Do you remember the roar of the crowd when Whole Foods opened their doors on Victory Drive? It was like Disney World in there. People were taking pictures in the door way, others were waiting in long lines to sample fresh baked goodness, still others were beside themselves excited that they finally had a great selection of higher end goods to purchase. Yes, Fresh Market had been on the scene for a few years, but this was different. This was almost personal for some people. Well, something similar has played out over the last few weeks in Downtown Savannah. Far less hype, but frankly, over the long haul, the impact might just be the same. Smith Brothers Butcher Shop opened their doors a few weeks ago and judging by the turnout they got at their grand opening event, the Savannah community is just buzzing with excitement.
If you’ve been around Savannah long enough, then you know there is really nothing new about Smith Brothers. They’d been out at The Landings for nearly three decades and served as the primary grocery store for that community. Somewhere along the way, they got the itch to change things up a little bit. “We had been thinking about it for a few years”, says Brenda Anderson, who along with her husband Robert have run the show at Smith Brothers for 27 years. “We had been thinking about doing what Smith Brothers does best, and that’s meat.”
Indeed, that is the primary draw here. It’s called Smith Brothers Butcher Shop for a reason. “We just wanted to get away from the big box feel. Let’s leave the can of green beans and paper towels to somebody else, and get back to what we do best”, Brenda says. It is true. I know plenty of people who have known for years that your best chance at finding a great cut of something special was at Smith Brothers. If you live downtown, that could be quite a haul. But those in the know made the trip anyway. Now the tables are turned, Brenda and Robert have gone all in and created something truly unique in our city. Something that can equally inspire the curious and feed the hungry.
I spent a good bit of time inside of Smith Brothers recently over two days. Not just browsing, but really looking at what they carried there. I peeked at everything. Prices, convenience, quality, all of it. I will be honest, being that this was a boutique store downtown, I thought customers would be paying for that. But practically everything I saw in the butcher department was priced competitively. “We have to be competitive” says Robert Anderson. “It was a very big part of why we did this”, he adds. Competitive prices with a product they believe is just flat out better than a lot of the stuff you will find out there. “Sometimes on Fridays, Robert or Willie will cook off a filet so guests can try it”, Brenda says. “And as soon as they taste it they say ‘there is such a difference’. As soon as they say that, we’ve got ‘em.” I’ve made no secret over the years, both in this column and on our television show that if you want to do something nice for a special occasion, you need to invest in quality products. “Here it can be your anniversary every day”, Brenda says, with a passionate smile that makes you believe the Anderson’s know they have a great product. They just need to convince you that you can do some every day shopping at their new space. I believe you can.
Truth be told, the part of this shop I loved the most? It’s ability to inspire the cook in me. I am not, nor have I ever been a chef. I’ve never even played one on television, but I am inspired by fresh ingredients. I am inspired by things like black truffle sea salt on the shelves, or fresh lobster in a tank just flown in from New England. They have all of that and more at Smith Brothers with every intention of poking that creative side of you to make something special for a weekend meal. There are shelves full of cookbooks in the back. Tables and chairs for you to flip through them. Willie, Smith Brothers primary butcher, has a file full of ideas for you to do with that standing rib roast or whole chicken. There is a neighborhood feel at Smith Brothers downtown. There are no silly questions, not at all. The Andersons make it very clear their staff is in place to help you connect the dots on dinner for 2 or for 32. Or you can even come in and pick up some ready made dishes like a salad, a soup or sandwich of the day for a quick freshly made lunch off of the beaten path.
There is a room in the back that will be used for entertainment. Special chef events or any other private event you would like to have. They have a fully equipped kitchen in the back and are in the middle of some trial runs with dry aging beef for some local restaurants using cows from Bethesda. Yes, that Bethesda. Right now it is primarily ground beef, but the hope is that they will soon be able to do more with the grass fed animals that are being raised right here in Chatham County.
We talk about it all the time. Savannah’s palette is changing. It is clearly evolving. People are asking more questions about what they eat. There’s nothing pretentious about asking questions of your butcher or produce person. Farmers Markets are growing in popularity for a reason. The Anderson’s see that as well and have made a significant move to help our city along. “People now-a-days want to know more about where their food comes from”, Brenda says. “It’s one of many trends nation wide.” After a long pause where she searched for the words, she summed it up perfectly.
“We just felt like Savannah was ready. We were certainly ready.”
See you on TV.
Jesse
