HIGH SPEEDS IN THE LOWCOUNTRY

Every fall in Savannah, the barricades are lifted on the  Hutchinson Island Race Track to welcome the SAVANNAH SPEEDWAY CLASSIC, part of the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d'elegance. This is what I wait patiently for every year. Leading up to the Saturday that we go - the event itself runs Friday through Sunday - I can hear the cars start to run practice laps on Thursday, then I get to hear the festivities begin on Friday.  Basically I get really excited but also experience the severe effects of FOMO for two days before I get to enjoy the event for myself.  This year we had Mom and Larry come along with us or the day.  

Cars are brought in from all over the US and overseas to take part in the races which are broken down into several different classes.  I am partial to looking out for all of the older BMWs as well as the classic hotrods.  This year was no different, with gorgeous cars lining up to take laps on the course.  What's great about the Speedway Classic is your ticket gives you entry into the pit to get up close to all of the cars before and after races.  I hope you enjoy the photos of these amazing vehicles - if that's your thing.  

WHAT'S BREWING - THE FLORENCE

Welcome to the newest series on The Outside In, What's Brewing.  With my love for coffee paired with Savannah's love for coffee shops, I felt that this was a natural series to do and I am so stoked to do it.  I will be stopping by different coffee shops around town for a drink and maybe a snack to see who has what in our port city.  

First on my list is THE FLORENCE.  Mostly because I have heard such great things over the past few months but also because I haven't made my way down the block to take a look at the property myself.  Wes and I headed over Saturday morning hungry and ready for some caffeine, fully prepped for our morning adventure.

After ringing the bell and waiting for Michael-our barista fairy-to arrive I ordered an iced chai latte with a chocolate croissant.  Wes got an americano with a bacon and cheese croissant.  While we were waiting for our order I asked Michael if I could take some photos for my blog.  Not only did he oblige, but he invited me over to the restaurant side of the building to take some photos of him shooting freshly baked bread that he was photographing for the restaurant.

After we set our breakfast down, we followed Michael to the restaurant and I just snapped a quick shot or two of him looking far more skilled and professional than me taking pictures of perfectly placed breads getting that amazing shot.  Getting to peak into the Florence before service was really great and has me so excited to come back for dinner soon.  
Not wanting our food to get too cold, we headed back to the coffee shop and settled down on the patio out front for the best croissants I have had in Savannah.  The flakiest and most buttery, heavenly croissants I've enjoyed in Savannah and quite possibly anywhere else.  I have never been to France, but I'm guessing these would be right at home in Paris.
Wes was also in love with his croissant, going for the savory rather than sweet.  Our drinks were perfectly on point as well.  My iced chai is the perfect drink to take to go and wander around THE STARLAND DISTRICT for a nice day of shopping.

The other bits that I really loved were the southern cookbooks and artwork on the walls.  They keep the decor so simple that what is on the walls really stands out.  You can pick up a cookbook from Hugh Acheson, the owner of The Florence, who opened shop in Savannah after opening three successful restaurants in Athens, GA.

I will definitely be back again and again, and I can't wait to grab dinner at The Florence in the near future as well.  Another successful addition to The Starland District that makes me delighted to live in this neighborhood.

LET'S EAT PT. 6 - THE COLLINS QUARTER

2015 seems to be the year of the restaurant here in Savannah.  We have had some seriously heavy hitters come into the area and they are taking our once standardized southern food scene and elevating it.  One such place is THE COLLINS QUARTER. Located downtown on the corner of Bull and Oglethorpe, The Collins Quarter seems to have been busy from day one.  After getting breakfast there over the weekend I can see why.  

My friend Caila and I decided to go try it out for Saturday breakfast.  At 9:30 we were able to get a table, but quickly after we arrived the place filled up so make sure you arrive early or be prepared to wait.  For once in my life I wasn't overwhelmed by the menu which was a huge relief.  I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of menu items and that it wasn't just 'eggs-meat-toast' presented 15 different ways.  While the menu isn't overwhelming, there is a great variety to choose from whether you've got a sweet tooth or you crave the savory. 

Being that we were enjoying a girls morning out, we both decided to get cocktails to go along with our coffee and eggs.  Caila had the Bondi Sunrise Mimosa and I enjoyed the Drunken Berry Mimosa.  They've got an extensive drink menu, both alcoholic and non, favoring the coffee lover with a full page of menu items from their ESPRESSO BAR. 

For the breakfast, Caila had the Biscuits and Gravy and I chose Leo's Aussie Breakkie. One thing that I really enjoyed was the chorizo sausage with my breakfast as opposed to standard breakfast sausage.  I had more than enough on my plate and they even served it with a nice little salad to trick me into thinking that I was eating a somewhat health-concious meal.  Caila also loved her biscuits and gravy, although she was a bit jealous of my chorizo - hers came with chicken sausage instead.  The meal was really delicious and the interior of The Collins Quarter just made me want to stay and hang out all day long.  

 LEO'S AUSSIE BREAKKIE

 BISCUITS AND GRAVY

While the price points are higher than some other breakfast spots in town, the setting, service, and quality of the food completely made me fine with the price.  What I look forward to trying next is their walk-up window directly to the right of the main entrance.  If you don't have time for a sit down, you can still get an amazing coffee to take on a stroll through the squares of Savannah.  I will be heading back as soon as I can, possibly making this my new Saturday morning tradition.  

LET'S EAT PT. 5 - EXIT STRATEGY ICECREAMISTS

Last week the beautiful roaming yogi that is ANGELICA RUSTALI (click on her name to check out some of her absolutely amazing writing!) told me that I should head over to EXIT STRATEGY ICECREAMISTS for my next Let's Eat post.  I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I probably wouldn't have gone of my own accord.  I'm so glad she put in the request - big shoutout, thanks Jelly! - because this custard was delicious, especially on a sweltering Savannah afternoon.

It's got a great location on the north side of East Bay Street with its seating area looking out over the Savannah River straight over to the Westin.  Before I get into the custard itself I just want to recognize the awesome theme of space they have going on.  They have astronaut paintings hanging up inside and it was *out of this world* if you ask me...see what I did there?

So, beer and ice cream?  Pretty, pretty, pretty good if you ask me.  In conducting my extensive research on the differences between ice cream and custard - Exit Strategy serves the latter - I found that custard uses egg yolks in their product giving a richer, creamier product.

Wes got the Belgian Tripel and I got a scoop of the Coffee Stout.  You could definitely taste the stout in mine with a really good coffee mix.  And it really was so, so creamy.  Wes' had a great fresh banana flavor.  We kept it short and sweet with the custard but they've also got sorbet, coffee, and pastries that look just as good.  It was a great way to cool off after walking around downtown on a hot Sunday.  I think I might be starting to get a sweet tooth.

LET'S EAT PT. 4 - TREYLOR PARK

This past weekend was a very special one as it was my dear Wesley's birthday.  His mom was in town for the occasion which made it extremely special.  As she trolleyed around the city, Wes and I fasted at work.  By dinner time we were all sufficiently starving.  After hearing great things from friends we decided to try out Treylor Park for the first time - I know, I know we're wayyy late on that one - but we were really glad we finally did.  We had a great time enjoying dinner in the beer garden out back.

We kind of shared a bit of everything from each  others'  plates  to get a better idea of what Treylor Park has to offer.   I've  got  to  say  that the PB & J chicken wings were my runaway favorite.  This may come as a surprise, but I  honestly don't spend all too much of my downtime thinking about crazy chicken wing  combinations that I would like to try.  That being said, the few times I have daydreamed about sriracha honey sesame  fire  wings  and the like, neither peanut butter or jelly came to mind as a winner  for  a  drummette's perfect pairing.  For that I am truly ashamed, because these  were  RIDICULOUSLY  GOOD!   These wings came out super fresh from the fryer and dripping with their peanut butter sauce.  The peach jam comes on the side so you can add as much or as little as you like.  I went  for  it  being that I love my condiments.  I can tell you I will never look at a PB&J sammie the same way again.

For our mains, Wes got the Chupacabra burrito with eggs, sausage, onions, peppers, and a very spicy sauce on top; Mrs. Norvell got the Southern Sloppy Joe with venison and fried banana peppers, and I got the Treylor Park Nachos Grande because I obviously hate myself.  Those nachos were massive!  Yes, they were awesome, but there's no way those are meant for one person.  I'm just glad we all shared our plates because that was a terrifying mountain of spuds I was facing down.  The Sloppy Joe was definitely a winner as well.  Memories from summer camp for sure, but much better tasting.  The Chupacabra was a great breakfast  burrito to really wake you up; tons of heat and everything was cooked extremely well.  

Also on the menu is a huge list of house made cocktails and plenty of beer options for everyone.  The atmosphere inside seemed a bit loud, but if you can find a spot in the beer garden out back, it's a peaceful hideout in downtown Savannah.  Treylor Park is a great place to go try out southern staples with a modern twist. 

And you can't end a proper downtown night without a river view.  We watched the sunset up at Rocks on the River before walking off dinner.