South magazine: Food and Famous Folks Issue

Here’s Sonny! Emmy-Winning Sonny Dixon

ISSUE 35 • OCT | NOV 2011

BELLY UP! TOP SPOTS TO DINE OUT

PAGE 91

+9 SAVANNAH

FILM OTHER SOUTHERN FESTS YOU CAN’T MISS!

THE INSIDER’S

Brooke Anderson

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contents ➼

south

oct | nov 2011

| features

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S OU T H E R N - B O R N S U PE R STA R S T H E S E L O C A L S M A D E A S P L A S H O N T H E S I LV E R A N D B I G S C R E E N S .

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B RO O K E A N D E R S O N I S T H E I N S I D E R

N OW R E P O R T I N G A L L OV E R T H E WO R L D, H E R C A R E E R S TA R T E D H E R E IN THE SOUTH.

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B Y D AV I D G I G N I L L I A T

STA R S O F T H E S OU T H L I V E F R O M S AVA N N A H , T H E S E ARE YOUR NEWS ANCHORS.

➼

BY L AU R EN H U NSBERGER

150 O N LO C AT I O N

L I G H T S , C A M E R A , A C T I O N : S O U T H R E C R E AT E D S AVA N NA H ’ S M O S T FA M O U S M OV I E S C E N E S W I T H F L A I R .

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contents ➼

south

oct | nov 2011

| departments

[ LIVE ]

[ E AT ]

32 SCENES OF THE SOUTH

70 SOUTHERN EATS

Parties, celebrations and anniversaries that were Scene in the South.

Everything you need to know about the greatest food in the South.

36 SLANG FROM A SEXY SOUTHERNER Find out one Southern belle’s favorite phrase.

48 STORYTELLERS From the Gothic to the comedic, Southerners sure know how to spin a yarn.

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72 THE PORK PRINCESS

36 82

Libbie Summers wants to teach you how to cook a hog—the whole thing.

74 DISHIN’ WITH THE DEENS Savannah’s first family of food talks about what they’re cooking up now.

78 WHERE’S THE BEEF

[ MEET ]

From field to table, this family-owned farm has got the best meat in the South.

54 FINDING HARMONY

82 ONE HOT MAMA

The Savannah Philharmonic’s executive director dishes about where he got his start and the stars he’s met along the way.

Food Network star Orchid Paulmeier dishes about Southern fare and spice.

84

56 PRINCE THE PERFORMER Actress Bevin Prince took her SCAD education straight to silver screen.

84 THE FOOD SHOW The most beautiful food in the South.

Period.

64 HERE’S SONNY

[ G O , S T AY , S H O P ]

He’s quirky, outspoken and loved by many. We’re proud to present the oneand-only Sonny Dixon.

138 QUICK TRIPS

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142

These dives bring a whole new meaning to the concept of dinner and a movie.

140 SAV TO ATL Your weekend guide to having fun in the Capital City.

142 CABIN BLUFF A beautiful Cumberland River retreat.

[ P L AY ]

164 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION:

DINESOUTH ➼ PAGE 91

A CELEBRATION OF THE GREATEST FOOD IN THE SOUTH, FEATURING 46 PLACES TO CHOW DOWN.

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164 SCAD FILM FESTIVAL Find out the details about the city’s famous festival.

166 CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL It’s meant for children, but adults are guaranteed to enjoy the soiree.

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publisher’s letter oct | nov 2011 WHAT FLAVOR IS YOUR PERSONALITY?

About the Covers cover: Lucy the Pig photographer:

W E L C O M E T O S O U T H ’ S F O O D A N D FA M O U S F O L K S

Formerly, our Film and F ood Issue, we decided to add a bit more spice to it this year . Our research scored us quite a few Southern-born celebrities and it was amazing to disco ver how they work ed their w ay up f rom a modest upbringing in Savannah, Georgia to the red carpe ts of Hollywood, California. But some thing that touches us all more than stardom is that one thing that holds a special place in our hearts and our bellies . Food.

Most of us assume that what you eat is indicativ e of your personality. And it probably is , at least to some de gree. Where our assump tions might be wildly off target is what your o wn personal tastes actually indicate.

Like spicy, exotic f ood? Well, that mus t mean that you’re adventurous, bold and willing to tak e risks for new experiences. On the o ther hand, if you prefer vanilla ice cream to some more elaborate variety, you must be conMichael Brooks & wife, Frankie servative, safe and set in your w ays. at the 2011 Ballroom Extravaganza Um, maybe not. While researching this issue, I came across Dr. Alan Hirsch, who has spent the las t 20 years researching food and person alities, eventually publishing a book called What Flavor is Your Personality? His results are surprising. See more at smellandtaste.org.

Dr. Hirsch maintains that a risk -taker chooses subtle flavors because he or she already has daring qualities and has no need for risky flavors. Interesting. This certainly seems to apply to a friend of mine who might be the world’ s most bland eater ( he claims he can tell the difference between several different brands of white bread), but loves riding fast motorcycles.

So are you really what you eat? Or , in fact, is what you eat actually what you aren’ t?

Check out foodpersonlity.com. While there are certainly no scientific findings on this site, it sure lightened the mood around m y house. Simply type in your name and, voila, you’re shown how your tastes reflect your personality. All my kids came up as Spaghetti (creative), which, of course, made me a happy dad. My wife got Chop Suey (hard working). She is half K orean (okay, it f alls within the Asian categ ory) and she certainly does work hard. M y result was Kabob, meaning “full of lus t.” No comment.

I’m not sure the whole topic is that simple, but it does raise some interesting questions. And since this is our Food Issue, one of South’s most popular, they’re certainly worth asking. Last year, I issued a challeng e to our readers . Try a different restaurant each week. Expand your horizons and disco ver all the great dining op tions we have here in the South. You might be surprised at ho w much you’ve been missing.

At least, you’ll have a new topic of discussion to explore with your dining companions and that really is the bes t part of dining out, isn’ t it? Enjoy.

ISSUE.

John Fulton

creative director: Michael Brooks

art director: Bonnie Youngman

L

ucy is a year-and-a-half-year-old Yorkshire pig.

She lives on the Hunter Cattle Co. farm, located right across the bridge, where she charmed her way into the Ferguson family. A brand new mother of nine piglets, Lucy lives a life of Southern luxury. Owner Del Ferguson says Lucy is a sweet girl and loves to be scratched. Not necessarily shooting for cover, photographer John Fulton caught Lucy’s mug while roaming the farm, but once the South crew saw the photo, we knew she was cover girl material.

This is her first magazine cover.

cover: Brooke Anderson photographer: Manuello Paganelli

creative director: Michael Brooks

art director: Bonnie Youngman

W

ith all the TV and print work she has done, it would have been easy to just run some press photos of cover girl Brooke Anderson. So South was thrilled when Anderson, amidst her busy, globe-trotting schedule agreed to an exclusive photo shoot with the L.A. based photographer Manuello Paganelli. The results show that Savannah can produce superstars with the best of them. Although we still prefer the ballerina photo [page 46].

Michael Brooks - Publisher, Creative Director

PUBLISHER’S CHALLENGE 2011!

Join me again this year in a challenge that will change your dining habits for the next 46 weeks. In our special section, DineSouth, featured on page 91, there are 46 restaurants featured. Try a different restaurant each week.

Discover all the great options we have here in the South. I look forward to your feedback at mb@thesouthmag.com.

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editor’s letter oct | nov 2011

YOUR OFFICIAL LUNCH BREAK

magazine

publisher/creative director Michael Brooks ➼ mb@thesouthmag.com W H E N IT COM E S TO FO OD, E V E RYON E H A S T H EI R CE R-

For me, sushi is king. I’ d literally eat it ev ery day if I could. But as of late, I’ ve realized the true joy in dining isn’t necessarily about what you’re eating. More often, it’s about whom you ’re eating with or wh y you’re doing it.

Everyone in our office knows for our art director , Bonnie, and me lunch is absolutely s acred. We spend the majority of our days in front of computer screens and on the phone, so a break is crucial; it’s a rare chance to reset and regroup. I honestly don’t think we’d be as productive without it. Sometimes we go for a walk to a local downtown eatery (many owners and waiters now know us by name and order), and sometimes we tak e a moment to enjo y lef tover homemade truf f le pizza or chicken marinated in cilantro dressing, but it’ s something we’ve learned to f orce ourselves to do amids t our hectic da ys.

Similarly, almost in a Cheers fashion, all the girls in the office often take breaks at a few key eateries during our long deadline hours and late weeknights . But again, usu ally it’s more about the break and the compan y.

Don’t get me wrong, we all appreciate some fine fare, but even the most decadent dishes, the silkiest avocado, the most tender duck and the most potent truffle sauce don’t taste nearly as good if you don’t have someone to look at with wide eyes , smile and say, “This is just amazing!”

There’s no doubt eating out adds an ex tra relaxing touch, but sit ting on a bench in a square, picking up pre tzel bread and chewy ice from P arker’s, or sharing a new recipe you mastered at home with someone else, actually does quite the s ame for the spirit.

Let me get to the point: Take a break! And please, le t our annual Dining Issue be your guest, because in it you’ll find information about the best restaurants, the most interesting culinary experts and a lot more fun food content. It’s one of my favorite issues because, if you couldn’t tell, I lo ve food dearly and the whole experience surrounding it.

But I’m by no means alone. Libbie Summers [pag e 72], hostess, stylist and culinary extraordinaire, understands the connection behind food, body and soul. She’s fed presidents and Paula Deen. She understands the importance of presentation and being present in the moment when dining. Also check out what F ood Network star Orchid Paulmeier [page 82] has to s ay about Southern eats .

And because nothing goes better with dinner than a few movie stars, indulge yourself by reading about all the Southern s tars—there’re a lot of them! Find out what they ’re doing now, how they really feel about their Southern roo ts and what’s next on their plate.

Consider this issue your official lunch break from life. Enjoy!

T A I N R I T U A L S A N D FAV O R I T E S .

Lauren Hunsberger - Managing Editor

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october | nov em ber 11

managing editor Lauren Hunsberger ➼ lauren@thesouthmag.com art director Bonnie Youngman ➼ bonnie@thesouthmag.com advertising art director Omar Mendez ➼ omar@thesouthmag.com marketing coordinator Erin Wessling ➼ erin@thesouthmag.com account executives Kristi K iene➼ kristi@thesouthmag.com Micha F urr➼micha@thesouthmag.com circulation and financial manager Ivy H ankins ➼ ivy@thesouthmag.com assistant to the publisher/south tv Heather Myrick ➼ heather@thesouthmag.com fashion editor Mitchell H all travel editor Melanie Simon city editor David Gignilliat dining editor Shawndra Russell copy editor Kerri O’Hern contributing writers David Gignilliat, P eter Z ink, E zra S alkin, Melanie Simon, M ike Kelly, M arty Olmstead, Shawndra Russell, A verie Storck, A nieca Ayler contributing photographers John F ulton Photography, T im Johnson, J osh Branstetter, Shawn Heifert, R oxy & t he Roxify Studio, A ngela Hopper, Zac Henderson, G reg C eo, K ala M inko editorial interns Katie M artin, D eborah L awson production and photography interns Allison Hutto, A nieca Ayler L ilibeth K attan, H arrison Brackett, C al P yrch, K elsey D iehl, A aron B ernstein, Taylor Block, M orrigan R ichardson south mag a zin e i s p ubl ish ed b imon t h l y b y b a d i n k , b r o ok s a dv er t ising desig n, i nc . r epr od uc t ion b y a n y me a ns of t h e w hol e or p a r t of b a d i n k wit hout w r it t en p er mission f r om t h e p ubl ish er i s p r oh ibit ed. v ie ws e x pr essed i n t h e e dit or ia l p ag es d o n o t i mpl y o ur e n dor sement . w e wel c ome y our p r od uc t n e ws. i nc l ude p r ic es, pho t os a n d d ig it a l f il es wit h y our p r ess r el e a se. pl e a se f or wa r d p r od uc t s a mpl es a n d m edia k it s t o r ev ie ws e dit or , south mag a zin e, 1 1 6 bul l s t r eet , s ava n na h , g eor g ia 3 1401 . w e c a n no t b e r espon sibl e f or u nsol ic it ed p r od uc t s a mpl es. subsc r ipt ion r at es: u .s.: $19 for one year; $28 for two years; s ing l e c opies: $3.95. c h a ng e of a ddr ess n o t ic e: s ix t o e ig h t w eek s p r ior t o mov ing , pl e a se c l ip t h e m a il ing l a bel f r om t h e most r ec ent i ssue a n d s en d i t a l on g w it h y our n e w a ddr ess t o: south mag a zin e, c h a ng e of a ddr ess no t ic e, 1 1 6 bul l s t r eet , s ava n na h , g a 3 1401 , a t t n: c ir c ul at ion

south magazine: A D ivision of B ad I nk 1 1 6 B ull Street, S avannah, G eorgia 31401 phone: 91 2.236.5501 f ax: 91 2.236.5524 southmagazine.com

PHOTO BY JOSH BR A NSTETTER

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