I think it is fair to say that it has been a great year in food around here so far. There are a couple more months left for some surprises, but what Savannah has experienced so far has been largely positive. We had a run of closings in the early summer, yes, but the empty spaces that haven’t already been filled are going to be so very quickly. This town, and the food in it, very much remain in high demand. Would you like some proof?
You can point back to early February when travel host Samantha Brown’s show returned to Savannah for an episode of that very popular program. At the same time, almost literally, we heard whispers that America’s favorite “Mayor of Flavortown” Guy Fieri was in the area shooting content for his “Diners, Drive Ins and Dives” franchise. Those episodes aired in the Spring. But that was hardly the end of the national exposure.
In May, I took a phone call from one of the producers of a new food show called Street Somm that was going to be making a stop in Savannah. It features host Jermaine Stone traveling America’s largest cities pairing wines with street food. That’s certainly different.
I was asked if I’d be interested in auditioning to participate as a ‘tour guide’ of sorts. They wanted me to participate in a zoom chat where they wanted to see “caffeinated Jesse.” That was a first. It was also amusing. I got the gig.
By the end of June, they were here. Set up for 4 days of production in and around Savannah. I had offered some suggestions of what could be a good fit, but they chose their own places to feature. I was along for the ride to fill the host in on what turned out to be his first visit to Savannah. I can tell you Jermaine, and most of the crew for that matter, were fascinated by what they found here. More than once did I hear-on camera and off- “I had no idea.” Or “People talk about Savannah, but I never expected this.”
Our city made a fantastic impression. I am 100 percent certain of that.
Our director was originally from Atlanta, so he was somewhat familiar with the Hostess City, of course. But the rest of the crew ranged from New York, to Los Angeles, Texas, and a whole lot of places in between. They all took rave reviews back with them. Well, except for the fact that we were shooting the last week of June and it was about 175 muggy degrees in the shade. We know that drill, right?
Our stops included Chef Nick Mueller’s compound in Guyton, a real treat in and of itself. We had stops at The Pirates House and even enjoyed some of Chazito’s Puerto Rican cuisine in the middle of Chippewa Square. We even visited the home of another local chef for a Low Country Boil with neighbors. It was a fairly nice slice of Savannah, if you ask me. All of it paired with wines that Jermaine brought along for the affair. Their final evening in town, Jermaine and I spent about 45 minutes walking the streets of Savannah talking about my experiences here and his impressions after just a few days. I’m eagerly looking forward to how this is going to turn out.
The first season of Street Somm is made up of six episodes. They include stops in New York City, San Francisco, Miami, Houston, Chicago, and of course Savannah. The fact that lil’ ol’ Savannah was placed on a list alongside cities with food scenes of that caliber, should tell you all you need to know about what people across America are already thinking of Savannah.
When they left, I was told to expect it to air sometime in November. Apparently, Street Somm has been fast tracked. A couple of weeks ago, I was told that the Series premiere of Street Somm was set for September 25th. Not only that, but their Executive Producer shared that “They were so happy with the Savannah episode, they moved it up to 2nd, bumping San Francisco down to the 3rd spot.”
I’d like to think that’s not just a good thing, but a great thing. Street Somm is going to premiere on the Tastemade Network (Channel 235 on Direct TV) or available by downloading the Tastemade App to your smart TV. Or at Tastemade.com They have a ton of content on there, from recipes to travel food shows.
I’m told after the season runs its course this Fall, they are moving all episodes going forward to either Amazon Prime or Hulu, where they will be available on demand as well.
Personally, it was a great joy sharing our city with out of towners. It was especially thrilling to see how much they enjoyed their time here. I owe a quick thank you here to everyone who made their stay comfortable. They told me there were many of you.
Now, we get to sit and wait and look forward to watching and liking. Monday, October 2nd for Street Somm in Savannah on the Tastemade Network which will hopefully make for a really nice ending to what has been a pretty fabulous year around here.
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