B. Matthew's Eatery ★ 4.3
B. Matthew's daily brunch board runs from breakfast classics to fried-green-tomato Benedicts and shrimp and grits in a brick-walled 1850s East Bay room.
Order: Fried green tomato and crab cake benny
History
Fried green tomatoes are an old Southern tradition for using under-ripe tomatoes at the end of the season; the dish became nationally famous through the 1991 film of the same name. In Savannah they appear on every Southern brunch and lunch menu, often topped with crab cake (Lowcountry adaptation) or as a sandwich base.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 4 large firm green (unripe) tomatoes, sliced 1cm thick
- 120g plain flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten with 60ml buttermilk
- 150g yellow cornmeal
- 60g panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
- Neutral oil for shallow-frying (peanut or canola)
- Remoulade or hot sauce to serve
Method
- Pat the tomato slices dry with a paper towel. Season lightly with salt and let rest 10 minutes; pat dry again.
- Set up three shallow bowls: flour in the first; egg-buttermilk in the second; cornmeal mixed with panko, salt, pepper and cayenne in the third.
- Dredge each slice in flour (shake off excess), then dip in the egg mixture, then press firmly into the cornmeal coat.
- Heat 1cm of oil in a cast-iron skillet to 175C (350F). Fry slices in batches, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp.
- Drain on a wire rack (not paper towels, which steam the crust). Sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve hot with remoulade or hot sauce.
Tip from the editors. Green tomatoes must be firm and truly unripe; ripe tomatoes turn to mush in the fryer. Cornmeal plus panko gives the best crackle.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat fried green tomatoes
Fried green tomatoes in Savannah
Crystal Beer Parlor ★ 4.3
Crystal's $15 burgers, $12 fried green tomatoes and $14 she-crab soup keep a 1933 historic-pub lunch under $20. Dark booths, long draft list, no reservations.
Try: Crystal burger and Southern pub plates
The Olde Pink House ★ 4.6
The Olde Pink House occupies a 1771 Georgian mansion on Reynolds Square. Formal upstairs dining and Planters Tavern walk-up basement, Balish 1992 restoration.
Vic's on the River ★ 4.3
Vic's runs in a restored 1859 cotton warehouse on Bay Street, river views from the upstairs dining room. Classic Lowcountry with white-tablecloth service.
Signature: Shrimp and grits, She-crab soup
Order: Shrimp and grits with the Carolina shrimp sauce, plus a she-crab soup to share.
Tip: Ask for an upstairs window seat at reservation time for the Savannah River view.
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