Plain and simply, this is a good one. Check that. This is another great one from the good people at Daniel Reed Hospitality.
I was literally minutes away from heading out for lunch with my daughter on Thursday when I was told that Franklin’s had finally opened on Liberty Street. It is a brand new grab and go brunch spot in between the former Mellow Mushroom and Public Kitchen and Bar on the corner of Liberty and Bull.
Change of plans. Location for lunch adjusted a little.
Most of you know, we don’t do traditional reviews, but I wanted to take a few minutes to share my experience because this, I think, is a fabulous addition to the Liberty Street corridor downtown Savannah.
The plans for Franklin’s had been in place pre-pandemic. The signage was in the window of the former St. Patrick’s Day committee offices for quite some time. It was all a matter of when.
Toss in the state of the world right now and you get delays. Oh, yeah, then a catastrophic fire in The Public Kitchen’s…kitchen forced the closure of everything. At that point, it was nearly a complete rebuild back of the house.
DRH Managing Partner Jamie Durrence told me last year the plan had always been to connect kitchens between Franklin’s (Breakfast/Brunch) and Public (lunch and dinner) inside of the building. They’ve done that, but the bonus is the front of the house is now connected as well.
If you’ve visited Public Kitchen and Bar, then you’ve seen their downstairs dining area. That is the majority of the morning seating for Franklin’s. In the hallway connecting them are brand new (and beautiful) restrooms.
The concept is pretty simple. Coffees and breakfast type eats. A few sandwiches. Fresh baked goods line the counter as well. I saw a beautiful carrot cake, some clearly freshly baked baguettes, croissants and some chocolate chip cookies. You can see a video of the space on our Instagram page.
My daughter ordered the Grilled Cheese/Tomato Bisque combo ($12). Yeah, the same one from SOHO South across the street. She’d never had it before and loved it. Of course, I had, so I had to check it for legitimacy and it is every bit as delicious as it has been in Savannah for roughly 20 years.
I had the Croque Monsieur ($14). Sliced ham, melted fontina cheese, thick cut sourdough, creole mustard, layered béchamel and parmesan. One of the best sandwiches I’ve had in a while in Savannah. True dat.
Meanwhile, my daughter can be a bit of a coffee snob (aren’t most 19 year olds?) She took one sip of her Macchiato and I got an unsolicited “This is GOOD!”
The space is beautiful. As all DRH concepts are. The food is outstanding. My only real beef is because it is grab and go, the sandwiches are coming in boxes. Fair enough, pretty much everyone is doing that right now. But when you are trying to eat a messy sandwich like a Croque or the most gooey Grilled Cheese in Savannah, then it makes it tough to put back into a box after a bite. A plate, even a paper plate, would be preferable.
That’s all I’ve got for this brand new spot. It was a hit and run visit, but that’s what Franklin’s is supposed to be anyway. There are a few tables out on the Liberty Street sidewalk for your dining pleasure but otherwise, get down there and Eat It and Like It. You can see the menu here.
And oh by the way, Public Kitchen hasn’t re-opened just yet. They are shooting for the week for January 25th. Fingers crossed.
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