A celebration of Brunswick stew and more from Savannah’s dining scene
January 2026 highlights include a new seafood restaurant in Savannah, the 26th annual Brunswick Rockin’ Stewbilee, a pop-up that pays homage to American steakhouses and a Savannah restaurant opening a second location in Bluffton, South Carolina.
Fishbar brings live-fire concept to Starland after delay
Fishbar, a Mediterranean-inspired live-fire seafood restaurant specializing in shareable plates, opened in December on Bull Street in Savannah’s Starland district. The seventh establishment in Anthony Debreceny’s Southern Cross Hospitality, Fishbar features an open kitchen with a custom-made, wood-fueled grill, a charcoal smoker and a dry ager.
Fishbar was originally slated to open in summer 2025. Debreceny said the delay was primarily because of the installation of a new hood system. The noise from construction impacted an upstairs tenant, so work was largely limited to Mondays.
After Debreceny acquired the location, which had previously been occupied by Squirrel’s Pizza, the idea was for a wood-fired restaurant using the existing pizza oven as the primary power source. But over time a vision of Mediterranean-inspired cuisine cooked over a live fire took shape, and the concept evolved dramatically. The group also parted ways with the original chef.
Executive chef Charles Alexander, formerly with the Fitzroy and Farm Bluffton, is working closely with the group’s culinary director, Daniel Rinehart, who has experience in Michelin-starred kitchens as well as Devin Finigan’s Aragosta at Goose Cove in Maine.
“The open kitchen fueled entirely by live-fire, (no gas stove here), brings an incredible energy to the dining room,” Rinehart said in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“It’s a challenge for the chefs to cook solely over fire and not have any gas burners to flip on, as well as cooking in front of the guests, where their every move is on display,” added Rinehart, “but they have a ton of fun cooking in this kitchen, and I think the guests can really feel that.”
Rinehart said the culinary team is sourcing seafood as directly as possible from the fishing communities that provide it and drawing on a variety of global influences to create a menu that matches the energy of the dining room. Menu items include a grilled Georgia shrimp dish with a Thai style yellow curry and a whole grilled snapper with escovitch sauce and a carrot-citrus mojo that draws on traditional Caribbean flavors.
“In a shared-plates restaurant, where guests order a variety of dishes rather than committing to one plated entree, I think it really brings a fun sense of adventure to have so many different flavors and influences on the menu,” Rinehart said.
Fishbar, which also has an original cocktail menu, is in the same block as the sister restaurant Ukiyo Izakaya and Ramen Bar. La Vetta, Southern Cross Hospitality’s eighth restaurant, will open in Savannah this year.
2218 Bull St., Savannah. 912-662-8837, fishbarsav.com.
Brunswick Rockin’ Stewbilee returns for 26th year
More than two dozen cooking teams will compete for awards for the best Brunswick stew at the annual Kiwanis Brunswick Rockin’ Stewbilee on Jan. 31 in Mary Ross Waterfront Park in Brunswick.
The daylong event also includes arts and craft vendors, live music, a dog parade and a classic car show. This year also marks the return of a 5K run.
Nearly 4,000 people attended the 2025 festival despite the event being delayed by a winter storm, according to event co-chair and social media manager Alicia M. Haynie. She said previous years had seen even higher attendance.
Haynie also said the Stewbilee and a Christmas tree sale are the biggest fundraisers each year for the Brunswick Kiwanis Club, which supports local youth programs and community initiatives.
The origins of Brunswick stew have long been debated, with both Georgia and Virginia claiming to be the birthplace. Georgia versions of the classic dish often rely on smoked meat, tomatoes and other vegetables, plus a variety of seasonings.
Advance tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children and can be purchased at the Golden Isles Welcome Center, 529 Beachview Drive, St. Simons Island.
Kiwanis Brunswick Rockin’ Stewbilee, Jan. 31, Mary Ross Waterfront Park, 10 F St. (Bay Street at Gloucester Street), Brunswick. goldenisles.com/brunswick-rockin-stewbilee.
Nom Nom Poke Shop opens second location in Bluffton, S.C.
Nom Nom Poke Shop, which opened in Savannah in 2019, launched its second location in Bluffton, South Carolina, in mid-November.
The menu at both locations includes a variety of signature bowls and a build-your-own bowl, in addition to side dishes. The new Bluffton restaurant serves beer, wine and sake and has a larger food menu than the flagship location in Savannah.
Owners Ashley and Harold Schroeter have lived in Bluffton since 2015 but didn’t think the town was a good fit for their first restaurant, so they opened the first Nom Nom Poke Shop on Bull Street in Savannah’s Starland district before looking for options closer to home.
“Once we caught wind of developments in the New Riverside area, we put out some feelers and two years later we opened Nom Nom Bluffton,” Harold Schroeter said.
The Bluffton location is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Nom Nom Poke Shop, 267 Parkside Commons in New Riverside Village, Bluffton, S.C. 843-815-0805; 1821 Bull St., Savannah. 912-777-4074, nomnompokeshop.com.
‘Eric Wareheim’s Steak House’ pop-up comes to Fleeting in Savannah
Comedian and cookbook author Eric Wareheim has teamed up with the hotel Thompson Savannah for the first of three pop-ups inspired by Wareheim’s most recent book, “Steak House: The People, the Places, the Recipes.”
The menu for Eric Wareheim’s Steak House on Jan. 13 at the hotel’s restaurant Fleeting will combine coastal cuisine with steakhouse classics, including mini popovers with whipped beef tallow, baked gulf shrimp in garlic-sherry butter, steak Diane, smoked Tomahawk steak and espresso martini baked Alaska.
In addition to a three-course meal, all attendees will get a copy of “Steak House: The People, the Places, the Recipes.” A selection from Las Jaras Wines, the winery where Wareheim is co-owner and winemaker, and a martini cart will be available for purchase.
After the pop-up in Savannah, Eric Wareheim’s Steak House heads to the Thompson Denver on Jan. 15 and Thompson Dallas on Jan. 28.
Eric Wareheim’s Steak House, $150 per person, 6-9 p.m., Jan. 13, Fleeting at Thompson Savannah, 201 Port St., Savannah. 912-521-6150, fleetingrestaurant.com/ericwareheim.
