On Saturday night, to celebrate Kath’s first 1/2 marathon and Emily and Casey’s great finishes, the six of us decided to head up to Savor, a restaurant just outside of Uptown.  Kath and had been there before and one of Emily’s J&W’s professors owns the place.  As soon as Kath sent out the email and I followed the link to the restaurant’s menu, I was excited to get there and I knew exactly what I was going to have More on that later…

Kath, Matt, the Husband and I carpooled and met Emily & Casey there.  Before E&C arrived, we enjoyed the beautiful weather taking photos outside. 

The Husband got a kick out of the door.  He felt like it was something off of a submarine (metal with a porthole).

The Husband and I were surprised to see that Savor is across the street from Open Kitchen.  We’ve been to Open Kitchen a small handful of times over the past 2 1/2 years, on the original recommendation of our real estate agent.  It’s this hole in the wall Italian restaurant with plastic checkered tablecloths and some amazing fried chicken livers.

This neighborhood is definitely growing with its restaurant options.  A few days ago, I saw on Eat My Charlotte that The Burger Company just opened and we passed it on the way to Savor (not even a block away I think).

We got some quick shots (thanks to KathEats.com for all couple photos on this post) before heading inside to wait.

The inside of the restaurant was quaint.  The walls were all exposed brick, with lots of artwork, and bright sunshine from the many, many windows.  The restaurant’s not particularly big so we were sure to make a reservation!

While waiting for Emily & Casey, the four of us started looking through the menu.  I already knew what I wanted to eat, but I double checked that it was still on the menu! (It bothers me when restaurants change their menu in the restaurant and not on their website without noting on the website that the menu is subject to change.  Not a problem here though!)  I love how their menus are clipboards with the pages tied on with pretty ribbon.     

The two main sections I check out were the appetizers and entrees.

We all took a look at the wine and beer list as well.  While I was first closely examining the whites for a glass…

…the rest of the group examined the reds for a bottle to share.  After some quick tastings that our waitress brought us, we decided to go with the Viridian Pinot Noir from Oregon.  

Just as the bottle arrived, so did Emily & Casey!

  One last look at the Specials board, and we were ready to order!

To start, we decided to get two appetizers for the table: Pimento Cheese Dip and Chips and Hummus and Pita Wedges.

The pita chips were SO soft and pillowy.  I definitely used some to go with the pimento cheese as well.

The pimento cheese dip was good but not what I expected.  It was super smooth instead of the usual chunky dip I’ve had in the past.

Look at the great view of the city out the window!

For our entrees, the Husband went with the Pan Fried Chicken and Drunken Greens.  The chicken was fried and topped with cheese and bacon.  While the chicken was a little over fried for his taste, he really liked the topping.  The Drunken Greens were collared greens in a broth and perhaps some bacon.  We both really liked this!

The entree I ordered was the Pepper Stuffed with Mushroom Risotto over sauteed vegetables.  The online menu noted Yellow peppers but the restaurant menu just said “Pepper??? so I expected Red.  The peppers were nicely roasted with the skin removed and the risotto was rich and creamy.  The veggies of the night were green beans, sugar snap peas, and carrots (some nights they have brussel sprouts and/or asparagus).  They seemed to be glazed with a balsamic vinegar.  This dish totally met my expectation and I’m quite glad I ordered it! For any vegetarian readers, the waitress confirmed that this dish is completely vegetarian. 

When we were done with our entrees, the group considered dessert (all posted on the chalkboard), but decided we were all too full.  We spent probably another hour there just chatting away and catching up.  I’m going to miss these guys so much when we move!

As for Savor, the Husband and I definitely recommend it.  The food is tasty and very reasonably priced and the service is excellent.  Our waitress was very friendly and attentive and when Matt’s fish turned out to be overdone, they were reasonably apologetic and worked to make it right.  If we planned to be here longer, I think we’d definitely head there again!