From the better late than never department comes Alexander’s Bistro. They opened very quietly on February 9th roughly 15 months later than they had originally planned. Work had begun to build out their space at the corner of Duffy and Bull Streets roughly two months before the March 2020 shutdown. Lots of patience and persistence later, here they are.
One of Savannah’s newest casual dining spots with big plans for the future. Largely sandwiches on their smallish menu along with some fresh baked pastries. There is a small coffee program featuring local roasters Cup to Cup beans.
I spent a few minutes with Owner/Chef Aaron Rothman this week. Here’s what you can expect from Alexander’s Bistro.
*How long have you been in Savannah?
Aaron: We’ve been here roughly 5 or 6 years. We visited Savannah and fell in love with it so we decided to take the plunge. Originally, I was working at Sapphire Grill with Chris Nason when we got here. I did that for about 2 years. Eventually we knew we wanted to do our own thing.
*How tough was it to get ready for a build out only to have the rug pulled out from under you back in 2020?
Aaron: It was pretty scary at first. We had just committed ourselves to the building maybe two months prior. We had just contracted with builders. Paid them first payment. We all decided we were going to move forward and see how things would progress. It slowed up dramatically with the city shut down. Permitting and everything just really drug out.
*Tell us about Alexander’s Bistro
Aaron: Originally we looked into doing bagels, then Big Bon opened so we went to more of a deli. Not a traditional Jewish Deli, but more of a spin on that. We make everything in house. I make all the breads and pastries.
*Do you have a specialty item so far?
Aaron: Actually, we do. We have a great Roast Beef Sandwich. We roast a whole ribeye to rare. Then we shave it thin. Then bring it back up. Onion Marmalade and a creamy horseradish sauce all of it made in house.
*You are baking breads. There aren’t a lot of fresh baked breads downtown. Are they available for sale or just for your sandwiches?
Aaron: Originally, we wanted breads to provide for purchase. Where we’ve been since February 9th is just for sandwiches. Now we are offering up to 1/2 a baguette. So we do have fresh bread available but in limited quantities. Until we get a feel for demand.
Is there a plan for dinner service?
Aaron: There is, yes. It’s something we want to work in to. Hopefully a few months down the road we will get our smoker room going. There will be a lot of smoking and curing. We’ll have great charcuterie boards for picnics in the park. There is a lot more we want to do, but we are waiting until after St Patrick’s Day to get into different specials and playing around with some things.
Alexander's Bistro 1205 Bull Street Savannah, GA 3140 alexandersbistro.com
