In September we went down to South Georgia to visit family and stopped at Striplings General Store in Cordele. Hmmm. How does one describe this place? It's a cross between a convenience store, an old country store, and a gourmet deli -- all with a strong southern twist.
Lo and behold, a branch of Striplings opened up in North Georgia along Highway 78 between Athens and Atlanta. We discovered it just before Christmas and that's where Santa did a lot of his stocking shopping for our house. Word has it that the Easter Bunny will be shopping there too.
What do they have? If you need pepper jelly, pickled quail's eggs, okra relish, or the like, you're in luck. But there are quite a few southern standards too -- stone ground grits, hot sauce, marinades, and old fashioned hoop cheese, but also gourmet treats such as candies, cookies, cheese straws, and kettle chips.
As for me, I love the baking and preserves section. I find unusual hostess gifts or something to turn Sunday waffles into a special occasion. Think sorghum syrup, mayhaw or muscadine jelly, peach muffins, Georgia honey, red velvet cake mix, and more.
They sell fresh produce in season, sometimes from local farmers. (I snapped this photo in Cordele last September.) In the mornings, you'll find fresh, hot biscuits and a few pastries.
I'm not much of a carnivore, but apparently the fresh sausage is something to write home about. They make quite a few kinds of jerky too.
This really is a fun place and it worries me that business is a little slow out there in Watkinsville. Personally, I think the Watkinsville store needs a big pig sculpture like the one in Cordele. We stopped so Eli could see it up close and ended up loving the place.
Check 'em out!
Striplings, 4501 Monroe HWY, Watkinsville, GA 30677. According to their website, they are open M-Sat. 6am to 8pm and Sunday 1pm - 6pm.
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