Clary's Cafe from "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"

Apr 13

Apr 13 Clary's Cafe from "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"

LOCATION:

Clary's Cafe, as seen in the film "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil", and written about in John Berendt's book of the same name.

ADDRESS:

Clary's Cafe
404 Abercorn Street
Savannah, GA
claryscafe.com

STORY & PHOTOS:

I recently took a trip to Savannah, GA, and became mildly obsessed with the book/movie/lore of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil".

It's a nonfiction book written by John Berendt, former editor of New York Magazine, based on his experiences in Savannah. The book portrays some of Savannah's most colorful characters, such as party boy Joe Odom, club performer Lady Chablis, and antique-seller and restorer Jim Williams.

One of the Savannah locations featured in the book and the movie is Clary's Cafe. Book author John Berendt (portrayed in the film by John Cusack) made Clary's part of his morning routine; he would go there, eat breakfast, pick up some gossip, and observe the town eccentric, who carried a vial with him and consistently threatened to poison the Savannah water supply.

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Clary's in real life looks much the same as it does in the film. It's a little place off the main road, but just a block or two over from Calhoun Square. The cafe serves breakfast and brunch, and it's inexpensive but tasty. I had the french toast and it was really good! They also honor their film story with photos of the "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" actors on the wall, and artwork depicting the Bird Girl statue made famous on the cover of the book and then in the film. I highly recommend a trip to Clary's if you're in the area or a fan of the book/movie. Just make sure to go earlier in the day because they close at 4pm!

STORY & PHOTO CREDITS:

Written by Christina LeBlanc
Location photos by Christina LeBlanc and Patti LeBlanc