Savannah Continued

Before we left for Savannah, I had made reservations at Elizabeth on 37 after reading at several sources that it was one of the best places to dine in the city. Housed in an early 20th century mansion away from the main touristy section of the city, Elizabeth has been recognized as one of the top restaurants in America and is a James Beard Award winner. Although a little more upscale (and in turn, more expensive) than we usually go for, we splurged since it was our only dinner in Savannah (and basically our Valentine's dinner).

We did decide to save some money and calories by sharing an appetizer and entree. We ordered the Vidalia onion soup (a special of the night) and the pork chop served with brussel sprout hash and five-cheese macaroni. The soup was pureed with Vidalia onions and fennel with two pieces of shrimp and pieces of fried onions. It was smooth and tasty especially when bites were mixed with the crunchiness of the fried onions. I was not a huge fan of the shrimp mixed with the soup, but my boyfriend enjoyed it. After soup, we were served small mixed green salads with fresh goat cheese.

The pork chop was juicy and flavorful especially with the au jous. The brussel sprouts were mixed with bits of bacon, which helped the somewhat bland flavor of the sprouts. I have to say that I think this was the first time I've ever eaten brussel sprouts. They weren't bad, but it's probably not something I would order on a regular basis. Macaroni and cheese is probably my favorite comfort food, and the five-cheese macaroni did not disappoint. I could not tell you what the five cheeses were, but it was creamy and flavorful. There were also pieces of squash mixed in.

Although Elizabeth may be a little stuffy(part of which I will attribute as eating at an early time when the restaurant is not full of tables of conversations) and the restaurant was a little chilly (granted it was about 30 degrees colder outside than Savannah normally ever is), it was a great meal and experience. Our service was consistent and one of my major compliments to the restaurant is that they completely divided our meal into two bowls and plates, so that to other diners it didn't look like we were sharing a meal. Our portions were large and very satisfying considering we ordered only one entree and appetizer.

This was obviously my first time at Elizabeth on 37th but I noticed that many of its awards and honors were from years ago when its original chef was still there. I think it's probably lost a little bit of its "umpf" since Chef Elizabeth Terry retired in 1996, but still a great place to eat.

Southbound to Savannah

Several weeks ago, my boyfriend and I decided to plan a Valentine's weekend trip. With all the snow in D.C. this winter we wanted to go south. His choice was Charleston, S.C., and although I love Charleston, I've been there several times in the past few years and wanted to go somewhere new. Savannah, G.A., was only an hour further away (yes, we took a 10 hour road trip), and a place neither of us had every been. I took Friday off of work (I mean, what's one more day when you've already missed the rest of the week due to snow?) and after spending Thursday night with my boyfriend's friend in N.C., we arrived in Savannah around 10:30 a.m. Friday morning. With cold rain and snow due in the city by the afternoon, we spent the morning walking around the city and exploring Savannah's 22 squares, which are like small parks, before heading to City Market for lunch. We settled on the first menu we looked at (partly because it looked good and partly because the rain had started to come down). Belford's Savannah was our choice.

Belford's is the perfect example of the prominence of history to the city of Savannah. The building was completed in 1902 for Savannah's Hebrew Congregation and was later sold in 1913 to W.T. Belford whose family converted the structure to a food wholesale company. The walls of the restaurant are adorned with photographs from the wholesale company's and City Market's heyday. As a restaurant Belford's has won many awards and welcomed celebrities including Clint Eastwood, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. You can read more about Belford's history on their web site.

We started our meal with fried green tomatoes served with roasted corn salsa and a remoulade sauce. Although the menu calls the remoulade sauce "spicy," I did not find it as such. The batter of the tomatoes was maybe a little underdone for my taste, but overall it was a good start to the meal. For our main entrees I ordered the shrimp po' boy with fresh fruit, and my boyfriend ordered the blackened Cajun chicken sandwich with Savannah red rice. The po' boy was satisfying with flaky, breaded shrimp cooked well, if not a little dry (which could be attributed to the fact that I don't like tarter sauce and didn't use mayo). My fruit tasted fresh considering the season, and it was refreshing to not have to pay extra for a side of fruit as I've come to expect. The chicken sandwich was "tasty" in my boyfriend's words, even though the piece of chicken was a little thin.

Our service at Belford's was great but expected as there were only a couple of other occupied tables when we were there. Our waiter Michael was friendly and helpful with our tourist questions and brought extra remoulade sauce without our request. The kitchen was open to the seating area of the restaurant, and the cook even spoke with a family when they entered the restaurant, giving it a very casual and inviting feeling. Overall, it was a great meal to start our trip.

More photos and details of Savannah to come...

My Top 20 D.C. Restaurants to Try in 2010

One of the great things about living in D.C. is the food. I'd love to think of myself as a foodie-in-training. I've always loved food- cooking it, eating it, reading about it-but my interest in and appreciation for it has grown recently. The three places I've lived in my 23 years have all been interesting food destinations in themselves. Bon Appetit Magazine called Chapel Hill "America's Foodiest Small Town" in 2008. My hometown of Yanceyville features the Yancey House, which won "2009 Best Dish in NC Casual Dining". Quite a feat for a town of 2,000. (I was lucky enough to waitress/host at the Yancey House. Looking back, I wish I'd helped out in the kitchen more.)

I didn't really get to appreciate much of Chapel Hill's best dining options since I lived there on a college student's budget. Now as a resident of D.C., I'm determined to try out the city's many great restaurants and cuisines. In less than a year in the District, I've been able to dine at: Zaytinya, Oyamel, Sushi-Ko, Vermillion, 2 Amy's, Matchbox, Ray's Hell Burger, BGR The Burger Joint, Tacklebox and Jaleo. (Among other delicious, but maybe less-heralded restaurants).

Here is my list of restaurants to try in 2010 greatly inspired by Washingtonian's 100 Best Restaurants and Cheap Eats and The Washington Post's 2009 Fall Dining Guide by Tom Sietsema. I tried to keep them within my budget and paid special attention to places close to home:

Rasika: Although Indian food is not my favorite given its spiciness and my low tolerence, the reviews this restaurant has gotten is enough to make me take a chance.

Bibiana:Awesome Italian food at a reasonable price. Count me in.

Black's Bar: Boyfriend's request because of the proximity to his apartment.

Addie's: I'm a sucker for choosing restaurants as much for ambiance and setting as much as for food. When you combine good food with the fact that Addie's is in a cool little bungalow, I'm sure to get roped in.

Cava: I heart Greek food. An added bonus is that the Capitol Hill location has several takes on the Mojito (my favorite drink).

Cork Wine Bar: Although nothing on the menu stands out at me, something makes me want to try it out.

Pete's Apizza: I was turned away by the surprisingly high (for what we want to pay for pizza) prices when I went to the restaurant late last year, but with a new location opening in my neighborhood, I doubt I'll be able to stay away.

Etete: In college a couple of my friends had a list of several ethnic restaurants to choose from as part of a "Food & Culture" class. I went with them to "Queen of Sheba" in Chapel Hill and my Ethiopian food experience remains one of my most memorable meals. Would love to see how it compares to Etete.

Faryab: Curious to try this Afghan restaurant.

Eventide: The lounge and brunch menus are calling my name. Not to mention the cocktails.

J&G Steakhouse: Special occasion meal.

Potenza: More Italian.

PS 7's: Copy-paste from Eventide.

Ray's the Steaks: If it's as good as Ray's Hell Burger...

Comet Ping Pong: Even though it's in my 'hood, I've only been there for a band and a beer. Time to try to the pizza and pong.

Good Stuff Eatery: Burgers+milkshakes+Top Chef=guaranteed happiness.

Surfside: When I want to go to the beach...

Cornucopia: I want to go in this gourmet shop every time I walk by.

Teasim: Affordable and interesting.

Birch & Barley and Churchkey: Good beer & good food put this as perhaps one of my top choices.