"Crobb" Salad at Vic's

Savannah whispers stories of layers of lives lived; hoary Spanish moss sways in the breeze as each town square shares some, but not all, of its secrets. Savannah’s charm is also encrusted with a layer of tourist attractions that do a serviceable job of telling her story, but almost, almost leave you feeling you could be in a mall, anywhere.

So where to dine to get a sense of the here and then, the very immediate nature of history filtered through the present? Friends suggested Vic’s on the River, and it did not disappoint. Its dining room perches with one foot on busy, historic East Bay Street and the other poised four stories atop River Street, looking down over the river and its commerce that has always cruised below.

We started with the amusing Pulled Pork Eggroll situated in a drizzling of three sauces: barbeque, hot mustard, and peach chutney, perfect for dipping and sampling. The “Crobb” Salad pictured above was the most visually appealing, but disappointing entree (but then again I did choose a salad). The goat cheese was the commercially available sort that causes people to dislike goat cheese, the crab was just ok, and the creamy citrus vanilla dressing was interesting, but ultimately cloying. Shrimp and grits graced with bacon and rosemary barbeque sauce proved a more interesting choice. We did not try the friend chicken liver sliders, which we’ve heard are fabulous.

But the reason to return, to love this place is the chance to simply sit in the lambent light on a bright spring day, with new green live oak leaves waving on the East Bay Street side windows, and the Savannah River flowing by below on the opposite side. History goes that Sherman’s “lesser” officers camped there during the “War Between the States.” A portion of a map detailing Sherman’s traipse south from Chattanooga drawn by his men on the plaster walls has been restored, complete with local detail (Lookout Mountain, Calhoun…) we’re still familiar with today. The past and the present, the golden light, the river leading to the sea…..the food is fine here, but it’s not the main course.

Chalk up another one for the “I thought this would be hard” category. Used this recipe from Bon Appetit, substituting all vinegar for lemon juice because there was none in the Krabill cupboard, and used olive oil because, well, it comes from a real plant. Added minced garlic (figured since I’d used olive oil, I’d go all the way to aioli) and smoked paprika at the end.

The most fun? Whisking, channeling my inner Julia. Came close to trying the blender, but what a treat to see the mayo building up in volume. Satisfaction guaranteed. And the flavor is something to focus on, not to slather over bread as an unguent. Superb!

–Nancy Reed Krabill

On our return this year, we found so much that had changed, so much that had not: just like any homecoming, except without the testy aunts and extraneous relatives. I love St. Simons tradition, the sense of layers of lives celebrated there. Our spacious room faced the sea, front row center for fantastic sunsets and pastel-hued sunrises. Of course, you can find that at any of the cookie-cutter beach resorts imprinted on America’s coast. St. Simons’ beauty to me is multilayered: the ocean and the marsh. The lovely saltwater spartina marsh grass blinks and twinkles in the sun as the tides roam in and out. Then there’s the lovely live oaks with whispery Spanish moss, that sway and beckon in the breeze. Finally: a sense of history, of battles fought, of plantation cruelty and grace, of foreign invaders and cemeteries filled with stories.

All of this and more brings us back, to our island home, to rest for awhile and restore.

For an authentic experience while at St. Simons Island, head to the Lady Jane, a refurbished shrimp boat, for a trip on through the calm (no sea legs required) salt marshes for a price of $39.95/person. Captain Larry Credle and son Cliff pull a trawl net behind the boat that captures a bevy of sea life from the estuary. The Credle family has a long history at sea, even claiming the infamous Blackbeard as a distant relative. Cliff, an aspiring marine biologist, identifies the haul as it’s pulled in and spread out on a metal table.

On a recent trip, the catch included a rare green sea turtle, which is carefully documented for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, then released. Click here for a video of the catch (fast forward to second 00.48 if you’re antsy). All creatures are spared, except for shrimp that are saved for a boiled snack you’ll have at the end of your journey. The flavor of the Georgia wild shrimp is sublime; with supple flesh and a sweet spartina taste added by the native marsh grass, a member of the same family as sugar cane. You’ll be “hooked” in no time!

Then here, the luscious piece de “I can’t resist-ance.” Lovely honey comb surrounded by enticing fruits, cheeses and sides.