The Threat of Hurricane Ian

All the way to Savannah I was wondering if The Grey Restaurant would live up to the expectations I had lifted it too! I asked countless people what their experiences had been just to make sure I wasn’t raising it too high on a pedestal! Every time I have done that in my life I was sure to be disappointed! After spending a few absolutely perfect days on Hilton Head Island, Hurricane Ian threatened to destroy the rest of our adventure and fear started creeping in to my mind like the moss grows around the south. The water outside of our time share started rising and the wind began to whip on Hilton Head so my Mom and I decided it was best to get off the island and get a place in Savannah for the rest of our trip.

In Savannah the clouds made the city dark and it began to feel like the most haunted city in America, like I had read. The sand bags came out to protect the charming architecture and they seemed as heavy as the thought of missing out on the rest of the adventures I had planned for our trip, including going to two of the restaurants that I wanted to visit the most… Mrs Wilkes and The Grey!

Nevertheless we headed out to the streets of Savannah with rain ponchos in hand and umbrellas packed. We followed the smell of fried chicken through the charming historic district until we reached Mrs. Wilkes. It was about a half an hour before they opened and only ten people stood in line before us! This is a line that usually takes a couple of hours standing in the hot humid southern heat. There we were standing in the gentle breeze and we were to be the first to dine in the restaurant that day. Mrs. Wilkes did not disappoint. We stuffed ourselves with the best fried chicken, creamed corn, and banana pudding. We chatted with some folks from all around at the family style table and left fat and happy with Mrs Wilkes cookbook in hand and plans to make my Dad all the delights when we got home!

Off we went to shop and check out the parks and museums that are usually packed with people. It felt as if we had Savannah all to ourselves! We strolled through the most beautiful parks and historic places, snapping photos that would typically have some funny looking tourist in the background only to have it be the picture perfect postcard that looks as if the streets had been cleared to shoot a Hollywood movie. Andrew Lowes historic mansion was all ours, so quiet and dark you could feel the old spirits and smell the trials and tribulations of the people that have lived there. I was beginning to the think Hurricane Ian was not so bad, but low and behold the winds started ripping and sentenced us back to our hotel to hunker down and wait to see what the storm would bring. So we did.

I wondered if I would actually make it to The Grey to eat Mashama's food… which was the whole reason why I wanted to come to this beautiful city. It was like divine timing, because right at the time of our reservation, 6pm eastern, the clouds were due to part, the rain was scheduled to stop and just like that they did! Off we went in our special clothes we had packed for this special meal. We pulled right up to the front door of The Grey as we had to every single restaurant we dined at in Savannah. The outside of the building was PERFECT. Just as I had seen in the pictures, but looked even shinier and more full of promises than I had expected. The service at The Grey was impeccable. The decor was stunning and had the authenticity of the old greyhound bus stop that it once was. You could feel the history and deep times all while knowing you were about to have a first class dining experience. The normally bustling bar was empty because of the storm, so my Mom and I bellied up to have a drink. The Wildflower was likely the best drink I have ever had, banana and bourbon with foamed almond egg whites. The three course meal was etched in the flavors of the beautiful fall season and the local staples. Created with the hand of an inspired artist, every ingredient was laid out carefully with intention and deliberation. We savored every bite, every sip, every moment! The Grey did not disappoint! I kept telling my Mom throughout our whole trip that I felt we were being watched after by divine hands and I truly think that we were. Every moment of our trip was exactly as it should have been!