While Savannah is never in danger of being without our BBQ, biscuits or fried chicken, we also have a whole heap of innovative chefs that may dip their toes into food trends that pop up in 2017. We’ve rounded up five foodie trends that have caught our eye and we’ve got our fingers crossed that we’ll get to try some of these in Savannah (here’s looking at you, Savannah chefs!).
Nordic-inspired dishes
Our family traces its heritage to Scotland, so when the chef of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Edinburgh says he’s looking forward to incorporating Nordic cooking techniques into his menus and being influenced by traditional Scandinavian flavors, we pay attention. So, perhaps we’ll see preserved produces, fermented meats and sausages, smørrebrød (an open-faced fish sandwich), experimental ingredients (branch, anyone?), foraged food, and smoked foods. Alligator Soul has served smoked bone marrow in the past, and Chef Bailey at The Grey and Chef Acheson of The Florence, among other Savannah chefs of notoriety, may catch the Nordic vibe.
Tacos, tacos and more tacos
Tacos are credited as helping the food truck craze launch, and new taco joints continue to pop up nationwide. And why not, when the combination of ingredients for a killer taco are endless? In Savannah, you’ll mostly find more traditional taco varieties, but our friends at The Ordinary Pub push the boundaries a bit with their chicken tacos, topped with a chocolate barbecue drizzle (pssttt…they also do $2 Taco Tuesdays!). And be sure t
o find the Dark Shark Taco Attack food truck when you’re in town, serving jerk fried fish, buffalo and goat cheese, Hawaiian pork and broccoli, and a fried mac & cheese brisket taco (yay for Southern inspiration!). We hope to eat many more experimental tacos in Savannah in 2017.
British puddings
British influence is alive and well in Savannah, so its no surprise you can find a tasty bread pudding at British Pie Society and Churchill’s Gastropub & Taphouse, both British owned and operated. Yet, there’s definitely room for more pudding varieties to be added to Savannah’s collective menu. We’d love to see some savory puddings make their way onto a few menus, in addition to more sweet versions like Spotted dick, Hasty, and Semolina, too.
Restaurant/chef grown produce
Savannah can cross this one off the list thanks to Cha Bella’s backyard garden. Later in 2017, Husk Savannah should open its doors and with it access to Chef Sean Brock’s 2.5-acre farm on Wadmalaw Island (perhaps he’ll start an urban farm around here, too?). Yay for more chefs growing their own ingredients!
Kava
Last year, SCAD’s Uloop shared this article about kava, so it’s not far-fetched to think that we could see a dedicated kava cafe come to Savannah, since this ancient root is popular with college students or those who want to unwind without alcohol. Brighter Day Natural Foods Market near Forsyth Park recently had a Kava Cocktails holiday shopping event and they sell Kava King Products.
Okay, we admit, this sounds pretty weird, but hey, we’ll try anything with alcohol. Maybe the soon-to-be-open Ghost Coast Distillery (the first downtown distillery since before Prohibition) will try their hand at this emerging mixology trend?!
No matter what foodie trends come to Savannah in 2017, we anticipate another tasty year in the Hostess City. Happy New Year!!!
