Husband and wife team, Chris and Anna Gatti, combine their culinary talents at Canvas Cafe and Bakery, at 724 Cherokee St. in Marietta, resulting in gastronomical masterpieces.

The Gattis, who have three daughters, met while attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Both bring impressive experience to the business. Chris, who worked in the restaurant business since age 13, served as executive chef at Horizon's Restaurant at Asheville's Grove Park Inn, rated AAA 4 Diamond and achieved a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

Anna, who worked as executive chef of the landmark Albemarle Inn in Asheville, was also pastry chef at Canoe and Gabriel's Desserts. At Canvas, she runs the bakery, creating a wide variety of treats and cakes from scratch daily, including anything from muffins to decadent fruit tarts and sweets. Beautifully decorated cakes for any occasion are made fresh and to specifications.

Located across from WellStar at Kennestone Hospital, the restaurant enjoys a captive lunch crowd and offers catering options. With its exposed rafters and neutral palette of colors, Canvas provides a relaxed atmosphere where ladies lunch, hospital personnel grab a bite to eat and businessmen meet.

What continues to allure customers is that the food is always prepared fresh with seasonal and local ingredients. It is consistent, unique and delicious.

Canvas, is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., not only offers a variety of salads, sandwiches and soups, the restaurant now serves a full plated breakfast in addition to takeaway breakfast sandwiches from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

"The name 'Canvas' allows us to cover the board, to create and pull from any cuisine and culture," explains Chris, a Cobb native. This philosophy is reflected in the menu, with items such as Cubano Panino, Croque Monsieur, Thai Red Curry Chicken Salad and Mediterranean style Tuna Bocadillo.

Canvas achieves uniqueness by altering the typical idea of the sandwich. "We put a contemporary American twist on the sandwich," says Chris. "It's giving our twist and upping the bar a bit."

The usual sandwich, such as roast beef, becomes a gourmet creation at Canvas. For example, their Roasted Beast Panino with cold or warm prime roast beef is combined with sweet balsamic onion compote, blue cheese crumbles and horseradish mayonnaise on ciabata.

The salads are equally creative, with items such as the Canvas Salad with baby field lettuces, goat cheese, candied Georgia pecans, pear, dried cranberries, balsamic syrup and black pepper white balsamic vinaigrette.

In the near future, Canvas will offer takeaway family dinners, and you can try them out for your Thanksgiving dinner, which can be preordered.

Like the painter stroking the canvas, Chris and Anna Gatti are culinary artists at work. For more information, visit www.canvasfoods.com or call (770) 213-2268.