10th Annual Taste of Downtown in Savannah

Each year the Chamber of Commerce puts on a great event for its members, and the public, called the Taste of Downtown. It is a great way to get out and sample something special from the local restaurants here in the Savannah area, as well networking with fellow chamber members. This years event was held in beautiful Johnson Square and had plenty of variety for everyones taste buds. From casual to fine dining, it was there. Below is for the most part the best of the best that I ate. Some vendors were there that I didn't try just because I eat in their restaurants so often or the fare they were offering just didn't excite me enough to want a bite.

You can watch the news feature at the end about this event, in which I make a guest appearance in a drive by shot.

First up I tired the Braised Short Rib Slider Topped with Shrimp from The Olde Pink House. This was quite possibly the best dish I ate of the night and it was the first one out of the gate. It set the bar pretty high for everyone to match and only their sister restaurant, Garibaldi's, came close with their stuffed fried shrimp entry. This one was so good that I ended up coming back around for seconds.

Everything else was pretty good. The duck wrap was a nice bite. The ribs from a chef in Richmond Hill were excellent. The crab dip from another restaurant was spot on. The steak sandwich from Ruth's Chris was decent. But one other thing stood out...the cupcakes from Gigi's.

Gigi's has been one of our favorite guilty pleasures since they opened here in Savannah a couple of months ago. Bethany, the owner, has done an amazing job with her shop and these works of art are something to behold, and eat. Last night they had an amazing sampling of the mini cupcakes for everyone to enjoy at the event. These were far and away the best desserts of the night, and it wasn't even close. Every time I turned around Bethany was roping me back in and she let me know that the regular cupcakes would be arriving shortly. She gave me a couple for the road to take home to my wife, that is what you see pictured below. The one on the left is the Italian Wedding Cupcake and the other one is the Cherry Limeade Cupcake. Sadly only one made it home as I lost the Cherry Limeade one on a sharp turn. The cupcake went rolling onto the passenger side floor for the rest of the ride home.

For those that have never had a cupcake from Gigi's, find a location near you and get one today. You won't be disappointed at all.