By Vanessa Lantos Daly (Spicy Melon)
Amid disaster and struggling small businesses, my social media has never looked so community-oriented. “Support small businesses, get something delicious for a good cause!”—that’s the vibe from local restaurants everywhere.
It’s been heartwarming and dangerous to scroll through these posts. Sticking to my raw food diet a few days a week for health reasons? Nearly impossible. Unless, of course, you’re visiting Brighter Day or Good Fortune Market for their produce—that’s a solid way to stay on track.
Another option is hitting up the Forsyth Park Farmers Market on Saturdays to stock up on fresh, seasonal, high-quality ingredients for homemade meals. Plus, it’s a great way to share meals with folks who lost power for over a week and had everything in their freezers go to waste.
While Reddit is usually 90% questions about where to eat and what to do in Savannah—plus the obligatory rants about the city’s rising cost of living—this post really felt like the community came together for once.
Circa 1875 holds an event to help Asheville
While Savannah faced plenty of wind damage, fallen trees, and debris, it couldn’t compare to the destruction some cities in North Carolina endured after Hurricane Helene.
Inspired by the community events and pop-ups happening around Savannah over the past few weeks, Circa 1875, a French bistro, decided to host their own event. This past Monday, the 7th, they held an “Asheville Relief Silent Auction.”
The night featured live music by Eric Culberson and had an impressive turnout, with a generous list of donors, including gift certificates from local restaurants and shops.
It was a beautiful night full of music, champagne toasts and generous bids left and right.
Ahron took over the mic to announce the winning bids and raffle results, and the bartenders were in full swing, including Chris with his electric energy.
All items were auctioned off, and raffle tickets were sold for items that didn’t receive bids.
Sobremesa holds a Spanish wine benefit night to help Finches
Following last Wednesday’s benefit night at Sobremesa restaurant and wine bar, where they donated 20% of all sales to the recovery funds for Good Fortune Market, they decided to keep the momentum going with a Thursday benefit night. This time, the 20% donation from all sales went to Finches, a locally-owned sandwich shop in Thunderbolt.
Finches shared a heartfelt post about how much the week-long closure without power impacted their business: “We are too small a business to endure a week of closure. Too small to lose all of our inventory. Too small to ensure the financial safety of our staff when things go wrong.”
This particular night was extra special, featuring two Spanish winemakers and showcasing Spanish wines from Bodegas Yllera, plus Spanish gin. Their menu included a specialty gin cocktail and a wine flight to easily sample all the wines alongside their inventive dishes.
Once again, the turnout was incredible. Sobremesa has been offering an outstanding menu each week with a curated wine list to complement their specialties. Jason Restivo joined Ryan Ribeiro as a partner about a year ago, and the menu has since evolved into a full-scale restaurant, whereas they previously focused on small plates and appetizers.
My favorite addition: bacon-wrapped dates—a classic delicacy from the now-closed Atlantic restaurant.
They also feature daily wine specials by the glass, with a select white or red for about $7. It’s an excellent way to discover new wines.
A bit of sunshine after the rain
I wrote this article to highlight some of the wonderful things happening amidst the tragedy and chaos, and to inspire you to keep supporting small local businesses in every way possible. The restaurants and shops you love will only survive if the community stands behind them. Natural disasters will happen, but a strong community can make all the difference.
Even helping out friends who endured (some for almost two weeks) without power makes a huge impact.
It’s easy to feel that urgent need to help the day after a disaster. The desire to jump in is strong in the moment. But often, the momentum fades after a week, when our own lives pull us away from the news we were glued to. Especially when social media and the news are designed to shock and never take a day off.
But I feel strongly that we need to keep the support going. Make a conscious effort to visit a local shop a couple of times a week, even if it’s just to buy a few apples and carrots like I do. Or treat yourself to lunch at a local spot. Everyone’s circumstances and possibilities are different.
It’s so much more dignified and helpful to support each other than to shake our fists angrily at the sky—even though that feels great in the moment. Do both if you need to, but keep going.
Endless little acts of support—they all matter.
Love always,
Vanessa