La Vetta opens in downtown Savannah with Michelin-star chef
La Vetta, the long-awaited crown jewel in the crown of Southern Cross Hospitality Group (Collins Quarter, Fish Bar, Ukiyo, etc.) opened last week at 15 W. Broughton Street. Under the direction of Italian born Executive Chef Michele Minchillo, whose restaurant Vitium in Cremona earned a Michelin Star, the contemporary menu is rooted in tradition.
Utilizing fresh Georgia fare, antipasti include an heirloom tomato, watermelon, burrata and herb dish and a squid with basil hollandaise, burnt onion and caviar. Crudi include fresh oysters, sea scallops, caviar, sea bass, and bluefin tuna, while pasta and risotto include an intriguing Cacio e Pepe Scampi with lime. Move on to enjoy a baby spinach and roast beet salad or Caesar salad, oven-baked potatoes
with rosemary, or sauteed rapini with a Slow-cooked Lamb Shoulder with a Sauce Perigueux and black truffle or a Black Cod Confit with Mediterranean dashi sauce and panzanella.
Check out all your mouth-watering options and secure your reservation via Resy at www.lavettasav.com
Westin Savannah Harbor offers elegant wine and food pairing event
Spend an unforgettable evening in the elegant Harbor Ballroom as the Westin Savannah Harbor on Hutchinson Island hosts a thoughtfully curated five-course wine dinner, complemented by live musicon Friday, Aug. 21.
Savor Savannah: A Wine & Culinary Experience begins with a sparkling welcome reception at 6 p.m. featuring shrimp toast hors d’oeuvres and Henriot Brut Champagne Souverain followed by a Hamachi Crudo first course paired with 2025 Harbor Light Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. The second course is Chilean Sea Bass with a 2022 Neyers Carneros Chardonnay; then a Crispy Pork Belly with creamy grits, and a pickled mushroom salad is paired with a 2024 Harbor Light Reserve Pinot Noir. Dessert is a Chocolate Pot de Crème with figs and berries paired with a 2022 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Tickets are available for $128 via Eventbrite and include free parking.
Art, tacos and cocktails on Broughton Street
Unleash your inner artist with drinks, food, laughs, and palm-inspired paintings at Java Burrito Company, 420 E. Broughton Streeton Saturday, Aug. 22 at 2 p.m.
Step by step painting instructions are provided by Paint Pleeze!, a small mobile painting party company that brings the studio to you. Bring a friend for free! Two-for-one tickets, including fees and sales tax, are just $42 on Eventbrite.
Java Burrito Company is a fun Mexican eatery (think tacos, loaded quesadillas, salads, and bowls), espresso coffeehouse, and bar offering beer, wine, and crafted cocktails. Happy Hour is 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., so be sure to stick around after your painting party!
Experience exclusive barrel-select tequilas at Perry Lane
Make reservations for a From the Barrel Tequila Dinner at Perry Lane, 254 E. Perry Street, on Friday, Aug. 28. From the Barrel is the Emporium Kitchen and Wine Market’s signature pairing series celebrating exceptional spirits and the stories they tell. Join the team for a multi-course dinner paired with a variety of Codgio 1530 tequilas, including Perry Lane Hotel’s exclusive private barrel selections: Codigo x Peregrin Rosa and Emporium Sherry Anejo. The dinner offers a rare opportunity to experience expressions you won’t find anywhere else. $145 tickets are available via Resy and Eventbrite through www.perrylanehotel.com
Blue crab and music highlight Southeast Crab Feast
The Southeast Crab Feast at Lake Mayer Community Park, 1850 E. Montgomery Crossroads, offers all-you-can-eat blue crab, one side of fish and chips, and music in a family-friendly environment on Sunday, Aug. 23. The event highlights the Lowcounty coastal heritage of outdoor cooking of fresh seafood. Soda and bottled water will be available for purchase; no coolers are allowed. Tickets ($64 for adults and $17 for kids ages 5 -11) are limited and must be purchased in advance at www.southeastcrabfeast.com
Savannah's highest rooftop pool comes with cocktails and bites
Press releases and social media posts are ramping up in anticipation of the Recess Hotel & Club Savannah opening next month at 7 E. Congress Street. The property is LEFTLANE’s newest brand to debut following the internationally acclaimed Hotel Bardo Savannah in February 2024. Recess transforms Savannah’s 114-yearold Manger Building into a “retro futurist” space designed to channel the playful spirit of a screen-free childhood.
However you feel about more hotels in downtown Savannah, diners should be excited to check out Kilter Rooftop Bar, described as a “playful and retro-chic lounge and garden oasis that also takes the title of Savannah’s highest rooftop pool.” Kilter will offer cocktails, music, and Asian-inspired bites like Gochujang Wings and Wagyu Striploin Skewers. Downstairs, The Servery takes the place of room service; Open to everyone, not just hotel guests, it serves to-go breakfasts from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and lunches from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The lobby also houses the 10-seat Lobby Bar and 47-seat living room-style lounge.
Thunderbolt's historic Desposito's Seafood Restaurant is back
And finally, in case you’re craving a low country boil or a basket of local flounder filets and choice of sides, I’m sharing the good news that Thunderbolt’s historic Desposito’s Seafood Restaurant (3501 Macceo Drive) has reopened. Closed since early December, many feared it was shuttered permanently, but today it’s open for drinks and dinner every evening of the week. Make a reservation and check out the full menu at www.despositosseafood.com
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: La Vetta opens, Desposito's reopens, more Savannah dining news
