Have you been to downtown Woodstock recently? There are charming restaurants, a great seasonal farmers market and several stops to tempt Atlanta foodies.
Pie Provisions Do-It-Yourself Crust Mix
Lauren and Cody Bolden and their team of bakers at Pie Bar on Woodstock's Main Street sell fresh baked pies six days a week (Tuesday through Sunday). There are always at least six varieties of sweet and savory pies offered in six- and ten-inch sizes, available frozen or baked. We stopped in to meet Lauren and got a tour of the bakery where every pie is made by hand from crust to filling. The pies are charming and delicious but the Boldens now make it possible for you to duplicate their delicious organic crust at home. Buy their box of Pie Provisions Do-It-Yourself crust mix and you'll receive a package with the dry ingredients (organic pastry flour, pure cane sugar and sea salt) to make two pie crusts. You supply the butter and water. But maybe the best part about the mix are the very detailed and prettily illustrated directions that walk you through every step of making a crust. Perfect for pie novices, the tips may also be useful for those who consider themselves pie pros. $10 per 11.75-ounce box. Pie Bar, 8720 Main Street, Woodstock. 678-402-6245. http://pieprovisions.com
Leaning Ladder Premium Olive Oil and Vinegar
On Woodstock's Park at City Center, directly behind the gazebo, you'll find Leaning Ladder Premium Olive Oil and Vinegar. The spacious shop offers tastings of their balsamic vinegars, extra virgin olive oils from mild to robust, fused olive oils where the flavorings are pressed along with the olives and infused olive oils where the olive oil is pressed and then infused with herbs or spices. They also carry food-related items from Woodstock and beyond. Owner Susan Hasslinger says Charmane's Bread Dip is their most popular item. Made in Indiana, it's a mix of sea salt, garlic, sundried tomatoes and spices including a little hot pepper for a small kick. The shop's website has dozens of recipes with interesting ways to use olive oils and vinegar and if you're lucky, they'll be sampling their White Chocolate and Persian Lime Olive Oil Fudge when you drop by. Grab the recipe and a bottle of the Persian lime infused oil. $4.95 for 1-ounce package of the bread dip. Leaning Ladder Premium Olive Oil and Vinegar, 105 E. Main Street, Woodstock. 678-401-2609. http://leaningladderoliveoil.com
Reformation Brewery
One of the fun things about the emergence of craft breweries is the opportunity to try beers created right in your neighborhood. Reformation Brewery has been in Woodstock since 2013. Stop in and, thanks to the newest Georgia law, take home up to a case of beer with the option to mix and match six-packs, growler fills and the specialty beers available. When we stopped in we sampled two of the most popular year round beers - Cadence, a Belgian-style ale, and Stark, a toasted porter - but the brewery offers seven year round flavors. They also offer a number of beers in limited release. We loved Wilder, a black currant strong ale, and Sabine, a French saison, but both are gone now. Check their website to see what's currently available like their new Bourbon Barrel-Aged Jude or 500, a new Belgian Quadruple Ale being released in October. Reformation Brewery, 500 Arnold Mill Way, Woodstock. 678-341-0828. http://reformationbrewery.com
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