The Lady and Sons

One of our bucket list things has been to visit the restaurant that Paula Deen owns in Savannah. Paula created a food empire out of the brown bag lunches that she once made in her kitchen to be delivered by her two sons. Her home business, known as The Bag Lady, was one of the many things Paula did after her marriage to Jimmy Deen fell apart, leaving her with $200, two sons and a younger brother. She attempted hanging wallpaper, selling insurance, and working as a bank teller before taking refuge in her kitchen, refining the art of Southern Cooking handed down from her grandmother. Suffering from panic attacks and agoraphobia, she needed something to focus on without a lot of people around.

After an attempt in 1991 to start a restaurant named The Lady, she found success in the old White Hardware building on Whitaker St in Savannah, and has been a local icon ever since. She maintains a residence here, and her two sons work in the restaurant. Early this year a permit was processed for a two story restaurant to be built in Myrtle Beach, SC. Her relationship with The Food Channel began in 1999 and lasted until June 2013, when controversy over racial slurs caused TFC to terminate the contract. She has since begun producing her own Paula Deen Network on Roku.

The restaurant is housed in an historic building at the corner of W Congress and Whitaker St.

Even though we had reservations, we had time to have a little fun with Paula!

The restaurant consists of three floors for dining. At four pm, the dinner crowds had not yet materialized, but the place was packed when we left at about five thirty.

We elected to have the buffet, so we could get a sampling of several signature dishes. Fried Chicken, of course, with mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, collards, sausage and ribs, mac and cheese, and black eyed peas were on the buffet menu. There was a salad bar to start with, and a choice of peach cobbler, banana pudding or ooey gooey cake for dessert!

D chose the black eyed peas to go with her chicken, potatoes, and mac 'n cheese,

And I had the sweet potatoes along with all the other goodies!

The food was very good southern comfort food, if not outstanding. The fried chicken was the best thing, having a unique flavor that made you want more. The mac and cheese ranked second along with the mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. The collards were a bit salty, but still very good.

Our friends and neighbors (at this park) shared their evening with us, enjoying dinner and conversation. Here's Jim enjoying the ribs!

And Linda being the lovely Low Country Lady that she is!

They will be returning to their South Carolina home tomorrow with their Boston Terrier, Spud. Why Spud? Because he's a couch potato! They have become good friends over the last few days, and we will miss their company.

Tomorrow is our last day in Savannah, and Sasha has told us that she wants to return to the Hipster Hound for a playday. She is active and alert, and full of mischief these days, so we've decided to let her have a good run and tumble while we find something else to do. It's kinda like having a babysitter  for the kids and then forgetting how to have a date!

Savannah has been great to visit, and we'll always remember our time here, but the road beckons and we must answer....