Heard of she-crab soup? I hadn’t.

With a short trip to Savannah planned, I looked around online for regional specialties that I could pair with a restaurant down here. There were a few examples, but because it was in the 40s and low 50s in Savannah late last week, soup made sense.

She-crab soup is a bisque. You might be wondering: why “she?” Because the stuff is traditionally made with female, roe-carrying, crabs. I had neither the time, nor the tools, nor the inclination to check the gender of the crab in the soups I ate, so I took the menus’ word about their she-ness.

Our two contestants are Vic’s on the River in Savannah and Rick’s Reef on St. Pete Beach.

VIC’S ON THE RIVER

Like the city itself, Vic’s exudes a stately, Southern charm — with chandeliers to back it up. Large windows let in plenty of natural light. It’s a large space, with considerable room between tables. We arrived at 1:30 last Friday, and with the lunch rush abating our foursome scored a four-top near a window overlooking the Savannah River. A nice set-up. A few tables of soignée seniors — locals, almost certainly — made us look shabby.

Along with my She-Crab Soup ($13), I ordered a Cheerwine Short Rib Sandwich ($15). We got Fried Green Tomatoes ($11) for the table.

Appearance

A big bowl-a-soup, lush and lovely. Cream-colored, which made sense, with flecks of chive in the middle. My favorite part of the presentation was the cute little doily underneath the bowl. It made me wanna remark, “Whell — I do decla-ahh.”

Texture and Taste

The liquid was rich and velvety — but not too thick, which can make eating creamy soups like this a slog. The crab flavor came through, but this helping could’ve used more of the tender crustacean meat. I appreciated the sparkly crunches from the chives.

I’ve no complaints about the helping size. In fact, even with Bonnie taking a few scoops, I didn’t quite finish the bowl. That’s partly because I was saving room for the sandwich.

When our server put it in front of me, I did a double-take. This was a sandwich of Flinstonian proportions, the slab of brown meat a good three inches thick. The brioche bun was barely visible. Eating it sandwich-style was out of the question, so I took a bite with my fork. Unfortunately, the short rib was dry and stringy.

I hailed the server and (politely) told her I wouldn’t be able eat it. She apologized profusely, and removed it from my tab. My only regret is that I forgot to snap a pic. I would’ve loved for you folks to see this beast.

RICK’S REEF

Our settings for she-crab soup could hardly have been more different.

This beach shack has been home to a number of brands over the decades — Rick’s Reef opened in 2012. The place sits on Gulf Boulevard just east of Upham Park. At 6:30 on Tuesday, we snagged the last space in the small parking lot as the sun set behind the restaurant. We opted to sit inside, and I still needed the cardigan I wore over a T-shirt.

Rick’s Reef was hummin’ for a Tuesday night, all but packed.

We ordered a bowl of She-Crab Soup ($9) and a Rick’s Big Dipper ($16), shaved ribeye with onions, green peppers, and melted provolone on a sub roll. Sounded like a cheesesteak to me, but then I saw it included a bowl of au jus. Okay, then. We got tater tots as our side.

Appearance

Shucks, no doily. In its place was a paper napkin. A couple packs of saltines sat beside the bowl, which was notably smaller than the competition’s. The chives were scattered haphazardly.

Texture and Taste

I won’t bury the lead. This she-crab soup was blessed with a whole lotta tender crab — every bite a bounty. The seafood didn’t overpower the bisque, though, which had just a hint of tang. We ate it greedily — or I did. A few scoops in, Bonnie got the hint and backed off.

The sandwich was exemplary. The meat tasted more steak-like than most cheesesteaks. It worked better sans au jus, which tilted the bites toward too salty. Bonnie ate a quarter and I demolished the rest.

And the Winner of the Savannah vs. Tampa Bay She-Crab Soup Showdown Is …

Rick’s Reef.

Something of a surprise. She-Crab soup is concomitant to the South Carolina low country, which borders Savannah. But Rick’s soup was clearly superior. The deciding factor was simple: it was filled with crab. Vic’s, not so much.

As far as the sandwiches, well, there was literally no contest.

In all, a resounding hometown W!

Winner Winner, She-Crab Dinner!