Tag: dessert

A newly opened Buford Highway dessert cafe, Gula, offers the complex flavors of Indonesia in an approachable format. Co-owner Gloria Ariesandi says that Gula is the first Indonesian dessert cafe in Atlanta, and perhaps the country. However, it’s not her family’s first foray into the food business. She owns Gula with her sister, Angela Ariesandi, following in the footsteps of their parents, Ninik Sulistijani and Daniel Ariesandi, and their maternal great-grandmother.

Concealed in a suburban shopping center, Honey Birds Bakery surprises with a beautifully designed dining room—crystal chandeliers hang above olive-green banquettes—but it’s the pastries in the case that truly delight. Owned by friends Natalia Hairetis and Valeriya Zalland, Honey Birds opened nearly a year ago, bringing Russian-inspired desserts and savory delights to Alpharetta.

Lazy Betty, Aaron Phillips and Ron Hsu’s Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant, is expanding its offerings to include a four-course dessert tasting menu, as well as pre-ordered specialty cakes for diners. Founding pastry chef Lindsey Davis has returned to steer the sweet ship after five years honing her skills at Aziza, the Kiawah Island Club, and Kimpton Hotels.

As bakeries and pastry makers have gotten savvier and alternative ingredients have become more mainstream, Atlanta has become rich with options for everyone, whether you need to eliminate eggs, tree nuts, or gluten. Here are seven bakeries to try with unique and tasty offerings.

In 1914, Charlie and Orania Sarandou emigrated from Greece to Pittsburgh, bringing family recipes for chocolate and ice cream. They built a modest chocolate shop and soda fountain that passed from generation to generation, evolving to include a chocolate factory and later, gourmet milkshakes. In 2003, Dana Edwards Manatos, the great granddaughter of the Sarandous, created a business plan—as part of a college program—to make her mother’s chocolate shop less of a seasonal business and drive year-round sales. Milkshake Factory was whipped into existence.

A longtime community favorite, McEntyre’s Bakery is a Smyrna-based family business founded in 1947 by Howard McEntyre Sr. and his son, Howard Jr., after the latter returned from a tour of duty with the Marines in World War II. Now it’s run by fourth-generation owners Ryan McEntyre and his wife, Joy, with occasional appearances by their four children.

Indaco’s zeppole offers a creative spin on the classic Italian dessert. Way more than a mere doughnut hole, it’s made with ricotta cheese, fried to order, tossed in powdered sugar, and served with seasonal accompaniments (spiced anglaise in colder months; currently cannoli cream and chocolate sauce).

At Rosetta, a new Italian bakery in Buckhead, pastry offerings are plentiful and change based on the time of day you visit. There’s a menu board, but it’s best to walk down the line and let your eyes guide your choices.

Fabio Viviani, a 2005 and 2008 Top Chef alum from Italy, is bringing his sweets to Smyrna. On May 30, his first Georgia outpost of Jars, a dessert shop that reimagines America’s favorite treats layered in jars, will open at 4500 West Village Parkway.

Pastry chef Claudia Martinez, a two-time James Beard Award nominee, is opening a coffee, dessert, and cocktail bar in Poncey-Highland. Named Bar Ana (using the initials of her parents and sister), it will be located in the space formerly home to El Bar. Slated to launch mid-summer, it will feature Recuerdos Café by Ivan Solis during the day and a full bar led by Mayim Williams (El Malo, Kimball House) in the evenings.