Start dinner at Savannah Red with an innovative napolean of wild boar, fresh avocado, roasted corn salsa and chipolte crème fraiche.

SAVANNAH RED , Location: Marriott City Center Hotel, 100 W. Trade Street, Charlotte Phone: 704-358-6524 Details: Reservations suggested, no smoking, wines available by the glass and by the bottle, corkage fee-$8.50, valet parking, private dining areas. Prices: Entrées range from $16-$30. Hours: Dinner Only. Monday-Saturday, 5:30-10:00 p.m.

Savannah Red may be one of my favorite new Uptown restaurants. Worlds apart from standard hotel dining, Savannah Red, inside the Marriott City Center at Trade and Tryon streets, presents a dramatic, upscale ambiance. Cross the threshold and you'll find yourself in a culinary paradise featuring traditional Southern cuisine, presented in an imaginative style.

Like the food, the interior is bold and innovative. A large, ornate wrought iron and red glass chandelier takes center stage. Equally elaborate sconces hang on the restaurant's burnt peanut red walls. A mix of china, crystal and ceramic chargers and water goblets by N.C. artist Geoffrey Lloyd decorate the tables.

The room may be small, but the statement the space makes is large and impressive. With just 28 seats, personalized service from a superlative waitstaff makes the evening even more enjoyable.

Savannah Red's cuisine has its roots in the Old South, but talented, creative chef de cuisine Charles (Chuck) Nelson, adds a twist of New South sassiness.

After being served an amuse-bouche, or complimentary taste, of an appetizer and a wedge of warm French bread with a side of sweet Muscadine butter, my group started with the four appetizers on the menu. Grilled sea scallops with sautéed baby spinach in a pool of a rich and tasty caviar beurre blanc (butter sauce); large, yet tender, mustard-barbecued shrimp chilled and served atop a crunchy fennel slaw; an innovative wild boar napoleon layered with fresh avocado, roasted corn salsa and a chipolte crème fraiche; and a grilled duck breast, marinated, chilled, sliced and served with a sweet yet tangy cherry pineapple chutney atop leaves of Belgian endive and mixed baby greens were all served on small square white plates.

RATING SCALE Excellent, a must try. Above average, worth consideration. Average, but nothing spectacular. Just okay. Poor, not recommended.

The slightly spicy wild boar was probably the most interesting of the mix, but the tastes of the tender, sweet scallops blended with the rich caviar and butter sauce may have been my favorite selection. Sadly, this plate came to the table cold and would have been much better served hot on a slightly warm plate. The duck and shrimp were served cold, as intended, and I recommend both.

Two soups, served in china teapots and poured into warmed bowls tableside, were both delicious. The root vegetable consommé was rich and flavorful, while the crayfish bisque, with cognac and Madeira, was well seasoned and creamy, but not too thick.

We tried two of the three salads. First, a trio of corn-fried oysters was served on a bed of mixed greens surround by an orange chipolte glaze. The oysters were top-notch, but the glaze was too thick for the tender greens. My dining companions agreed the oysters would have been better dressed with the chipolte crème fraiche we had enjoyed with the wild boar. The other salad was a delightful plate of walnut caramelized baby beets served with fresh peppery arugula and a sharp, tangy leaf or two of frisée, a soft, light feathery member of the chicory family of greens. The flavor combination here was an outstanding blend. Salads were followed by a made-in-house sorbet, with flavors changing nightly. We enjoyed a tangy orange and tangerine varation.

There are five Savannah Red signature entrées, including a filet of buffalo, a not-so-traditional shrimp and grits, a tenderloin of pork au poivre, a pecancrusted grouper, and a "Southern-fried' sesame chicken roulade.

The buffalo was interesting but not as appealing as the peppery sliced pork, the rich, buttery grouper, or the shrimp and grits. Each entrée is enhanced with two sides. The grits were thick and almost al dente. Studded with sun-dried tomatoes, their flavor was terrific. Other sides included molasses and pancetta collard greens, honey truffle turnip hash, a creamy julienne of the root vegetable salsify, a sautéed swiss chard, a mushroom risotto, Gorgonzola mashed potatoes, and probably the best green beans I've ever eaten.

If the list of signature dishes doesn't tempt you, you may prefer to order a la carte from the broiler and select a filet mignon, veal chop, N.Y. strip steak, filet of halibut or breast of chicken simply broiled to order, topped with your choice of nine sauces.

Dessert and coffee will round out your dining experience. Selections are, in the tradition of Southern cooks, rich and full of fat and calories, but what a way to go. Desserts, including a house-made ice cream or sorbet of the day, are plated with a signature swirl of powdered sugar, innovatively flavored with either cocoa, cinnamon, or red powdered Jell-O. Select from a Krispy Kreme bread pudding bathed in a potent mix of bourbon sauce and crème anglaise; a banana pudding crème brulee, layered in a martini glass with vanilla custard, sliced bananas, and vanilla wafers capped off with a lightly toasted marshmallow cream; and a little chocolate something called Lucifer's Vice – the name here pretty much says it all – it's decadence on a plate. Now that's sassy.

For dessert, delve into Savannah Red's Lucifer's Vice to find a rich, warm chocolate center surrounded by dense chocolate cake.

Well-known Charlotte restaurant critic, food writer, cooking instructor and connoisseur of food and wine, Heidi Edidin writes "South Charlotte Weekly: Culinary Corner," a restaurant review or food feature that appears weekly. Contact Heidi with questions and restaurant, food or story ideas by email at heidi@southcharlotteweekly.com.

SCW photos by Sean Busher.

This article first appeared in "South Charlotte Weekly" on January 24, 2003. "South Charlotte Weekly" is a free, locally owned, independent newspaper that's "About the Community, For the Community," available every Thursday in South Charlotte and Uptown.

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