Ampersand held its grand opening party on April 18, but the new restaurant and bar at 36 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard has been open since early March.
So I’ve had a few chances to check out Ampersand, and there is little doubt I’ll be a regular patron.
The comfortable space at the corner of MLK and West Congress Street made a perfect home for the artists’ lounge during Savannah Stopover in early March. Bands played relatively quiet sets in a corner of the ground floor, while the second floor was reserved for musicians, press and VIP pass holders.
After getting the bar business off the ground, the folks at Ampersand brought in Form II Table to develop and implement an innovative menu that is unlike anything else you’ll find downtown.
As you might have guessed, Form II Table is a new venture by the owners of Form.
Friends and I were impressed by the menu even on the first weekend of food service.
In early April, after a Savannah Music Festival show at the Ships of the Sea Museum, three of us shared a variety of plates. I was especially satisfied with the duck confit pizza, the Mediterranean quinoa salad and the pan-fried chorizo and yucca.
Last week, I met up with a couple of other friends to sample even more of Form II Table’s menu.
The beef tenderloin tips pizza was probably the star of that meal. Prepared with figs and with manchego cheese, the dish is especially rich and flavorful. A number of other menu items similarly combine sweet and savory flavors in unexpected ways.
The other items we shared on that second trip were mighty good as well, including the shrimp salad and the pernil with arugula and Gouda grits.
Everything on the Form II Table menu is priced under $15. The portion sizes are ideal for sharing, but I will be happy to make a meal of one of the specialty pizzas whenever I’m at Ampersand alone.
A party of two should probably consider ordering three items, but that might be too much or even too little, depending on your choices and your hunger.
In addition to the usual mixed drinks and beers, Ampersand’s drink menu includes a variety of specialty cocktails, craft beers and wine.
On the first dinner trip, we chose a table next to the big windows, but on the second trip we were just as comfortable eating at the bar.
Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday, and there is also a Sunday brunch. The bar obviously stays open longer than the kitchen.
Ampersand has retained the large horseshoe-shaped bar in the center of the room installed for the previous tenant, The Sparetime, but a variety of interior changes make the space feel a little softer and warmer.
The second floor is one of the more versatile spaces in the heart of downtown. Over the last couple of years, the room has hosted a variety of performances, readings and parties. The band Horse Feathers played there two weeks ago on their 10th anniversary acoustic tour.
It looks like Ampersand plans to use the space even more regularly than it has been.
For additional information, check out Ampersand’s website (http://www.andsavannah.com) and the Facebook pages for both Ampersand and Form II Table.
Some readers will remember that the corner of MLK and Congress has been home to a number of other establishments over the last decade or so, including 606, Fernando’s of Martha’s Vineyard, Massetti’s, Savannah Steak House and Yoshi’s.
The location seems to pose some problems for entrepreneurs.
Tourists wandering downtown in search of a meal or a drink will likely pass dozens of other options before getting to the corner of MLK and Congress.
Since there is little public parking west of MLK, daytrippers are also unlikely to chance upon that corner. For a variety of reasons, shoppers on Broughton Street frequently don’t make it as far as MLK.
Still, despite some of these challenges, there is considerable foot traffic at MLK and Congress, as you can see after just a few minutes looking out the big windows at Ampersand. It’s a great spot for people-watching.
And other businesses seem to be doing just fine in that short stretch of MLK, including Sushi Zen, Lulu’s Chocolate Bar and Corleone’s.
If Ampersand maintains the momentum it has already established, it should be around for a long time.
City Talk appears every Tuesday and Sunday. Bill Dawers can be reached via billdawers@comcast.net. Send mail to 10 East 32nd St., Savannah, Ga. 31401.