Bar • Food: BBQ Wontons

Nestled in the Habersham Village, Bar Food proprietors Johnny Baker, Alicia Cannon and Paula Letcher have created a back-to-the-basics approach to their French–Asian-themed restaurant. Each dish is priced under $12, and the menu is refreshed with new selections weekly. “We look at what is selling the most and listen to our clientele to guide us when changing up the menu week to week,” explains Baker, “but the BBQ Wontons aren’t going anywhere.” It’s a good thing they’re sticking around. The tasty pork pieces are slow cooked for 12 hours and spun with sesame and sauce. They are served in bite-sized crispy wontons, also made daily in the kitchen. Simply delicious. Bar Food, 4523 Habersham Street, 912.355.5956, www.barfoodsavannah.com

Lulu’s Chocolate Bar: Strawberry Suspension Cake

The menu at Lulu’s changes daily, but the crowd-pleasing Strawberry Suspension Cake is a staple. Rebecca Freeman and Janine Finn, the savvy ladies behind the delectable Lulu’s Chocolate Bar, have been in business for two years and love the restaurant’s image. “Everyone is always happy when they come in here,” says Freeman, “and it’s a fun place to be.” To create the Strawberry Suspension Cake, a middle layer of mascarpone cheese is blended with whipped cream and juicy strawberries and then sandwiched between fluffy chocolate cake. The icing delights with a thin layer of Callebaut dark chocolate, the house French chocolate of choice. Pair it with a glass of rose prosecco or the Lulutini, a dessert martini laced with homemade chocolate sauce. Lulu’s Chocolate Bar, 42 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, 912.238.2012, www.luluschocolatebar.net

Thrive: Signature Chicken Salad

Former yacht chef Wendy Armstrong opened Thrive in July of 2008, setting up shop on Whitemarsh Island for its central location. The Signature Chicken Salad is made from a mélange of Ashley Farms organic chicken, raw celery, grapes, almonds and cranberries mixed into a low fat mayo and yogurt base. Available by the pound, this delightful salad is perfect for early autumn picnics. In addition to offering a gourmet marketplace and fresh produce selection, Thrive prides itself on using all organic and local ingredients. “The market at Trustees’ [Garden], which we are a part of, has been a great source, and we are frequently approached by small growers with their local varieties, which we have incorporated in dishes like our chicken salad,” explains Armstrong. Thrive, 4700 Highway 80 East, 912.898.2131, www.thriveacarryoutcafe.com