Olive Oils & Canton Street {Sundays with Shelby}

Thank you Southern Living for doing an article on Canton Street in Roswell, GA a couple years ago.  It was after reading that article that my Mom (aka Grammy) had her mind made up this would move to the top of her Saturday Adventures list.  At first she mentioned it casually in conversation, then it became clear she would forgo groceries and even Walgreen’s if we could make our next outing solely focused on this now famous Canton Street. 

And so we did, Shelby at our side.  First stop Krispy Kreme donuts.  I know it may seem strange, but if you knew Mom you would know that we all have her to thank for inheriting an insatiable sweet tooth.  Thank you Mom!!  Next stop the Antiques Market (which has since become one of our favorites).  Keep in mind it was a HOT July day in Georgia, and by that time Mom was in a wheelchair ….although that didn’t slow her or us down much :) (Oh the stories I could share about Mom’s independence determination once restricted to a wheelchair and her “jazzy” motorized chair.  Another thyme.)  We gladly pushed her up one side and down the other of this glorious Canton Street, peeking in shop windows along the way.  We concluded our Saturday outing with lunch at the restaurant Inc., where we shared wine and laughs, fabulous appetizers, and the best Gazpacho EVER!  Mom never got back to Canton street but she was with us in spirit today.

Shelby and I, starving from the moment I picked her up, headed straight for lunch.  We picked this place….wouldn’t you?!

Who doesn’t love a picnic and with an equally fun menu…the decision was easy.  We chose wonderful sandwiches, Havarti & Apple Grilled Cheese and Spicy Tuna BLT.  We sipped on Pinot Grigio getting caught up from the week when the rain began.

We ducked under an umbrella table while others scurried for cover, plates in hand.   Big fans blew the gentle rain against our face and hands….we decided we liked it and were going to hang with the fresh herbs.

They were growing out of pallets that lined the property. Genius really.  We plucked basil leaves from several varieties discovering their uniqueness.  Cinnamon Basil may find it’s way to a whisky barrel near me next Spring.

Beautiful live music was coming from the front porch and passersby smiled at the playful “Picnic” venue.

From our table, on one side was our favorite Antiques Market and diagonally across the street was a quaint house with a sign in the yard that said Oli + Ve Premium Olive Oils & Vinegars.  With a grin on our faces, almost in unison, we declared… guess we know where we’ll be heading after lunch!

Last week we bought in completely (figuratively not literally) at Penzeys Spices.  Today, we definitely discovered that all olive oil is not created equally and balsamic vinegars can be so sweet and lovely on top of ice cream.

There were so many varieties.  We lingered and sampled our way through multiple tasting rooms before settling on three choices.  My Wish List just got quite a bit longer.  Looking forward to cooking with these guys tomorrow….can’t wait another day!

I wasn’t sure how I would ever fill the void of sharing Saturday Adventures with Mom.  Sunday’s with Shelby sure makes it a lot easier.  Love you kid!

I leave you with a few images of treasures we passed up at the Antiques Market.