The weeklong event will fill a traditionally slow week in the city’s cultural calendar. The festival has already attracted a good bit of local and regional press, and there are some fairly big names in the food and wine world who will be headed our way, including Rob Mondavi Jr., and visiting chefs Steven Satterfield, Hugh Acheson, and Chris Hastings.

As noted in a May piece in the Savannah Morning News, the event is an expansion of the Tourism Leadership Council’s annual Taste of Savannah. A big expansion.

I’m excited about the festival, but I honestly don’t know if I’ll end up going to any of it. As regular readers should know, even if they don’t believe it, I pretty much always pay my own way to events and restaurants that I end up writing about. I get press tickets for a few Savannah Music Festival shows each year, but I spend hundreds of dollars on tickets for myself and friends. I don’t like to be on “the list” at clubs, and it makes me nervous when restaurateurs and chefs recognize me and try to send free stuff over. I do get a press pass for the Savannah Film Festival, which I cover extensively, although that process has a couple of years proved quite frustrating.

So I’ve looked several times now at the schedule and prices of the impressive events lined up for the Food & Wine Festival. They look really good and — let’s be honest — quite pricy.

I might yet decide to splurge for a $195 seat at the Celebrity Chef Tour, a “collaboration dinner, featuring several award-winning James Beard Foundation Chefs” at 700 Drayton at the Mansion on Forsyth Park on Wednesday, November 13. But I’m not likely to spend that much for two tickets so I can take along a friend or a date, and it’s probably not the type of event one would enjoy alone, although I do enjoy dining alone pretty often.

The $39 tickets for Taste of Savannah in Ellis Square will probably sell really well, but I’m not sure who will turn out for some of the rest of the events. Maybe there will be a large demand for the Michael Mondavi Family Dinner at 8 p.m. on that Saturday, but the $225 cost seems prohibitive to me. Ditto for the $55 jazz brunch at the Westin on the festival’s final Sunday — one can typically enjoy a jazz brunch at the Aqua Star for somewhat less money.

Perhaps in future years, the Savannah Food & Wine Festival will find a way to incorporate more of the work of local chefs and restaurants. Maybe there will be more populist events that include traditional Lowcountry foods like boils, BBQ, and soul food. Maybe there’s a way to emphasize locally sourced ingredients as the inaugural Revival Fest hopes to do.

Perhaps there will be more events like the recent “Smack down” between Roberto Leoci and Jesse Blanco described with great energy at Eat It and Like It.

Of course, it’s possible that the first Savannah Food & Wine Festival will be so popular that it won’t need to do any of these things I’m imagining.

Maybe wealthy retirees and the business community will step up to the plate in a big way, as they have for so many cultural events in Savannah, and be joined by a variety of younger professionals and well-to-do tourists. I guess we’ll see.

Let me finish by saying how much I love the festival’s official poster, designed by a SCAD student I count among my broad network of downtown friends, Nuntanut Sathityatiwat, aka Nat.

Just take a look at Nat’s poster, with the buggy and the pedicab, the live oak and Spanish moss, the corkscrew, the strawberry dipped in chocolate — and all presented so elegantly and simply. I’d say it’s one of the best festival posters we’ve seen around here in recent years. Click on through to get to the festival’s Facebook page:

And today there’s news of Two more craft breweries planned from Adam Van Brimmer at the SMN. From that piece:

Two craft beer producers plan to open facilities late this year or early next year. Service Brewing is renovating the Coastal-Sail building on West River Street for a 30,000-square-foot manufacturing plant while Coastal Empire Beer Co. has leased the former Pepsi bottling plant near the Derst Baking Co. for its brewery.

And this is not just a Savannah trend. Check out this slideshow at Access Atlanta of smiling (hopefully not drunk) young entrepreneurs who own breweries and brewpubs in the state. The focus is on the Atlanta metro area with a couple of Athens businesses thrown into the mix.

I guess it’s possible that this interest in microbrews and the like is a distinct cultural phenomenon, but it sure seems in keeping with the growing demand for organic, sustainable, and locally sourced food.

On my first anonymous trip, I tried a tartine ($7.99), which is defined as a “French open-faced sandwich.” The relatively thinly sliced bread was covered with an unusual combination that included duck confit, pecans and caramelized onions.

The rich flavors were balanced just right.

The menu changes daily – maybe even several times a day – depending on what sells, what’s fresh, and what co-owner and chef Herve Didailler wants to whip up in his large kitchen.

But expect to find some combination of tarts, tartines, salads, heartier entrees, side dishes and desserts like madeleines, brioche and fresh ginger fruit salad. (On that first trip, I was tempted by a beautiful curry dish and a side of raisin rice.)

While Papillote might specialize in to-go orders, I enjoyed my first meal at the communal table that seats as many as eight.

There’s room for a couple of other small tables and maybe even a few seats outside. Those may come in due time, according to co-owner Ann Marie Apgar, but for now the focus is providing the best possible service to the customers who come to the counter.

Apgar’s background is in interior design, with special expertise in sustainability and energy conservation. With that resume, she was especially happy to work with Melaver Inc. on the build out of the bright, airy cafe.

Well, I found out via Papillote’s Facebook page today that Chef Herve and Ann Marie have sold the business — including the recipes — to a new owner who takes over on Monday. It’s possible that there will little or no change, but Papillote diehards sure seem upset today.

Given my day job at Armstrong, I haven’t been nearly as flexible at lunch time as I used to be, so I confess I haven’t eaten at Papillote in ages. But it seems to be bustling every time I walk past. There were years when I complained routinely about the lack of French cuisine in Savannah; Papillote has helped fill that niche gloriously for the past four years.

Here’s hoping the new owners can figure out how to make a great business even better — or at least keep it just the same.

A great photo via Facebook:

Acheson owns Five and Ten and The National in Athens and Empire State South in Atlanta. He also has won the James Beard Foundation Award.

From the interview:

Letâ€s talk about your new restaurant in Savannah. How did you decide on Italian?

Savannah has had iconic restaurants throughout the years but can use some new blood, and I wanted to stay in Georgia. Kyle Jacovino (the executive chef to-be) [whose currently at Five and Ten] is Italian by heritage and recently spent time in Italy. I believe in the Italian style of cooking and in the beauty of food. Iâ€ve been cooking French for so long that itâ€s nice to break away and do something different. Thereâ€s a definite kinship between beautifully sourced Southern food and the way Italians have cooked for years. Thereâ€s a reverence for simplicity on both sides.
Think about restaurants like City House in Nashville and Il Buco Alimentari in New York …

What type of menu items will you serve?

A lot of local seafood because Tybee Island and Brunswick, Ga., are right there, and we can get some awesome product. Wood-fired oven cooking. Beautiful octopus. Local shrimp. Anson Mill southern grains like farro. Double Zero flour for pizzas. Itâ€ll be a restaurant that appeals to you for a number of reasons. Weâ€ll have 12-inch pizzas, pastas, and vegetable courses.

When I have double-confirmed the proposed location (assuming that anyone will go on the record), I’ll post an update here. Hint: Acheson notes that the building was an ice house at one point in its history.

UPDATE: Jesse Blanco has a post here. And Hugh Acheson has tweeted confirmation that the restaurant will be part of the One West Victory development, on Victory Drive near the intersections of Bull and Whitaker:

Working on it. #savannah instagram.com/p/X77N4DnEBW/

— hugh acheson (@HughAcheson) April 10, 2013

Click here for more on the One West Victory development.

Griff and Cheryl Day of course own Savannah’s Back in the Day Bakery, a phenomenally successful small business at the corner of Bull and 40th streets.

From the program’s Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook is a throwback to simpler times:

Complete with flowered tablecloths and old-time aprons, Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Ga., is definitely a vintage land. Itâ€s a throwback to the imagined comfort zone of 1940s and ’50s, when baking from scratch was a badge of honor. Looking into the cases at Back in the Day, youâ€d think you were at a community bake sale maybe 60 years ago.

Owners Cheryl and Griffith Day make it all happen: She does the sweets, he does the breads. Together theyâ€ve written The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook.

Lynne Rossetto Kasper: In the photo of you two on the cover, you look like an ad from a 1950s magazine. Youâ€re in that gray dress with the apron. Griffith is in the plaid shirt with the shorts and the white socks.

Cheryl Day: People thought that was styling, but thatâ€s really Cheryl and Griffith Day.

The whole piece is definitely worth a read or a listen:

“The Splendid Table” also posted a couple of great images on their Facebook page, including this one of Cheryl’s Chocolate Heaven Cake:

Congrats to Griff and Cheryl on their ongoing success and thanks to them for continuing to put Savannah in such a glowing spotlight.

Before presenting some easy-to-share recipes like Pecan-Cheddar Pennies and Benne Sticks, Anderson talks about the history of Southern hospitality at Christmas, including this snippet:

Gift-giving was transformed, too—by the Great Depression and then by World War II rationing. Lucky the neighbor or relative back then who received a tin of home-baked cookies or cheese coins. And lucky the recipient today. In my neck of the woods, we practice the tradition of toasting the season with “y’all come” open houses.

And Savannah’s Damon Lee Fowler gets a nice mention:

What Savannah, Ga.-based food historian Damon Lee Fowler recalls are the tons of pecan-cheese wafers and Graham cracker-coconut-pecan bars his mother made for church receptions.

For more from Fowler, check out Savannah Morning News columns like the recent ‘A Savannah Christmas’ offers inspired Southern recipes and take a look at the blog on his website, which features a variety of Southern dishes.

An interesting discussion of similar issues from Grist.org this week: Blame it all on my roots: Local food sees a resurgence in the South.

From the piece, referring to the Alabama All-Star Food Festival:

Just 10 years ago it would have been impossible to draw 500 participants and over 30 food vendors and producers to an event focused on local, sustainable food. And the Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network (ASAN) has a lot to do with the grassroots movement behind the change. For a decade the nonprofit has been gathering small-scale farmers and ranchers throughout the state in an effort to organize, educate, and network producers and consumers.

“Most of us are contrary farmers. We like to work independently,” says Tom Simpson, executive director of ASAN. “So asking them to participate in an association is difficult. We recognize that and we donâ€t want to be making edicts to farmers out of Montgomery.”

ASAN has created a food guide (soon to be available online) to connect people to healthy food in the Huntsville, Birmingham, and Mobile areas. Theyâ€ve also recently turned their efforts toward policy in the state capital of Montgomery.

“Weâ€re trying to pass a bill that offers restaurants a 4 percent sales tax rebate when they buy food locally,” says Simpson. “Weâ€d like Alabama to follow North Carolina and incentivize state institutions to buy 10 percent of their produce from state farmers.”

For those interested in the spread of local food, slow food, and other movements, the piece is well worth a read, especially for the discussion of public policy and economic benefits.

My main point in that post was going to be about the public relations aspect. Here’s part of what I wrote in that draft post on the 17th of Jan.:

From the message from Deen on that Novo Nordisk website, Diabetes in a New Light :

When I found out I had type 2 diabetes, I didn’t know exactly what it meant. But after talking with doctors, and my family and friends, I learned that living with diabetes didn’t mean that I had to also settle for less.

My sons Bobby, Jamie and I have teamed up with Novo Nordisk to create a program that will help you better manage your diabetes. We’re sharing some of our favorite recipes, lightened up, and creating new diabetes-friendly options that everyone will love. We’re also going to offer tips and advice to help you stay on track.

If you’re anything like me, you may need a little extra helping of positivity and support. That little extra is really what Diabetes in a New Light is all about. When you look at managing your diabetes in a new light, with healthy habits and a little encouragement, and a treatment plan that works for you, you can manage your diabetes and manage to live the life you want.

I think this is a big gamble for Deen, her company, and for Novo Nordisk. On the one hand, maybe she can genuinely educate people about how to manage type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, all parties in this venture have invited irony, scrutiny, and lots of jokes. Deen’s cookbooks have been pointed out as promoting a variety of health problems. . . .

****************************

I never ended up finishing that post, but I’ve decided to dig it up today.

Before I continue, let me add that I have the upmost respect for Paula and her sons Jamie and Bobby, all of whom I talked to for columns long before they made the big time. I was the first person to report on The Lady & Sons’ move to their current restaurant location. I still like them personally and am friendly with people who work for the company.

I decided to weigh in now because I feel like we’re actually beginning to see an interesting discussion of some of the underlying issues about how Americans eat.

There are a couple of interesting pieces from the Huffington Post on this issue today.

Paula Deen Shocked By Lack Of Public Support Following Diabetes Announcement goes into some of the entirely predictable PR storm and notes that her fellow celebrity chefs are wary of being publicly supportive, in part because of the delay in announcing the news and because of the paid gig with the pharmaceutical company.

Of much more interest, food writer Kristin Wartman’s Paula Deen: From Big Food to Big Pharma extends the conversation in relevant ways:

Personal responsibility and consumer choice are solutions heralded by conservatives and liberals alike–the idea being that ultimately good health comes down to what we choose to buy and eat. But it’s not that simple.

There are three main issues when it comes to the myth of personal responsibility about food choice and they get at the root of our nation’s health crisis: The public’s confusion about nutrition; the lack of time and knowledge when it comes to real home cooking; and the promotion of quick fixes like drugs, diet foods, and fads in lieu of addressing underlying causes. The Paula Deen diabetes story manages to hit on every single one of these issues.

Wartman in particular notes that fat keeps getting mentioned at the top of the list of problems with Deen’s and others’ recipes, but that’s really not the main issue:

The issue that mainstream media has largely overlooked is that Deen uses the processed, packaged versions of these foods, which are full of chemicals, additives and trans-fats. Actual home cooking would require whipping these foods up herself in her kitchen using real ingredients. And that is the real story behind Deen’s diabetes diagnosis: Her health problems are largely due to her reliance on packaged, processed foods that are the foundation for many of her recipes. [. . .]

But the most recent research indicates that when it comes to diabetes, fat is not the problem. The problem foods are sugar, refined white flour, chemical additives, artificial sweeteners and flavors, trans-fats, and the various other chemicals and additives found in the processed foods that abound in Deen’s recipes.

Southern cooking does not have to involve all of those processed foods — in fact, traditional Southern cooking predates all of those processed foods. As I said in a recent column about the wonderful new Cafe Florie here in Savannah: Traditional Southern cuisine has nothing to do with can openers but with using fresh ingredients, making do with whatâ€s on hand and maximizing taste.

I also recently posted NYT: Growing number of Southern farmers “want to reclaim the agrarian roots of Southern cooking, restore its lost traditions and dignity”. That post and the NYT article it references discuss some of these same issues.

Sure, no matter how fresh and homemade, there are some foods that are going to contribute to high blood sugar more than others. But it sure would be interesting to see what would happen if the public health initiatives concentrated more on encouraging the use of non-processed ingredients as the top priority.