City: Savannah, GA

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (912) 236-7133

Address: 224 West St. Julian St.

Description: A classy local favorite for lunch or dinner is Cafe at City Market. This is a European-styled bistro that has maintained its popularity through the years with outstanding service, an old Savannah atmosphere, and a fabulous chef/owner at the helm. In the heat of summer, indoor dining is the choice. With original bricked walls, you’ll feel cool and removed from the summertime humidity. Sinatra and Nat King Cole are often played in the evenings, making diners pause as they reminisce while they enjoy their favorite pasta, pizza, salads, or entrees. If the weather permits, dine outdoors, and you’ll be sitting under an awning on an open-air deck “watching the world go by,” as owner and chef Matt Maher puts it. At either location, you choose from a menu that’s somewhat international in content and contains an item or two you’ve probably never encountered before, such as grilled cheese with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and prosciutto ham, or black bean pizza. Also featured on the lunch menu is the perennial-favorite Southern pecan chicken salad. The dinner menu offers specialties such as stuffed chicken with asparagus, prosciutto ham, and provolone cheese, and Cuban tuna with black beans. There’s room for 65 diners inside and 45 on the deck; you can smoke outside on the deck. Maher, who opened the cafe in 1991, recommends making reservations for dinner on weekends during the spring and summer. The restaurant is open Mon through Thurs 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri through Sat 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun noon to 9 p.m.