Chow Down Atlanta

The much awaited return (to cooking) of David Sweeney has finally come. Today was his first day taking helm during lunch hours at Cakes&Ale Bakery. The menu is small, typical of a bakery lunch, but each dish is well-thought of, in true David Sweeney fashion, that is. Chef David is brilliant with veggies and even the non-believer non-veggie eater that I am has become a big fan.

The roasted corn soup was delicious. It was creamy yet not milky. It went down smooth and warmed your entire body. I love the texture of the coarsely puréed soup that has nutty flavors from the pumpkin seeds.

The slivers of Appenzeller cheese on a grilled baguette was delightful. The butter and pepper jelly lending a tiny bit of heat and sweet to balance the flavor of the cheese.

I really liked the smoked trout on brioche. It was similar to a seafood salad except a thousand times better. There were a lot of flaked trout meat that were bound together by the tiniest amount of mayo, just enough to hold them together. The horseradish cream , watercress and cucumbers gave this sandwich a creamy, herby taste and the necessary crunch. The dense and buttery brioche was a perfect partner. Smallish (the size of a slightly bigger slider) at $5 but the quality and taste were all worth the price tag.

But the scene-stealer (as I was told) was the big salad plate. It was ordered for the table, I had two bites, and no, I didn’t take a picture. I have to admit that I really liked it. It had lettuce, fresh corn salad, potato salad, cucumber salad, tomato-basil salad, and avocado slices. It was so refreshing, believe it or not.

Overall, an amazing spot for lunch. Expect to spend a minimum of $10, a lot more if you’re a big eater like me. My total bill for soup, two sandwiches, and a soda was $18 before tip. A little pricey for lunch but really, really worth it. So what are you waiting for? Go!

Bakery at Cakes & Ale
151 Sycamore St
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 377-7960

Technorati Tags: Decatur, tidal, David Sweeney, lunch, bakery, bread

Bread is my kryptonite. You know how some people absolutely must have dessert? I’m like that with bread. Slathered with butter and I’m in heaven. Well, I was in this new tiny plaza on BuHi near Shallowford Rd. And I smelled fresh-baked bread. They bake the breads in the premises!!! Mexican breads and pastries including pork tamales and snacks. Breads are soft and chewy. Go around 3PM when the baker puts all the goodies out. Yummmmm.

Pan El Buen Chapin
5090 Buford Highway,
Atlanta, GA 30340
404-457-4220

Technorati Tags: bakery, BuHi, Mexican

So what do you do when 30 years of snow in Denver finally gets to you? You move to Atlanta!!! Owners Huy and Tina, husband and wife team, did just that, three months ago and opened the biggest bánh mì shop in Atlanta. In business a mere 7 days (thanks again to good friend G4 for the intel), Tina puts out the most delicious Vietnamese street food — buns, egg rolls, sticky rice, rice cakes, hot/cold desserts, dimsum items, and many more — while husband Huy tends to the bakery, making French bread for the sandwiches and other baked goodies. It’s a perfect partnership.

First, the logistics. The immaculately clean and gigantic space is take-out only. There are a couple of tables outside. No, they couldn’t put any tables inside because that means more capital needed and more astringent county code requirements to be met. The joint sits in a plaza a stone’s throw away from Hong Kong Supermarket, on the side street next to KoKai. All the food is made in-house and from-scratch by Tina. Every single baked good is baked by Huy from the bakery in the back. They’re open 7 days from 8 to 8 except Tuesdays. They have coffee and bubble teas. Credit and debit cards are accepted.

Biggest bánh mì shop. Did you know? They offer 16 kinds of bánh mì. Including varieties you won’t find in many places: sunny side up eggs, fish (anchovies), meat balls, and liver paté, to name a few. The French bread they use is huge: 10 inches! They use butter!!! The crust is crumbly rather than flaky and the inside is soft and chewy. The meat filling is abundant, with a perfect 4:1 ratio to veggies. The pickled daikon and carrots are balanced in sweet and tart flavors. The cilantro and cucumbers are fresh and crunchy. I ate three bánh mìs on my visit. The Grilled Pork (Number 9) is the best of the lot. The grilled pork has a tiny hint of sweet crust and undertones of lemongrass. It’s tender yet at the same time, crunchy. It’s delicious.

The Combination (Thit) which includes paté, headcheese, and steamed pork is equally good. You get a lot of different flavors from the housemade deli meats. The paté is bold and tastes of concentrated liver. The headcheese is mild and does not have that off-putting smell and off-putting porky taste. The BBQ Pork isn’t the one you’re accustomed to see in other places. Here, it’s more a pork loin that has been roasted. I prefer the grilled pork.

retarded-looking but delicious waffle (the waffle iron was acting up)

But wait, they have waffles (Bánh Kẹp Lá Dứa)!!! I absolutely love these. I remember these popular street food in Saigon. They’re ready in a flash and can be eaten while walking. The batter in these coconut waffles have shredded young coconut meat and infused with pandan. The fragrant aroma is unbelievable. It tastes coconutty, it’s chewy. Tina was having problems creating a perfect consistency for her waffle-maker to handle so excuse the retarded-looking product. I didn’t mind and ate it all. Priced at $1.50, what’s not to like.

You must, must try all of the hot desserts. They’re like coconut soup but sweet and thick. Not cloyingly sweet, just enough. My favorite is the Che Khoai Mi. It has chunks of chewy cassava, young coconut, tapioca, and boba. It’s comforting. Love it. I also had the one with bananas. Both are good.

There are so many things to eat here. I want to try their rice cakes and steamed buns next time. Tina and Huy are the most gracious, kind people you’ll ever find and will treat you like their own child the first second you meet them. (P.S. Tell them Chloe sent you.)

Huy’s Sandwich
6100 Live Oak Pkwy,
Norcross, GA 30093
770-666-6762
Open Daily from 8:00AM – 8:00PM
Closed on Tuesdays

Technorati Tags: bánh mì, Norcross, Vietnamese, boba, street food, take-out

Johns Creek

If you prefer a quieter atmosphere than most Korean bakeries then Vincent Bakery is for you. There are two locations: the first one opened on Medlock Bridge in Johns Creek, a stone’s throw from Super H Mart; and the newer other one is on Pleasant Hill next to What The Pho. The atmosphere at both locations are quite laid back. The Johns Creek location is a lot bigger, offers more goodies, and has a neat, glass-walled, open bakery where you can peek and see the bakers at work.

Johns Creek:

Pleasant Hill:

I like the croissant/danish here filled with creamy custard. The cakes are moist with a very good, light butter cream frosting — the mocha and sweet cream cakes are their signature cakes. Mocha rolls are also very good here. And, of course, any Korean milk cream bread is better than any standard grocery white bread.

Vincent Bakery
2 Locations:

10900 Medlock Bridge Rd # 106
Johns Creek, GA 30097
(770) 476-7534

2442 Pleasant Hill Road
Duluth, GA 30096
770 622 2028

Technorati Tags: Korean, bakery, Duluth, Johns Creek

Bread is my kryptonite. I love it. With lots of butter. I can live off of it forever. Dinho Bakery is like my heaven on earth. I’ve been coming here since I was young. Dinho was the first place in Atlanta to sell bánh mi. The Vietnamese baker lady (who has now retired) used to make these amazing French cakes with the most delicious cream cheese frosting that my mom would get for us regularly. These days, they specialize in breads. Vietnamese bakeries (more than Korean and Chinese) are my absolute favorite because of the more superior French style of baking. The breads and pastries are soft, buttery and yeasty; and the cakes are moist and decadent.

Mom got me these fresh-from-the-oven, still steaming loaves of red bean loaves. They were still steaming so she had to wait for them to cool before they can be sliced. There are other flavors such as coconut and butter (YUM). They make the best mocha rolls. They have pastries, bread, and cakes.

Insider info:
Loaves are baked at 10am everyday.
Cash only.
Unlike Korean bakeries, this one’s a hole-in-a-wall with absolutely no ambiance.
Bubble teas are pretty good.
Grab a newspaper and linger with your coffee and fresh-baked pastries.
Did you know? You must try the mocha roll.

Dinho Bakery & Cafe
5385 New Peachtree Rd
Atlanta, GA 30341
(770) 451-4608

Technorati Tags: Dinho, Bakery, Buford Hwy, bread