SAVANNAH ― Mention Nashville and food, and eaters think of hot chicken. Austin? Brisket. Cincinnati is famous for a noodle-laden version of chili. Portland, Maine owns lobster rolls.
In Savannah, one of America’s emerging culinary capitals, the cuisine du jour might soon be local oysters.
Oyster roasts are a coastal Georgia tradition, with hosts serving steamed wild oyster clusters painstakingly harvested via hammer and chisel from local waters. But the recent introduction of oyster farming in Georgia and in nearby South Carolina has made single oysters a staple on local menus for the first time in decades.
“We looked at it like the craft beer movement and how some cities have become synonymous with their locally brewed beers,” said Harley Krinsky, co-owner of Sorry Charlie’s Oyster Bar in downtown Savannah. “We’re a tourism destination, and visitors want local. And locals like oysters, too.”
Credit: Adriana Iris Boatwright
Credit: Adriana Iris Boatwright
Krinski and his business partner Nick Aliotta also founded Savannah Oyster Co., one of Savannah’s two operating oyster farms. Their crop field is a 7.5-acre section of the Bull River, a tidal waterway that empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Savannah. They recently brought in their first harvest, joining fellow Georgia oyster farmers E.L. McIntosh and Son of Harris Neck and the Tybee Oyster Co. in delivering product to local eateries.
McIntosh has been stocking local restaurants with farmed oysters since 2019, when a change in state law legalized the practice. James Beard Award-winning chef Mashama Bailey of the Grey featured McIntosh in a 2019 episode of the Netflix series “Chef’s Table.” Other popular Savannah eateries, such as Husk and Brochu’s Family Tradition, also serve McIntosh’s oysters.
The Tybee Oyster Co., whose farm neighbors the Savannah Oyster Co., harvested its first crop in late-2023.
Across the Savannah River in South Carolina’s coastal waters, oyster farming launched in 2009. More than a half-dozen farms operate between Hilton Head Island and Charleston, including Savannah menu mainstays Lady’s Island Oyster and May River Oyster Co.
“I’d stock my menu with nothing but local stuff if I could,” said Nick Dunham, the chef at Sea Wolf, a cafe on Tybee Island. “When customers look at the menu and see ‘Tybee’ or ‘Georgia,’ they want to try it. And once they do, they love it.”
Sea Wolf and 13 other Savannah-area eateries serve Tybee Oyster Co.’s “salt bombs,” grown a short boat ride from their doors. The company was founded by Tybee residents Perry and Laura Solomon, and their oysters have quickly built a following served raw on the half-shell and in oyster shooter cocktails, such as a take on a bloody mary served at Sea Wolf.
Credit: Adriana Iris Boatwright
Credit: Adriana Iris Boatwright
Sea Wolf’s Dunham says he rates oysters on a three-tiered salinity scale: low, medium and high. The salt bombs are so salty they are “off the scale,” Dunham said.
Dave Baker, chef at Brochu’s, echoed Dunham’s appreciation and said salt bombs are “special because they are as advertised.” He worked with the Solomons to deliver him oversized oysters with a higher fat content — dubbed the “mother of all bombs” or “MOABs” — that Brochu’s roasts, grills or steams and then tops with vegetables, herbs, bacon and other garnishes.
“They are perfect because they are salty enough that the taste of the oyster doesn’t get lost in the toppings,” he said.
MOABs were a viral hit, with diners coming in specifically for the local oysters whenever he promoted them on social media. Brochu’s sold out of a 5,000-oyster run and is eager for the next batch, which takes 18 months to grow and won’t be available until fall 2025.
Over at Sorry Charlie’s, the house-grown oysters from Savannah Oyster Co. have become the eatery’s signature menu item, much like the fried chicken and cheese biscuits at neighboring the Lady and Sons, the iconic restaurant founded by Paula Deen. Located in the heart of Savannah’s tourism district, Sorry Charlie’s has leaned into its distinction as an oyster bar with its own oyster farm.
“In the restaurant business, longevity is contingent on the stories you can tell with your food or your atmosphere or your service,” Krinsky said. “Guests hear the oysters they’re eating came from our farm located close by and are like ‘Wait … what?’
“Anybody can serve food. Those that stick around build a story around it.”
Credit: Adriana Iris Boatwright
Credit: Adriana Iris Boatwright
Best places to eat local oysters in Savannah
Brochu’s Family Tradition. 2400 Bull St., Savannah. brochusfamilytradition.com. E.L. McIntosh & Son singles raw in the half-shell.
Bubba Gumbo’s. 1 Old Tybee Road, Tybee Island. 912-786-4445, tybeebubbags.com. Tybee Oyster Co. salt bombs raw in the half-shell.
Common Thread. 122 E. 37th St., Savannah. 912-944-7482, commonthreadsavannah.com. Lady’s Island Oyster singles raw and topped in the half-shell.
Erica Davis Lowcountry. 3209 E. Victory Drive, Savannah. 912-544-5544, ericadavislowcountry.com. Tybee Oyster Co. salt bombs raw in the half-shell.
The Grey. 109 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Savannah. 912-662-5999, thegreyrestaurant.com. E.L. McIntosh & Son singles raw in the half-shell.
Sea Wolf. 106 S. Campbell Ave., Tybee Island. 719-266-2837, seawolftybee.com. Tybee Oyster Co. salt bombs raw in the half-shell and in bloody mary shooters.
Sorry Charlie’s Oyster Bar. 116 W. Congress St., Savannah. 912-234-5397, sorrycharlies.com. Savannah Oyster Co. singles raw in the half-shell.
For a full listing of where to buy Tybee Oyster Co. salt bombs visit tybeeoystercompany.wordpress.com/where-to-buy/
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