Acting upon a close friend’s recent recommendation, I decided to check out the new dining experience at Sol, to find out first hand what the buzz was all about. Now, if you are anything like me, finding scallops on a dinner menu is like finding a treasure. I’m instantly drawn to it, especially if it sounds unique and appetizing. I’ve almost never encountered a scallop I didn’t like, unless of course it had sadly turned to rubber from being overcooked.

That was certainly not the case with my Sol selection. With my first bite, I knew that this was no ordinary dish. Giant, pan-seared diver scallops served swimming in a sea of fresh roasted corn & coconut milk beurre blanc sauce with a red pepper and pomegranate polenta cake and garnished with paper-thin ribbons of zucchini twisted on the plate. The light, creamy sauce with the farm-fresh corn just removed from the cob minutes before serving complimented so beautifully the delicate flavor, as well as the moist texture of the enormous diver scallops that were seared to perfection and practically melted in my mouth. The triangular polenta cake that accompanied the scallops was lightly fried and had just the right amount of “kick” to it, laced with the red peppers, and gave the dish a bit of spice and starch simultaneously. The thinly sliced zucchini ribbons rounded out the plate perfectly.

(In case you aren’t familiar with the term, “diver” scallops are actually hand-harvested by real scallop divers, rather than by fishing boats that drag heavy chain sweeps across the ocean floor. This makes them much less gritty.)

Co-created by owner Shelley Smith and former chef Noah Aquilar, this unusual entree is truly one of a kind with its delicate marriage of subtle flavors. “I feel like this dish is a culmination of all the flavors that we are trying to create at Sol, says Smith. “It depicts a little of the Caribbean, a little of the Southwest, and a little of the South.” Shelley is also co-owner of Eos, another hip restaurant she created a just few blocks down the street, which opened last year.

For a taste of the tropics right in the heart of Savannah, you’ll definitely want to check it out! Have you had the scallops at Sol? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Sol, 1611 Habersham Street, 912.232.1874
Hours: Mon – Thurs. 5-10 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 5-11 p.m.