Savannah welcomes acclaimed chef, new steakhouse and more coastal dining news
Savannah’s reputation as a culinary destination is getting a boost with the arrival of acclaimed chef Ari Taymor at the Thompson Savannah and the opening of steakhouse Marbled & Fin. The Fish to Fork culinary event returns for the 10th year to Amelia Island, and a Savannah restaurant has reopened after a 2025 fire.
Acclaimed chef takes over dining at Thompson Savannah hotel
Ari Taymor, who burst onto the national dining scene with the opening of his restaurant Alma in Los Angeles in 2012, is the new executive chef of the Thompson Savannah hotel in Eastern Wharf, a mixed-use development at the east end of River Street.
Taymor oversees the restaurant Fleeting, the adjacent Bar by Fleeting in the hotel lobby, Bar Julian on the rooftop and the bakery Stevedore, in addition to in-room service, events and special programming.
“I’m excited to join the Thompson Savannah team as we begin the hotel’s next culinary chapter — one that blends my market-forward philosophy with Georgia’s celebrated Southern bounty,” he said in a press statement.
Alma was honored as Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurant in America in 2013, and Taymor was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2014. He was a James Beard Foundation Rising Star semifinalist in 2014 and nominee in 2015.
Since closing Alma in 2015, he has been involved in diverse ventures, including bringing Alma to the Standard Hotel in West Hollywood, creating Little Prince in Santa Monica and working with the luxury hospitality project MUSA in Mexico. He guided restaurant operations for Ace Hotels across Los Angeles, Brooklyn and Sydney, and most recently worked with BBRG Restaurant Group in Miami, overseeing four restaurants.
Taymor, 40, had several reasons for wanting to move to Savannah. His wife gave birth to their second child in late March, and he thinks the area is great for young families.
When Taymor was about 23, he was deeply influenced by Edna Lewis’s seminal cookbook “The Gift of Southern Cooking” and its focus on stories, history and generational knowledge.
“Lowcountry cooking is very narrative driven,” he said in a recent interview. He emphasized the importance of emotion and nostalgia in both cooking and eating, though the chef and diner will experience nostalgia for different things.
He has already made changes to the Mediterranean menu at Bar Julian, emphasizing its role as a neighborhood restaurant and trying to better tell the story of the food through the lens of the Lowcountry.
Taymor is targeting early May for a new menu with a more contemporary structure at Fleeting. He wants customers to continue to have the option of a traditional three-course meal, but will create more opportunities for sharing plates and make fuller use of the restaurant’s wood-fired grill.
Thompson Savannah, by Hyatt. 201 Port St., Savannah. 912-790-1234, hyatt.com/thompson-hotels/en-US/savth-thompson-savannah/dining
Charleston steakhouse Marbled & Fin opening soon
The Savannah location of the Neighborhood Dining Group’s steakhouse concept Marbled & Fin is slated to open April 8.
The first location of Marbled & Fin launched in downtown Charleston, S.C. in 2024. The soon-to-open Savannah restaurant occupies a newly constructed two-story, 8,700-square-foot building at the corner of East Oglethorpe Avenue and Houston Street in the Historic District.
“We’ve been fortunate to be part of the Savannah restaurant community since we opened Husk here over eight years ago, and we’re honored to deepen our roots here with the opening Marbled & Fin,” said Kenny Lyons, president of he Neighborhood Dining Group.
The menu will include more than a dozen premium cuts of beef plus an array of raw bar offerings and lighter preparations including salads and small plates.
“My approach to this menu is centered on showcasing exceptional steak and seafood at the highest level, while also taking advantage of Savannah’s longer growing seasons,” said executive chef Jesse Kloskey, who cooked in Michelin-rated kitchens in Northern California for more than a decade.
Marbled & Fin’s beverage program will include signature cocktails, a wine list with more than 200 selections and a collection of rare single-barrel bourbon and rye whiskey offerings.
The restaurant’s full menu had not been published as of press time. Reservations can be made through the restaurant’s website and directly through Resy. Walk-ins will be welcome in the bar area and accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Marbled & Fin. 520 East Oglethorpe Ave., Savannah. 912-556-5200, marbledandfin.com
Amelia Island’s Fish To Fork event will celebrate 10th anniversary
The 10th annual Fish to Fork culinary event at the Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa on Amelia Island is scheduled for April 16-19.
“Fish to Fork has always been about creativity, community and connection to Amelia Island,” said Omar Collazo, executive chef at Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa. For the 10th anniversary festivities, the resort is bringing back some of the guests’ favorite chefs from previous events.
In addition to Collazo, the chef lineup for 2026 includes Kathleen Blake from Taste & Theory Division at Aimbridge Hospitality in Texas; Samuel-Drake Jones from Grand Army in New York City; Carlos Raba from Clavel in Baltimore; Waylon Rivers from The French Pantry and Little Miss Ha in St. Augustine; Kevin Tien from Moon Rabbit in Washington, D.C.; Joey Ward from Southern Belle and Georgia Boy in Atlanta; and Cesar Zapata from Phuc Yea in Miami.
The weekend lineup includes a welcome dinner, fishing excursions, a lunch that showcases the Omni’s Sprouting Project Garden and a competition among the chefs as they craft gourmet dishes live.
Fish to Fork Culinary Event, April 16-19. Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa, 39 Beach Lagoon Road, Fernandina Beach, Florida. 904-261-6161, omnihotels.com/hotels/amelia-island/things-to-do/fish-to-fork
Strange Bird reopens in Savannah
Strange Bird reopened in mid-March in the historic Streamliner diner in Savannah’s Victorian neighborhood, about 13 months after a fire forced it to close.
The structure was not heavily damaged by the fire, but Ashley Cope with FARM Hospitality Group said that the roof needed to be replaced and that the closure presented an opportunity for general refurbishment. The building is owned by the Savannah College of Art and Design, which recently reopened Bobbie’s Diner about six blocks away after extensive renovations.
Strange Bird is led by chef de cuisine Felipe Vera, who had been co-helming the restaurant with chef Daniel Aranza before the fire. Aranza is still with FARM Hospitality Group but has a different role, leaving Vera in charge of Strange Bird’s day-to-day operations.
Vera and the team have made few changes to the Mexican-inspired menu, but they did launch Strange Plates, a series of daily specials like a footlong glizzy (hot dog) and Modelo tallboy on Mondays, and dry-rubbed St. Louis-style ribs on Saturdays.
Strange Bird. 1220 Barnard St., Savannah. 912-250-9500, strangebirdsavannah.com
