The South’s biggest and brightest stars in the food world meet the most distinguished vintners and artisans from the United States at picturesque Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina to offer a truly unique festival experience pairing live entertainment with a diverse array of southern cuisine and informative, energetic celebrity cooking demonstrations during the week of Monday, November 14-Sunday, November 20, 2011. Home to The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, which was named the “#1 Best Resort in the US” by the readers of Travel + Leisure, the gorgeous, lush Lowcountry destination known as Palmetto Bluff is the backdrop to this collaborative, charitable, event that takes guests on an unparalleled sensory experience and redefines the way southern cuisine is perceived.

When he was 30 years old, Ray Liotta scored the job actors dream of their entire lives—the leading role in a gangster flick directed by Martin Scorsese. After his debut as Henry Hill in Goodfellas, his career skyrocketed and he subsequently made over 60 films, including Field of Dreams, Copland and The Son of No One, the film he debuted on Sunday night as part of the Savannah Film Festival. He also accepted a Lifetime Achievement at the Trustees Theatre before the screening.
Earlier in the day, Liotta sat down with South and talked about his new film, his big break and his advice for budding actor and film professionals.

South magazine: What’s your number one piece of advice for students about to embark on a career in the film industry?

Ray Liotta: I think that they should continue studying. I think it’s important to keep honing your craft, so when the time does come you’re ready for it. There are some great teachers out there.

Brian Jordan is a man of many talents, not only on the field but on screen as well. Jordan, who played for both the MLB and the NFL, turned his focus to television in 2009 when he joined FOX Sports South as an analyst on Braves LIVE. Along with contributing to programs on ESPN and Comcast Sports South, Jordan has also made a guest appearance on The Young and the Restless and won two Emmy Awards for sports casting. But his aptitudes don’t stop there. Jordan began displaying a talent for writing in 2005 when he released his first children’s book, I Told You I Can Play, followed by Overcoming the Fear of the Baseball in 2010. Jordan has two more books slated for release in the upcoming year.
You can catch Jordan Saturday, November 19, at the annual Savannah Children’s Book Festival being held in Forsyth Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Christy Divine, marketing director for Live Oak Public Libraries, says that while having a sports professional at the festival is a huge draw for parents and children alike, Jordan will be focused on reading. “His books send a great message and we’re excited to have him this year. He’ll be doing a reading as well as signing autographs,” says Divine.

With a historic district that can change eras for the screen by simply changing the automobiles clattering down the flagged thoroughfares, plus gothic marshlands, graveyards, scattered eccentrics and kooks, there’s a lot of visual candy to savor in this small box of chocolates. Cyndie Parmerter with Savvy Savannah Cinema Tours spoke with South, sharing the fun facts behind some of the most famous film sets in the Hostess City and surrounding areas.

Standing next to the front half of a foam antelope waiting to be dressed, in a room of mounted animal heads, Shawn Scott, owner of Soggy Bottom Taxidermy & Adventures, gestures down a gazelle’s neck to its white underside, carefully following the body’s curvature.
“There’s a reason God laid the fur the way he did,” Scott says. “Water runoff—prevents hypothermia. An experienced professional is sensitive to that type of meticulousness. You’re paying more for my skill and knowledge than you are for the parts.”

The term taxidermy means just that: taxiing—or moving—the dermis. That said, it’s a lot tougher than just draping skin. “It’s no lazy man’s profession,” Scott notes. “Let’s clear that up right now. During deer season, I’m here 24/7. Then I get a little break. Then it’s turkey season.” According to Scott, clients are people seeking to relive the thrill of the hunt. “It’s like a 3-D memory. Photos just aren’t the same,” he says. Hence, Soggy Bottom’s motto is “The moment lives … Forever.” Scott credits his grandfather, a charter boat captain, for fostering his love of hunting and the outdoors, ultimately leading him to open Soggy Bottom 10 years ago. Scott’s first mount was a squirrel. “Most people start with a squirrel because they’re easy to obtain and they’re an easy first mount. It’s not until you get good that you realize how difficult it is to get a squirrel right,” he explains.

Originally, Coffin acquired 50,000 acres along the Cumberland River as personal hunting grounds. He built a lodge and tavern where he quietly entertained American presidents, dignitaries, corporate executives and sports enthusiasts from around the world, inadvertently creating one of America’s first hunting clubs.
Today, narrowed to 24,000 acres, Cabin Bluff still holds court as one of the premier hunting and fishing retreats in North America, yet it’s open to the public.
In its new form, it plays host to a wide variety of interests, including kayaking, hiking, biking, sport and light tackle fishing, clay shoots, lap pool swimming, tennis, bocce ball, Davis Love III golf and boating, with excursions to Cumberland Island.
Largely, Cabin Bluff caters to corporations looking for unique opportunities to engage staff members; however, individuals and families can visit on designated weekends throughout the year.

The Lay of the Land

Driving in, the only paved road beyond the entrance gate is the one that leads to the lodge, an anchor for the compound of cabins, which collectively houses 40 people in the 20 private rooms with private baths.
Just in front of the lodge, forest green golf carts line up next to a loose mess of bikes, all for guests to enjoy, while pristine, longleaf pines quietly overlook. A fishing dock stretches over the bluff of the Cumberland River where the sun sets in spectacular form.
Relics of the property’s history are intricately woven throughout, says Amy Kutrufis, the reservationist who has worked with Cabin Bluff in various forms over the last 40 years.
“Look up,” Kutrufis says, stepping through the main thrust of the lodge.
A mounted, 13-foot alligator hangs out on the ceiling, upside down, its mouth open in a big, toothy grin. Coffin’s cousin, Alfred Jones Sr., shot it on his honeymoon in 1930.
Other catches, fowl and wild boar, are stationed on and around the stone fireplace that is captured in an archival photo on the wall. Coffin, his wife and guests, President and Mrs. Calvin Coolidge, relaxed in this very spot, after having had what Kutrufis says was a “sumptuous dinner fit for 100 men.”
There’s an original wagon wheel chandelier that hangs among two modern skylights and handsome leather sofas and chairs, giving a preview of the crux of old and new that prevails across Cabin Bluff. Thick wooden latches close heavy wooden doors while local history books rest on top of small writing desks with legs of local timber. Hand-carved headboards position beds in rooms with similar mirror frames and jacket pegs, virtually undetected on the natural color of the walls. In acts of ongoing preservation, much of the wood is sourced from the property itself, chopped and put to use after a break or fall. But don’t let this seemingly rustic setting fool you: modern amenities, Wi-Fi, satellite TV and refrigerators stocked with gourmet snacks belie, to create an underbelly of comfort, minus the distraction. There’s an unruffled elegance to it all

Written by: Melanie Simon

Probably more dependable than your share of hot dinners, these local on-air personalities will tell you everything you need to know about your community.

Artist Matt Stromberg is literally creating a stir in the art world by using everything from explosives and rocket fuel to submachine guns in his volatile, nonobjective sculpture. He’s careful to stress, however, that his unique art form is not really about explosives but kinetic energy—more specifically, the release of it. The result is somewhat unpredictable. What is predictable, after he conducts trench warfare across his many canvasses, is his ability to produce interesting and spontaneous mark making—marks created through applied texture that create volume.

Tony Allen, Savannah native and front man for the punk rock band Dead Stays Alive, comes with all the accoutrements of a rock star: blue hair, studded and outrageous jewelry, tats, an entourage, and a killer voice that shakes whatever space, no matter the size, in which he wields a microphone. However, Google his name and more photos of Lindsay Lohan pop up than mention of his music, which, despite not being Jack Johnson catchy, has a decent fan base and, more importantly, is constantly evolving and improving.

If you take a walk down River Street today, you may spot a celebrity or two. The American Idol team arrived in Savannah yesterday morning to film auditions for the next season of the popular television show.