Courtesy of Perry Lane Hotel
Chef Spotlight: Dan Herget
At the Emporium Kitchen in Savannah’s Perry Lane Hotel, global flavors are paired with Southern hospitality. Executive chef Dan Herget, who says the restaurant is inspired by a classic French brasserie, dishes about a favorite spring vegetable, a decadent off-the-menu item, and his ideal way to start a day off in his city.
Unexpected Pairing | “French breakfast radishes are incredible in the springtime. I like to serve them with whipped butter and sea salt as an accompaniment to our bread plate, which features a brioche. The sharpness of the radishes balances out the richness of the brioche beautifully.”
Courtesy of Perry Lane Hotel
By Request Only | “For our Bougie Burger, we use grass-fed beef topped with silky raclette cheese, then some of our double-smoked house bacon—we cut it into slabs, not strips—and finish with shaved black truffles on a brioche bun. As if that’s not enough, we sprinkle the fries with 24-karat gold dust.”
Courtesy of Perry Lane Hotel
Easy Like Sunday Morning | “The coffee culture here is much further along than Savannah gets credit for—we have some great coffee shops, like Bowerbird here in the Perry Lane Hotel, or Henny Penny Cafe on Bull Street. My wife and I like to grab a cup and walk our dog through the historic squares to soak in the architecture.”
• • •
Celebrate: Spring Strawberry Fests
Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival
Ponchatoula, Louisiana
More than 300,000 visitors come annually to the “Strawberry Capital of the World” to eat treats like strawberry cheesecake and deep-fried strawberries, see elaborate parade floats, and enjoy live music while sipping a strawberry daiquiri or strawberry beer. April 12–14
South Carolina Strawberry Festival
Fort Mill, South Carolina
Start with the Strawberry Sprint and Stroll 5K/fun run, then head to Strawberry Jam, featuring food trucks, live music, and artisans. Compete in the strawberry doughnut eating contest, the Strawberry Scavenger Hunt, and try strawberry fries, strawberry churro bites, or strawberry pickles. May 4
Tennessee Strawberry Festival
Dayton, Tennessee
Celebrating the area’s berry crop for more than 75 years, this shindig draws strawberry lovers eager for shortcake and other fruit-themed treats, as well as those aspiring to earn bragging rights in the baking contest. Peruse paintings by local artists at the fine arts show and see classic cars, motorcycles, and antique tractors at the Cruise In. May 6–11
• • •
Sip | Richmond Region Mimosa Trail
Pop a cork on May 16—National Mimosa Day—or any time of year along a trail of more than a dozen stops around Richmond, Virginia. Sample a mimosa flight at Kreggers Tap and Table or Cooper’s Tavern, and try flavors like peach, pomegranate, or pineapple at LuLu’s or Bar Solita. Millie’s Diner even offers a “manmosa,” which includes vodka, and a “beermosa,” made with Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc, a French wheat beer.
Taste | Coastal Alabama Food Trails
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are celebrating 2024’s Year of Alabama Food with “Eat Your Way” itineraries that include trails for shrimp, oysters, crab, key lime pie, burgers, and even Bushwhackers, the area’s signature creamy, chocolatey frozen cocktail.
This article appears in the Spring 2024 issue of Southbound.
