Saturday was obviously a day tripping day, beautiful weather, great company, amazing locations and food. It seems lately anytime Aly and I go places together strange and wonderful things happen – we apparently have amazing travel karma together. I take this as a huge plus when going places.
The intrepid travel partners
Saturday we set our sights on Sapelo Island and Chef Jerome’s Old school diner and got a bonus of visiting America’s smallest church – I know right – nature, culture, food and god all wrapped up in one quick trip. While we’re both not much on the whole “god” thing, the food and culture were amazing!
The ferry ride out to Sapelo is a fast 15 minutes and the tour is only 10 US dollars, which includes the ferry ride. It was extremely informative and very fun. We took the short trip, runs from 9am to 12:30pm and saw Hog Hammock, R.J.Reynolds mansion (outside only cuz someone was staying there), the light house, the old mill area, the only bar, and the beach. It was jam packed and fun! I would highly recommend it and we are both seriously thinking bout going back for a extended stay in one of the rentals for a long weekend.
So after the morning trip and our huge dose of culture we were famished – the nuts and natural light I had at the Trough just didn’t cut it. So we made tracks and headed to The Old School Diner. Aly had first heard about this place when she moved here and did an online search looking for actual old diners, which this place is not by any means an old diner, but it is seriously old school!
My experience here can only be described in hushed tones of awe during a full moon – it was that good. We walk in the door and Chef Jerome greets us with “Hello Family!” and proceeds to hug each of us – me twice! I was smitten.
Call me goofy, silly, gay, whatever but when the owner and chef of the restaurant comes up and hugs you and treats you like a long lost son you better prepare for some serious treatment – he did not disappoint!
The waitress took over as we wove through the numerous rooms of the restaurant to get to our table. The place could probably sit 170 to 200 in total through out. He had a large single party of 20 he was cooking for when we showed up (oh did I mention he does ALL the cooking himself – with only a few assistants to help prep) but he still managed to find time to talk with us and give us a personal tour at the end of our meal, more on that in a sec.
Say hello to my little friend!
The inside is covered, literally covered, with pictures of people that have come to the diner. Celebrities, autographs, mementos galore! The ceiling has netting on it to give it the low country feel and kept the insulation from falling into your food!
What a bar!
The best thing I can say is it is a giant folk art structure that sings with the soul of its creator Chef Jerome -who is personally responsible for its design.
The Chef and me
This man is a non stop tornado of positive energy who loves food and bringing people together. We decide on our choices for lunch - Aly goes with Scallops (she’d been craving them for weeks).
Scallops and coleslaw
I get the fried grouper and shrimp – we started with the gator tail app and their OMFG good hushpuppies.
Grouper and shrimp with potato salad
Desert was his peanut butter pie – which I have to say was sin. Simple sin.
Half eaten peanut butter pie
We finish the meal stuffed stupid, get our bill and then the Chef comes out. We figure he’s just gonna say hi and thanks and all that – nope not this guy… we get to talking and BOOM that travel karma kicks in… he says “grab your camera and follow me…”
He takes us back into his inner sanctum, where the creation of his southern confections happens. We were both giddy. But it didn’t stop there – no sir…
Where the magic happens!
We keep talking food and begin to discuss his peanut butter pie and I say how it was a hard choice for me because he has sweet potato pie cheesecake. So he motions over to one that is fresh out of the oven and has Aly cut a slice for us!!! I was like WTF this guy is amazing!
Aly and the Chef
We then proceed to try his strawberry one and some dirty rice -which no surprise – were out of this world. The level of hospitality, welcomeness and just general love for people exudes in everything he does. The joy and love that radiates off this man is contagious.
Aly and Chef Jerome
We will be going back and we are bringing people. They are starting karoke on friday and saturday nights and while its a 45 minute drive from savannah it is totally worth it! I cannot recommend this place more for a true southern low country experience.
And then there was the church…
Small doesn’t begin to explain this structure, tiny, quaint, functional that explains it. Nestled in right off the road in a quiet grove of trees it is an idilic spot for rest or meditation.
The littlest church ever!
The inside is well kept, clean and orderly. I was expecting it to be locked – it wasn’t.
I figured Jesus wouldn’t mind if a shot a few experimental photos and said a silent prayer for my mom. so thanks Jesus…
All in all a wonderful day trip and great experience. There is so much that sits around us every day that we forget about and all we need to do is lift our heads out of our daily routines and look around.
Remember to have the eyes of a tourist, the body of an adventurer and the soul of a wander.
Peace.
J
