17hundred90
Apparently, a lot happened in the year 1790 (read any local book about the history of Savannah), and a lot is still happening at the 17Hundred90 inn and restaurant. This quaint historic inn and restaurant are located at 307 E President Street, close to Columbia Square. If you are looking for fantastic food, great service, ambiance, all in a beautiful location, look no further than 17hundred90.
I do recommend a reservation. When my husband, Luke, and I arrived, we were promptly seated in the center of this bustling restaurant. Ray, our server, was on the mark from the start. He had our drinks to us and catered to our every need. Side note, we found out that Ray is also a Jacksonville, FL transplant to Savannah. In addition to the outstanding service from Ray, we were treated to the musical stylings of the restaurant’s piano player. With tunes that ranged from Radiohead to Pearl Jam, it was extremely entertaining. That, however, was just a prelude to the most toothsome food we have had in some time.
For the first course, we had a salad. While we waited, Ray brought over an appetite teaser, a biscuit coated in some type of maple gooeyness, that we devoured in no time. Luke had a Caesar Salad, and I had the 17Hundred90 Signature salad. My husband looked over at me between bites and kept reiterating that these were the freshest anchovies he had ever had in a Caesar salad with just the right amount. The signature salad was truly signature with the raisins, walnuts, blue cheese, onions, and raspberry vinaigrette acting as an edible symphony in my mouth with sweet and savory notes hitting just right.
Then came the appetizers, consisting of deviled crab cakes and Salmon croquettes. I couldn’t say which we preferred more, but I can say that they were incredibly fresh and cooked very well. As a still new Savannahian, we take our crab cakes and remoulade very seriously, and this is among the best crab cakes we have had in the three years that we have been here. Then topping the salmon croquettes with the freshly squeezed lemon before dipping them in the remoulade; a magical experience. This really set the stage for the rest of our meal.
Our entrees consisted of a braised short rib over a demi-glace mash and fresh asparagus and a ribeye. If you remember the opening credits of the Flintstones where they bring the order to Fred’s car and it tips over, that is how I felt when I saw my braised short rib. However, I put on my big girl bib and dug in. All I needed to do was lightly touch the short rib and it succumbed to the whims of my fork. The mash underneath was equally delightful, and the asparagus was a delectable side dish. Luke’s ribeye was well-seasoned and well-cooked to medium-rare. It was like butter and melted in our mouths. The steak was finished with a peppercorn demi-glace and roasted fingerling potatoes and glazed carrots. Just incredible.
You might think we couldn’t eat another bite, but Ray sold us on dessert and coffee. We decided to share the Princess Pineapple Cake. It was the magnificent end to a sublime meal. The cake was just enough for the two of us, it was not too sweet, and completely satisfying. It was light and airy, with an ideal layer of pineapple filling.
Put 17hundred90 on your “to eat at list”. You won’t be sorry. Until next time, let’s eat!
