Breakfast in Savannah

I have previously gushed about my love of minivacations and, as luck would have it, I recently had the pleasure of taking one. We went to Savannah, Georgia, the Hostess City of the South. I had passed through on a couple occasions over the years, but this was my first full deep dive. I’d seen the beautiful oaks with the contrastingly beautiful Spanish moss hanging from its branches and the strikingly varied architecture, but I’d never had a chance to really appreciate it in all its grandeur.

This time I had much more time. As it’s the South, even in January we were able to wander the streets endlessly, popping into little art galleries and museums. We walked through most of the 22 stunning squares, each with lush vegetation and monuments to various historical figures, and spent a morning in Forsyth Park. We also sampled a lot of food. Mmmm mmm. So, today I’ll be telling you about my breakfast experiences.

Mirabelle

Located across from St. John’s Cathedral, this cafe is in a building from the 1800’s. They specialize in liege waffles, a traditional street food in Belgium. Now, unfortunately, everything was packaged to-go, but that’s just life with COVID currently. The building is beautiful and they offer suites upstairs. When I perused the site later, the pictures had me drooling over the lush accommodations with each room designed with specific themes. I would definitely consider staying here the next time that I come.

I got the Peach Cobbler. It was deliciously sweet with peach compote, cinnamon streusel, and whipped cream on top of a waffle that was wonderfully crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. It looked as delicious as it was. Mark got the Croque Monsieur which is also a waffle topped with black forest ham, swiss cheese, and bechamel (a white sauce made from a white rue and milk). I have to admit, his didn’t look quite as appetizing, but I blame that more on the packaging and less on Mirabelle’s presentation. Both were delicious though. His savory and my sweet were a thoroughly enjoyable way to start our day.

He also said that their coffee was delicious. He got the cortado and enjoyed the leaf drawn into the top before sipping it down.

Collins Quarter (Forsyth Park)

The next day we headed to Collins Quarter. There are two locations, but as it was an absolutely beautiful day, we headed to the Forsyth Park location and ate on their patio. We could see the stunning oaks and even a hint of the fountain in the distance. The food was delicious too.

I decided to enjoy something a bit more southern this time so I went with the CQF Shrimp and Grits. The grits were made with gouda and it was topped with a Chipotle-tomato fondue, tasso ham and green onions. The shrimp were cooked to perfection. It was the right amount of spice for me: a definite kick but I’m not reaching for my water every bite. At the time, I was heartbroken that it was too much food for me to eat, but I changed my tune when I snacked on those yummy leftovers later. Mark went with the Pork Belly Benedict: tempera pork belly, caramelized pineapple, red curry hollandaise, fried shallot & garlic with herbs on top of sourdough. While I preferred my shrimp and grits, this was also delicious. The pork belly was soft and flavorful, the pineapple added a rush of sweet juice, and the red curry hollandaise was, again, had the right amount of spice to flavor ratio.

They also serve alcohol, which is always a plus for me. I had a delicious spiked apple cider and a nightshade. Both were good. I took the nightshade to go because Georgia has open container laws, so Mark and I wandered the park after stuffing ourselves, enjoying the vast field and picturesque trees.

Rise

This place crossed our radar because we kept seeing local businesses with Rise donut boxes on back counters. Ironically, we never got a chance to try the donuts, partially because this was on our last day and we’d successfully filled our bellies too frequently over the past couple of days. We did however, get breakfast.

I went with the fried green tomato biscuit. The buttermilk biscuit was soft and flaky and the tomatoes were fried with a nice crisp outside and a soft inside. The pimento cheese combined wonderfully with it as well. I threw on a smidge of hot sauce and happily ate. They have a small outdoor seating area that we took advantage of and watched the traffic drive by as we ate. Mark got the Which Came First Biscuits and Gravy. He found the fried chicken to be above average and the biscuit to be moist (he got the cheddar biscuit).

It was a wonderfully delicious trip overall. Collins Quarter Forsyth was my favorite of the bunch, but they had everything: great food, great view, and alcohol. I certainly plan on trying the donuts next time at Rise, and Mirabelle’s certainly merits another stop (there was a pistachio waffle that I was really torn between and is next on my list.

As always, I hope this helps you in your future travels. Have you been to Savannah and I missed the most amazing breakfast spot? Please let me know in the comments!

Also, don’t forget to check out the chainmaille shop while you’re here!