"Southerners have never been afraid of seasoning. It's kind of  

the other way around — our seasoning is afraid of us."  

 —Paula Deen 

Great Southern Food and Hospitality: The Lady & Sons 

Born in Albany, Georgia, the host city of the University of Georgia, Paula Deen moved to Savannah in 1989. Since then, she has cooked up a storm serving millions of hungry folks here in Savannah and her restaurants located across the country. 

Just so we're clear: My favorite Paula Deen recipe is her Spicy Black Bean Soup. Like Borscht, I can never get enough. A Russian like me is always partial to a good dose of garlic in any prepared meal, but my theory is that adding the lime juice brings out the rich flavor I find so addicting in her black bean soup. 

Located only two blocks from my art gallery at 102 West Congress Street in the heart of downtown Savannah, Paula's landmark restaurant — painted en Plein air here — is named Lady & Sons. Nearly everyone has heard of it before their arrival in Savannah, and most out-of-town visitors head there straightaway for lunch on their first day in the city.  

Look close enough at the building in which Paula's restaurant is located, and you can still see the markings of the long-serving White Hardware Company imprinted on its outside walls.   

Paula Deen's restaurant offers good eaters her unique brand of Southern hospitality and Southern food, both given in genuinely delicious and generous portions. Her sons, Jamie and Bobby, are her partners. 

Deen's story in Savannah began with her initial venture in the food business she called The Bag Lady. She prepared quick meals of sandwiches and tasty side treats for home and business delivery. Later, she served five years at a local hotel as its head chef, perfecting her craft.  

And then fate appeared out of nowhere a decade later — when her appearance on the Food Network brought an offer for her solo television show: Paula's Home Cooking. Deen was an instant hit and natural performer on camera. Celebrity status was her reward and, at times, an unwanted curse. 

Probably no other Savannahian gained more fame and celebrity among Americans over the past two hundred years than has Paula Deen. Of course, Savannah has a much longer history, but that's still saying a lot. That said, I think it's fair to say that the status as the most celebrated person ever associated with Savannah belongs to George Whitefield, founder of the Bethesda Orphanage located just outside the city and the namesake to Whitefield Square (see PFS-71). 

When George Washington was just a boy living on his father's Ferry Farm in Virginia, George Whitefield was the most famous man in America. His esteemed status evolved from his traveling ministry and continuous evangelical preaching to millions of Americans from Savannah to Boston. His dramatic style enthralled large audiences throughout Great Britain, but especially here in its American colonies. 

His inspired endeavor was to build an orphanage in Savannah after his arrival here in 1738 to take over the pulpit as the parish priest at Christ Church (see PFS-27). He needed to raise funds to accomplish that mission, which he did by preaching on the road, becoming America's spiritual founding father in the process. Many historians consider Whitefield's teaching a vital prelude to the American Revolution. 

Celebrity status has drawbacks. Though living 280 years apart, both George Whitefield and Paula Deen experienced the downside of fame right here in Savannah—proving some things in American life never change. Neither, though, was famo