the window displays and keep an eye out for the furry readers napping in the windows or curled up on a chair! The staff book recommendations are the first thing you see upon entering and they’re always worth perusing. I inevitably leave with at least one or two staff picks (plus a bag full of other books) when I visit. If I’m having a bad day in Savannah, E. Shaver, Bookseller can certainly put a bright spot in it! 

Next up we stopped in at Gryphon for lunch. The exterior of the building was under construction during our visit but was still easy to locate at the corner of Madison Square. The elegant interior features white-tablecloths, carved mahogany bookcases, and original stained glass panels. The building itself has a rich history, having been an ice cream parlor and a pharmacy at various points. SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) purchased the historic building, like many others in the city, and use it to continue Savanah’s history of hospitality and food through Gryphon. The staff are all SCAD students who are happy to provide a short history of the building and point out specific features like the gryphons holding the stained glass lamps in their mouths, the stained glass pharmacy panels, and the original pharmacy drawers still labeled with the names of the medicines they once held.  The café serves seasonal options including soups, salads, and sandwiches. I was cold and wet so I opted for asparagus soup and the afternoon tea service while R chose a latte. The asparagus soup was hot and delicious with just a hint of asparagus flavor. The tea and finger sandwiches were what I expected and were good. I was slightly disappointed in the sweets that accompanied tea though. Not because they were bad but they weren’t flavors I am familiar with or necessarily a fan of (apricot and lavender for instance) and they weren’t as sweet as I would like. This is all down to personal preference and should not hinder someone else’s desire to go. 

We checked out a few shops along River Street before deciding to hang out at the hotel. The weather would not let up and we were both cold and wet so a nap seemed like a good idea. We awoke feeling refreshed and to slightly better weather. The temperature was still hanging in the low 60s and the wind was gusting but the rain stopped.

We ate dinner at Flock to the Wok on Whitaker Street and found the food to be good. We decided to share a couple appetizers and were very pleased with the steamed pork dumplings with spicy sauce and pan seared pork dumplings. We were still a little hungry so we ordered the drunken noodles with chicken to share as well. I wasn’t sure what to expect but was very happy with the choice. The flat noodles are served with chicken, sweet and sour spicy sauce, egg, scallion, peanuts, and bean sprouts and they are delicious. I’m not a huge spicy fan and these were well within my tolerance … enough spice to feel it but not so much that I couldn’t taste anything else. 

An interesting thing about Flock to the Wok is that there is a speakeasy tucked away downstairs called Peacock Lounge. Normally you would enter the Peacock Lounge through the door in the alley to the left of Flock to the Wok but, since we were finishing up dinner at the restaurant and it was fairly early, we were able to go through the restaurant and downstairs. A server brought us water as soon as we found a table and we ordered a round of drinks. The drinks were okay and it’s fun to say that I’ve been to a Savannah speakeasy but I have to visit my favorite Savannah bar when we go and that was our next stop. 

Artillery Bar on Bull street is my absolute favorite Savannah bar. This is not a River Street style bar where every surface is coated in a permanent stickiness. The whole place is beautiful, the servers and service are fantastic, and the drinks are all handcrafted and delicious. Artillery is located where the Georgia Hussars’ armory once housed the cavalry’s artillery and continues to subtly reference the history of the site with details inspired by the volunteer militia. Passerby cannot help but take in the iconic façade. Step inside the bar to cozy tables and comfy lounge chairs reminiscent of 19th century eclecticism and romanticism. If seated at one of the tables, locate a small button behind you and press it to call your server. If seated at the bar or in the lounge chairs, your server will make rounds and be available but won’t interrupt. The bar is fairly small and is only open Wednesday through Saturday from 4pm until close. 

I’m not ashamed to say that R and I had four rounds of drinks. I started with the Bloodline, then had 2 Fizzy Lifting Drinks, and finished the evening with the Forsyth Park at Dark. Bloodline is made with “Pimms no. 1, fords gin, blood orange, lime, thyme syrup, and watermelon”. The Fizzy Lifting Drink is “uncle val’s botanical gin, 18.21 hibiscus syrup, lemon, honey syrup, and topped with sparkling wine”. The Forsyth Park at Dark was a recommendation from our server because I wanted to try something different. Made with “Teeling Irish whiskey, high wire amaro, lemon, blackberries, and mint”, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the drink, especially given that I don’t typically enjoy whiskey. R decided to stick with whiskey based drinks, his usual preference. The last time we visited I had the Bloodline, Fizzy Lifting Drink and Bit of A Pickle. Made with “haymans old tom gin, lemon, white balsamic, cucumber, dill, and cracked pepper”, Bit of A Pickle is difficult to describe unless you have tasted it. It almost tastes like pickle juice yet has an oddly lite and refreshing kick to it. Honestly, we’ve never had a bad drink here. I do suggest asking for some bar snacks which include variations of Chex-Mix, spicy trail mix, and salted nuts. Needless to say we had a happy buzz going when we left and that made the walk back to the hotel pleasant as we chatted and laughed. Though the day did not go as originally planned, it turned out to be a relaxing day with my sweet husband.