Attorney Mom guest blogs today with a restaurant review. Enjoy!
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A Rocky Start to Savannah's Newest Restaurant
A few weeks ago, my husband and I had free babysitting, a free evening, and a wedding anniversary to celebrate - the makings of a great night! We decided to scope out the Bohemian Hotel, Savannah's newest "luxe" accommodations, featuring a rooftop bar (Savannah, weirdly, has a total paucity of these despite fantastic weather and pretty city views) and a first-floor restaurant, "Rocks on the River." The rooftop bar was relatively busy for 6 p.m. on a Thursday evening, but as the music was too loud and the sun too hot for us to enjoy our meal, we opted to investigate the restaurant, which features an extended menu from the upstairs bar.
The hotel offers an express elevator to the first floor (the lobby actually sits on the fourth floor, as the hotel spans a bluff along the Savannah River), and, as we exited the elevator and turned toward the restaurant, we were nonplussed to find ourselves behind the bar, and a bit lost. Without anyone turning to greet us, we asked the bartender where the waitstand was, and then presented ourselves thereto. Issue one: the hostess is not facing those patrons who arrive by elevator, leaving one's first impressions of the restaurant somewhat lacking. Rather, the hostess is facing those patrons who arrive via the entrance on River Street (mostly tourists, instead of locals who arrive via Bay Street). As we were seated, we quickly encountered Further Issues: first, the layout reminded me of McDonald's. The tables were too open and too close together, and nary a white tablecloth was in view. So, although the flatware, menu prices and excellent decor hinted at "higher-end restaurant," the lack of tablecloths, the diner-inspired plates, the table layout, and the blaring 80's music that followed us from the rooftop bar told us "high-end diner." This jarring effect of high-low elements seemed to be the result of poor planning and the loud music must, must be stopped. Or at least play Madonna! And, to be fair, the restaurant has only been open for a month or so, but our waitress, while kindly, could not tell us what sort of beer was served and had not eaten anything on the menu. Management, feed her already!
But the food? Mine was heaven. A wedge salad had perfectly executed bits and pieces, and my margarita pizza was the best I've had in Savannah- a thin crust and fresh toppings with a generous amount of buffalo mozzarella, finished with a splash of olive oil. The ricotta cheesecake to finish was light and didn't feature the gummy finish that normal cheesecake (cream cheese based) produces.
However, my husband's meal was Not So Good. The parmesan flatbread featured chopped tomatoes and onions, very nice, but the kitchen then splashed lemon juice across the dish. Lemon and tomato, in theory, are the tastes of Italy, but please, not together. He next ordered a spaetzl (egg noodle) and chicken entree. This dish tasted good, but as the only accompaniments were three halved and barely cooked brussel sprouts paraded along the top of the dish, once the sprouts were removed, the entire plate was brown. It did not look appetizing or healthy, especially to a Northern Californian, but with a bit of reworking on the visual effect, as well as adding more vegetables for a variation in texture, this dish should improve.
Stars? Two out of Five, with room to improve. Our Supper Club is taking a field trip to the restaurant in a few weeks, and I hope that with a larger crowd, more dishes can be sampled and the kitchen's uneven performance will be improved with time. Although I may just order that fantastic pizza again!
