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By Shane Gilreath
It was announced this week that Paula Deen and her sons, Jamie and Bobby, were closing their flagship store, The Lady & Sons, in Ellis Square in Savannah, Georgia. It was the restaurant that made her famous outside the city and became a genuine staple for the Gilreath family every time we were in the area. Having many memories there, we were inevitably saddened by the closure. From the kids frolicking in the splash pad (even against our wishes) to the horse and buggy rides that fascinated equine-obsessed Bay, Ellis Square is a special place, and naturally – and, perhaps, oddly, for a restaurant – The Lady & Sons will always hold a very special place in our hearts. As obsessed with horses as Bay was – and she was horse mad – Jenna, now 20, was equally obsessed with Paula Deen. I’m positive she thought the Savannah cook hung the moon. For as long as she could express herself, she loved to cook (or, as dependent on delicate years, pretend to), and as long as she loved to cook, she worshiped Paula Deen. If she saw Paula in public – on a magazine cover or on a television screen – she’d yell “DEEN!” at the top of her lungs and you’d know to stop and let her bathe in the presence of her heroine. If time did not allow it, fits were properly thrown. If you’ve never stood in a store aisle with a toddler gawking lovingly at Paula Deen, at times giggling and arms outstretched, it’s an experience all its own, but Deen – and, particularly, her staff at The Lady & Sons – earned our admiration in the summer of 2015.
In July of that year, my family suffered a house fire, and the kids particularly lost everything they owned. As life hung in the balance, we decided to temper our hotel living and leave town. We ended up in Savannah at The Lady & Sons. Perhaps, we’ve been in grander places, but no staff has ever treated us better. If you never visited The Lady & Sons, it was part gift shop, part restaurant, and there was often a queue to be seated. As soon as the staff learned our story, via small talk in line, they treated us – and more importantly, Jenna and her sisters – like VIP guests. Jenna, Kaitlyn, and Bay bought a toy cooking set that year, Paula Deen approved. We ate gourmet plastic delicacies for months afterward. But as we were leaving the store, the staff humbled and left us speechless, as they presented Jenna with a signed copy of Deen’s children’s cookbook. The thought of the gesture still leaves me a little misty eyed. It meant the world to Jenna then – and me always. I am ever grateful for their kindness to a child whose life had been uprooted. Although we live close enough to the Pigeon Forge and Nashville stores, to which the Deen family now turn their attention, The Lady & Sons can never be replaced in our affections. So, I messaged the store this week – just two days after we discussed a trip to Savannah – and on the day they announced their departure. It felt important to let them know our story, the tiny role the staff played in our lives, and the impact they leave. Though we wish we could visit one last time, they take with them our eternal gratitude….and our “best dishes” for their futures.