Local 11 Ten

A former bank building has been transformed into one of Savannah’s hottest restaurants. The airy dining room, with its sleek tables, banquettes and edgy modern portraits, signals an immediate departure from the city’s traditional temples of fine dining, which celebrate historic details and antique furniture. In many ways, the hip, amiable servers reveal the essence of the place. They may look like art graduate students, but they know their wines and vinegars. These are 21st-century artisanal foodies who have dispensed with formality but elevated healthy cuisine to a gourmet level. The North Carolina-born Executive Chef Brandy Williamson combines an obsession with regional ingredients with a passion for Creole, Cajun and Georgian cooking. A springtime menu might include starters of stuffed sweetgrass mussels or rabbit galantine with pink peppercorn granola. Sea scallops may come served with black garlic bisque and buttermilk cream, or milk-braised lamb belly could be paired with a chive potato purée. A chef’s tasting menu is available, and may also be paired with wine. The caliber of the wine list and cocktails equal that of the food, and in good weather, there is a lovely terrace near where the bank’s drive-through window used to be.