The Olde Pink House is the premier place to dine in Savannah. The building that houses the restaurant is a colonial home, formerly owned by planter James Habersham. The outside of the building is a faded pink, due to some interior red building material leaking through to the outside. Above the huge old door at the entrance are large flags, one a American and, the other, the Union Jack, giving it a colonial feel. A doorman greets you and leads you into the small foyer in front of the winding staircase. Next to the greeter's desk is a large oil painting of James Habersham himself.
The dining rooms are painted in traditional Savannah colors that harken bark to a former time; prussian blue, teaberry red, a deep yellow, and, my favorite, an eggplant color referred to locally as "Savannah Black." Most of the rooms have fireplaces bruning (at least in March).
The wait staff is relaxed, but attentive and willing to list of some impressive specials at the drop of a hat. The wine list impresses; all price ranges and a good choice of varietals are available. The food is very good; we ordered many appetizers in order to create a "tasting menu" since everything sounded so good. We had Caesar salad with corn bread oysters, she-crab soup laced with sherry, artichoke fritters stuffed with goat cheese, sauteed local shrimp with country ham and grits cake, pan-seared sea scallops with wild greens, fried brie with green apple and red pepper sauce, and cornbread and biscuits. For dessert we had a flourless chocolate cake with raspberry puree.
Feel free to explore the house. I went upstairs and found a dumbwaiter built into the wall modeled after the one in Jefferson's Monticello. Downstairs is a wonderful tavern complete with singing piano player.
This is a romantic place, so order wine, sample a chocolately dessert, linger, and head down to the tavern afterwords for some live jazz. Cap off the night with a late-night stroll out to Reynolds Square.