When it comes to ethnic food in Savannah, start with Italian, Chinese, Greek, Mexican and Japanese. After that, the choices are few. Cafe Toni, on Wilmington Island, adds a few more to the list, incorporating Croatian, Hungarian, Austrian and a few other, mostly southeastern European, cuisines in the menu. But don't go to the four-table cafe at the intersection of Wilmington Island Road and Johnny Mercer Boulevard expecting a fancy time. The interior is clean and basic, with some modern original paintings on the wall.
More attention is spent on what comes out of the kitchen.
Because it is such a small space, Cafe Toni seems to do substantial takeout business. Dinner selections change daily, with two or three offered at a time. But the menu never features the same item two days in a row, according to the owner, Stijepan Popovic. He's the waiter, cashier and explainer of the menu, when he's not helping his wife, Emira, in the kitchen. The flavorful broth was filled with carrots and potatoes, along with the beans, and flavored with olive oil.