Savannah Beach — Crafty Palate

“Oh yeah, Crafty Palate, we should go there sometime” is something I’ve said to my wife at least a dozen times as we were drove through downtown, usually on our way to a different bar or restaurant.

But we never made it there, and apparently we weren’t the only ones. The downtown Lansing eatery, which opened in March 2015, is closing its doors Wednesday. (See New In Town, p. 22, for details.)

So this week, I decided to stop in for a hello/goodbye drink. As I scanned the cocktail menu, in desperate need of a pick-me-up to get me out of the polar vortex blues, I quickly locked in on the Savannah Beach.

This decidedly un-wintery cocktail features Bacardi rum mixed with lime, cherry and pineapple juices and ginger ale. As the bracing wind blew snow across downtown sidewalks just a few feet away, I sat at the bar, sipping my tropical drink and, for a brief moment, pondered living somewhere where the weather isn’t actively trying to kill me.

It was a brief escape, but Michigan winters are long and mean. I’ll take what I can get.

Crafty Palate

8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday 333 S. Washington Square, Lansing (517) 657-2303, thecraftypalate.com

What’s your favorite dish/drink?

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