Vegetarian Eats, Savannah Edition – Part 1
Sunday dawned rainy and dull. Decided to walk to Downtown and find a place for breakfast. Ah, Goose Feathers! The cafe was closed the evening before but it was open that morning. So we trooped in. It was almost eleven, so I could have gotten myself a bowl of vegetarian chili. But it didn’t feel right…eating chili first thing in the morning. Regretfully, I let it pass. P’s cousin ordered a plate of Belgian Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream while P got a bowl of oatmeal with apples/cinnamon. I ordered a whole wheat bagel with butter. I think we also got a hot chocolate and/or a cappuccino. I wish I could remember better! Anyway, Goose Feathers is a nice, bustling place. The lines to the counter moved fast and brisk, and the servers kept up the cheerful service. I could/should have ordered the chili, sigh.
The night before, we had gone to Kayak Cafe in Downtown. No pictures, sorry! Funnily enough, it so happened that I was chatting with a friend after we returned to Atlanta and she told me that her husband and she had also gone to Kayak when they visited Savannah! Hungry vegetarians think alike. Kayak has an interesting menu. I would have liked to order the West Indian Trader salad except that it featured curried chicken salad. If only it had been curried tofu salad… Combined with walnuts, mixed fresh fruit, roma tomatoes, cucumbers and a slice of homemade banana bread on organic greens, it would have made for an interesting combination. Well, now I cannot even recall what we ordered. I think I got myself a Roasted Vegetable Balsamico Panini while P ordered a Tofu and Vegetable Quesadilla. Don’t recall what P’s cousin ordered. The food was fresh and flavorful. We ate well that night. Kayak has a youthful vibe and I would go back there in a heartbeat.
Back to Sunday… We went over to Savannah Museum of Art, gawked at versions of the little black dress brought to life by various designers (P was singularly unimpressed but amused) and the other art installations. The rain had turned to a steady drizzle. It was close to afternoon, and so we decided to head home to Atlanta. Learned that there were two Indian restaurants in Savannah and decided to stop at one for lunch. Taste of India was closed, so it was Pakwan where we stopped.
As we walked in and were guided to our table, I looked at the young manager and wondered where I had seen him before. Then it struck me. A couple of years ago, I had attended a Yesplus workshop at Georgia Tech. He was one of the participants on the same workshop. He recognized me too and he knew about this blog! Turns out that his father owns Pakwan. So we asked him to recommend what we should eat. He asked us to order off the menu instead of getting food from the buffet. So we ordered a plate of Samosa Chaat, Navratan Korma, Paneer Makhani and the Bread Basket. As with all Indian restaurants in the US, the server brought us a plate of Papads with chutneys. Then the food started to arrive. The Samosa Chaat was fairly good. The coriander-chilli chutney looked unusually green, I thought! P and his cousin liked the Navratan Korma although I found it a tad too sweet. Actually, that is the predominant flavor of the original recipe, so I cannot really complain. The Paneer Makhani had a buttery gravy, red in color, smooth in texture and perfectly spiced. I wish I had ordered another vegetable dish… Bhindi Pyaaz, Sookhi Sabji or Chana Saag. Well, that’s the menu for another visit, I guess. We couldn’t do justice to the Bread Basket but we did the best we could! The Naans and Kulchas were piping hot, crisp and crumbly.
Eats from Pakwan Cuisine, Savannah
My friend insisted that we get dessert. When we demurred, he said that it was on the house. A little bowl of Rasmalai and another containing rice pudding arrived soon after. The Rasmalai was divine! Creamy and pink, perfectly portioned and with the right level of sweetness, I couldn’t have thought of a better ending to this meal. Actually, it is one of my favorite desserts, so my opinion is biased, most likely. P’s cousin cleaned up the bowl of rice pudding and I am guessing it was equally delicious. I couldn’t help noticing the cute copper bowls used to serve the food… very nice looking, indeed.
Bellies full, we stepped into the rain… off to Atlanta!
Kayak Cafe
One East Broughton Street
Savannah, GA 31401
912-233-6044
www.eatkayak.com
Goose Feathers Cafe
39 Barnard Street
Savannah, GA 31401
866-221-1948
www.goosefeatherscafe.com
Pakwan
7102 Abercorn Street
Savannah, GA 31406
912-349-4261
www.pakwanusa.com
