Phantom Gourmet: Carribean-Southern Fusion At Savvor In Boston
BOSTON - Among the trendiest dishes in Boston right now are Chicken and Waffles, grilled Mexican street corn, and upscale macaroni and cheese. You can find some of the best at Savvor in Boston, which brings real Southern hospitality to the Northeast.
"Hospitality is in my bones. It's what I do," said General Manager Courtney McCall. "Walking through the dining room, I stop in at a table. I want to see how you're doing, see how you're enjoying your meal, and if there is something I can do to make it better, I'm definitely going to take care of it for you."
Located in Boston's Leather District, Savvor combines superior service with a menu boasting Caribbean classics and downhome southern specialties.
"The menu is awesome. It has a little bit of something for everyone," said Courtney. "It has a little bit of fusion of Caribbean and Southern style cuisine. You're not really going to find anything for a bikini body, but you can still come in, have something to eat and dance to the band after dinner."
She and owner Eddy Firman have created a comfortable space where customers feel at home the second they walk through the door.
"Savvor is just a place where people can go and have a great meal and hang out. We pride ourselves on having really great food, and just being a place where, I like to say, adults like to go and just let it all hang out," Courtney said.
"I want people to come in, enjoy the food, enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy the music, enjoy each other, the company, and enjoy themselves," Eddy added.
Since Eddy's family is from the Caribbean, he made sure there were chicken wings in an authentic jerk sauce and traditional tostones: fried plantain slices spiked topped something called 'jerked sugar'.
"It's a little brown sugar, a little white sugar, and some jerks seasoning so it gives it a little sweet and spicy kick to it," Courtney explained.
A must order at Savvor is the Tennessee Hot Fried Chicken, a plate that most definitely packs a punch.
"The hot fried chicken means it's going to come out nice and hot, but it's going to be a little spicy as well," said Courtney.
"It will definitely wake you up when you're eating it," Eddy added. "But it's something that one must try once they come here."
The peppery poultry can be ordered on its own, or served over some hot, toasty waffles for a flavor explosion in your mouth.
"Everyone talks about savory and sweet. Why not throw a little bit of spicy in there as well?" asked Courtney. "So we serve it over our buttermilk waffle and serve it with a side of maple syrup. Just all the sweet the savory, the spicy goes really, really well together."
Other southern staples include hearty New Orleans style Gumbo served steaming over rice, a Heritage Pork Chop over cheddar grits with black eyed peas, and creamy, dreamy Mac and Cheese.
"It comes out nice and bubbly- straight from the oven. You have to be careful; that plate is hot. But let me tell you, you're not going to want to wait."
The kitchen also likes to get creative with southern flavors, like a twist on Mexican style street corn, finished with honey bourbon butter and Cajun spices.
"The Bourbon Street Corn is a marriage between Bourbon Street in New Orleans and Mexican style street corn," Courtney explained. "So you have your corn on the cob. We take that and we grill it off, and what we do is we toss it in a bourbon butter and finish it off with our cayenne spices and house made ricotta cheese. It is so good. It goes down nice and easy."
As an homage to their neighbors in Chinatown, Savvor fries its catfish in a crispy tempura batter.
"It's where southern meets Asian cuisine. By adding the tempura, we kind of merged two together," Eddy stated.
"The fried catfish is a staple in the south, but typically it's more of a heavy preparation. Our preparation is nice and light," described Courtney. "It comes with a tempura batter. We fry it off really quickly in the fryer, finish it off with a little Kentuckyaki sauce - which is basically a southern style teriyaki sauce, some Chinese long beans and it's perfect."
The perfect way to end your meal is with a slice of Savvor's soon-be-famous Red Velvet Cake. Topped with buttermilk frosting and fresh coconut, it's a super-sized slice that's great for sharing.
Once you've spent some time savoring all they have to offer, you'll feel like you're part of the family.
"It's all about that family surrounding. You talk about southern style cooking. You talk about Caribbean style cooking. It's all based on family, and I think that when people come they know that they're part of us and we're not going to let them leave until they're smiling."
You can find Savvor at 180 Lincoln Street in Boston, and online at savvorbostonlounge.com.
Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.
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