(cont. pg 20)
WHERETOEATSAVANNAH.COM
course, anyone who knows Richmond Hill is aware
the town is where industrialist, Henry Ford had his
winter home. Hence there are street names such
as Ford Avenue. The rustic exterior Local on 17 is
appealing and nope, you won’t find valet parking,
have to dress up, or be
served an expensive plate
with a tiny serving on it,
and reservations are not
necessary but recommended
especially on weekends.
But… the taste says fine
dining with every bite and the
atmosphere is as welcoming
as home.
Jay Yancey is the owner
and he tells people “he’s the
owner and his wife, Mattie,
is the boss”. This combination
of husband and wife
works well in the restaurant
business since it is a 7 day
per week lifestyle. Both
are attentive in the kitchen
although Mattie is probably
more so in the back and she also involves herself
with more administrative work. Jay is out front with
the customers developing new friends and assuring
they are having a great experience. In fact, Jay tells
us many become friends and even call him on his
cell to let him know when they will be coming in.
By nature of the location, “Local” works well for
travelers who prefer more than to just pull off at an
exit for a quick bite. This makes the restaurant often
the destination within the destination for travelers.
The mayor of Naples, Florida comes in every time
he travels through and people from Massachusetts,
even Texas cattle country make The Local on 17 a
stop along the way. Locals living in the area are
fortunate to have it all the time.
The taste says fine dining with
every bite and the atmosphere is
as welcoming as home.
So why did a military man and a school teacher
start a restaurant? Both have an entrepreneurial
attitude. Mattie has the experience. Jay has the
incessant drive to make anything he does the best
it can be. So opening a restaurant was perfect.
Realizing the need for good seafood was the first
part, and adding the uniqueness of dry aged steaks
to the mix creates a niche in the area that is in
demand.
Jay worked in a
steakhouse while in college
but says that it was really not
on the scale of what they have
here. As an Army Ranger
prior to this, one aspect of
that experience is being
surrounded by guys with
sharp minds and dedication
that really inspires perfection
in everything. Literally, be all
you can be. Mattie taught
high school Spanish and
worked nights in restaurants
and even owned a couple
of restaurants before The
Local on 17. Jay says that
anyone who ever opened a
restaurant knows you need
someone who knows all of
the complexities of that task and Mattie has it down
with her years of experience.
They started as most Savannah area restaurants
do, with seafood. They endeavored to get as much
as possible local and fresh. Some items are seasonal
or not available locally yet expected, by their
patrons, to be on the menu so that is problematic
for all seafood places. Then the epiphany occurred.
Steaks. Not a throw it on the below flame leaving
grill marks and sling it on a plate, instead dry aged
and above flamed cooked like no one else does
quite this way in the Savannah area. It’s worth it and
presents more challenges than simply using frozen
product. This requires much more work to age it and
to hand cut the meat as opposed to grab it – precut
and frozen – and throw it on the grill.
A small but highly committed staff helps keep the
overhead in line so they can afford to offer steaks
like these that other restaurants may
5 WHERETOEATSAVANNAH.COM
All menu items and prices were provided to WTES and are subject to change.