The Tasting Panel magazine

June 2013

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WHO'S WHO THERE'S HIDDEN TALENT IN GEORGIA'S SECOND CITY Savannah Does It Right by Fred Minnick Maureen Craig, Owner, Alligator Soul When I walked into Alligator Soul, I looked forward to learning about how Hilary L. Craig and his wife, Maureen, took their successful restaurant concept from Seattle to a very different Savannah. And then, as usually happens, I looked at their whiskey selection. Alligator Soul easily has Savannah's largest bourbon and rye whiskey collection. Then the owner drops a bomb on me: "I'm related to Elijah Craig," says Maureen Craig. Suddenly, my story changes. I drop my original angle about this quant, romantic restaurant and, as things often go in my life, the story just becomes about the Alligator Soul co-owner whiskey. Maureen Craig, who is We pull the bottle of Elijah Craig related to Elijah Craig. 12 Year Old off the shelf and I start snapping the lovely woman's photo. "Whiskey is important to what we do here," Craig says. There are 56 total whiskeys at Alligator Soul. Would you expect anything less from bourbon royalty? PHOTO: FRED MINNICK S avannah, Georgia, is becoming the South's new Charleston. In the past five years, investors have turned this once hidden tourist destination into a thriving metropolis. The old charm of the Chandler Oaks and River Boats are meeting progress and trendy restaurants. That's why Savannah is now a landing spot for former San Francisco bartenders and big money restaurant investors. But it's still a small town, and it doesn't take long to find the big fish in the small pond. There's more here than Paula Deen's and her brother Bubba's restaurants. Here's a look at some of the people who make Savannah a true food and beverage town. 112  /  the tasting panel  /  june 2013 TP0613_080-119.indd 112 5/23/13 5:31 PM

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