I’ve met all kinds of people in my time as a food writer and more times than not, you can put them into a handful of categories. There’s the guy that cracked his 401K to retire and open a restaurant because he likes to cook. There’s the guy that shows up to work on time every day and gets it done because he hasn’t found something better to do yet. There’s the guy or girl that really doesn’t care what you eat for lunch today or dinner tomorrow because if they scratch off a million dollar ticket at the counter at Publix, your meals will become someone else’s problem within the hour. And there are the guys and gals that eat, sleep, pray, and love great food, fresh ingredients and good times. They aren’t necessarily getting rich doing what they are doing, but they have the conviction to stick with it, because they feel it is the right thing to do. Tony Seichrist is one of those guys.
“Food is life”, he tells me during a recent conversation at his restaurant The Wyld Dock Bar. Let’s go ahead and get our chuckles out of the way now, because yes, that is probably one of the most used clichés in the history of food along with “food is love,” but if you spend any time listening to Tony’s story, you realize that we aren’t dealing in clichés anymore. We are dealing with a guy who, when it comes to food, knows his stuff while very quickly admitting he doesn’t know much at all. He and his girlfriend moved to Savannah in December to open his first restaurant with no real plan except to make food that he thinks people will enjoy. The Wyld Dock Bar has only been open for a couple of months, but Tony is clearly on to something here.
The locals remember the space as Bonna Bella Yacht Club. A truly locals hangout on a creek at the end of Livingstone Avenue in Savannah. Bonna Bella had a huge following in this town. But Tony’s assessment, and I can’t disagree, was that food was an afterthought there. “Food was a secondary thought. It wasn’t the focus.” Bonna Bella offered a great view with some average food. It wasn’t horrible, not at all, but the star of the show out here was the atmosphere. Food and drink were just along for the ride. A couple of years ago, it went on the market. “Greg invited me down to look at it because it was for sale”, he says. “And I thought, this is it.”
To understand Tony’s approach to the menu, you kind of have to know the route he took to get here to Savannah’s coast. He’s from a very large Italian family in Atlanta, with another division of said famiglia in Connecticut “I remember helping to make sausage when I was five years old”, he says. “I learned flavor profiles and how to eat from my mother.” At some point along the way he walked into a pre-celebrity chef Hugh Acheson’s restaurant in Athens looking for a job. “I told him I’d work for free until he felt like I deserved a paycheck.” Two weeks later he got paid. Three years later, he was tabbed to open the now legendary Buckhead spot Holeman and Finch. “Here’s a book, the internet, and an animal. Have fun” is kind of how he describes that experience. It may have felt like going over Niagra Falls in a kayak, but clearly there was talent there to work with. He rounded out his training with a year-long run in Italy and really learned the art of food and eating there, but that hardly makes him Savannah’s next Italian chef.
“I love to fish”, he tells me. “I wanted to be near the water. This was perfect for me. I go out fishing for trout after work as often as I can. My menu here is something of a reflection of that.” On it you will find a pretty straightforward Peach Salad with Blue Cheese, pickled red onion, and charred lemon vinaigrette. You will also find a Quail and Rabbit Sausage with Mustard, and several seafood dishes like Fish Tacos, Grilled Shrimp, Pan Seared Flounder, and Tuna “Tar Tar”. Everything I’ve had off of this menu isn’t just good, it is exceptional. “We might do some different things in the Fall when it cools off a bit”, Tony tells me. “For now, we are just playing with some things”, he adds.
The space has gotten a much needed make over. “A lot of the work we did, you can’t see”, Tony says. “Electrical and things like that. They had kind of a beachy thing going here with some bright colors and stuff.” All of that is gone now. “We wanted to blend in with the marsh. The color scheme we went for was intended to match the mud in the marsh. We took out the railing they had and added wires so you could always see the water. We knew this was a popular weekend and holiday spot, but we want people to enjoy it all week long as well.”
That might be the biggest difference about this Savannah hot spot now. There’s a tarp to fight off the sun’s blast or a passing rain shower, there’s a very well manicured outdoor area with a covered portion for live music. All of these things that may have existed in some capacity before, but never have I seen this space look this good. And phenomenal food on top of it? I named The Wyld one of my top five spots you should try this summer and with good reason. It is the latest addition to the developing food culture we have here. And yes, there is even a kids menu. So the kids can have a burger or quesadilla while you enjoy a Pan Seared Trout or Hummus with Roasted Red Pepper and Pistachio Chimi. Once upon a time, Bonna Bella Yacht Club was a great spot to enjoy the water, a cold beer and some food. Trust me when I tell you the roles are now reversed, there is great food here now six days a week, lunch on the weekends. Oh, and the views aren’t bad either. Run don’t walk.
See you on TV.
Jesse
