FARM Hospitality Group's Flora and Fauna opens May 22 in former Back in the Day Bakery space
Just three months after the venerable Back in the Day Bakery closed after 22 years at the corner of Bull and 40th streets in the Starland District, Flora and Fauna blooms in its place with the same intention to create community around good food.
The latest entry by the FARM Hospitality Group into the Savannah market, Flora and Fauna marries the downhome tastes of the space’s former owners (think Cheryl Day’s buttery, layered scratch biscuits and charmingly distressed wallpaper) with an authentic French pâtisserie and bistro.
Flora and Fauna officially opens May 22, beginning with breakfast and lunch service to include coffee and pastries, sandwiches and salads. From 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on weekends, the menu will showcase a more “robust brunch menu,” according to FARM Hospitality Group partner and executive chef Brandon Carter. And beginning on or around June 8, Flora and Fauna will begin accepting reservations for its supper club, a three-course, pre fixe menu for $55 per person.
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Authentic French bistro fare in the heart of Savannah
Annie Coleman, the former chef de cuisine for FARM’s Wildflower Café at Telfair, moves into the role of executive chef at Flora and Fauna. Coleman attended culinary school in Paris, where she lived for two years. She missed the corner bistros so prevalent throughout France.
“I really like having this little neighborhood spot so that I can just anchor myself,” said Coleman, who cannot wait to share her passion for “really good French butter” and fresh-baked breads with Flora and Fauna patrons. “It’s a concept that I’ve always wanted to be able to bring locally… The ingredients, just the produce that grows around here, lends itself to both [French and Southern] cuisines so easily. There’s a lot of older Southern dishes that are French-inspired or were brought over by the French to this area.”
In addition to Cheryl’s biscuits with add-ons, the breakfast menu will include croissants and other pastries. Lunch will feature Parisian-style ham cured in-house, shrimp, fried chicken and big leafy green salads. Dishes will make the most of seasonal ingredients.
“We’ll be rolling right into corn season,” said Carter. “There’s this corn bisque we serve over at Wildflower that will be on there.”
Coleman described its creamy coconut milk base. “It has a little bit of jalapeño for a little bit of heat. But it really tastes like that first burst of summer.”
New café adds to FARM's story
Flora and Fauna captures the ethos and playfulness of the FARM Hospitality Group philosophy to make the most of fresh, seasonal ingredients served in inventive and intentional ways. The “Flora” side of the name is more feminine and a nod to the “flour” that goes into the breads and pastries that will fill out not only the bistro’s menu, but also FARM’s other Savannah eateries — Common Thread, Wildflower Café and Strange Bird. The “Fauna” is a bit more masculine and evokes FARM’s devotion to coastal Georgia’s bountiful fishers, growers and artisans.
Carter looks for gaps in the market for ways to honor the relationships he has built with farmers and purveyors as well as to grow opportunities for FARM’s team. “Our entire team are all folks already in our organization. They’re elevating into new roles. They understand who we are. They are excited to carry on the tradition that we started,” said Carter. “It helps us to tell our story and to continue the excellence of what we’ve done in other places… We’re creating opportunities for them and it’s creating stability for us.”
Coleman added, “I loved running Wildflower, but I'm a baker, and so having the opportunity to step into a role that I was really excited about because they recognize me, that is really meaningful for our group.”
Amy Paige Condon is a content coach and editor at the Savannah Morning News. You can reach her at ACondon@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Flora and Fauna opens May 22 in former Back in the Day Bakery space
