As Bobby Deen tells it, when he and his family moved to Savannah 20 years ago, the then-high school senior thought it was “absolutely the worst thing that had ever happened.” But blessings, he says, come in strange packages, and he now considers Savannah the best thing that ever happened to him.
Of course, the Albany, Georgia native is a member of Food Network royalty, led by Deen dynasty matriarch and Savannah’s first “Lady,” Paula Deen—a renowned Southern chef, bestselling author, Savannah tourism bellwether and TV ratings giant. The family restaurant, The Lady and Sons—which is located one block from AVIA Savannah—attracts around a half-million diners each year. Bobby’s two popular cookbooks (co-penned with his brother, Jamie Deen) and Food Network show, “Road Tasted,” have made him one of Savannah’s favorite “adopted” sons (not to mention, Bobby was named one of People magazine’s “50 Most Eligible Bachelors” in 2006!). “I try not to ever speak in absolutes, but I think Savannah will be my home forever,” he says. “It’s the right size, it’s the right pace, the people are nice, the climate is nice, this is where my family is, and it’s just been so great to us. I love everything about this city.”
The Lady & Son's