Spas, shopping and wonderful restaurants are found in Dunwoody, just a short one-hour drive from North Georgia, making it a perfect destination for a girlfriend get-away.
Our adventures during a recent three-day weekend included an afternoon at Spa Sydell getting pampered, an evening painting at Canvas by U and lots of shopping and dining.
We had so much fun at Canvas By U, where a group of mostly women all created a painting in only three hours. The subject was a geisha girl and it was so interesting to see how everyone’s paintings turned out differently. Some were neat and orderly, while others had swishes and swirls on the canvas.
“Your personalities come out through your painting,” our instructor, Beverly, said as she walked around checking out our work. “We are all going to come out with a different painting at the end of the night.
Beverly kicked off our class by asking if anyone was nervous. Most smiled and nodded as she told us we were in for an evening of fun.
“It’s easy,” Beverly told us. “It’s not as hard as you think. I’m going to take you step by step through it. Get rid of the fear. It’s time to paint.”
During the evening, there are several small breaks to give the paint time to dry. Everyone brings along snacks and drinks, making it a party atmosphere. Our group had some delightful cannoli.
For more information, go to www.canvasbyu.com
SPA TIME
Massages at Spa Sydell are a must for a girlfriend get-away. We relaxed as soon as we entered the tranquil lobby and headed upstairs for our treatment. Hella and Janessa are great massage therapists and left us relaxed and rejuvenated.
For more information, go to www.spaysdell.com.
DINING
Fine dining, casual restaurants, delis and bakeries are among your dining choices in Dunwoody. Our stops included:
•Café Intermezzo provides a “little taste of Europe” with crepes, decadent desserts and a wide variety of hot chocolate, coffee and tea. The chicken duzelle crepe is a delightful choice. Dessert choices include tortes, cakes, cheesecakes and pies. It’s hard to pick just one but we tried the blueberry chocolate cake and were not disappointed. The combination of blueberries, chocolate and whipped cream is wonderful.
•Seasons 52 has a full menu with nothing over 475 calories. All of the choices are seasonally inspired, with the menu changing four times each year. Our server, Richard, did an excellent job describing the specials and answering all our questions. We started with the flatbreads, which are a specialty at Seasons 52. The artichoke and goat cheese and ripe plum tomato are two terrific flatbread choices. Great entrée choices are the scallops, grouper and artichoke shrimp. For dessert, check out the award-winning mini indulgences. Key lime pie, pecan pie and mocho mocho were our choices and they were all simply amazing.
•D’Vine Wine Bar is a great place to end the evening with cheese and drinks or dinner. Owner Bob Leavy is a delight as he mingles with regulars and greets first-time visitors. He can talk with you for just a few minutes and make suggestions that you will love. Live music is featured on Friday and Saturday nights.
•Alon’s Bakery and Market is a wonderful place to start your day. The pastries are excellent with muffins, croissants, scones and Danishes, as well as traditional breakfast choices, offered. The market has an amazing variety of candy, breads, pickles and other items. It’s fun to just wander around checking out all of the delicious choices.
•Wright’s Gourmet Shoppe is a family business that has a great choice of sandwiches, salads and desserts, including the delectable cupcakes on the counter. The fried green tomato BLT had fried green tomatoes served on a foccacia onion roll with applewood bacon, shredded lettuce and remoulade sauce. It was fantastic and really big. We could have easily shared one. Wright’s also has some great minty sweet tea. The business has been in operation for 28 years with the owner coming up with the creative sandwiches, such as the fried green tomato BLT.
•Oscar’s Villa Capri offers authentic Neapolitan dishes. The business is family-owned and 73-year-old Oscar, who has been in business for 27 years, makes all of the dishes and visits diners with a smile. We started with the best calamari you will ever eat, as well as great antipasto salad. The calamari had a light tempera breading and was light and delightful For your entrée, be sure to try some of Oscar’s homemade pasta. The lobster-filled ravioli was wonderful. Dining at Oscar’s is more than just a meal. It’s an experience you will enjoy and lead you to return again and again. Oscar’s daughter, Andrea, was our server and she gave us perfect suggestions on what to order.
SHOPPING
Perimeter Mall, Dunwoody Village and Williamsburg Shopping Center are all located in the same area and offer everything a shopper could possibly be looking for. Perimeter Mall is the second largest mall in the Southeast with 18 million visitors annually. As for Dunwoody Village, it is the central point of the city and is considered the downtown area. The shopping center is designed in a Colonial Village style and has lots of unique stores. It has the feel of a small town in the city.
Our shopping stops include:
•Nancy’s, which has women’s clothes, shoes, jewelry and purses. I found a great red bangle bracelet.
•At Enchanted Forest, shoppers will find stationary, stuffed animals and unique gifts. I couldn’t leave without purchasing an elf, costing only $12, for our holiday collection.
•The Copper Pig has beautiful home furnishings, gifts and jewelry. A friend found a beautiful bracelet for a gift.
•Artichoke Designs has glassware, home furnishings and gifts. I couldn’t leave without getting two of the glass seashell dishes, which will be perfect for some seashells from another recent trip.
•Picayne Toys is filled with great toys for both boys and girls. I found a frog ball and flashlight for my nephew, both on the sale table.
•E. 48th Street Market is an authentic Italian market with pasta, meatballs, breads and other dishes offered. Crusty Italian bread and hero rolls are baked daily.
PERIMETER HOTEL
We made the Atlanta Perimeter Hotel and Suites our headquarters for our get-away and loved it. The suites are really large with a living room, kitchenette and bedroom. With the all-white décor and modern furnishings, it looks like a boutique hotel. The bedding is wonderfully comfortable. It’s in a great location, within walking distance of plenty of dining and shopping. The hotel also offers a shuttle service to area restaurants and shops.
For more information, go to www.atlantaperimeterhotelandsuites.com.
For more information on visiting Dunwoody, go to www.CVBDunwoody.com or call 1-877-630-2270.
Angela Gary is an editor with MainStreet Newspapers Inc. She can be reached at AngieEditor@aol.com.
