Explore Italian Cuisine in the Low Country

Eat It and Like It’s “Italian” episode was actually formulated three years ago as a “Noodles” episode. The original plan was to feature different places in the Savannah area that did different things, essentially, with pasta. Italian food, Thai food, Chinese food immediately come to mind. It was back when our budget was non-existent. For a number of reasons, we decided to put the idea on the shelf until we could explore all of our options around the South. At that point, we’d never even been to Charleston.

Some time later we started hearing whispers that an Italian restaurant was coming to Savannah. After that, we heard about another. They would later become The Florence and Pacci Savannah. We dusted off the Noodle idea, discussed it, and put it back on the shelf. Noodles will still be something we address down the road, but the door cracked open for an Italian episode.

We had a lot of fun with this one. We considered a number of different spots, but ultimately settled on five (as opposed to our usual four) and went with that. They take different approaches to Italian food. Yes, there’s some pasta and meatballs, but there’s also some really fun dishes.

Ok, enough of all of that. Here’s the list. In the order they appeared in our episode:

Pacci:  Pacci is one of two new spots in Savannah. It’s inside of The Brice Hotel at the corner of Bay Street and Houston. Executive Chef Roberto Leoci is running the show here, in addition to his own restaurant Leoci’s Trattoria in Savannah.

Pommodori:  Chef/Owner Amanda Russ was patient before opening her own place. A few years ago, she opened this tiny (and we mean tiny) eleven table spot on Hilton Head Island and has never looked back. She offers classics like pasta and meatballs, gnocchi, homemade desserts, and a wonderful wine list.

Frali Gourmet: Franco and Lisa Marra have been making great pasta in Savannah for a handful of years. They had been operating in a small spot near downtown, but made the decision to move into Savannah’s historic district for production and retail. Lucky you. Their pastas and sauces are all available to take home of course, but you can also stop in for a quick Italian lunch made with home made products.

Ombra Cucina Rustica:  Michael Cirafesi’s Italian gem on Hilton Head Island is one of the best overall restaurants in the area. As I mentioned on the show, I’m asked regularly by fans if I have been there yet. The answer is a resounding “yes” and now we are sharing it with you.

The Florence:  The Florence rolled into to town with a ton of hype. That will happen when the owner is Celebrity Chef Hugh Acheson. The Florence is Acheson’s fifth restaurant in the state of Georgia. In charge in Savannah is Executive Chef Kyle Jacovino. The menu is creative, a bit outside the box, and fresh. Dinner there is a wonderful experience.