So, yeah, full disclosure. This episode was a lot of fun. Every location we shot in sent us home with a box of goodies. Desserts are easy to transport like that. Sometimes we are offered a bite, but we turn them down because they don’t travel well. Fantastic cupcakes, breads and pastries? There goes the diet.
There are a number of bakeries in the area that we love. Some that didn’t make into the show. Chief among them are Back in the Day Bakery on Bull Street in Savannah and Lulu’s Chocolate Bar and Lulu Cakes. Both excellent spots. As is Flirt on Wilmington Island. Each of these have a specialty. Sometimes it’s different. Diversity is a good thing. The bakeries we selected to be in the episode of Eat It and Like It have different things we love. Here they are, in the order they appeared in the show.
Mate Factor – 401 East Hall Street, Savannah, GA 31401
Mate Factor is a show stopper. The space is one of the prettiest in Savannah. You step in off of the street and you feel like you are in the woods. Maybe a treehouse. So cozy and comfortable in there. I absolutely loved it. The breads and pastries are made with as pure of ingredients as they can find. No white sugars in the building. Only natural sweeteners. Honey, Maple Syrup, etc. Coffees and teas and other items. This should definitely go on your visit list.
Mattie Belle’s – 1000 Eisenhower Drive Suite J, Savannah, GA 31406
Mattie Belle’s is owned and operated by Lisa Moore. Mattie Belle was her grandmother. This relatively new bakery on Savannah’s Southside offers something a little different. Lisa bakes items according to how she likes them and she readily admits she doesn’t have a sweet tooth. Her cookies and dessert breads are wonderful and a bit on the dark side. Overcooked? No. She likes to let them develop a nice brown color for proper caramelization. She has a wide variety of items in her display case. All of them very much worth taking a bite of. She also has sandwiches and salads. Clearly Lisa is pushing the envelope a little bit. Good for her.
Just Desserts – 5224 Skidaway Road, Savannah, GA 31404
Just Desserts is Dolores Montoya’s baby. She moved to Savannah over a decade ago and gave up a fourteen year career as a private investigator. Yeah, a P.I. Her husband talked her into going in a different direction in a new city and she agreed. Her second passion is there for your pleasure. Dolores tells us cupcakes are her bread and butter. Try one and you will know why. Fabulous treats in any number of different flavors. She’s impossible to miss. Look for the giant cupcake mural on Skidaway Road.
Midnight Baker – 14 Promenade Street, Bluffton, SC 29910
No frills, just high quality in this slice of French heaven. Robert Plantadis has been in the United States since 1980. Since then he’s lived only in South Carolina and Georgia. He became a star at area Farmer’s Markets some time ago until he finally opened up a brick and mortar in Old Town Bluffton’s Promenade. He typically starts baking at 9pm and works all night. He sneaks naps in whenever he can because he lives right upstairs. The man is a cup of coffee and a pastry waiting to happen. Allow yourself some time and visit Robert for a chat. Ask him about the time Ronald Reagan showed up at his restaurant in Atlanta. Yes, then President Ronald Reagan.
See you on TV.
Jesse
