700 Drayton
In the Mansion on Forsyth Park
Cuisines: American
About
This is the culinary showplace of the most plush and sybaritic hotel to open in Savannah in years. It occupies the oldest section -- a brick-built mansion from 1888 -- of the Mansion on Forsyth Park. Inside, scattered over two floors of the echoing, high-ceilinged interior, are 150 seats and six dining rooms, each of which contains remnants and reminders (including the working fireplaces) of the building's original role as a private home. The well-chosen menu is market inspired and one of the most seductive in Savannah, as evoked by the fried green tomatoes served with baked goat cheese, grilled pork chops stuffed with tomatoes and thyme, pecan-crusted rack of New Zealand lamb in a balsamic syrup, pan-roasted Gulf Coast grouper with a shrimp fricassee, and the most upscale version of tuna tartare we've seen. The steakhouse New York strip came as an imaginative and delightful surprise; it was Gorgonzola-crusted with caramelized shallots and a blackberry compote. Skewered shrimp with grits are served in a saffron-flavored shellfish sauce. Even if you're famished, we recommend a before-dinner drink at Casimir's Bar, which lies on the building's second floor.
