We love finding new restaurants and trying unique and different dishes. My soul city just happens to be Savannah, GA and luckily it's only about 2 and a half hours from where we currently live so we try to get there whenever we have a free weekend! We spent a Saturday there in December to celebrate our 1 year anniversary and after reading some glowing reviews online, settled on Prohibition - a newish restaurant on the east side of the Historic District - for dinner.
We have yet to have a bad meal in Savannah. Chive Seabar and a.lure have provided some other amazing meals on previous visits, but Prohibition really exceeded our expectations. Upon walking in, the ambiance immediately set the tone with a modern speakeasy vibe. The hostess took us to an intimate circular booth where we had a fantastic view of the bar and the middle section of the restaurant. There were so many clever details throughout the restaurant that it seemed like every time we looked up, there was a new discovery!
Within a minute of getting settled at our booth, our waitress, Adriana, walked over to our table with two glasses of champagne. She was stellar and had great suggestions throughout the night. Their menu, while not enormous, had plenty of options and honestly, there really wasn't anything on it that did not sound the least bit appetizing. They also offer a 5 course chef's tasting menu for $70 per person. However, Cole and I are a big fan of tapas and small plates because it gives us the chance to try multiple different dishes and share as we go so we can experience all the flavors of the meal together. So that's what we opted for! They also have an extensive and creative craft cocktail menu that was a great reflection of the speakeasy theme of the restaurant. I ended up getting the Tart Aux Pommes, a vodka/champagne drink that had apple and fall spices - think a really boozy apple cider - and Cole ordered the Corpse Reviver #2 to get his gin and absinthe fix.
We ordered 6 small plates/appetizers to start with and Adriana was the queen of timing! She would bring out two plates at a time and as soon as we finished with those plates, we had time for a sip of our cocktails and she would appear with the next round of food. The first thing we tried were their raw oysters and deviled eggs. They had 3 types of oysters that night - all super fresh - and we could pick up the subtle differences in flavor between the different types. They came with a side of pickle juice and their house-made hot sauce. The deviled eggs were also a lot of fun. There's something nostalgic about a really good deviled egg that takes you back to backyard cookouts with your family and these were no different. These had little bits of crispy chicken skin on top that was a great little texture surprise for your mouth.
We then moved on to their charcuterie board and burrata salad. The charcuterie board wasn't very big, but there was a nice selection of meats and cheeses. This would be a great thing to order if we just went there to have a few drinks at the bar. The burrata, however, was interesting! It had a roasted squash that looked like a mini pumpkin underneath the cheese along with some greens that were dressed with pomegranate seeds, more of the squash, and hazelnuts. It also had a big piece of sourdough on the side that we could pile the contents of the dish onto which I thought was a nice touch.
The next two dishes were by far our favorites of the night. If octopus is offered at a restaurant we always order it and this night was no different. The octopus was grilled perfectly- crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside and it sat upon a bed of collard greens that they dressed with a kimchi sauce. Also on the plate were delightful little chips that added a nice crunch to each bite and a romesco sauce that added a little nuttiness, too. The last savory dish we got was the bone marrow. Now, I had only had bone marrow once before and it wasn't a great experience, but this dish blew my mind. It came on a bed of torn sourdough and the marrow itself was slathered with an orange and onion jam and healthy dollops of pickled mustard seeds. The marrow was smooth and creamy and all of the accompaniments worked in harmony to create a perfect bite every time. Even now I find myself salivating - remembering how delicious this was!
As we realized we were starting to hit a wall, we knew we could either handle one more small plate or split a dessert. So as any sane couple would do, we asked Adriana what they were offering for dessert. We settled on a maple panna cotta which was everything we needed and more. First of all, their plating was stunning and it almost broke my heart to dig my spoon into it and ruin it but boy am I glad I did. It was cooked perfectly - not spongy or chewy - it simply melted as it hit the tongue. If I remember correctly, there was a warm gingersnap cookie on the bottom. It was not overly sweet and the maple flavor was there but subtle. It was the perfect end to the meal.
If you're heading to Savannah and want a special meal, I highly recommend this diamond in the rough. This was easily one of my top 5 meals ever and I look forward to heading back to Prohibition to try the rest of their menu (and get another round of bone marrow)! Until next time!
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