We Eat Out

Well, Christmas 2007 is now behind us and New Year's Day 2008 is just ahead. Mr. Fettucini and Ms. Goulash can hardly think of eating another bite out but neither one of us is going to cook at home so we went out for what else, pizza!! It was off to Screamin' Mimi's located in a little shopping strip on the corner of Ogelthorpe and Price. The owners of Screamin' Mimi's, Big Lou and Mimi, are originally from New Jersey. Big Lou and Mr. Fettucini hit it off from day one. So, Mr. Fettucini, give us the details:

Mr. Fettucini: The pizza at Screamin' Mimi's is even better than Mack's pizza on the boardwalk down the Jersey shore. We order the slices because they're jumbo sized and this italian has to admit that he can't handle more than two Screamin' Mimi's slices. The pizza is thin and the crust is perfecto. Big Lou, my man!!! The best thing about this place is that everybody screams. They scream the orders in, they scream your name for pick-up. I almost feel like I'm in the old neighborhood. Only thing missing are a couple of wise guys standing on the corner wearing their high waisted pants ( I never got into that fashion trend). When Joey T. and Mrs. T. figured out that they wouldn't be able to finish their pie, they screamed for a take home box. It was beautiful and music to my ears. Gotta love it. Now, if they would only throw in a few curse words here and there.....

Ms. Goulash: Dahlings, I was taking in the scenery and spotted a man wearing a T-shirt that had the following imprinted on the front "I'm only wearing this black shirt until they come out with something darker" (GG, I think I found a man after your own heart!!). As for Mr. Fettucini, you can take the man out of the neighborhood but you can't take the neighborhood out of the man, dahlings.

Rating: 1 - 5 I.O.'s (intestinal orgasms)

Screamin' Mimi's Pizza: 5 I.O.'s

We Eat Eat

Merry Christmas!! Mr. Fettucini and Ms. Goulash can't believe that it's December 25th. We moved down to Savannah in late September and the time has just flown by. We've dined at numerous restaurants but there are so many more to visit. We'll be blogging through 2008 for sure.

Last night, we celebrated the feast of 7 fishes. It's an Italian tradition for Christmas Eve. Where did we go? It was back to Aldo's, of course. We were hoping not to do any repeats but when it comes to italian meals in Savannah, there's no better place to eat than Aldo's. We were accompanied by Joey T. and Mrs. T. (Mrs. T. is a tough customer, she hates everything just like that kid Mikey on that old TV commercial). As it turns out, Aldo's fish feast special was so much food, that both we and the T.'s decided to order one special per couple and share. Mr. Fettucini, would you please elaborate:

Mr. Fettucini: Aldo, paisano, whatt'a nice'a feast. My man!! We started out with anchovies on foccacia bread (who would'a thought that those salty little fishes could'a made a bread so tasty). Next, we had a creamy shrimp bisque (it was a little too rich for Mrs. T....remember she usually hates everything...although she said it was good). Delicious! Joey T. finished his and then finished Mrs. T.'s (I think he licked her bowl but I'm not sure, maybe it's a sign of their love..we'll just leave it at that). Then came a spring mix salad with calamari (Mrs. T. ate the whole thing...the calamari was so f...... tender...sorry, I didn't mean to curse on Christmas Eve but I couldn't help it...it just slipped out). Finally, we were served cioppino or fish soup with clams, mussles and grouper in a wonderful tomato broth/brodo. We sopped up most of the broth with our crusty bread. Desert, no less, was tiramisu. All I could do after this meal was sing a rendition of O Holy Night because we couldn't a been blessed with a better meal. Aldo, I think I love you but I wanna know for sure, so I guess we're gonna have to keep coming back for more.

Ms. Goulash: Dahlings, I was so delighted with this feast but the gifts that my loveable little italian showered on me between courses was really delightful. Mr. Fettucini is such a romantic, dahlings.

Rating: 1 - 5 I.O.'s (intestinal orgasms)

Aldo's: 5 I.O.'s

We Eat Out

Jiggle butts, jiggle gutts, jiggle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to eat through this festive holiday.
We dined at Sweet Potatoes located in a little shopping strip on the corner of Eisenhower and Waters in mid-town Savannah. Mr. Fettucini, lets hear from you:

Mr. Fettucini: As you may or may not know, I am originally from the South...South Philly that is. A good little spot in South Philly serves escarole soup, lasagna, sausage, meatballs and garlic bread with a nice glass of Chianti. But here in the South.... Savannah, that is, it's all about down home cooking. I ordered chicken gumbo with rice, a cucumber salad in a vinagrette and lemon collard greens. Hey, it was all lip smacking good, you see what I'm saying.

Ms. Goulash: Dahlings, I should be counting calories but instead, at Sweet Potatoes, I was counting how many more delicious forkfuls of food I had left before it was all gone. I ordered the fried freshwater catfish with corn pudding and apple mashed sweet potatoes with a biscuit on the side and a tall glass of sweet tea. Y'all can get hooked on this down home cooking really fast, Dahlings. Mr. Fettucini, it's a southern drawl not a southern drool, so wipe your mouth, we'll be back to Sweet Potatoes for more.

Rating: 1 - 5 I.O.'s (intestinal orgasms)

Sweet Potatoes: 5 I.O.'s

We Eat Out

Mr. Fettucini never misses Mass on Sunday (Ms. Goulash usually sleeps in) so he left a note that he could be found after church at the Firefly Cafe located on Habersham at Troup Square. Mr. Fettucini, now that you have been spiritually cleansed for the week, could you start us off:

Mr. Fettucini: First, let me tell Ms. Goulash that I pray every Sunday for her gypsy soul so that she doesn't burn in Hell for missing Mass every week (once an altar boy, always an altar boy).
Firefly Cafe serves up a very good breakfast. I ordered the "Do It Your Way" omelet. I asked the waitress if she wanted to hear my rendition of the Sinatra tune "My Way" but she said it was done before and the owner gave away a free breakfast for the song. I told her she ain't heard nothin' till she heard me sing it but she wasn't buying it. Hey, can't blame a guy for trying (maybe I should'a walked in with a raincoat slung over my shoulder). Anyways, the omelet was great.

Ms. Goulash: Dahlings, a woman needs every minute of beauty sleep she can get. Mr. Fettucini, I love you but in bed is where I'd rather stay.
I met up with my Italian at Firefly and ordered the Banana Nut French Toast with vanilla sauce on the side. What a deliciously sweet way to start the day, dahlings.

Rating: 1 - 5 I.O.'s (intestinal orgasms)

Firefly: 4 I.O.'s

We Eat Out

Holiday shopping makes us hungry. Walking downtown makes us hungry. A sunny day makes us hungry. There's a burger spot downtown on Broughton Street called B D Burgers. It was lunch time, so we stopped in and asked them to share their beef with us. Mr. Fettucini, what did you think?

Mr. Fettucini: I ordered the 1/3 lb. B D Burger. Now, as you know, I'm Italian (have I ever mentioned that before) and there's nothin' I like better than a hard crusted roll. Didn't get one at B D Burgers. In fact, I wondered if the burger bun was fully baked. It was white and mushy and gave me visions of the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

Ms. Goulash: Dahlings, every now and then, I'll have a burger just for the protein surge, so that I can keep up with Mr. Fettucini's walking pace. He's one fast little Italian. I wonder if I can enter him in the Kentucky Derby, dahlings.

Rating: 1 - 5 I.O.'s (intestinal orgasms)

B D Burgers: 2 I. O.'s

We Eat Out

Mr. Fettucini and Ms. Goulash have found it hard to find the time to eat out during this holiday season. Too much to do and too little time. However, there's always time for ice cream. Our favorite spot is Leopold's, downtown on Broughton St. Mr. Fettucini is an ice cream junkie. Music might soothe the savage beast but ice cream turns the wild Italian stallion into a trotting pony. In homage to Leopold's, Mr. Fettucini has written the following:

Mr. Fettucini: My Ode to Leopold's

I think that I could never dream
of anything better than Leopold's ice cream.
With flavors from Lemon Custard to Tutti Fruitti
and seasonal specials that keep calling to me.
Broughton Street has new flair
too bad Mr. Leopold didn't run for Mayor.

Ms Goulash: Dahlings, Mr. Fettucini was a poet and I didn't know it! I scream, he screams but we both calm down with ice cream, dahlings.


Rating: 1 - 5 I.O.'s (intestinal orgasms)

Leopold's Ice Cream: 5 I. O.'s

We Eat Out

Mr. Fettucini and Ms. Goulash will eat almost any cuisine. We tried Thai at The King And I in mid-town Savannah located in a shopping strip off of Eisenhower. The restaurant is tastefully decorated and has a large fish tank with very colorful exotic fish. Here's the dish:



Mr. Fettucini: Hey, don't confuse The King And I with Burger King. We're talkin' two completely different kingdoms here. Ms. Goulash and I each ordered the chicken in yellow curry. I'm tellin' you's, sometimes we think so much alike that it spooks me, anyways the dish was delicious. They combine chicken, potatoes, vegetables and coconut milk with yellow curry and the end result is outt'a this world. Ms. Goulash was so happy with this meal that when we got home, I was the King : - )

Ms. Goulash: Dahlings, I love spices. I love anything spicey (that's why I married my spicey little Italian!!).

Rating: 1 - 5 I. O.'s (intestinal orgasm's)

The King And I: 3 I. O.'s

We Eat Out

It was the evening after Thanksgiving. We, along with family and friends, were outside around a campfire (with gypsy music playing in the background). Someone said.."pizza anyone?". We said yes, so we headed downtown on Liberty to Mellow Mushroom. Angie Baby was visiting from Philly. She was very excited to be in Savannah with her family. Angie Baby was talking, the Italian way, with words and hands when all of a sudden a sneeze escaped her. In her effort to cover her mouth, her hand flung out and knocked over a tall glass of soda, right into Joey T.'s lap. He's no Sponge Bob, so when he got up, it looked like the poor guy needed Depends. Regarding the pizza:

Mr. Fettucini: Ms. Goulash and I shared a Pesto Pizza. It was good. Mellow Mushroom is a pizza chain. You go there for the pizza but not the atmosphere. I prefer to hear Dean Martin singing That's Amore in the background but at Mellow Mushroom, we got Bob Dylan non-stop and very loud, so loud that it drowned out my expletive adjectives that I incorporate into my conversations. Now, what the .... fun is that!

Ms. Goulash: Dahlings, I enjoyed the pizza. Our companions were fun and the loud music drowning out Mr. Fettucini and his expletives did not distress me at all.

Rating: 1 - 5 I. O.'s (intestinal orgasms)

Mellow Mushroom: 3 I. O.'s

We Eat Out

Dinner last night was downtown at B. Matthews which sits on the corner of Habersham and Bay. Mr. Fettucini did not accompany me as he was called out of town to New Jersey where he met up with his cousins, Joe Pishcopoe, Vinnie Bag O'Donuts and Jack Rabbit. Our brother-in-law, Joey T., agreed to dine with Ms. Goulash. Joey T., if you would please start us out:

Joey T.: Hey, how you's doin'? Listen up, I'm no Billy Shakespeare but I'll give it a shot. I started with an appetizer. Wild Mushroom Strudel. They should call it magic mushroom strudel. I never tasted nothin' like this before. Great stuff. My main entree was the Braised Lamb Shank with Risoto. Hey, I'm tellin' you guys, you gotta order this. It was outa this world. I gotta admit, I was impressed. The "B" in B. Matthews, as far as I am concerned, stands for Baddabing.

Ms. Goulash: Dahlings, first, I would like to thank Joey for accompanying me. I had heard that the Braised Lamb Shank was their signature dish so, I also ordered a lamb dish. Braised Lamb over Farfalle Pasta. Dahlings, as Joey put it so eloquently, you have to order this dish.

Rating: 1 - 5 I.O.'s (intestinal orgasms)

B. Matthews: 4 1/2 I. O.'s

We Eat Out

Well, we're starting to eat out for lunch also. Mr. Fettucini's step-mother is part Greek and cooks an unbeatable Lamb at Easter, so we are also somewhat partial to Greek food. Recently, we have been frequenting Grapevine on Wilmington Island located in a little strip off of Johnny Mercer. Let's have it Mr. Fettucini:

Mr. Fettucini: Italian, Greek, anything Mediterranean is OK with me. The scent of olive oil and garlic smells better to me than Chanel No. 5. Although I must admit that the combo does not go well with hairy armpits. But I digress. Grapevine makes an Avgolemino soup, Gyro, Greek potato salad and salad with Greek dressing that even Plato could expound on for hours.

Ms. Goulash: Dahlings, I concur. Actually, I'm speechless. I didn't know that Mr. Fettucini could spell expound let alone use it in a sentence. Mr. Fettucini, dahling, you do delight.

Rating: 1 - 5 I.O.'s (intestinal orgasms)

Grapevine: 4 lunchtime I.O.'s

We Eat Out

My little Italian was in the mood for a little italian, so we went to Aldo's Italian Restaurant and Lounge on Wilmington Island off of Johnny Mercer. The place is new, sleek and upscale. We were surprised to find something this nice in a shopping center.

Mr. Fettucini: Excuse me while I wipe away a tear from my eye. Aldo's gravy reminded me of Grandmom's (that's gravy as in red sauce). Momma Mia!!! Now this is Italian. I ordered the bracciola over pasta. Aldo gave me an offer I couldn't refuse. He said he would give me a meal I wouldn't forget. Forget about it??? No way.

Ms. Goulash: Dahlings, I ordered the eggplant parmigiano. The eggplant slices were thin and delicate. Perfection. Our meal was so great that Mr. Fettucini may never ask me to cook again. Actually, he asks all the time but I never listen, dahlings.

Rating: 1 - 5 I.O.'s (intestinal orgasms)

Aldo's: 4 1/2

We Eat Out

We were in the mood for a romantic spot and noticed an article advising that the Aqua Star Restaurant in the Westin at Savannah Harbour had dancing and Jazz music on the 2nd Friday of the month. Mr. Fettucini is noted for his twinkle toes. I, however, would put all Hungarian gypsies to shame since I would probably trip and fall into a campfire rather than dance enticingly around it. Regardless, it was off to the Aqua Star. The view was fabulous, the music and singing were top notch.What about the meal?

Mr. Fettucini: I ordered the Rack of Lamb done medium with the Apuiva sauce. It cut bloody, so I sent it back ordering it medium-well, crispy on the outside. It cut bloody again. Listen, I can get turned on just looking at a pair of black nylons but this Italian gets queezy at the site of blood. I would'a never made it as a hit man. What really got me was when the bill came, the sauce was $4.00 extra. Talk about gettin' hit!

Ms. Goulash: As I previously mentioned Dahlings, this Hungarian doesn't dance so I have to watch my waistline ( OK, and my hips). I ordered the crabcake appetizer and a Caesar Salad that came with 2 fried oysters. I was satisfied. Now, if the Santa Marguerita wine would have gone to my feet instead of my head, we could have danced away Mr. Fettucini's disappointment.

Rating: 1 - 5 I.O.'s (intestinal orgasms)

Aqua Star: 2 I.O.'s

We Eat Out

There's a little gem in downtown Savannah called The Six Pence Pub, 245 Bull St. Mr. Fettucini and Ms. Goulash have eaten luch at this establishment but we decided to try it for dinner. Mr. Fettucini, fill us in.

Mr. Fettucini: Whoa! Did I cross the pond or something. No disrespect but I thought the English weren't known for their cooking. I ate the most delicious flounder stuffed with shrimp and scallops and I had a side of collard greens (the chef must be from the southern part of England). Your turn,Ms. Goulash.

Ms. Goulash: Dahlings, I had the Shepards Pie. Everyone adds their own unique touch to this dish and Six Pence did not disappoint. Hip, Hip for Six Pence.

Rating: 1 - 5 I.O.'s (intestinal orgasms)

Six Pence: 3 I.O.'s

We Eat Out

Mr. Fettucini and Ms. Goulash, newcomers to Savannah, GA, were out and about again. This time we ate at A-J's Dockside Restaurant, 1315 Chatham Ave. on Tybee Island. Remember, we rate according to I.O.'s (intestinal orgasms). Mr. Fettucini, how was your meal?
Mr. Fettucini: This little Italian ordered a grilled chicken breast stuffed with spinach and goat cheese. What'a nice'a dish! Cara Mia, how was your meal?
Ms. Goulash: Dahling, I ordered the gumbo and could swear I was in New Orleans. It turns out that the gumbo is A-J's signature dish. And, the view from the outside deck is breathtaking.

Rating: 1-5 I.O.'s
A-J's: 4 I.O.'s

Mr. Fettucini and Ms. Goulash, New to Savannah, GA

We are new to the Savannah, GA area and all of Savannah's restaurants, relocating recently from Pennsylvania. Mr. Fettucini is origninally from South Philly and of Italian descent (of course). Ms. Goulash is originally from West Philly and of Hungarian descent (yes, dahlings). Cha Bella at 102 E. Broad Street was the location of our first evening out. We will rate restaurants with I.O.'s (intestinal orgasm's). Mr. Fettucini, what did you think of Cha Bella?


Mr. Fettucini.: I ordered the Halibut over pasta in a light southern pesto sauce with spinach, sun dried tomatoes, bean sprouts and pine nuts. Fantastico!! My love, talk to me.


Ms. Goulash: I had the Lobster Risoto with a light fresh mushroom sauce. Outstanding!





Rating System: 1 - 5 I.O.'s


Cha Bella: 4 I.O.'s