On a rainy night last week, a friend and I had a satisfying dinner at the new Tondee’s Tavern, which opened recently in the old Tony Roma’s space at 7 E. Bay St.
The name is a nod to a key piece of Savannah’s history.
In the 1770s, Tondee’s Tavern was a vital gathering point for colonists on the verge of revolution. That was an early and excellent example of the ways in which private establishments such as restaurants, bars and coffeehouses can advance public discourse.
The new Tondee’s Tavern is a casual restaurant and bar that features a nice variety of entrees, sandwiches, burgers and other fairly standard fare.
I enjoyed my stuffed flounder dinner, our server was excellent and the inexpensive draft beer was ice cold.
Conveniently located near City Hall, various offices and a number of hotels, Tondee’s Tavern seems likely to attract a wide range of visitors and locals.
But if Tondee’s really wants to capture the spirit of its name, the interior needs more touches that speak to that history. I was hoping to get some sense of Peter Tondee, but maybe his ghost is still hovering near the tavern’s original location at the corner of Broughton and Whitaker streets.
New menu at The Sparetime
In other dining news, there’s a new chef and new menu at The Sparetime, the bar at the corner of West Congress Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
For most of last year, The Sparetime served spectacular hand-crafted small pizzas and other items that suited the spare, modern cocktail lounge atmosphere.
Then owner Clara Fishel discontinued food service for retooling the kitchen and the menu. She hired Chef James Levens, a Savannah native who last year designed and implemented the first menu at Byrd Cookie Company’s new restaurant.
Levens’ menu for The Sparetime is eclectic, diverse and moderately priced.
On my first trip, I had a small plate of crispy Brussels sprouts and a hearty bowl of mussels. The bartender drily noted that I had just ordered the Jean-Claude Van Damme — “The Muscles from Brussels.”
So, what’s up with those crispy Brussels sprouts?
Smaller than your typical store bought ones, the Brussels sprouts are cooked at high heat until crisp on the outside while still tender on the inside. Halved, they are served with crème fraiche and kimchi. The mussels were great, but I could have made a meal out of the sprouts alone.
I’ll be headed back soon to try some of the other appetizers, small plates and entrees. Snacks include pork rinds and house-marinated olives. There are even three desserts on the new menu.
Even more tension spawned by SPLOST shortfalls
In discussing the economy’s impact on Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) revenue, this column has generally focused on the city of Savannah’s projects. That’s largely because of City Talk’s longtime focus on the downtown area.
As I have noted a number of times, I think city officials have valid explanations for why so many promised SPLOST projects ended up on the back burner.
But those explanations could have come much earlier and would likely have been hammered home more efficiently if there had been less turnover in city leadership.
Last week, Chatham County officials had their turn in the hot seat, as Judge Michael Karpf and his colleagues criticized the prioritization of SPLOST funds and what they believe to be poor communication from county politicians about shortfalls in the tax collection.
I doubt that Chatham County leaders will backtrack on any of their decisions regarding spending on the multi-faceted courthouse expansion project, but the dustup has meant more bad press for SPLOST.
The additional controversy makes it even more likely that a vote on a fresh round of the 1 percent sales tax will be delayed until 2014.
And there’s almost certain to be more grumbling about SPLOST expenditures as Chatham County finds an additional $5.6 million to pay for operations at the new SPLOST-funded jail.
Every time we approve a project with a special sales tax, we also commit ourselves to finding other revenues for ongoing staffing and maintenance.
That’s a fact worth keeping in mind as the discussions about a new SPLOST referendum heat up in the coming months.
City Talk appears every Tuesday and Sunday. Bill Dawers can be reached via billdawers@comcast.net and http://www.billdawers.com. Send mail to 10 East 32nd St., Savannah, GA 31401.