Elizabeth on 37th (105 E 37th St, Savannah, GA ) is a fine dining establishment in Savannah Georgia. This was probably my first experience dining out in a five star restaurant since the start of the pandemic. All wait staff wore masks, but we were the only patrons who wore masks in the restaurant. I only lowered my mask long enough to eat, and then raised it back into place.
There was a sustained buzzing atmosphere as waiters moved swiftly from table to table meeting peoples needs before they surfaced. As I sketched I paid attention as wait staff watched their tables with a heightened alertness. I miss this energy, which is much life the buzz in an audience just before a curtain lifts.
The restaurant is in a beautiful old historic home. The mansion, built for a cotton broker, is decorated with historic Savannah colors and patterns, fresh flowers, original paintings and ceramics, and is entered through the herb gardens.
The restaurant is run by brothers Greg and Gary Butch, who started out as waiters in the restaurant’s early days and became partners in 1988. Pam asked about the history of the building. Our server brought over Greg who proudly showed her a photo album. Inside was his true delight, a picture with the Dalai Lama along with pictures that included Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu and Nobel physicists. Monks have visited the restaurant and when they do, they create an intricate mandala from gains of colored sand. After a solid week of creation the incredibly intricate design is destroyed and dumped into a local river to show that all is transient. We are all gains of sand in the universe.
Greg also talked about a program he was proud of which helps military veterans recover from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is his greatest pride, bringing Buddhist principles into the recovery process. He is also spearheading fundraising efforts to get state of the art water treatment facilities to the monks in Tibet.
Granted the food a Elizabeth on 37th was fresh and delicious, but Greg’s other passion is in humanity and a world without crazing. If you find yourself in Savannah, you have to go.