Savannah, GAFine Dining

Mashama Bailey's 1938 Greyhound Bus Terminal restoration. 2019 James Beard Best Chef Southeast, 2022 Outstanding Chef. First Black woman to win. African influences woven through Southern traditions; reservations book months out.

A Victorian mansion turned white-tablecloth institution, where chef Kelly Yambor personally sources the day's freshest seafood and produce. Connect Savannah's coverage points to wild Georgia shrimp, pasture-raised poultry and pork, and Lowcountry vegetables, backed by the city's largest wine cellar. Order the chef's tasting menu for newcomers.

Midtown gastropub in a converted 1960s bank building, running elevated Southern comfort food. Connect Savannah's coverage highlights the fried chicken skins, made with the same technique as the restaurant's famous fried chicken thighs and served with house-made hot honey. Order the fried chicken or the fried chicken skins at happy hour.

The 1540 Room is the show kitchen restaurant inside The DeSoto on Liberty Street, opened in late September 2017 under chef Kyle Jacovino, who arrived from The Florence with his own team. Connect Savannah reported that he redesigned the space around a working kitchen he could call his own, and that the cooking stays heavily Italian influenced while reaching into Mediterranean fare with Southern touches. Order the pasta, the craft he went to Italy to learn.

Common Thread occupies a restored Victorian house on East 37th Street that once held an antique store, a sister to FARM in Bluffton. Connect Savannah covered the opening with executive chef Brandon Carter, whose Southern roots carry flavors of Italy, and co-executive chef John Benhase, who works in seafood, Israeli and African cooking. Vertu Farms, Russo's Seafood and Bootleg Farms supply the kitchen. Order the black bass or the fritto misto.