42. Georgia

     We had been to Savannah before and knew we wanted to eat at Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House. It's not a boarding house anymore but the home cooked meals are still served family style as they were years ago when it was. It is located in a residential area not far from Lafayette Square. They are open from 11am - 2pm and there's always a line but as long as you are in line by 2 you will be served. You never know what will be served but I can promise you it'll be good down home southern cooking. Don't go if you're on a diet because you're sure to blow it. Fried chicken is usually one of the meats and it is some of the best fried chicken you will ever taste. The flavor is not just in the breading but marinated through and through. We arrived at around 1:30 and the line wasn't too bad. We were lucky enough to find a parking space right in front. The restaurant has 8 tables that seat 10 people each. The family still owns the restaurant and a member of the family

greets and directs you to your table. When you arrive at your table a feast awaits you. The various meats and side dishes are already set out. I counted at least 20 various dishes. There was fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, chopped barbecue, macaroni and cheese, macaroni salad, fresh sliced cucumbers, sweet potato soufflé, collard greens, rutabaga, rice, dirty rice with sausage, cream corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits and cornbread, butter beans, black-eyed peas, noodles with English peas, green beans, squash, and of course, banana pudding for dessert. Since this is family style you'll probably be eating with people you just stood in line with. There's always plenty of food and if needed, the servers will bring out more. After hearing a comment made by one of the ladies at our table who was looking for a wing, a plate of wings soon appeared. Earlier I said how good the fried chicken was but I must mention the sweet potato soufflé. At first glance I thought it might have been a carrot and raisin salad but once the warm bowl was in my hand I knew I was wrong. I'm not big on sweet potatoes but I'm beginning to change my mind. They were so good I had to have two helpings. I did find the recipe and to my surprise coconut and lemon rind are ingredients. I'll have to add this dish to my Thanksgiving menu. I had not thought about it before but after reading a tip posted on tripsdvisor.com I had placed in my bag a couple of small Tupperware dishes and some ziploc bags. Once the dishes are placed on the tables they can't serve them again, so why not pack up a few items for later. This was especially helpful for the banana pudding since by the time we finished eating the main dishes, there was no room for dessert. We knew we would be on the road so why not have a few delicious items to munch on. I was a little skeptical but did my packing discreetly once everyone one finished. Once our server realized what I was doing she said how smart and she wouldn't tell. Dennis did hand her a nice little tip to seal the deal. The cashier is on the way out and it was the same gentleman, also a family member, who took our money a couple of years ago. Do bring cash because they don't accept credit cards. The price had not increased as it was still $16 a person.  

   We drove around Savannah; we should have walked after that wonderful meal, to see the sights. Last time we took a trolley ride and that is definitely the way to go. The narrated guides are informative about the history of Savannah plus you can get on and off. That is how we found out about Mrs. Wilkes in the first place. Quite a few movies are filmed here, in fact one of my favorites is Forest Gump. Tom Hanks, aka Forest Gump, sits on a bench at the edge of Chippewa Square while telling his story. The floating feather at the beginning of the movie is floating down from the steeple a couple of blocks away. One of my favorite things about Savannah is the moss covered trees that line the streets and squares. There is so much history here that you can't help but feel like you're in a bygone era when strolling through one of its many squares.