Alon’s – Morningside

This is Atlanta’s quintessential modern market. The original opened in 1992, quickly settling into its status as a Morningside mainstay. Locals rely on sandwiches (garlic-roasted lamb with red onion marmalade is a gem), the case full of artisan cheeses, a breadth of takeout foods (fluffy meatballs, vegetable and pasta salads, and hummus and other spreads), and the bakery items upon which pastry chef Alon Balshan built his reputation. We never stop craving his chocolate chip–pecan cookies.

The Dunwoody location is a laudable suburban counterpart—same high-quality breads, desserts, cheese selection, and take-out foods but with more room, more specialty items, and Sunday brunch.