Paris Baguette Cafe Pastries
Two Canelés, Two Almond Rum Pastries,
& One Chocolatine
You can even see the flecks of vanilla dotting the top of the canelé.
Decisions, decisions…
Clearly, the chocolatine must be our last bite.
But, those sheer, glossy layers were tempting us.
The layers were feathery light and beautifully fluffy.
The delicate scent of vanilla hits your nose first. But, it’s the bright taste of rum that wakes up your taste buds and adds complexity and depth to this lush, creamy custard. Almond? We missed you here.
Oops, it’s already sweet. Note for next time, taste first.
We’re pretty sure that’s a streak of ganache and not a bar of chocolate. The chocolate flavor was a bit muted. We might need another taste …just to be sure. Two visits in one weekend, how did we manage to miss the almond croissants?
Next time:
First stop, almond croissant. Then, we’ll take a loaf of barley or chestnut bread to go.
Paris Baguette Cafe
5252 Buford Highway NE
Doraville, GA 30340
770 455 8552
The Paris Baguette Cafe Cronut
Or Croissant Doughnut
Coffee Cream Croissant Dougnut
Crisp, thin layers flake beautifully on the exterior.
Fluffy layers and generous quantities of cream mingle inside. This was one extremely rich (bordering on too rich) doughnut. One of us thought that one croissant doughnut made a deliciously rich and very satisfying breakfast. The other thought that even just one was a bit too rich and a little bit too greasy. Also, we experimented with taking two croissant doughnuts to go. But, this is a doughnut extravagance that you are going to want to consume immediately. Those delicate layers filled with cream lost their interior volume and got a bit soggy after a couple of hours.
There’s a lot to explore at Paris Baguette Cafe.
On another visit, we couldn’t resist…
The Canelés
We’ll talk about those next time.
Paris Baguette Cafe
5252 Buford Highway NE
Doraville, GA 30340
770 455 8552
“Cronuts” Serpas Style
Rich and dense, these doughnuts are made out of danish (or laminated) dough.
Served warm with the buttery glaze just beginning to set, these were a lovely, edible mountain of fried dough. We were expecting smaller bites to start our meal. Instead, we received two big, fat, fluffy doughnuts that should come with a warning. “You’re going to eat a full breakfast after these beauties? Good luck with that.”
Fried Oyster Eggs Benedict
Lightly breaded and perfectly crisp, those oysters were distractingly good. What about the poached eggs, creamed spinach, and crisp potatoes with onion and red pepper? It was all good. But, we’ll remember those fried oysters.
Shrimp & Scallop In Tomato Ragu with Grits
There might only be one scallop, but, it was a good one.
Shrimp & Scallop Mugshot
The lone scallop and shrimp were tender and full of flavor. But, it’s not the most appetizing of meals.
Serpas
659 Auburn Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30312
404 688 0040
White Oak Pastures — Beautiful Brown Eggs
(Laid with love by their cage-free, free-range hens)
They really are beautiful eggs.
But, more importantly they’re seriously delicious eggs.
We are two lucky people who’ve had the good fortune to eat the eggs of hens raised by our mother (and mother-in-law). Her small hen house held a wide variety of breeds of chicks over the years. She experimented with quail and pigeons for awhile, too. But, her pampered Rhode Island Red hens were everyone’s favorites. (Her gorgeous Dominique hens were another favorite.) She would hand feed her precious babies like family members. And, these White Oak Pasture eggs take us straight to breakfast morning at her house. We’d eat fresh eggs for breakfast every day of our visit. So, outside of Mom’s kitchen, these are some of the tastiest eggs we’ve ever had the good fortune to eat. To truly appreciate the richness of the yolk. It’s best to cook the egg gently and slowly. Give the yolk the time it needs to properly thicken and become the magical thing that it is. But, take care to keep the whites tender.
These eggs are worth each and every extra penny.
White Oak Pastures
Where to find White Oak Pastures Eggs, Beef, Lamb, Pork, Or Artisan Goods? Click Here
We found our eggs at our local Whole Foods.
Brioche Zeppoles With Pecan Praline Cream
So rich, one makes a satisfying start to the meal.
Sadly, two out of three were slightly under-cooked in the center.
The Breakfast Burger
Breakfast burger, or you might want to call it the one meal of the day. It’s a sausage burger with pancetta jam, gorgeously fried egg and pimento cheese. We’d be happy with that. But, no! It’s paired with a mountain of super crisp, spicy fried potatoes that were too good for words. We loved everything about this dish.
Mushroom Tart With Yellow Foot Chanterelles
It was lovely. If you want to have a productive day, this might be a better breakfast choice.
Batdorf & Bronson Cappuccino And Italian Roast Coffee
Both so perfectly divine, every sip made our day brighter.
Hello, Spring!
And, Hello Patio Dining Season!
That’s where we’ll be headed, next time.
No 246
129 East Ponce De Leon
Decatur, GA 30030
678 399 8246
Essence Of Peach
Wonder Drink
Compared to other versions of kombucha that we’ve tried, Wonder Drink’s essence of peach kombucha was incredibly mild. The ever-present vinegary bite tells you that this is kombucha. But, it’s more like a nibble than a true bite. If you can overlook the sharpness, there’s almost a bellini-esque freshness to this one. If it’s possible to have a favorite kombucha, this one would definitely top our list.
—
And now for something completely different:
AustiNuts Wasabi Peanuts
In true Austin style, these were some of the weirdest wasabi peanuts we’ve ever tasted. The wasabi powder on the outside was fiery hot, while the shell encasing the peanut was Jordan almond crisp and sugar sweet. So, for an instant, your mouth feels like it’s on fire with the heat of the wasabi powder. Then, as you crunch into the sugary shell, the heat instantly mellows. You’re left with a confusing whisper of wasabi teasing your tastebuds as you crunch the sweet, candy coating and roasted peanut. Interesting? Yes. Good? Maybe. We can’t decide.
Wonder Drink
AustiNuts
Alon’s Bakery & Market
4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30345
678 397 1781
La Calavera Bakery Croissants & A Mini Chocolate Babka
Look at all of those beautiful layers.
Delicate, bubbly flakes on the exterior yield to soft, fluffy layers inside.
Chocolate, Plain, Gruyère & Bacon, Chocolate Glazed Babka, Whole Wheat
Cranberry Pecan Sourdough, & One Giant Chocolate Babka
La Calavera Bakery’s Croissant
The Gruyère & Bacon
The Chocolate Hazelnut
Puffed full of air, yet so tender… look at those delicate, buttery layers.
The Mini Chocolate Babka
Oh Calavera Bakery, what a sense of humor you have! Mini! Ha! Their babka could only be called mini compared to their mammoth full-sized babka. This mini babka was similar in size to a cinnamon bun. Gilded in chocolate, what a beauty! It was impossible to resist. Two people could easily share one of these with a cup of coffee and be satisfied. There are decadent amounts of creamy chocolate laced with cinnamon hiding in those doughy folds.
We carefully packaged our babka and devoured barely one quarter of the loaf the next day for breakfast. Still tender and delicate, the layers of chocolate kept our loaf beautifully moist. Another two slices made a delicious midnight snack. And, we still have over half of our giant babka left to eat.
This was an incredible first visit. We can’t wait to try each and every item La Calavera has to offer. Next time? The Mushroom Swiss Croissant and one of their gorgeous ciabatta, we hope. We’ll be showing up early… and hungry.
La Calavera Bakery Hours:
Tuesday – Friday — 7:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday — 9:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday — 10:00am – 5:00pm
Or… until they’re sold out! If you’re going late in the day, you’ll want to check out their Facebook
This is one little gem of a bakery that you’ll want to discover.
La Calavera Bakery
747 East College Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
404 725 1519
Shrimp & Grits
So rich and creamy, those grits possess real substance and density. Normally, we wouldn’t think of density as a positive food attribute. But, in this case, it was. There was a dense, creamy custard quality that was extremely memorable in the best possible way.
Crab Cake Benedict
Tender and delicate, both eggs were beautifully poached.
The noon-time full house quieted down around 1:30ish.
Counter Culture Coffee
And, there’s a small selection of wine to browse as you wait for your table.
TBM Restaurant
Three Blind Mice
1066 Killian Hill Road
Suite 101
Lilburn, GA 30047
770 696 4139
Another Alon’s Bakery Breakfast
Apple Raisin Bran Muffin, Chocolate Babka, &
Another Divine Baguette
Loaded with finely diced apple pieces and plumb raisins, this muffin fills two needs. It’s healthy and tasty.
Chocolate Babka
We started with a healthy bite. So, we felt free to follow it up with a bite or two of rich chocolate babka.
Alon’s Bakery & Market
4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road
Atlanta, GA 30345
678 397 1782
-or-
1394 North Highland Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
404 872 6000
Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters
Old 4th Ward Blend
Batdorf & Bronson’s Whirling Dervish Blend
How do you know you’re drinking a good cup of coffee? Ask yourself one simple question. Does it feel like a crime to add cream and sugar? Is that a yes? That’s some seriously good coffee.
Batdorf & Bronson coffee?
It’s a bright, beautiful world filled with so many shades of good. Each and every blend is a unique shade of freshly roasted goodness. Every bag of whole bean coffee that we’ve ever purchased has been roasted within a handful of days. And, the first wave of flavor hits you with the scent of those freshly roasted beans.
Whole Foods
Dancing Goats Coffee Bar
419 West Ponce De Leon
Decatur, GA 30030
404 687 1100
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