There are a few events every year that quietly tell you where a city really is. Not what it says it is becoming, but what it already is.
On paper, it sounds simple. A group of Savannah chefs. A farmers market. Good food. A good cause. Live music. But when you listen to how quickly chefs said yes, when you hear how personal this mission is to the people cooking, it becomes clear this is not just a party. It is a snapshot of a food community that knows exactly who it depends on.
“With the exception of a few scheduling conflicts, everybody was immediately on board,” says Chef Brandon Carter. “That really shows the strength of our food and beverage community and our willingness to come together for a common goal.”
Chef time is precious. Kitchens do not stop because a fundraiser is happening. For this many chefs to commit says something real about Savannah right now. It says collaboration still beats competition. It says relationships matter. And it says the Forsyth Farmers Market is not just a Saturday ritual, it is a backbone.
“There’s the obvious part,” Carter says. “We want to support the people growing the food we want to cook. But the farmers market is so much more than just Saturday. And that’s probably the part people know the least.”
That unseen work is exactly what this event supports. SNAP enrollment. Food access. Nutrition education. The 912 Food Pharmacy, where food is treated as medicine in partnership with the Chatham County Health Department.
“We don’t just sprout out of the ground on Saturday and disappear again,” says Asia Harrold of the Forsyth Farmers Market. “Everything costs money. This is our main fundraiser of the year.”
The food itself is intentionally paired. Chefs working with farmers, not extracting from them.
“Being a farmer is a tough grind,” Carter says. “It takes all the revenue streams to be successful. We want them selling at the market and delivering to restaurants and still being around five years from now.”
When guests arrive, they do not wait in endless lines or hover around a single table. They move. They taste. They talk. Thirteen restaurants, real access, real energy.
“It’s collaborative,” Carter says. “There’s good flow. No long lines. You can walk around and sample things from all over the city.”
And then there is the music, which quietly turns this from a tasting into a Savannah night.
The Intracoastal Playboys are playing. That matters. Anyone who has seen them l knows exactly what kind of mood that sets. Loose. Joyful. Familiar in the best way.
Add in signature drinks from some of the city’s best bar talent, oysters at the VIP hour, and suddenly this is not just a fundraiser. It is one of those nights you talk about later and say, yeah, that one felt right.
“Thirteen chefs. Live music. Great drinks,” Carter says. “I honestly don’t know why you would miss this.”
This is what Savannah looks like when it is healthy. When chefs show up. When farmers are respected. When food feeds more than just the people holding plates.
March 5th
Ships of the Sea Museum
Tickets available at: Chefsandfarmerssav.com
- Brochu’s Family Tradition – Andrew Brochu and Dave Baker
- Common Thread – Brandon Carter
- Cotton & Rye – Zach Shultz
- FARM Bluffton – Gavin Krooks
- Flora and Fauna – Annie Coleman
- Greenhouse Bluffton – Todd Harris and Jim Anile
- Husk Savannah – Jacob Hammer
- Late Air – Daniel Harthausen
- The Laundry Diner – Brian Fiasconar
- Lucia Pasta Bar – Kyle Jacovino
- Municipal Grand – Karim Elkady
- Uncle June’s Art Machine – Reid Henninger
- Veratina – James Ciminillo
- Sobremesa – Jason Restivo
- Strange Bird – Felipe Vera
- Tybee Oyster Co. – Chris Hathcock, Brian Wolfe, Laura Solomon and Perry Solomon
