Heading downtown with kids is always an adventure. A few months ago I had to visit the Board of Education to take care of some loose ends with my daughter’s enrollment in EFMP (Exception Family Member Program.)
Army stuff. 🙂
After taking care of business, my kids wanted to explore a little, so we walked through Chippewa Square and ran into Gallery Espresso. My first time there was a blur because…kids. I did, however, remember the outstanding chocolate cake! So I made it my mission to make it back without them. I sort of did…
I took my youngest while the other two were at their co-op. Way easier with just one, isn’t it?
Sitting on the corner of Bull Street and East Perry Lane you’ll find Gallery Espresso. It’s a really neat coffee shop. One of downtown Savannah’s longest standing. Long before before coffee houses became a ‘thing’ across America, Gallery Espresso held court downtown Savannah.
Movie buffs would love to know that Gallery was one of actor Kevin Spacey’s favorite morning spots while he was in town filming “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” That book and subsequent film changed Savannah’s trajectory forever.
At the time, ‘Gallery’ was around the corner on Liberty street. Little did we know at the time that Mr. Spacey’s performance was fueled by Gallery Espresso.
The historic building in which it’s located is filled with vintage furniture perfect for sitting and enjoying your cup of coffee or dessert.
They offer free wi-fi and it seems like a great place to have a quiet meeting or even spend some time alone. There are tables set up but also comfy seating areas with coffee tables to sit down and relax while watching people pass by through the windows which have a beautiful view of the square.
You can pop in for a quick bite to eat like ready made salads and wraps. I got the chicken ginger with mandarins and walnuts.
My first recommendation, however, are their incredible desserts. I’d had the chocolate cake before, and I knew I wanted it again, but I decided to get a variety this time. You know…for research purposes. So I got the “Coliseum Six Layer Chocolate Cake”, the “Luscious Lemon Cake”, and the pecan tart. I had my partner (my four year old, Uriah) to help me taste test.
We agreed that all the desserts are delicious, but our favorite is most definitely the chocolate cake. It’s drool worthy: rich, chocolatey, decadent, dense, and wonderful.
You’ll probably need a friend or two to help you eat this generous portion of cake. We packed up the leftovers for the rest of the family. They ate it and loved it a few hours later.
Desserts at Gallery are hardly overlooked by those in the know. Not 100% but nearly everything they serve is made in house (including the chocolate cake) and it tastes every bit like it.
They also have a selection of cheesecakes and other cakes like “Tiramisu Temptation”. Yum!
Gallery Espresso offers a great variety of coffees and specialty drinks as well as wine. The artwork you see on every wall? For sale. I can best describe the decor as eclectic as well as the clientele from college students, to friends meeting up casually, to young professionals and me, a mom with a cute kid in tow.
If you’re eating in, just know when you’re done, you take your dishes up to the front where you place them on a table to be taken care of by the staff. (The little table is just the left of where you place your order.)
In a landscape so overcrowded with choices, its sometimes hard to know when some of the best bites are right under your nose. That is absolutely the case with Gallery’s chocolate cake. Located on Chippewa Square directly on the very busy Bull Street corridor downtown.
Take the time to head downtown to Gallery Espresso. Or make a point of stopping by the nice time duty calls in the historic district. But don’t forget the chocolate cake.
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