South African food and wine pairing at Plant Riverside
Join the Baobab Lounge at Plant Riverside, 400 W. River Street, for an exclusive South African Food & Wine Pairing Experience where thoughtfully curated cuisine meets the distinctive flavors of South Africa’s celebrated wine regions. Start your evening with a French 75 cocktail made with Benguela Cove Bubbles and move on to a first course or Melon Agua Chile paired with Olifantsberg Old Vine Chenin Blanc, 2023. Next up is a Georgia Shrimp Vetkoek paired with Jasper Raats, Concrete and Clay, Chardonnay. The third course offers Duck Leg Braai and Beet Terrine paired with Jasper Raats, Basket and Barrel, Pinot Noir; and the fourth course is a Cape Malee Stew made with lamb neck paired with Jonty’s Ducks, Pekin Red, 2021.
This intimate dining event
is on Friday, Sept. 18 at 5 p.m. and reservations ($100 per person) can be made via Resy via the Plant Riverside website, www.plantriverside.com
Taste chocolate through flavor, culture and origin
Love all things chocolate? Join Savannah’s only cookbook shop and global recreational cooking space, Coastal Table and Tales at 408 Bull Street, for their monthly chocolate tasting series on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Each month, Kaysee Hill leads curious chocolate lovers through a new theme – exploring chocolate through flavor, origin, culture and the senses. As summer gives way to fall, Kaysee will offer a full palette of thoughtfully selected chocolates that reflect this seasonal transition. A 15% discount on chocolate books and 10% discount on other books is offered during the event. Tickets are $85 per person and can be purchased on EventBrite via the website www.coastaltableandtalessavannah.com
Meet adoptable dogs at Savannah’s Barks & Bourbon
The Westin Savannah Harbor, 1 Resort Drive, hosts the Humane Society for Greater Savannah’s Barks & Bourbon event on their River Lawn on Sunday, Sept. 20 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event is free to attend but guests who bring a donation (dry dog food or wet dog food of any brand or items from the Society’s Amazon Wishlist) will receive a free bourbon tasting paired with chef-curated light bites. Additionally, 15% of all beverage sales during the event will be donated to the Humane Society. Spend time in the Doggy Garden and meet several adorable, adoptable dogs looking for their forever homes.
Savannah’s silent book club pairs reading with wine
Shhhhh! Feeling slightly introverted?! You might want to try the next Eating & Reading event hosted by the Silent-ish Book Club of Savannah. Come out toLate Air, 2805 Bull Street, on Wednesday, Sept. 23 for an evening of good books, good food, and incredible wine. Bring whatever you are currently reading, grab a spot, order something from the menu, and settle in for a little shared solitude (with the option to chat too). Your ticket reserves your seat and includes exclusive Eating & Reading stickers, swag, and a raffle ticket. The event begins at 5:45 p.m. with $13.39 tickets available on Eventbrite via www.Instagram.com/silentishbookclubofsav. The intimate and casual Late Air is a leading natural wine destination and restaurant featuring a seasonably changing menu of small shareable plates created by Chef Daniel Harthausen who brings influences from his Korean Japanese background.
New Savannah pizzeria serves slices, cocktails and vinyl
Calling all pizza lovers! Specials Pizza, a neighborhood pizzeria and bar, just opened at 2520 DeSoto Avenue. Music directors and resident DJ’s Zac Benton and Hunter Condron spin the records while you chow down on delicious New York-style slices or pies and imbibe cocktails, beers, or zero-proof drinks. Brought to you from the folks at Late Air (2805 Bull Street ) their website, www.specialspizza.com says the vibe is “no fuss, no pretense – just good music, good people, and great pizza.” Meanwhile, neighboring Pizzeria Vittoria in Starland Yard, recently transitioned to offering New York-style goodness. Seven years ago, Chef Kyle Jacovino, new dad to baby Alessio, opened Pizzeria Vittoria as Savannah’s first naturally leavened Neapolitan pizzeria but recently announced a transition to New York-style. Fear not, if you crave his delicious Neapolitan pizzas, he’s offering them at Lucia Pasta Bar, 2425 Bull Street.
Savannah’s Larrikin Café adds happy hour, Sunday brunch
I recently popped into the new Larrikin Café, 2400 Bull Street, that I wrote about a few columns ago. Chef Michael Toscano, a three-time James Beard Rising Star Chef, with two businesses in New York City and three in Charleston, offers a neighborhood café by day and a cocktail bar and café at night serving up a variety of salads and bowls with a choice of proteins. The Larrikin is now open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a Sunday Brunch from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The bar, ably managed by the talented Natasha Conyers, offers a Hot Dog Happy Hour from 4 p.m to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday which features $5 hot dogs, $5 draft beers, $3 High Life Ponys with $3 shots, $7 wines, and $9 cocktails. Coffee drinks (which can be enhanced with a plethora of homemade syrups such as Golden Turmeric Honey or Brown Butter & Hazelnut) and breakfast foods are available all day. I’ve heard the almond croissant is to die for.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: New Savannah restaurants, tastings and events to explore | Exclusive
