A sudden onset of weakness in her limbs and hands began interfering with two of Elaine’s biggest joys: painting and bike riding. Additional symptoms, including slurred speech and severe trouble swallowing, led to electromyography (EMG) and muscle biopsy testing, which revealed necrotizing autoimmune myopathy – a rare autoimmune condition attacking the muscles.
Under the care of Dr. Poston, a neurologist, Elaine was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin and other lifesaving drugs. Immunosuppression and regular follow-ups with Dr. Poston and multiple St. Joseph’s/Candler specialists helped Elaine regain her strength and return to the pursuits she loves.
“The team of specialists at St. Joseph’s/Candler found answers and solutions to help me regain my strength so I could get back to doing the things I love to do.” – Elaine Lee
“THAT’S WHY I CHOOSE ST. JOSEPH’S/CANDLER”
– Ryon Poston, M.D. – Neurologist
stages of myopathy
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Shop in hues inspired by Savannah’s streetscape.
Photography by Peter Colin Murray
Styling by Sara Spicer
An iconic Starland home begins its next chapter as a revamped vacation rental, event destination and bookstore.
Written by Kendall McKinnon
Photography by Amy Lind
Appreciation for local oysters swells among the city’s dining
scene — and inspires new farmers to get into the water.
Photography by Peter Colin Murray & Michael Schalk
112 THE ART OF LIFE
The Tenenbaum family gives back to Telfair Museums in grand measure with two must-see exhibitions.
Written by Margaret Daniel
122 HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS
Meet six artists to watch — and add to your collection.
Written by Allison Stice
Photography by Michael Schalk
ON
COVER Lady’s Island Oysters at Common Thread
Photo by Peter Colin Murray
IN A CITY that is nearly 300 years old, I’m still very new here.
I do not, for instance, have Perry Solomon’s fifth-generation lineage as a local. However, I do share his deep appreciation for a fresh oyster — and his optimism for the region’s future.
Riding through Bull River on his boat, Perry explained his and his wife’s vision for Tybee Oyster Company: a family-run oyster farm located in — and serving the restaurants of — Chatham County.
“We’re not doing this to get rich,” says Perry, who returned to his roots after 20 years of military service. Rather, the Solomons’ new venture is motivated by their pride in this place and a desire to pass on something meaningful to their children. (Read more in “Turning Tides” on page 89.)
The sentiment reminds me of the late Arnold and Lorlee Tenenbaum (“Art of Life,” page 112), whose art collection is now on view for the public to enjoy at the Jepson Center — in a building Arnold helped to create — alongside their daughter Ann’s own collection.
Savannah magazine’s Shop, Do, Dine Local issue celebrates all who share this kindred spirit. There’s Jen Jenkins, who brought new life to an iconic 124-year-old home and opened its doors to invite others inside (“A Sweet Stay,” page 69). There are the people who continue traditions like Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day parade (“Irish Roots,” page 45), the familiar faces at the Forsyth Farmers’ Market (such as Sidney Moses Lance, page 66) and the ones who cheer for the home team (“Professional Grade,” page 30) — among so many others that I don’t have enough room to name.
While I may not be a “from here,” Savannah’s irresistible community makes me want to be a “stay here” — as Andrea Goto describes in “The Afterword” on page 160 — for many years to come.
ESTABLISHED MAY 1, 1990
Savannah magazine’s mission is to celebrate the new and enduring voices of our city’s culture, commerce and creative community. Elegant and relevant. Authentic and fun. That’s your Savannah, and this is your magazine.
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In our January/February 2023 issue, Dr. Abby Dew’s first name was misspelled in “A Reason to Smile.”
In “Institutional Knowledge,” the noteworthy alums of Calvary Day School include Swann Seiler, philanthropist, manager of external affairs for Georgia Power’s Southeast Region in Savannah and caretaker of the University of Georgia’s bulldog mascot lineage; the late John Davis of John Davis Florist; former MLB pitcher Tyler Bashlor; Judge Rizza O’Connor; Heather Newsome, the assistant chief nursing officer at Memorial Health University Medical Center; Ted Carellas of Carellas Murphy Law LLP.
The noteworthy alums of Memorial Day School include actor Marshall Hilliard, Dawn Odom, who serves as principal of St. Vincent’s Academy, and Chatham Fire Chief Wayne Noha.
Among Memorial Day School’s treasured traditions are “Family Feast,” when more than 400 members of the community gather for a traditional Thanksgiving-style lunch. Additional family-oriented events include the Junior Ring Ceremony and the Baccalaureate Ceremony to celebrate graduating seniors before graduation.
Colleen Ann McNally EditorFind our full 2023 guide to local schools at savannahmagazine.com
WRITER
“Art of Life,” page 112
WRITER
“Home Is Where the Art Is,” page 122
PHOTOGRAPHER
“Local Color,” page 55
“Turning Tides,” page 89
PHOTOGRAPHER
“Turning Tides,” page 89
“Home Is Where the Art Is,” page 122
Walker T. Pendarvis DMD, MHS is a Board Certified Periodontist with extensive specialty training in dental implants, dental surgery, bone and soft tissue augmentation, periodontal disease, and IV sedation. He is passionate about providing minimally invasive procedures to achieve clinical success as well as the highest level of esthetics. As an internationally published research author and National Institutes of Health fellow, he is innovative while utilizing the latest 3D technology to properly diagnose and measure the most predictable outcomes for his patients.
William Eggleston; Memphis, 1970; Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee Collection
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ESTABLISHED MAY 1, 1990 Savannah magazine’s mission is to celebrate the new and enduring voices of our city’s culture, commerce and creative community. Elegant and relevant. Authentic and fun. That’s your Savannah, and this is your magazine.
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Savannah magazine is excited to introduce our inaugural “So Savannah” photo contest — inspired by the city’s inimitable beauty and creative spirit.
In collaboration with Visit Savannah, we’re looking for professional, amateur and student (18 and under) photographers to share their best original images that capture the essence of the Greater Savannah area and Georgia coast.
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Find official rules and submit your photos at savannahmagazine.com
“A huge thank you to Savannah magazine for featuring our very own Lindy Wheat, Will Wheat, Lynda Beam and Rip in the January/February 2023 Family Issue. Check out the great article on Guerry Lumber’s motto, mission and history!”
“Check it out! #LowCountryDrifters is featured in @savannahmagazine as one of 20 ‘ways to get outside’ in 2023!”
In case you missed it: Sweet Patricia’s Bakery (1722 Habersham St.) opened last month, bringing fresh cornettos, focaccia bread, paninis and more goodness to Thomas Square ... Bluffton-based Leah Bailey Interiors is expanding to a second storefront, which will house the design firm and a boutique (2514 Abercorn St.) … On Bull Street, a bevy of hip businesses recently debuted, including the fashion menagerie Dreamachine (1702 Bull St.), laidback wine bar Late Air (2805 Bull St.), the supercool Good. Good. shop (2809 Bull St.) and a second location for E. Shaver, Bookseller (1921 Bull St.). Plus, the chic interiors shop Courtland & Co. (250 Bull St.) has expanded to a larger space after 17 years on Whitaker Street … After launching at coffee • deli and much popular demand, The Savannah Cheese Straw Company has moved to its own retail storefront (906 E. 72nd St.) … Browse antiques, collectibles, art and more at Vendors on Victory (2111 E. Victory Drive) … At the 8,000-square-foot FIT Sandfly (7360 Skidaway Road), find personal trainers and group fitness classes … Longtime local institution Despositio’s Seafood Restaurant
(3501 Macceo Drive) reopens in Thunderbolt with mojitos and Southern-style fare … Just in time for spring break, the firstto-market Milan Laser Hair Removal (8108 Abercorn St.) offers an alternative to shaving and waxing … Viral sensation Crumbl Cookies is serving its signature pink box in Pooler (2201 Pooler Parkway), with a Savannah location on the way (1932 E. Montgomery Cross Road).
Originally built in 1888 and converted into a hotel by Richard Kessler in 2005, The Mansion on Forsyth Park has been one of Savannah’s favorite stays for its prime location, unparalleled views and its avant-garde interiors.
Now, the historic property is undergoing a modern reimagination by a new owner and proprietor. Since acquiring the property in August 2022, the forward-thinking real estate firm LEFT LANE (known for its work on Drayton Tower and The Perry Lane Hotel) has been busy revamping the urban resort. Plans include a full brand refresh and expansion, including 20 additional suites, a pool with an outdoor bar, an event lawn, event space and a parking lot.
In the meantime, guests can get a taste of what’s to come. LEFT LANE recently brought on Executive Chef Derek Simcik, who has introduced a new menu. Drop in 700 Drayton before the restaurant closes for a complete overhaul this summer. Follow along @mansiononforsythpark for progress updates on the phased renovation, with completion slated for early 2024.
Meanwhile, the LEFT LANE team is also transforming a second landmark in Savannah. In December 2022, the company purchased the Manger Building (7 E. Congress St.) and announced its vision to return the 10-story office tower into a hotel — with a luxe, modern twist. Originally opened in 1912 as Hotel Savannah, the historic building turned into The Manger Hotel — and one of the city’s favorite hangouts — in the middle of the 20th century.
Set to reopen in 2025, the downtown destination will house 230 rooms, coworking spaces, makers’ studios, a wellness club and several dining concepts, including a rooftop bar. (A comeback for the Purple Tree Lounge, perhaps?)
BEN CARR doesn’t have the best history with the Masters Tournament.
He went to Augusta National Golf Club to watch the event twice as a teenager. Both occasions were Monday practice rounds. They were rained out by 11 a.m. each time, he recalls.
“So I haven’t actually seen much of the course,” says Carr, a fifth-year senior on the golf team at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. “I’ve been on the grounds twice, but every part of the course that I’ve seen has been on TV.”
Despite limited access, the Columbus native has the course memorized.
“Just being from Georgia and being a big golfer and a fan of the game, I’m glued to the TV during Masters week,” Carr says.
This year, his viewing habits will change. Carr earned an invitation to play in the 2023 Masters on April 6-9 after reaching the finals of the 122nd U.S. Amateur in August 2022 — only the second finalist ever from Georgia Southern.
It’s been a long road to make the short drive from Statesboro to Augusta. Carr has spent years honing his skills as an elite junior player and all-state scholastic golfer turned college standout. Due to graduate in May with a degree in business management, Carr has pro golf aspirations.
Carr was one of 7,749 entries attempting to qualify for the 312 berths in the 2022 U.S. Amateur championship field. Then he advanced from two rounds of stroke play through six rounds of match play in Paramus, New Jersey.
Texas A&M’s Sam Bennett, then No. 3 in the World Golf Amateur Ranking, edged Carr, then No. 70, by one hole in the 36-hole final at Ridgewood Country Club. They both collected an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Open on June 15-18 in Los Angeles and the coveted invite to Augusta National.
Georgia Southern coach Carter Collins marvels at Carr’s ability to remain cool under pressure. The coach praises Carr’s talent, work ethic and smarts, and he describes Carr as “stoic” compared to some of his more animated peers.
“Ben’s more of a duck on the pond. He’s calmly swimming across the water. But those feet are kicking,” Collins says. “You just can’t see them.”
It might be a long shot for Carr to don the green jacket among golf’s greatest players, but he says it would be “cool” to make the cut and post the lowest amateur score because it meant he played well.
There’s another thing he’d like to do.
“If I left Augusta National without making some sort of effort to talk to Tiger [Woods], I would really regret it,” he says.
Written by NATHAN DOMINITZ
THE SAVANNAH CLOVERS’ origin story traces back to a local adult recreation league team and the desire to do something bigger as a standalone amateur soccer club serving the community in 2016.
So the Clovers Football Club held a tryout.
“Twelve guys showed up. They all made the team because we needed the players,” recalls Brian Sykes, co-founder, co-owner and chief community officer of Savannah Clovers FC. “For our first game, a gentleman pulled up on a moped asking if there was a team forming. I said, yeah. I said [he] can play because we needed more players.”
From these, in Sykes’ words, “threadbare beginnings” sprouted the Clovers, who spent several seasons as an amateur club playing a Southeast region schedule in the United Premier Soccer League.
The Clovers have taken the next step in their growth by turning professional and joining the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) for 2023. Becoming Savannah’s first outdoor pro men’s soccer team was made possible with the addition of CEO Shane Folgado, who heads a South Africa-based investment group.
The team will play home games at Memorial Stadium in a season running from April into October in the NISA, which is Division III in the tiered system of the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The NISA has 10 clubs across the country. The league schedule was not released by early 2023, but the Clovers will be traveling to much bigger cities.
New head coach David Proctor has quite a soccer résumé. He was a pro player in his native England and the United States and later a coach for top-division Major League Soccer and other organizations, including the Statesboro-based South Georgia Tormenta FC of third-division USL League One.
Proctor says he formed a staff and scouting system to find
former college and current pro players around the country and beyond our borders, including Costa Rica, Spain and South Africa. More localized talent from Savannah to Charleston will also comprise the squad with an average age of 23.
“It’s completely different now from what it was,” Proctor says, comparing the amateur club to the pro squad, with players training full-time and compensated with salaries as well as housing and utilities.
Sykes, who studied and “marinated” the idea of a Savannah soccer team from 2006-16, calls the timing perfect for the Clovers to raise their level as pro leagues and soccer awareness are growing. The Women’s World Cup is this summer, and North America hosts the next men’s World Cup in 2026.
“You have to take that leap of faith because you never know if it’ll come back around,” Sykes says. “When lightning strikes, you’ve got to strike along with it.”
For more information about the team, schedule and tickets, go to savannahclovers.com.
“When lightning strikes, you’ve got to strike along with it.”
— Brian Sykes, co-founder, co-owner and chief community officer of Savannah Clovers FCDavid Proctor JESSE AGUIRRE OF THE SAVANNAH CLOVERS
Dr. James currently serves as interim chairman of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department (OMFS) at the Dental and Medical College of Georgia. He is the OMFS service chief and program director of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Advanced Education program at the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University.
Dr. James graduated from Texas A&M University, where he earned a degree in chemistry and a minor in mathematics. He received his Doctorate in Dental Surgery (DDS) from the University of Texas Dental Branch. Following dental school, Dr. James attended Louisiana State University, where he earned a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree and completed a six-year residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Dr. James continued his education at the University of Oklahoma, where he completed a fellowship in cleft and craniofacial surgery. He also
trained at the Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida, to expand his expertise to include cranial vault and front-orbital reconstruction for craniofacial dysmorphologies. Dr. James then trained at Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates, furthering his competency as a facial cosmetic surgeon. Most recently, Dr. James enrolled in the Hull College of Business and earned a Master in Business Administration (MBA).
Dr. James is dual-board certified. He is board certified in oral and maxillofacial surgery as well as facial cosmetic surgery. Dr. James is a fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgeons.
Dr. James is proud to have served his country in the United States Air Force Reserves as a staff surgeon for the Air Force and Army Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Training Program. Outside of work, Dr. James enjoys hunting, fishing and camping with his wife and two children.
THE PRACTICE IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE ITS NEWEST TEAM MEMBER, JEFFREY N. JAMES MD, DDS, MBA, FACS, FAACS.
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MAR. 2 – 5
Find divine design at the sixth annual Maison Beaufort Antique, Home and Garden Show. Held at Tabby Place, the four-day event begins with an opening preview party and brings together leading vendors in Lowcountry style.
MAR. 4
Indulge in delicious bites and help inspire positive change during Urban Hope’s 13th Annual Chefs & Chocolate at Kehoe Iron Works.
MAR. 9 – 11
Deepen your appreciation for historic preservation during the Savannah Antiques & Architecture Weekend
Highlights are private home tours, an online auction and a keynote luncheon with award-winning designer Philip Mitchell at the Desoto Hotel. Proceeds benefit the historic Andrew Low House and Green-Meldrim House.
MAR. 10
Save the date for the American Heart Association’s Southern Coast Heart Ball at the Marriott Savannah Riverfront. Helen Williams Johnson, a leading agent at Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty, serves as the Chair for this year’s event. And, on April 26, support the AHA’s Go Red for Women Luncheon at the Savannah Country Club.
MAR. 17
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
MAR. 20
Spring begins today.
MAR. 20 – 26
The Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club is back for year six. Much more than golf, the tournament week includes a 5K benefiting the Kids Cafe at America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, junior clinics and a concert by Yacht Rock Revue.
MAR. 23 – APR. 8
Now in its 34th season, the acclaimed 2023 Savannah Music Festival encompasses 90 performances across 17 days, with a wide range of genres and venues. The lineup includes two nights with blues icon Buddy Guy, a return from Tedeschi Trucks Band and more than a dozen debut artists, such as St. Paul & the Broken Bones and S.G. Goodman.
MAR. 23
Trustees’ Garden Club invites the public to “GLORIOSA: If These Walls Could Talk” — a flower show at the Green-Meldrim House and St. John’s Church Episcopal’ Cranmer Hall.
MAR. 23 – 26
Mickey, Minnie and more beloved characters come to life during “Disney On Ice presents Into The Magic” at Enmarket Arena. Upgrade your ticket for a photo op and craft time before the show.
APR. 1 – 2
On Saturday, walk, jog or run miles through Savannah’s most picturesque scenes during the Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon & 5K. On Sunday, relax and recharge with a free yoga class in Ellis Square.
Meanwhile, the 34th annual Deep South Orchid Society Show fills the Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden with stunning blooms.
APR. 5 – 13
Happy Passover!
APR. 7
Mary’s Place (formerly known as the Rape Crisis Center) hosts its inaugural “Find Your Voice” Gala at Victory North. The evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and
a lip-sync competition will raise awareness and funds for the nonprofit’s Sexual Assault Center.
APR. 8
Wear your red-and-white striped socks for the Red Shoes Run 5K, benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire. Participants can opt to run the course on the campus of Memorial Health Hospital, or support the cause via virtual and sleep-in options, too.
APR. 9
Happy Easter!
APR. 11 – 12
Don’t miss SCADstyle, the 17th edition of the university’s annual design summit.
APR. 14 – 15
Get a glimpse of secret courtyards north of Gaston Street during “Art in the Garden: NOGS Tour of Hidden Gardens.” Tickets for both self-guided walking and trolley tours are offered.
APR. 19
The Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia hosts its second annual Legacy of Leadership Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Savannah.
APR. 22
Venture to the 42nd annual SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival, where students and alumni turn Forsyth Park’s concrete into their canvas. Or, stroll over to the Ardsley Park Tour of Homes and Gardens to admire the variety of architectural styles along the historic neighborhood’s oak-lined streets. Proceeds go towards neighborhood beautification projects.
At night, Savannah Tree Foundation celebrates Earth
Day during its Green Gala at Tiedeman Park. Or, join the Georgia Historical Society for its annual Trustees Gala. Held at The DeSoto Hotel, this year’s fête honors Dan Amos and Donna Hyland as inductees.
APR. 24 – 30
Cheer on the pros at the 2023 Savannah Challenger, a week-long tennis tournament hosted by The Landings Golf & Athletic Club.
We are blessed to live in an area so unique that it has become a favorite destination for over 14 million visitors every year. Savannah’s beauty, history, welcoming atmosphere and a host of other factors have fostered a reputation that makes our home a destination for an increasing number of visitors every year.
It is fitting that within our city we have a dental practice that shares the “destination” designation. People come from across our region and even the country to Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
What would cause people from across the region and beyond to go the trouble to come to Savannah rather than seek more conveniently located cosmetic dentists?
The main reason is the “beyond” in Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
In the initial stages patients can see a photo of themselves that shows the outcome in real time before treatment ever begins. This comparison between what is and what can be often brings tears.
Some patients have been told all of their teeth have to be removed. Others have heard there is not enough bone to hold implants. Many patients become emotional when they learn what have been “truths” are now myths, and their problems can actually be resolved.
We had been to dentists across the southeast, only to be told she would never be a candidate for implants. We made the 5 1/2 hour drive to see Beyond Exceptional Dentistry. She was told she COULD in fact, get implants.
Where typical dentistry treats the problems, Beyond Exceptional Dentistry looks at the long-term underlying issues and whole health. More than just “what” is going on, the “why” is included in establishing a treatment plan that provides outcomes that achieve the patient’s goals both aesthetic and physiological.
When thinking of a face lift one automatically thinks of surgery. The “non surgical face lift” is a revolutionary reality at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry. Traditional face lifts consist of working with sagging tissue by pulling skin and muscle up and back, often resulting in an unnatural look that is simply not “you”. Beyond Exceptional Dentistry works to restore worn down teeth to their proper proportion which allows skin and muscle to naturally return to a more natural position. This natural elimination of wrinkles and sagging by simply restoring the teeth can take years off of one’s appearance.
Our patients can eat better, sleep better, breathe better; they are pain-free, look more youthful and simply live better.
--Jenni Moseley, Practice AdministratorAll technology at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry is in-house, so patients enjoy the convenience of one-stop solutions. CT scan technology provides exactness in treatment strategy which can provide the desired outcomes that many times have been thought impossible. It is a fact: Science predicts the outcome.
Tekscan measures the forces of the bite on every tooth. This technology helps the new smile to not just look beautiful, but it will feel natural and provide maximum functionality.
Through a process called TENS, muscles that have been misaligning the bite for years are retrained so the bite can be restored to a natural position. EMG (Electromyography) is used to measure the electrical activity in the muscles, identifying when your muscles are at maximum rest. ESG (Electrosonography) evaluates joint noise to determine whether there are any destructive or degenerative processes at work.
Neuromuscular dentistry considers the relationship of the muscles, nerves, and other soft tissues with the bones and teeth. The technology driven neuromuscular treatment plan provides the desired outcome, but also helps ensure that outcome can last a lifetime.
TMJ sufferers seek pain relief from numerous sources which often don’t include a dentist. Beyond Exceptional Dentistry’s treatment protocols can fix issues never before associated with dentistry — migraines, ringing in the ears, even back and neck pain. Oftentimes TMJ patients find that not only have they finally found pain relief, but they experience a new functionality and even a more youthful appearance; a win-win.
The work that is done within this office is true art! A total all around life changing experience!
I wanted a beautiful smile and long-lasting health. Today, I am enjoying both!
Beyond Exceptional Dentistry has earned a reputation much like that of our city--a uniqueness that causes people to get here no matter the miles or other obstacles. Where many visitors to our city go home with beautiful photographs of the unique beauty of our city, visitors to Beyond Exceptional Dentistry go home to make beautiful photographs that feature their new smile, or a smile that, for the first time in years, is pain-free.
They agree on one truth: Their visit to Savannah and their visit to Beyond Exceptional Dentistry were both totally worthwhile. Even life-changing.
Beyond Exceptional Dentistry is located in Savannah at 1317 Abercorn St. Phone: 912-2348282 web: beyondexceptionaldentistry.com
FROM PANDEMIC-RELATED RESTRICTIONS to staffing shortages, rising food costs and shipping delays, staying afloat as a restaurant during the past few years has been no easy feat. According to a 2022 report from The Washington Post, more than 72,000 restaurants closed as a result of COVID-19.
Despite the odds, others not only endured but are now giving new meaning to the service industry through various philanthropic initiatives. Here are three local examples that are leading the way.
On the third Tuesday of the month, Ardsley Station (102 E. Victory Drive) welcomes guests to meet, greet and give during Sips at the Station. Hosted in collaboration with Simply Savannah Marketing, Savannah Master Calendar and iHeartMedia, the networking night started in August 2021, with proceeds from the first event benefiting Habitat for Humanity of the Coastal Empire.
“Sips at the Station was born to bring people back together again,” says Marianne Ganem-Poppell, president of Savannah Master Calendar, who has previous experience organizing events around town.
“Our goal from day one was to create a fun and inviting environment where locals could mingle, network, enjoy food and drink, while at the same time raising money for great causes,” adds Tyler Kopkas, owner of Ardsley Station.
In exchange for a $10 gift upon entry, guests enjoy a complimentary beverage, hors d’oeuvres and live music. Turns out, small donations and small talk quickly add up to make a big difference. In the first 11 events (skipping December due to the holidays), the series raised $15,000 for nonprofits such as Savannah Repertory Theatre, Hospice Savannah, Future Minds Literacy and Adult Education, Savannah Crime Stoppers and the Savannah Speech & Hearing Center, among others.
“We’ve always taken the approach of focusing on controlling what we can control,” Kopkas says of the recent challenges facing restaurants. “We wouldn’t be in the position we find ourselves in now if it weren’t for this amazing community that continues to support us. Giving back is the least we can do.”
At Unforgettable Bakery (238 Eisenhower Drive), owner Belinda Baptiste has established a reputation for community outreach, including providing meals to neighbors in need on Thanksgiving.
In 2020, Baptiste formalized her good deeds into a nonprofit known as the Unforgettable Dream Fund. Inspired by the financial assistance her own children had received toward their education, Baptiste is collecting donations to fund scholarships for students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). With more than $40,000 raised towards the $100,000 goal, the nonprofit is living up to its name for its first scholarship recipient Lavell Allen, a graduate of Jenkins High School and a freshman at Xavier University of Louisiana.
“[We are] driven by a belief in the power of partnerships — across individuals, communities, small businesses and HBCUs to make a difference,” says Joelinda Johnson, board co-chair of the Unforgettable Dream Fund.
It’s not uncommon to drive down Drayton Street and see a crowd outside the colorful umbrellas on the patio of Zunzibar (236 Drayton St.). But did you know that one day every month, the
locally owned sandwich shop gives away free sandwiches? Known as ZUNZIFEST!, this ongoing event series was designed to show appreciation for loyal customers while also donating 26% of sales to a rotating charity. To support the cause, guests must subscribe to Zunzi’s text messages and purchase other menu items to accompany the free sandwich.
Since 2019, the Savannah staple has raised over $19,000 for local charities, including Coastal Pet Rescue, the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club of Savannah, America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia and many more.
To owner Chris Smith, ZUNZIFEST! is a constant reminder of Zunzi’s mission to inspire others to be the best versions of themselves.
“Many times people talk about what we do — being an 18-yearold, award-winning sandwich shop, or being a fun, innovative, beach-themed bar,” he says. “What gets me out of bed every day is why we are in business.”
This year, Smith also aims to expand Zunzi’s to Tybee Island and beyond — creating even more opportunities to serve.
Nearly two centuries since its inception, Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day parade marches on
Written by JESSICA LYNN CURTISSAVANNAH’S FAVORITE SEASON is upon us. It’s that time of the year when the azaleas bloom pink and the fountains turn green, ready for the city’s premier event: its renowned St. Patrick’s Day parade.
A tradition that is 199 years old, Savannah’s parade is touted as Savannah St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 17, 1964. And while popular culture may associate March 17 with revelry and green beer, to Ashley M. Norris, the parade is much more personal.
“Growing up an Irish Catholic boy in Savannah, the parade has always held a special place in my heart,” says Norris, who is serving as general chairman of this year’s 900-member parade committee. “It’s the one day of the year I see my entire family.”
Norris has been a member of the committee (an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization) for 18 years and has served on the Executive Committee for 13. According to Norris, the highest
honor bestowed upon an Irishman in Savannah, however, is the title of Grand Marshal — a position elected by the entire committee on the last Sunday of February.
“My uncle, Walter M. Crawford Jr., was elected Grand Marshal for the 2011 parade,” says Norris. “It was a great honor for him, as well as my family, to hold such a title.”
Leading up to the parade, the honoree appoints aides and a chaplain and appears at several events, including the Greening of the Fountain and the Celtic Cross Mass, Procession and Ceremony.
“This is my favorite of all of our events,” says Norris of the latter. “This is a smaller march, which is very similar to the origins of what the parade is today. This is the Irish of Savannah marching to commemorate our faith and the Irish: past, present and future.”
According to Howard Keeley, the director of the Center for Irish Research and Teaching at Georgia Southern University,
Savannah’s first public St. Patrick’s Day parade occurred in 1824. To commemorate the Feast of St. Patrick, the Hibernian Society of Savannah invited the first Catholic Bishop of Charleston, an Irishman named John England, to speak in Savannah.
On that historic day, Hibernian Society members marched at noon from the City Hotel at 21-23 W. Bay St. (now the site of Moon River Brewing Company) to St. John the Baptist Church (then located on the former Liberty Square, across from the Chatham County Courthouse).
After the bishop’s speech, the Hibernians marched back as they had come, then threw a banquet with 80 members and their guests. According to Keeley, among the toasts that evening was, “The oppressed sons of Erin (Ireland), may they always find open arms to receive them in Savannah.”
And they always have. When a large section of Savannah burned in the great fire of 1820, Irish workers flocked to help with the reconstruction. By the 1830s and ’40s, as Georgia rapidly expanded, Irishmen crossed the Atlantic for the work of building canals and railroads across the state. When Ireland’s Great Potato Famine struck in 1845 and an estimated eighth of Ireland’s population emigrated, mostly to America, and Savannah’s port was an easy entry point. By 1855, the roughly 1,500 Irish in Savannah had doubled — a significant number in what was still a small city.
At that original banquet, the bishop reportedly told the crowd: “[M]ay the example of Savannah be widely influential; here men who differ in religion may meet as friends and brethren; the acrimony of the bigot is not permitted to destroy the harmony of society.”
While the parade route and festivities have evolved over the years, the bishop’s sentiment endures when crowds fill Savannah’s streets and squares. In addition to the Hibernian Society, other societies that will be participating this year include the Fenian, Shenanigans, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and Police Emerald Societies, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the Daughters of Ireland and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Members of Irish Savannahian Allie Robinson’s family march with the Clan na Erin, or the Family of Ireland. Established in 1979, the organization’s focus is just that — honoring family. Through its Emeritus Membership process, a member with at least 25 years of active participation can pass on their membership to their son or the son of another member — maintaining the legacy of the original members’ families. Robinson herself first “marched” in the parade in her mother’s belly, and she has been on the route every year since.
“It’s a testament to where we came from, who settled here, and who made Savannah Savannah,” Robinson says.
And it’s not too early to start preparing for next year’s bicentennial. “We have created a separate committee to [help] plan something special for our upcoming 200th anniversary,” says Norris.
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Feeling festive? Reach for verdant shades to take you through St. Pat’s Day and beyond.
Add a pop of color inspired by springtime blooms and The Olde Pink House’s iconic hue.
Cowboy boots, Morgan Rae Boutique Puzzle, StoneLords
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Florals, Carlstedt’s
Go for timeless, chic wardrobe staples inspired by Savannah’s wrought iron works.
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The founder and creator of Rhoot Man Beverage Company shares a glimpse into his busy — and tasty — schedule
5:30 a.m.: I’m usually up super early, doing paperwork and planning everything for my business and family. My wife, Teri and I have two girls in the sixth and ninth grades this year.
6:05 a.m.: I try to get in a quick workout. But some days, I’ll go straight to the kitchen. Savannah Rum Runners Bakery and Café is my shared kitchen, where I cook and bottle. All my shrubs
are super healthy and all-natural. I take different herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables and cook them down with different kinds of balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar and white distilled vinegar to help extract the natural flavors. Some even use Capital Bee Company honey.
7:30 a.m.: Every Saturday, I set up at Forsyth Park for the Forsyth Farmers’ Market. I try to get there early so I can talk to people and check out all the local goods. I like 920 Cattle. Those guys have the best sausage — Italian, andouille and chorizo.
9 a.m.: As soon as I am set up at the market, people are already tasting and buying the product. My Cucumber Shrub is hands down the top seller. I recommend adding it to club soda or mixing it with vodka for a Collins-style cocktail. It’s also great in a salad dressing. I have a bunch of recipes on my website.
2:15 p.m.: My day is organized chaos. There’s always a curveball. I may have to make a stop at my warehouse or package up an online order. I also deliver to a bunch of the local restaurants, like Folklore, Ardsley Station, Crystal Beer Parlor, Moon River Brewing Company, Cohen’s Retreat, Castaways and The Flying Fish Bar & Grill, and we’re also shipping all over the country. We’re even all the way out at High West Distillery in Park City, Utah.
6 p.m.: After work, I pick up my kids from school or make dinner before they get home. Then we just hang out and chill. We throw on a show, or we play a board game. I try not to talk about work.
8 p.m.: I work hard, so I can play as hard as I want. For example, I recently had a perfect Saturday night out with my nieces when they were visiting. We bar-hopped and tasted food as we went. We started at Arco and had some small bites and cocktails over there. Then, we went across the street to The Vinyl Room, the speakeasy bar under St. Neo’s Brasserie at the Drayton Hotel, for another cocktail. After that, we went to Brochu’s Family Tradition and ate fried chicken — it’s amazing. Once we wrapped up, we had dessert at The Garage at Victory North. From there, we moseyed back to our neighborhood, Baldwin Park, and night-capped at Lone Wolf Lounge.
Midnight: Bedtime.
An iconic Starland home begins its next chapter as a revamped vacation rental, event destination and bookstore
Written by KENDALL MCKINNON // Photography by AMY LIND
THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE is a Savannah landmark, instantly recognizable by its signature gingerbread-style arches. It’s a home any Savannahian might admit to having had their eye on at one point or another, though none perhaps as much as Jen Jenkins, who owns Foxy Loxy Cafe just one door over. Jenkins initially rented her cafe space, which shares a courtyard with The Gingerbread House, back in 2011. When those owners decided to sell in 2013, her first attempt to buy the home came to pass. It was at that time two others, equally enchanted by the house, swept in and bought it.
“The story is, I sat over in that courtyard and stared at this building for eight years, still pining after it,” Jenkins says.
This decade-long love story reached its turning point when Jenkins finally struck a deal with the then-owners, purchased the house, and got the keys in 2021. She could see the grand potential for new life in the old mansion, but there was a problem.
“I felt intimidated by [the house],” she says. “[And] by the expectations people have about this place … It’s something about a property like this that so many people know about or is on postcards or magnets. I want to be a good steward of it. It doesn’t feel like just mine. It’s just my time to care for it.”
The original German estate, constructed for the Asendorf family in 1899, has gone through a few owners and purposes, including serving as a residential mansion and then a destination wedding venue. Despite its antique allure on the outside, the interior was worn and outdated. It needed brightening up,
so Jenkins enlisted Amy Lind of Amy Lind Interiors.
Together, Jenkins and Lind decided to go bold — to modernize the second floor of the short-term rental (managed by Lucky Savannah Vacation Rentals), while also preserving the integrity of the home and highlighting its inherent character.
“With the multicolored gingerbread trim adorning the exterior of the home, it was only fitting that we would bring a variety of vibrant colors to the interiors,” says Lind. Guests will find a chartreuse hue on the fireplace, bright red-orange color on the ceiling and a light peach tone on the walls.
Beyond the paint colors, the home’s iconic exterior also influenced the curved shape of a custom bench and wet bar. Designed by Lind and built by JD Painting & Carpentry, the matching bases both pop with reeded white oak. Above the bar, suspended brass shelving by Forsyth Metal Works and J&L Glass add glam. On the opposite wall, the long bench is fitted with emerald-green cushions by Savannah Quality Upholstery.
The curve motif continues in the dining table chandelier, the sconces and the sofa in the lounge. Lind even customdesigned the two yellow guest beds with an oversized scallop detail across the headboard (American Pegasus, Savannah Quality Upholstery), echoing the arched gingerbread trim that can be seen on the wrap-around porch through the bedroom windows.
“With the multicolored gingerbread trim adorning the exterior of the home, it was only fitting that we would bring a variety of vibrant colors to the interiors.”
— Amy Lind, interior designerVISIT SAVANNAH // PHOTO BY KELLI BOYD
In the lounge, a gallery wall features artwork that owner Jen Jenkins has either created herself or acquired from other artists over the years.
This attention to traditional architectural details balanced perfectly with Lind’s addition of modern furnishings, sleek light fixtures and playful fabrics. Gallery walls of artwork and funky furniture — like a coral, velvet Louis-style chair sourced from Tapley’s Mercantile and Antiques — made for the ideal finishing touches to blend the old and the new together into one eclectic space.
“Luckily, Jen was a dream to work with, as she was so trusting of our vision and let us really push the boundaries — even when we suggested painting bold colors on all of the ceilings,” says Lind. “She is a fellow creative and has a fabulous collection of artwork that she has either created herself or acquired from other artists over the years. It was meaningful to incorporate some of those pieces onto the gallery walls in the lounge and green bedroom. Our goal was to create a space that not only functions well but also sparks joy throughout the experience.”
With three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living area and a breakfast nook, overnight guests have ample selection when it comes to where to make themselves cozy.
“We wanted the space to feel sophisticated yet comfortable, so guests truly feel like they can kick up their feet and relax in style,” Lind says. “We want [it] to feel fancy, but not in a stuffy way.”
Renting the house isn’t the only way to get a closer look at the Steamboat Gothic architecture. Visitors can wander through the iron gates into E. Shaver, Starland’s second location of the beloved local bookstore complete with a cafe — located just outside the adjoining rental space.Jenkins previously helped to host E. Shaver pop-ups at Henny Penny Art Space & Cafe, so the pairing came naturally.
Amy Lind custom-designed the two yellow guest beds with scalloped headboards as a nod to the house’s iconic exterior.
“Once I purchased the Gingerbread House, I reached out to E. Shaver because they had expressed a need for event space for author talks and other literary events,” says Jenkins. “We kept meeting, talking out various scenarios and finally landed on the current set-up and relationship, which I’m thrilled with.”
For Jenkins, her pining paid off. If you, too, have had your eye on the Gingerbread House, now’s your chance to delight in it, whether by browsing the bookstore cafe or staying for the weekend.
“I’m most excited for [the Gingerbread House] to be open to the community again and to be linked with locals and daily life in Starland,” she says. “Since it had become so focused on destination weddings in the past, I hope the changes we have made will bring it back to a more locally focused, community-focused space.”
“I’m most excited for [the Gingerbread House] to be open to the community again and to be linked with locals and daily life in Starland.”
— Jen Jenkins, owner of The Gingerbread House & Foxy Loxy Cafe
Homeowner: Jen Jenkins
Year built: 1899
Year purchased: 2021
Timeframe of renovation/remodel:
7 months
Square footage: approximately 2,000
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths upstairs
Architect/planner: Amy Lind Interiors
Interior designer: Amy Lind Interiors
Contractor/builder: Alair Homes
Tile/flooring: Mountain View Flooring
Paint: JD Painting
Carpentry/Cabinetry: JD Painting & Carpentry, Ryan Lawrence of American Pegasus
Wallpaper: Dan Grovenstein
Landscape design: Sandpiper Garden
Electrician: TRL Enterprise
Audio/visual: TV Guys
Plumbing: Construction Pros
HVAC: Witt Air Conditioning & Heating
Metalsmith: Forsyth Metal Works
Glass: J&L Glass
Upholstery: Savannah Quality
Upholstery
Furniture: Anthropologie, Article, CB2, Four Hands, Home Goods, Overstock, Pottery Barn, Tapley's
Mercantile and Antiques, Target, Urban Outfitters, Wayfair, West Elm, Whelan's Furniture
Appliances: Appliances Connection
Home accessories: Bull Street Estate Sales, Crate & Barrel, Etsy and Merchants on Bee, among others
Art: homeowner's personal collection, vintage, custom piece by Amy Lind
Lighting: Pace Lighting
Countertops: MultiStone Custom Countertops
Blinds: Savannah Blinds Shutters and Shades
Vacation Rentals: Lucky Savannah
Vacation Rentals
Event Coordination: Swanson
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Appreciation for local oysters swells among Savannah’s dining scene — and inspires new farmers to get into Georgia waters
Written by COLLEEN ANN MCNALLY // Photography by PETER COLIN MURRAY & MICHAEL SCHALK
TASTE SCAN THE OYSTER MENU at a raw bar, and you’ll likely see the source listed next to the price.
Just as wine drinkers can taste a region’s terroir, oyster eaters taste the merroir — meaning how the water where an oyster grows directly impacts its flavor.
This phenomenon is inspiring a rising wave of restaurants to seek out and shuck locally grown options.
“It’s a rare exception when we don’t have a local oyster,” says Brandon Carter, restaurant owner and executive chef at Common Thread. “We, as a company, hang our hat on how we procure our ingredients. We start locally, and we go out from there concentrically.”
Common Thread was built by the same team and localfirst philosophy as FARM Bluffton in South Carolina, hence the name. While the concept is nothing new, the contemporary approach at Common Thread earned the Savannah restaurant a spot on Bon Appétit’s 2022 list of 50 Best New Restaurants across the country.
“When it comes to oysters, [local] is even more of a priority,” adds Carter. “Seafood, in general, is such a perishable thing. Even though we have the modern conveniences of FedEx, UPS and overnight deliveries, fresh is still a flavor.”
Carter says his “workhorse” is Lady’s Island Oyster Inc. of Seabrook, South Carolina. Located in the Coosaw River, Lady’s Island Oysters began in 2009 — becoming the first and the oldest farm in South Carolina and the state’s only hatchery.
“Frank [Roberts] and Julie [Davis] over at Lady’s Island have been huge proponents of oyster farming,” says Carter. “They have really been at the forefront of pushing [the industry] forward in South Carolina.”
A native of Nova Scotia, Davis landed in the Lowcountry after earning her master’s degree in aquaculture from Auburn University and helping launch Alabama’s oyster farms. Following a stint as an extension agent for the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, she has managed the operations on Roberts’ farm full time since 2018.
Together, Davis and Roberts have fine-tuned their growing process in floating cages continuously submerged so that oysters are clean and safe for consumption year-round. Today, Lady Island’s Oysters can be found served on the half-shell in some of the region’s leading restaurants.
“I hope Georgia can do the same [legislation for yearround harvest],” says Davis, who is also the president of the South Carolina Shellfish Growers Association and previously served on the board of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association.
“With all those firsts come all the arrows in your back,” she adds. “A lot of the advocacy we had to do was really just trying to stay in business and help the industry as a whole establish itself. With that came having to educate our legislators about oyster farming.”
Meanwhile, across the border in Georgia, there is currently only one farmed oyster available on the commercial market: the family-owned E.L. McIntosh & Son Seafood in Harris Neck, located about an hour south of Savannah.
Harvesting wild oysters led to farming, and Earnest McIntosh Sr. and his son Earnest Jr. shot to fame in 2019 when they appeared on an episode of Netflix’s “Chef ’s Table” alongside the acclaimed chef and Savannah native Mashama Bailey of The Grey.
The same year, the Georgia Legislature legalized oyster farming — becoming the last coastal state in the country to do so — and created a structure to lease out approved spaces along the coast to private oyster farms. McIntosh & Son holds one of three leases in McIntosh County and one of only six in the state.
The season for harvesting oysters on Georgia farms is from October to March. During these months, HUSK Savannah receives 400 to 500 McIntosh rocks hand delivered weekly. While proximity and exclusivity make McIntosh & Son an “easy” favorite for HUSK Chef Chris Hathcock, he says the people behind the farms are an important consideration, too.
“The father/son duo are some of the most amazing people you will meet,” says Hathcock, who loves oysters so much he had one tattooed on his arm.
At the recently opened Brochu’s Family Tradition, Executive Chef Dave Baker also enjoys weekly visits from Earnest Sr.
“There is a certain satisfaction when you know the person [who] pulls them out of the water is the same person delivering them,” says Baker. “They have pride in their product, and so do we.”
As demand for local oysters rises, Savannah chefs may soon have a few more farmers even closer.
Georgia’s remaining three leases for subtidal oyster farms are in Chatham County. Among the leaseholders are Perry and Laura Solomon, founders of Tybee Oyster Company. After 20 years of military service, the couple returned to where Perry grew up to raise their own kids.
“We started dating when we were 17, so I’ve come down here since we were in college,” says Laura. She recalls memories of enjoying wild-harvested oysters. “As we became foodies, we started eating out at restaurants when we would come to visit. We were
like, ‘Why is all the seafood from all these random places?’”
While in the military, the Solomons traveled the world and became fascinated with different mariculture practices in places like California, France and Vietnam. They also lived in Virginia, where the seafood industry has boomed into a billion-dollar business.
“We kept asking, ‘Why not here?’” says Laura.
After several years of dreaming about a family-run farm, the Solomons officially incorporated Tybee Oyster Company in January 2022, won the lease lottery in March 2022 and submitted their plans to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for review. Nearly a year later, they are still awaiting approval and hoping to clear the hurdle this spring so that they can get their own cages in the water.
The Solomons are not getting into this business to get rich, however.
“It’s important to us that people know we are a small family doing this for the sustainability purpose and the passion for the seafood,” says Laura.
“Oyster farmers aren’t competing for anything,” Perry says. “There is an infinite amount of food in the water for oysters.”
Onion soup bowl in white, available from Chef Darin’s Kitchen Table
The Solomons have been inspired — and supported — by fellow shellfish enthusiasts, especially members of Oyster South. Led by Executive Director Beth Walton, the nonprofit organization is on a mission to connect communities and provide resources to foster the success of oyster farming in the southern United States.
“As we started our journey about five years ago, we joined the organization,” says Perry. “There were a couple of times when we probably would have quit, but Beth has been a positive influence by checking in with us and asking what she can do to help.”
This March, Savannah plays host city to Oyster South’s sixth symposium. Held at Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, the two-day event brings together 350 industry influencers — including producers, gear suppliers, distributors, chefs, writers, filmmakers, vendors, researchers, students and managers — from the South Atlantic and Gulf Coast regions to discuss the latest research and challenges in aquaculture.
“Oysters are sexy again,” says Walton. With nearly 30 years of experience working in aquaculture along the Gulf and East Coasts, Walton now lives in Virginia. She runs the nonprofit alongside her husband, Bill, a former professor at the Auburn University Shellfish Lab, where Davis studied.
As it turns out, oyster aficionados are a close-knit bunch. Among Savannah’s restaurants, Common Thread, The Grey, HUSK, The Wyld and Sorry Charlie’s Oyster Bar are some of Oyster South’s top supporters.
“Oyster South has been a wealth of knowledge, and we are extremely excited to have them come to Savannah,” says Chris Godfrey of Sorry Charlie’s Oyster Bar. He and his business partner Harley Krinsky have attended the last two symposiums in Biloxi, Mississippi and Wilmington, North Carolina, to gain industry knowledge. When Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources opened the lease lottery for Chatham County waters, they jumped in.
“We saw an opportunity to be the farm and be the table,” says Krinsky. “The opportunity to be part of a revived industry and bring a local product back to the masses would be amazing.”
Godfrey and Krinsky are in the same boat as the Solomons: they won one of the three Chatham County leases and await permits to begin farming. Alongside them holding the third lease is Ambos Oyster Company. Brothers Drew and Hal Ambos are fifth-generation purveyors of and experts in all things seafood. To them, the ability to farm oysters in Georgia will be “full circle” for their family, says Hal. “We know the hurdles and how [the industry has] evolved — things have come a long way,” he says.
Once cages can go in the water, the process takes approximately 9 to 12 months, depending on the seed and water conditions.
“This is a first for Georgia and the waters,” Krinsky says of the lengthy approval process. “We’re talking about floating cages in the middle of waterways, so everybody is looking to get it right the first time.”
For the state, being last could prove advantageous, as there’s an opportunity to review where other states have succeeded or faced challenges. For example, in other states, public land use for oyster farming has raised concerns of restricted areas for swimming, fishing and boating.
According to Krinsky, another advantage is the University of Georgia’s Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Shellfish Research Laboratory on Skidaway Island, which provides the oyster seeds for Georgia farmers. Tom Bliss, the lab’s director and Georgia Sea Grant extension agent, also sits on Oyster South’s advisory board.
“[The lab is] the building blocks of what is going to be the oyster industry moving forward,” says Krinsky. “The reason we will be successful is because of the UGA shellfish program. They have been studying it, figuring it out and laying all the groundwork so the industry can succeed.”
From her sage perspective across the state border, Davis hints at what else may be ahead for burgeoning Georgia farmers.
“They are going to have to band together, organize themselves, do some lobbying and all of that fun stuff,” she says. “Folks need to realize that the more oysters we have in the water, the better.”
“It’s important to us that people know we are a small family doing this for the sustainability purpose and the passion for the seafood.”
— Laura Solomon, co-owner of Tybee Oyster CompanyMICHAEL SCHALK
Written by FEIFEI SUN // Photography by MICHAEL SCHALK
TASTE THIS SPRING, PASTRY CHEF Natasha Gaskill prepares to open her first brick-andmortar restaurant, Sixby, after providing desserts to some of the city’s best restaurants, a slew of viral ice cream and donut pop-ups, and a stint as executive pastry chef at The Grey. Locals can also find Sixby at the Forsyth Farmers’ Market this season. Here, Gaskill talks about the early inspiration for her dream restaurant, spring produce and building a new kind of hospitality model that prioritizes the guest — and employee — experiences alike.
I live in Ardsley Park and always walk my dogs on this loop that passes by this crazy building on the corner of Bee Road and Victory Drive — the address is 6 Bee Road. I first saw it about a decade ago. It’s like a concrete block rather than a building, with an asymmetrical roof on it. Now [the owners] have painted it purple. But it’s a totally wild space, and I loved it as soon as I saw it. I thought it would make for the best coffee shop place — and there are no coffee shops off of Daffin [Park], which I think is nuts. I made a Pinterest board called 6 Bee — and not to get so woo-woo with it — that acted like a manifestation board. I’d think, “Oh, this is what the menu would be like,” or “These are the chairs that would go inside.” It was a launchpad for this space that I was constantly thinking about. (Editor’s note: At the time of press, the location for Sixby is still in the works.)
MATT PALMERLEE
I met Matt in early 2021 through a mutual friend Chris Wilkins, who had run the bread program at The Florence [Hugh Acheson’s former restaurant]. I was wanting to open a bake shop, and he had the concept of Hotel Lugash, which is a tiny restaurant and bar. I pitched him on going in together since we’d never be operating at the same time, and the building would
be utilized the whole day. We’ve both had opportunities to work for celebrity chefs, which has really informed the type of work environments we want — what we find important, what we don’t want to be part of our culture and what we’re building. All our line items were in sync, so while we didn’t know each other really well as people, having that shared history made it easy to talk about things.
We’ll collaborate on the menu for both Sixby and Hotel Lugash, and the idea is for the space to be like those all-day cafes in Portugal or Spain. And we’d like to do brunch. I know it’s not a popular opinion among restaurant people, but I personally love brunch.
Matt and I are both super excited about exploring different labor models that some restaurants have used since COVID-19 — for example, more holistic and equal ways of dividing tips across the whole team, from the front of house to back of house. Mailea Weger of Lou Nashville, in particular, has been incredibly generous in sharing the business model of her restaurant and talking to me about it. As someone who has predominantly worked in the back of house, I’ll say from experience that those jobs — even at the highest management level — are barely touching what the front of house makes.
We also feel strongly about putting an emphasis on work-life balance, and not in a lip-service way. I never did less than 65 hours a week at every restaurant I’ve worked in. Once I worked 58 days in a row. I’d love to say my experience was an exception, but most people in the back of house work to the point of exhaustion, and they lose all creativity.
Ha, it’s so basic. It’s this creamy penne pasta with rotisserie chicken and broccoli. Every time they get home from school, that’s what they ask for. It was one of
those things I started making when I went back to work because I just didn’t have a lot of time.
The other thing they love is also basic. My husband, Nathan, and I have known each other since high school, and he used to work at this place in Washington called Bob’s Burgers and Brew. They had this sandwich called the Squirrel sandwich — I have no idea why because there weren’t even squirrels where we lived. It’s chopped beef with onions, barbecue sauce and provolone cheese, served on griddled bread.
ON SPRINGTIME
Spring is such a weird time here because it happens in the blink of an eye. It never lasts long enough for me. You’re lucky if you can find baby carrots and peas at the farmers’ market for two weekends. But one bonus is that, as a pastry chef, you get strawberries so early. We wouldn’t get them in Washington, where I’m from, until mid-June, but here you can get them starting at the end of April.
“We’ve both had the opportunity to work for celebrity chefs, which has really informed the type of work environments we want — what we find important, what we don’t want to be part of our culture and what we’re building.”
Shared by Pastry Chef
Natasha GaskillSERVES 20-22 cookies
“Palmiers are a pleasing cookie made with pu pastry dough and spiced sugar, simultaneously tender and crisp. They are a perfect foil for spring strawberries. I utilize Anson Mills Colonial Style Fine Cloth-Bolted Pastry Flour and quick homemade jam to optimize nutrition and flavor, but [there is] no shame in substituting storebought for either. The recipe yields 20ish cookies, but it doubles with ease. Sliced, pre-baked cookies freeze beautifully and are ever-ready when the mood strikes.”
½ c. strawberries, caps removed and halved
2 tsp. lemon juice
¼ c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
¼ c. cold water
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 sheet of pu pastry dough, defrosted
½ c. coconut sugar (granulated sugar can be used instead, but the flavor will be di erent)
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 tsp. sea salt
Combine strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and salt in a saucepan and let sit for 30 minutes. Once the strawberries have released their juices, bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until strawberries have broken down, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Mix cornstarch and cold water in a bowl, and add to the gently bubbling mix. Cook over medium-low heat until the jam is transparent and thick. Allow the jam to cool.
Combine coconut sugar, cardamom and salt in a bowl. Pour ¼ cup of the spiced sugar mixture evenly on a flat surface for rolling. Unfold the puff pastry dough and spread the remaining spiced sugar evenly on top of the dough.
Roll dough to a 13-inch by 13-inch square. The spiced sugar should be nicely embedded in both sides of the dough.
Spread a thin layer of jam, side to side, over the dough. You won’t use all the jam you made, so you can save it for another day.
Roll both sides of the dough to meet in the center.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to chill for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice the chilled dough into 3⁄8 inch slices and place the cut side up on sheet trays lined with parchment paper. Gather any leftover spiced sugar and jam from your work space and top your palmiers with it. (If you were planning on freezing the palmiers, place the sheet pan in your freezer until the palmiers are completely frozen. Then they can be stacked, wrapped and waiting.)
Bake on one side for six minutes, flip palmiers over and bake an additional six minutes. In my opinion, they should be deeply caramelized.
Allow to cool or not. Store in an airtight container if you have any left.
OUR SPECIALTY: Meatloaf Marsala, a tender juicy meatloaf, topped with a decadent marsala sauce and tender mushrooms that pair perfectly with homemade mashed potatoes and Southern-style collard greens.
I CAN’T COOK WITHOUT: Fancy spoons. I have hundreds of spoons in all shapes and sizes that are used for tasting, mixing and perfecting each dish.
IN MY KITCHEN: My kitchen is unique because it is a mix of homemade classics ne n n c c c
e e e r u ec n ue fl r r e and made into a decadent, elevated version of its well-known base dish.
MY DREAM DINNER GUESTS: My grandparents – to show them how I marry techniques from familial homecooking recipes with modern techniques to create my own take on classic dishes that have been handed down from generation to generation.
THE CHEF I MOST ADMIRE IS: Ryan DeRoieux, one of the talented
chefs from Primland Resort who taught me to push myself as a culinary artist and not to be afraid to try new things. He also helped me to master the basic techniques that every good chef needs to be successful.
MY LAST MEAL WOULD BE:
e e e n re fl ur r and avocado, just like I grew up eating.
PERFECT PAIRING: Coconut rum with fresh conch ceviche and spiny lobster tails like they serve in the Cayman Islands.
HOW I GOT MY START: At 15, I was a busboy in a downtown Jacksonville bistro. One night I was picking up an extra shift in the dish pit when the garde manger cook didn’t show. Just before service, Chef Verne simply walked up and said, “You’re on the line tonight; let’s go.” He didn’t give me much of a choice, but I’m still thankful he gave me a chance. I quickly fell in love with the science, camaraderie, adrenaline and the chance to make memories.
MY DREAM DINNER GUESTS: Every time my whole family gathered, they would
118 E. Broughton St. | 912.777.3742
commonrestaurant.com
always put their hearts into the foods they served. I wish I had the chance to give back a memorable meal to many of them.
PAYING IT FORWARD: I have every chef who was willing to teach me and support me to thank for every success I’ve had. What makes me feel warm and fuzzy is having the opportunity to give that back by sharing that same culture with an amazing team.
SPECIALTY DISH: Scallop ravioli. One of my favorite things about working with this team of talented chefs is the beautiful,
crazy and delicious dishes that we create by bouncing ideas off of each other. This dish instantly became a top-seller. Our house-made ravioli was challenging to keep in stock, so our near-genius solution was partnering with FraLi Gourmet for its delightful seasonal ravioli. Sautéed in brown butter, the ravioli sits atop a rich corn nage. Seared golden brown, the scallops are added and drizzled with a smoked en rn e ru fle microgreens. It’s a bold but comforting n e fl r c off one other.
SIGNATURE DISH: One dish I’m known for is a light, fun appetizer. I take fresh, local zucchini and slice it into strips; then I pankoencrust and fry them. I top these goldenbrown planks with an avocado mousse, Italian corn relish and two beautiful, seared shrimp. I r n re fl r u
THE CHEF I MOST ADMIRE: I feel as chefs, we are ever-growing, ever-evolving. I r re e er ec u e
how he got to where he was – starting at the bottom, then becoming the best chef in America. More recently, as I’ve grown as a
14 Barnard St. | 912.233.2166 savannah.andaz.com
c e I re re e n ne thing they love the most and really strive for er ec n I n c e e e Evan Funke. He truly has immersed his entire being into handmade pasta.
MY LAST MEAL: I would love traditional e c r n r e e handmade – and no peas, please.
country’s best restaurants.
I CAN’T COOK WITHOUT: My spice rack. I love so many different types of food and love u n eren fl r r eren re n It’s magical how just by tweaking one spice in a blend can bring you to the opposite side of the world.
HOW I
I went the old-school route. I searched for the best restaurants in any city I lived in and knocked on backdoors, begging
MY RESTAURANT: We offer an eclectic dining and nightlife scene featuring modern, southern-inspired cuisine sourced locally for seasonality and freshness.
412 Williamson St. | 212.363.0681 thealidahotel.com
MY SPECIALTY: Cheddar drop biscuits with Cheerwine glaze, country ham and honey butter. Two pieces of cheddar drop biscuits are sliced in half and then lightly toasted in c r e u er ce en n
Mountain Country Hams are seared until the ham caramelizes and then placed atop the biscuit halves. Cheerwine soda is reduced to syrup, then drizzled over the biscuits. The cu re u c e er e n c and topped with honey butter and chives.
AT MY PLACE: At Rhett, we offer a modern spin on the classic Lowcountry seafood dining
experience. The dishes are classic in nature but with unique twists in their recipes. We use as many locally sourced items as possible and tastefully blend ingredients to enhance natural fl r c e n e u e u n entertainment district along the riverfront, Rhett is a lively port destination watering hole e c n r u ern
I CAN’T COOK WITHOUT: u er e r u ern c n
MY DREAM DINNER GUESTS: Tiger c c u n rn er
I n er n u e ncre e to hear all of their stories.
MY LAST MEAL: ne e r c re e reen n c c e c e
PERFECT PAIRING: Our new menu will feature Lowcountry lobster scampi with r e e er c n e e ne r cc n c e r n lemony andouille breadcrumbs. I would pair e en n nc e n n acidity will help balance the creaminess and spice of the dish.
127 ½ W. Broughton St. | 912.238.5130 theordinarypub.com
MY SPECIALTY: Our Southern Fried Bison is one of my favorite dishes to prepare for ue n e re en er e n breaded with herbs and spices. We deep-fry e n un er ec crunc cru r n en e u e e n cr n n re ru e r u We then top off the bison with our housemade sausage gravy.
I CAN’T COOK WITHOUT: Passion. At The Ordinary Pub, I am surrounded by e e re n e u e r cr r e c e n ur n ne
c e r en er cre n e cr c c n e er er e r e n er n e en e ner u bought into the idea of creating the best e er ence e r n e us the opportunity to serve them.
MY DREAM DINNER GUESTS: I once had the opportunity to work for the chef who headed up the food program r e c e n n n nce en I e een e er e e e c n r n eren e e r n
r u cu ure r un e r e c en e ee n n I c n n ne e re r n ee n e n e r e n ur en r n eren e e n r n n e together with my food.
MY LAST MEAL: A smoked bone-in ribeye, reverse-seared and butter-basted re r e r n r c er e u er e e r c e e n ne e c rr n paired with the rarest aged bourbon that I c u e n n
MY FAVORITE FOODIE DISCOVERY IN THE LAST YEAR: I’ve only just moved to Savannah in the last year, so the entire town is a pretty great foodie discovery! But if I had to pick a favorite, I really like brunch at The Collin’s Quarter and drinks at Crystal Beer Parlor.
MY SPECIALTY: The shrimp and grits – it’s e n e ne r e n e when I have nice, fresh shrimp.
I CAN’T COOK WITHOUT: My cast iron pan.
MY THREE DREAM DINNER GUESTS: Jimmy Page, Jimmy Buffet and my Dad.
THE CHEF I MOST ADMIRE: Gordon Ramsay.
WHERE I GOT MY START: At Sullivan’s Restaurant working under Chef Mark Lee when I was 15 years old.
MY LAST MEAL WOULD BE: A Tomahawk ribeye.
A PERFECT PAIRING: Some nice oysters on the half shell and a pint of Guinness.
I KNEW I WANTED TO BE A CHEF WHEN: I was 9 years old and started entering and winning local cooking competitions.
MY DREAM FOOD DESTINATION: Japan – I love Japanese and Asian food and their unique culture.
2 W. Bay St. | 912.238.1234
hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/georgia/ hyatt-regency-savannah/savrs/dining
OUR SPECIALTY: c ene fl un er er n urn e e r e e e r n n e cr u e en r e e r ce n e e e e c u ern cu ne c r uc n en r r nn n c e e r c cu ur cu n r r e re n
HOW I GOT MY START: n r n er ere c n e c e r n e I re er I re c e ur rec e en I r e ne ec n ue er e e e er n e r e n u r e e e r e en cu n r c
MY LAST MEAL: e r n uer c n u c r reen r n e n n e r e r e e e ne e fl e n c e er er e e u r re e n ere n n c er e e r ce n e n n c c nu n ru c e r e er
315 W. St. Julian St. | 912.233.2626 belfordssavannah.com
I CAN'T COOK WITHOUT: My signature Charred Jalapeño Hot Sauce made from aged peppers, champagne vinegar, local honey and butter. It's the perfect complement to Belford's Smoked Halibut Dip appetizer.
AT MY PLACE: What motivates me most is seeing smiling faces after a meal that I have just prepared for our guests, especially knowing that it is hard to please everyone. I’m proud that our kitchen team considers each other family because we work side-by-side, day in and day out.
OUR SIGNATURE DISH: Lobster Gnocchi, made with house-made gnocchi, fresh lobster, asparagus and heirloom tomatoes that pair er ec r c cre er uce n e r e n Decadent!
The Tenenbaum family gives back to Telfair Museums in grand measure with two must-see exhibitions
Written by MARGARET DANIELAnn Tenenbaum, at home in New York City. Since growing up in Savannah, she has been surrounded by museum-worthy art.
Ann Tenenbaum grew up with some formidable housemates. Works by artists like Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall and Diego Rivera — household names for many — were also household fixtures at the Tenenbaums. Their art enlivened her family’s historic four-story townhome from the walls and tabletops they dotted.
Ann’s parents, the late Lorlee and Arnold Tenenbaum, were art collectors — fans of all things beautiful and avant-garde. A clan of go-getters, the Tenenbaums became notable for their business acumen (Arnold was president of Chatham Steel), philanthropic efforts and fierce advocacy of the arts. This legacy now continues in two brilliant exhibitions at Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center.
The first, “Photography’s Last Century: The Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee Collection” (February 17 – May 21), offers viewers a world-class, comprehensive study of photography’s development in the 20th century. Then, the second exhibition, “Bold Expressions: The Collection of Lorlee and Arnold Tenenbaum” (March 10 – July 9), features more than three dozen beloved prints, drawings, paintings and ceramics collected over the couple’s decades together.
Originally displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, “Photography’s Last Century: The Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee Collection,” opened on March 10, 2020, just days before the COVID-19 pandemic closed the venerable institution’s doors for months. Tragically, Arnold and Lorlee died in March 2020, just five days apart from each other — the pandemic’s first victims in Chatham County.
When Telfair Museums offered a second showing in her hometown, inside the Moshe Safdie-designed building her father’s vision and patronage brought to fruition, Ann eagerly accepted the chance to exhibit her favorite pieces again.
“I am doing this for my parents. I know we are all sad that they can’t be there to see this because they would have loved it so much,” says Tenenbaum. “It’s about feeling like I want to do something impactful and exploring myself and my roots and my family.”
A display of first-rate landscapes, experimental portraits and documentary pieces from 1916 – 2018, Ann’s collection features its own Warhol — this one a photo-booth self-portrait series of the artist holding his sunglasses askew on his face — alongside pieces by Diane Arbus, Cindy Sherman, Man Ray, Richard Avedon and Paul Strand.
“These photographs are a textbook of the biggest names in the field of photography,” says Alex Mann, Telfair Museums' chief curator and director of curatorial affairs. “But that wasn’t Ann’s goal when collecting pieces. She wasn’t following a checklist. She was finding pieces she especially loved. She loves the story of the work and the artist.”
The show carefully chronicles many artists’ early works — tracing their beginnings and first attempts at mastering the rapidly evolving medium in the 20th century. For instance, a nine-part self-portrait series depicts a 22-year-old Cindy Sherman, bare-shouldered and lipsticked, captivatingly emoting for the camera. There is one still left completely blank — no subject to be found. One of Sherman’s later iconic works, a “film still” depicting a woman looking out over the
bucolic landscape, a suitcase beside her feet, is also on display.
Beyond static images, a video collaboration between Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson and American rock band, The National, will be on view four times throughout the exhibition’s tenure. The six-hour meditative performance entitled “A Lot of Sorrow” was filmed in New York at MoMA’s PS1 Sunday Sessions in 2013 and, according to Mann, is unmissable.
“It is a weighty and exciting, beautiful, meditative and poetic experience,” says Mann.
The other non-image-based work is a novelty for Telfair Museums and a project near and dear to Ann’s heart: an improvisational soundtrack created especially for the exhibition by Icelandic composer Davíð Þór Jónsson. Wandering from image to image, visitors will be delighted by the original score, meant to “inspire, inform and create a multisensory experience for this exhibition,” Mann says.
While Ann may have gained her penchant for art from her parents, viewers will note the display styles and works collected by Ann and her husband, Thomas, are distinct from those of the elder Tenenbaums.
“[The parents’] collection is very diverse and colorful with twodimensional and three-dimensional pieces, and is quite eclectic,” says Mann. “[The other is] a collection of photography that is carefully focused on fine, experimental and page-turning works by iconic photographers from around the world over the past 100 years.”
Andy Warhol
Mick Jagger, 1975
Original color Warhol screenprint
43 5/8 x 28 3/4 in. (sheet); 46 x 31 in. (framed)
Edition 65 of 250
© 2023 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
For Ann, her art appreciation is more nurture than nature.
“My mother did everything on instinct and, luckily, she had great instincts. It was wonderful and complicated,” says Ann of her childhood in an eclectic, bustling home — not unlike that of the fictional cinematic characters who share her surname. (Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson are friends of the family).
“Sometimes having these [artworks] hanging in my home was tough because I didn’t like or understand them. Friends would come over and say, ‘What is this? I could make this.’ I was too young to have cogent arguments against it,” says Ann. “It was inspiring and embarrassing, but that discomfort made me ask all kinds of questions. It helped inform my own taste and understanding of how art can be complicated as well as beautiful and profound.”
Lorlee and Arnold’s enjoyment of antiquity and resonance with the profundity of modernity are apparent in their collection.
“The love [Lorlee and Arnold] had for the Savannah community and [its] history, coupled with a determination to continually think forward for the future of what Savannah is and could be, is really evident in the fight to get the Jepson Center built — a very long process Arnold was very deeply involved in,” says Erin Dunn, Telfair Museums’ curator of modern and contemporary art. “He knew it could bring a lot of great programming, community building, 21st-century architecture to the city, and reflect that there is this constant struggle between old and new, but that, ultimately, it is for the benefit of the community.”
“Bold Expressions” honors these efforts and commemorates the visionary collectors and the works they surrounded themselves within their Savannah residences.
“[Having these artworks hanging in my home] was inspiring and embarrassing, but that discomfort made me ask all kinds of questions. It helped inform my own taste and understanding of how art can be complicated as well as beautiful and profound.”
— Ann TenenbaumFROM LEFT: Telfair Museums' Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs Alex Mann, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Erin Dunn and Executive Director and CEO Benjamin Simons
“The initial concept was a series of conversations between Telfair Museums and the family about the future of Lorlee and Arnold Tenenbaum’s collection and how the museum could honor them,” says Dunn. “The curatorial team selected a number of works based on the quality [and] visual impact of the work, the diversity of the artists, the scale of the pieces, the importance of the artist to art history, the varieties of mediums [and] the regional importance of some of the artists.”
“Art has always been a part of our lives and an extension of the way we’ve lived,” Arnold told the Savannah Morning News in 2019. “And the way [our children] were raised.”
Now on the walls of the Jepson Center, scattered among a sea of dazzling works that once bedecked their home, a notable, screen-printed collage of Mick Jagger by Andy Warhol, a silhouette linocut by the prolific Kara Walker, a David Shapiro painting (purchased by the couple to celebrate their 1959 engagement) and a contemplative image of SCAD professor Zig Jackson, sitting on the riverbank donning a feathered war bonnet and modern clothing, are all sure to intrigue both art aficionados and casual museum hoppers.
“Everyone will be blown away by the pop culture references and how bright and colorful [the piece] is,” Dunn says of the Rolling Stones frontman’s portrait. “It’s going to be great to see which pieces people really latch onto.”
One of Dunn’s favorite pieces, an untitled drawing depicting enigmatic figures and signage spread across a horizontal line by local artist Phillip J. Hampton underscores Lorlee and Arnold’s modern and diverse approach to collecting. Hampton, a former Savannah State University visual arts professor and department head, developed a multimedia oeuvre ranging from
realism to abstract experimentalism. Telfair Museums recently organized the largest museum retrospective of Hampton’s work to date in collaboration with Savannah State University.
The Hampton piece can be traced to a 1972 feature of the Tenenbaums’ Jones Street home in House Beautiful
“It shows how they supported artists of their time and their city [and] it’s exciting for me to know collectors like Lorlee and Arnold were meeting with Hampton and collecting his work during the time it was being made in the 1950s and ’60s,” Dunn says.
More than a visual feast, the range of works exhibited begs the viewer to search out their favorite pieces and become a collector themselves — to live with art, just as Lorlee and Arnold boldly did.
“With each house, they showed how people could live with art in various settings and really make it part of their lives,” Dunn says.
Beyond inspiring their own home galleries, Ann expects the shows to bring viewers a deep sense of satisfaction and joy.
“I hope they feel pleasure — the joy of looking at beautiful objects. For me, beauty is a big part of collecting,” Ann says. “I hope it will stimulate ideas in people about what it means to be human in all different iterations. There is art by Native Americans, and the last piece I bought that will be on view is a portrait by a non-binary artist in South Africa [named] Zanele Muholi. I think [the exhibit] reflects an incredible span of ideas and culture and civilization.”
And an incredible picture of the inimitable family.
Nan Goldin (American, b. 1953)
Ivy in the Boston Garden, Back, 1973
Gelatin silver print
© Nan Goldin
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Written by ALLISON STICE // Photography by MICHAEL SCHALK
I HAD JUST GIVEN BIRTH to my first baby when I bought the painting of the cow. The mahogany-and-white bovine peered out from an overstuffed corner of a secondhand store where I was shopping for the nursery. With a newborn semi-permanently attached to me, this cow was obviously my spirit animal. In my postpartum delirium, I had to have her — and since she was collecting dust, the owners cut me a deal.
But when I brought it home, the oil portrait’s moody colors clashed with my airy, light-filled bungalow, which skews more contemporary than farmhouse. Every spot I tried to hang the painting seemed wrong. I didn’t want the cow judging me in the kitchen or dining room on the rare occasions I eat red meat. Nor did I want her to be the first thing I saw when I woke up in my bedroom in the morning.
My husband ribbed me endlessly about my art purchase as I relegated the cow to a closet. Though I was defensive at first, in the aftermath, I realized I had made a few rookie mistakes.
For starters, I hadn’t shopped with a place to hang the picture in mind. I didn’t consider the color palette or how it meshed with my design scheme. And I clearly hadn’t taken my partner’s taste into account when choosing a piece for our shared space. Perhaps most crucially of all, I did not have a relationship with the artist to know who had captured the cow, and why. These are all crucial details for forging a personal connection with — and pride in — the artwork you display and live with every day.
In the years since, I have met, written about and interviewed more artists on the Savannah scene, chatted with gallerists and curators, and become a bit savvier about curating my collection.
The best way to discover what you love? Go out and look. With cheeky exhibitions at Location Gallery @ Austin Hill Realty, sleek art-world affairs at Laney Contemporary, fun First Friday openings at Sulfur Studios by ARTS Southeast and more, there is no shortage of avenues to discover artists you’ll love. Here are six I’m watching to add to my home this year.
Flowers from trips to the mountains and Saturday mornings at the farmers’ market. Leaves from neighborhood walks and afternoons in her mother's garden. Mary Margaret Monsees’ resin-encased preserved botanicals are special moments of her life encapsulated — and highly prized by stylish clients and interior design firms, near and far.
While pressing flowers at their peak is an age-old technique, Monsees adds a contemporary edge to the process. After placing and arranging the flowers to her satisfaction, she pours epoxy resin over the wood panels for a high-gloss finish. The environment in her home studio — a beautifully restored 1890s fisherman cottage on the marsh — must be free of dust and debris. To eliminate air bubbles, she turns to her most trusted tool: a blowtorch. “To borrow a line from Julia Child, ‘Every woman should have a blowtorch,’” Monsees says.
The most precious commodity for her pieces, however, is time. Her hand-cut botanicals take weeks to dry. Working with resin, she only has a finite period before the material cures. If a particular floral proves popular, the growing season may end before she can make more. But she likes the temporal quality of her practice.
“It has an ebb and flow,” she says. This spring, Monsees plans to release a collection featuring bulb flowers.
“I absolutely love it when the daffodils begin to pop up in March and remind us that the bright days of summer are just around the corner,” she says. By then, look for another release of her popular pressed hydrangeas that will keep forever.
Artist she’s watching: “My most recent addition to my art collection is a piece by local photographer Parker Stewart. He has a great eye, and I love following his work on Instagram.”
Asher + Rye makes it effortless to live life intentionally. From our Scandinavian-inspired furniture and home brands to our cafe and market with an assortment of local and imported goods, we make it easy to experience quality and purpose. Whether you‘re shopping with us, sipping on a latte, or meeting with one of our design consultants, our offerings at the corner of Whitaker and Jones are designed to bring the best life has to offer into your every day.
“Throughout my life, I’ve been attracted to the stories of the items we live with,” Trish Andersen says.
Andersen, a Savannah College of Art and Design fibers graduate, ushered in a new phase of her art career when she went viral in 2019 for a handmade rainbow-drip runner cascading down the stairs of the downtown Victorian where she lives and works. Today, her rug collection includes digitally printed floor mats featuring her fibers pieces (perfect for playrooms and beneath toddlers’ art tables) and handtufted wool versions of the internet-famous runner. In 2022, she debuted a playful line of blankets in her favorite patterns, including one festooned with smiley flowers in collaboration with jewelry and accessories designer Paige Samek of Drainbowland.
“A blanket or a rug is an easier step for people to bring art into their life than something on the wall they may feel more disconnected to,” Andersen says. “I love being able to offer options for people to have my artwork in that form.”
Since that famed social post, her love of tufting has grown in her colorfully chaotic, yarn-filled home studio — fueling exhibitions of small works at Georgia Southern, larger-than-life installations at Atlanta Contemporary, ongoing commissions for top names in fine art and fashion, and limited-edition drops on her Instagram.
Andersen hinted more online exclusives could be on the way — though you’ll have to move fast, as her last collection sold out in 24 hours. Next up? A wallpaper collaboration with husband and fellow artist Michael Porten (featured as an Artist to Watch in Savannah magazine in 2017) is high on the list.
Artist she’s watching: “Duff Yong, whose black-and-white ‘ookee’ exhibition inspired by Chinese calligraphy, video games and street art is a #art912 exhibition at Telfair Museums through September 2023. I love the repetitive nature of it!”
Jennifer Mack-Watkins has traveled the world and won prestigious awards thanks to her prowess in mokuhanga, or Japanese woodblock printing. The technique is an environmentally friendly method of carving woodblocks to publish images en masse, like Katsushika Hokusai’s famous “Under the Wave off Kanagawa.” MackWatkins has explored the process in Japan and Hawaii, and at the International Mokuhanga Conference where, as far as she knows, she is the only Black artist in the community.
“I chose to use my stance and how I experience the world to create something a little different from what you typically see in Japanese woodblock,” she says.
Growing up near Charleston, South Carolina, Mack-Watkins did not encounter a lot of art teachers who looked like her. The experience motivated her through her studies in studio arts at Morris Brown College, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Tufts University, and a Master of Fine Arts in printmaking from Pratt Institute. After working in the classroom for years while maintaining her printmaking studio practice on the side, a career change during the pandemic and relocation to Savannah has led her to focus on her art full-time.
“I want to use my art to educate people that imagination is a powerful thing to foster in yourself and encourage and motivate in others,” she says.
Mack-Watkins' recent work investigates the beauty, importance and complexity of positive representation of Black children. It empowers them to dream big — like her 6-year-old daughter, who longs to be an astronaut. (You’ll find space themes in many of her latest silkscreens and prints, which are held in the Library of Congress and featured at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.)
A synthesis of her interests culminated in the illustrations for the children’s picture book, “You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!”, about the acclaimed woodcarver Elijah Pierce, published by Penguin Random House in early 2023.
Savannahians can also get a closer look at her work when her New York Times-reviewed show “Children of the Sun” travels to Sulfur Studios in May.
Artist she’s watching: “Sharon Norwood, who investigates Black identity and imagined histories across mediums like painting and ceramics. She works right down the street from my space at Sulfur Studios, and we love to visit each other’s studios.”
Diego Cardenas, who goes by lé, began dabbling in graffiti as a teenager. He grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, surrounded by the colorful kinetic works of art-world game changers like Jesús Rafael Soto and Carlos Cruz-Diez. After interning at Atelier Cruz-Diez in Paris and Panama City, lé moved to Savannah to get his M.F.A. in painting at SCAD. Since then, his chromatic explorations have been plastered on SCAD buses and featured as the artwork for the university’s Open Studio Night, as well as at Green Truck Pub’s Drive Thru Art Box.
You might still find some of his openair works on the walls of the city, but these days you can mostly find him considering the natural light of his studio in the Starland District. In a sunray crossing his doorstep, he sees more colors than in Isaac Newton’s canonic ROYGBIV. Experiments with prisms guide both lé’s “Angular Perceptions” series and street art symbols. He photographs the light, examines the results in Adobe Illustrator and then color-matches what he sees with Montana nitro-acrylic spray paint to form a unified palette of 22 colors.
“What I’m proposing is a pictorial expansion of the seven colors of the rainbow,” he says.
This year, lé plans on playing with sculpture while conceptualizing a body of work for exhibition. A SOY X SOY sticker hangs in the window of his studio, declaring his allegiance to the Latin/Native American collective of artists who made their debut in a group show at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center in late 2022.
“Each one of us represents their own countries and wants to get a sense of the bigger picture in terms of culture, equality and accessibility to the arts,” he says. “We want to do multicultural and multidisciplinary events from music to poetry. You’ll be hearing from us!”
Artist he’s watching: “My housemate Lórien Gascon, an artist and art model who works in everything from digital illustration to performance.”
Hardly a newcomer to the Savannah art scene, Amiri Geuka Farris has been living and working in the Lowcountry for 30 years. Now, his work is reaching new heights through a number of high-profile residencies (such as at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston and Montage Palmetto Bluff ), exposure at events like Hilton Head Island’s Gullah Celebration and in larger-than-life public artworks at Enmarket Arena and atop the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District Atlantic Hotel. In fact, the latter is visible from the Talmadge Bridge as you drive into the city.
This fact seems fitting, given that Farris has brought visibility to Gullah-Geechee culture through his body of work, which includes painting and drawing, video and performance art and, occasionally, all of the above.
“As an artist, I'm fascinated by the ways that different mediums can be used to create something new,” he says.
From his Sulfur Studios workspace, he’ll take a walk around the neighborhood listening to his upbeat music (yes, he makes music, too!) for inspiration for his vibrant artwork that explores memory, perception and diaspora. Many pieces use reclaimed materials and incorporate elements like Adinkra symbols, each associated with a different proverb or meaning.
“One I like a lot is the swirl, which symbolizes learning from your past and moving forward,” Farris says. “I like for people to look deeply into the painting. A lot of collectors who have my pieces will say, ‘I’ve never noticed that before in the background.’”
Those looking to collect pieces of Farris’ can visit The Red Piano Art Gallery in Bluffton or shop online at SCAD Art Sales. This year, he is also making connections with galleries from New York to London. And you can admire his public artwork dotting the city, which he enjoys for its accessibility to budding art patrons of all ages and backgrounds.
Artist he’s watching: “Suzanne Jackson has achieved national recognition by taking ordinary things and making them different. She’ll use canvas but drape it in a certain way or cut it up rather than having it be just a square on the wall. That is always more engaging.”
Drew Murray graduated with a user experience (UX) design degree from SCAD in 2020 — right in the middle of the pandemic. “When everyone was reevaluating what they wanted to do with their lives,” Murray says.
Luckily, she had a side gig — in gig posters. Since her graduate student days, she had moonlighted as El-Rocko Lounge’s social media graphic designer. This partnership blossomed further as she began designing event promotion materials for local music booker Dog Days.
Her cheeky work has a DIY, handmade feel. The secret sauce? PERC Coffee, Pinterest and the app Procreate. At the exposed-brick coffee shop on East Broad Street, she listens to upcoming bands and scrolls for inspiration. The playful designs she dashes off in Procreate often make funny scenarios the focal point, like a “Kick me”style sign for a lineup starring Anna Kellam. Murray’s current favorite bands on rotation include Black Hat and Joshydrop, for whom she designed a poster where the words are puffs of smoke from a cigarette.
On the horizon, Murray is working on hand-carved linoleum block prints for Late Air, the buzzy new wine bar where she also designed the menus and website. She hopes to continue to do more technical design and typography. One thing is certain: She stays in the Hostess City until the lights come on.
“I met a lot of my very close friends by being involved with the music scene,” Murray says. “The more I looked at UX jobs that required me to move, the more I realized I didn’t want to leave this community. There’s something really special here in Savannah that I’m not quite ready to give up yet.”
Artist she’s watching: “NoNo Flores, the illustrator I collaborated with for the windows at Starland Yard. She often draws candid portraits of people and has a special talent for capturing the moment.”
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SAVANNAH GOLF CLUB | 1661 E. PRESIDENT ST. GUEST SPEAKER: SHERRY DANELLO, DHA, MSN, NEA-BC Vice President & CNO Patient Care Services, St. Joseph’s/Candler
GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY: ADDISON COOPER, NURSING; ZA’NYA JENKINS, NURSING; TREVON LOCKE, ATHLETICS; ERICA MARTIN, NURSING; GRACE SLADER, ATHLETICS; ERICA SMITH, NURSING; ZANARDA YOUNG, NURSING
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Hormone pellet therapy provides a tiny but mighty antidote to aging
Written by MEAGAN PUSSER
WHEN SEVERE FATIGUE, hot flashes or fluctuating moods hit in middle age, sipping from a mystical fountain of youth may feel like the only reprieve.
In reality, diets, exercise and supplements may offer the relief needed for some. Still, others are turning to hormone pellet therapy as a fast-acting, long-lasting and convenient option for managing the hormonal imbalances that are a common part of getting older.
Hormonal pellets transmit estrogen or testosterone, which influence menopause in women and andropause in men. While these hormones are available via injections, creams and pills, pellets have the steadiest release rate — meaning fewer fluctuations and lower maintenance.
“The beauty of a pellet is that you put it in and forget about it,” says Dr. Allen Meglin of Advanced Regenerative Therapies. The practice is a certified provider of BioTE Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), which boasts its status as all-natural, plant-based and compliant with the Food and Drug Administration. Sought-after benefits can vary from improved memory to decreased anxiety and depression to increased focus, energy and libido, among others.
“Five to seven days later, you start to feel better,” Meglin says. Most people start to experience a sense of well-being — a sense that things are going to be OK.”
Although pellet therapy traces back to the 1930s, services like BioTE are bringing more attention to the treatment in recent years.
“Pellet therapy is brain-protective, heart-protective, bone-protective and cancer-protective,” says Meglin. “Hormone optimization is really, really healthy.”
To determine if someone is a good candidate for the therapy, physicians conduct bloodwork and gauge the individual’s unique hormone levels. Next, the physician places a little white pellet — about the size of a large grain of rice — or pellets in a small incision on the patient’s backside. Typically, an additional dose is administered a few months later — though the actual dosage differs from person to person.
While results can be swift, Dr. Carmela Pettigrew of OB/GYN Specialists of Savannah counsels her patients that the pellet is not a magic bullet. She also recommends improving sleep habits, increasing weight-lifting and eating more whole foods to achieve the primary goal of overall well-being.
“In my experience, many have told me this is life-changing for them, and it has saved many relationships and marriages,” says Pettigrew, who has been placing pellets for 20 years. “And some just feel better and more like themselves again. I tell everyone from the outset that the goal is to feel better and more like your normal self before all of the hormonal changes — not to change you into a different person.”
“Most people start to experience a sense of well-being
— a sense that things are going to be OK.”
— Dr. Allen Meglin of Advanced Regenerative TherapiesDr. Allen Meglin of Advanced Regenerative Therapies
Since starting pellet therapy with Pettigrew two years ago, Shannon Stewart has experienced improvements in her hair, skin and increased energy levels, which have led to a boost in her overall vitality and well-being.
“My quality of life is much better, especially since the intimacy is back with my husband,” says Stewart.
Likewise, Meglin aims to create life-changing experiences for his patients by pairing hormone optimization with hyperbaric oxygen, red light and pulsed electromagnetic field therapies, as well as aesthetic procedures.
“If you feel 20 years younger than your appearance suggests, the mismatch can be distressing,” Meglin says. “While making you feel younger, we can also make your appearance more youthful.”
So while hormone pellet therapy is not quite the Fountain of Youth, it may help make aging more comfortable.
“As a physician, it feels so good to know you’ve helped somebody feel better,” Pettigrew says.
“In my experience, many have told me this is life-changing for them, and it has saved many relationships and marriages. And some just feel better and more like themselves again.”
— Dr. Carmela Pettigrew of OB/GYN Specialists of SavannahCOURTESY OB/GYN SPECIALISTS OF SAVANNAH Dr. Carmela Pettigrew of OB/GYN Specialists of Savannah
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Complete online at savannahmagazine.com or mail this ballot by April 10, 2023.
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we are dedicated to excellence in surgical eye care. Combining leading-edge technology with personalized attention to our patients, we can open your eyes to a whole new world of decreased dependence on glasses or contacts. Whether your needs include traditional or refractive cataract surgery, custom LASIK or PRK, implantable contact lenses or corneal transplants, our on-site ambulatory surgery center allows for surgery in a specialized setting, affording greater efficiencies & lower costs to our patients. You can count on our skilled staff to give you personal attention before, during and after surgery to help you achieve your visual best.
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With help from the Savannah Police Department, guests experienced a memorable gala dinner in total darkness at Enmarket Arena to raise awareness about vision loss.
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ei bors and friends at ered for oysters umbo and li e music featurin t e rabettes to learn more about t e efforts to ma e t e ernon clean a ain
JAN. 21
Cinephiles celebrated another successful year of t e film festi al at a ella
I’M LYING PRONE on my yoga mat, staring at the ceiling. I’m supposed to be focused on clearing my body of tension and my mind of thoughts, but as a newbie yoga student, I’m not very disciplined. Instead, I’m thinking about the history of the building I’m lying in and the ingenuity and bravery of the new owners — also my friends — who oversaw the renovation of what was a kindergarten school that dates back to 1899. Today it is home to Clearing House Savannah Center for Art and Spirit, where classes in yoga, visual art and writing connect a like-minded community.
“Allow your body to feel connected to the ground beneath you,” the instructor prompts in a soft voice.
It suddenly hits me that in spite of my unquiet mind and inability to Zen out, I do, in fact, feel connected. I feel connected to the familiar people around me. To the historic space and the stories tucked into the grooves of the pine boards. I feel connected to Savannah.
It’s a joke I’ve heard a number of times since moving here from the Pacific Northwest in 2000.
“There are the come here’s and the from here’s,” a fellow transplant solemnly advised years ago, back when I thought “tea” was hot and unsweetened and “flip-flops” were called “thongs.” Along with my neutral accent and general distaste for fried food, I clearly wasn’t a local, nor would I ever be.
Or so I thought.
Back on the yoga mat, I think about how I’ve grown roots here after 23 years — how Savannah has grown on me, woven me into the fabric of the community so I feel welcomed, at home, connected.
I resisted Savannah at first. I pined for the familiar — the evergreens that touched the clouds and the rugged snow-capped mountains, my family and friends, and my wardrobe of fleece …
I realize now that I initially didn’t want to see what the Hostess City was trying to offer me because I didn’t intend on staying.
My husband would complete his graduate degree at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and then we’d hightail it back to the land of gray skies and incessant drizzle, a place where “historic” means anything that predates Microsoft.
But Savannah’s hospitality is hard to resist, and before I knew it, the people around me were helping connect me to the city and to discover my place within it. As a writer, I’ve been able to go on Southern adventures, like tagging great white sharks and counting alligators for the Department of Natural Resources. I’ve had the opportunity to talk with the city’s well-known characters like Paula Deen, Sonny Seiler and the truly unforgettable Captain Judy Helmey, and share their stories. And I’d like to think that as a SCAD professor, I’m helping shape some futures, too.
I’ve developed a preference for shrimp and grits, the Bulldogs and long, drawn-out vowels. I’ve learned to appreciate the drive from Wilmington Island over the bridge that leads to Thunderbolt, where the sun’s rays reflect off the intracoastal water and the seagrass that lines it. I know to quickly drop my speed to 35 mph or risk a ticket, just like I know to avoid Victory Drive at 3 p.m., Skidaway Road at 5 p.m. and President Street at all costs because of that god-forsaken train. I know that azaleas bloom in spring, camellias in winter and that you shouldn’t ever “crape murder” your crape myrtle. And you can guarantee that I’ll fall into a deep depression along with all the other Savannahians during the seven gray, drizzly days of the year.
Like every other local, I officially know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy, and I’d be more than happy to connect you.
I don’t feel as connected to my hometown anymore; those roots seem to have dried up. Or maybe it’s just that I’ve branched out and built a life distinctly my own with the help of the people who surround me.
This is all to say that while I’m not a “from here,” I’m not exactly a “come here” anymore. I like to think of myself more as a “stay here.” Namaste.
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