Review: Alon’s Bakery & Market
After taking a quiz over Mediterranean archeology on Thursday, my teacher handed me two cookies as I handed her my quiz. One cookie was a “wedding” cookie while the other was chocolate; both were from Alon’s Bakery & Market. “You have to try this place!” she told me.
The wedding cookie (pecans & powdered sugar) was unique in that the focus of the cookie was a wonderfully quiet pecan flavor. The chocolate cookie tasted of pure chocolate and was like eating a very dense brownie . Both were very good, but if I had to pick between them I would choose the wedding cookie.
As I finished the two cookies I lamented over the fact that I lacked a way to even get off campus. Often times I feel so stranded on campus, unable to explore Atlanta’s greatest culinary opportunities. I would have never guessed though that I would be visiting Alon’s Bakery two days later…
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This morning a friend drove me to a photojournalism seminar featuring David Kennerly (White House photographer to President Ford). I embrace any chance to get off campus so naturally I was already in a good mood. Before the seminar started she asked, “What about Alon’s for lunch?” I couldn’t believe my ears – two days ago I was explaining to my teacher that I would probably never be able to reach Alon’s. What are the chances!
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There are two Alon’s in Atlanta; one is in Virginia Highlands, the other near Perimeter. Inside this quaint bistro, the owner supposedly Israeli, you’ll find much to look at but have little walking space considering how packed the store can be: endless blocks of cheese on the left, a giant display caseof various pre-cooked food items, d a deli in the middle, and a bakery in the back. I noticed how ethnically and racially diverse the customers were at Alon’s, as if to say that this place has style and authenticity. Here’s what I had…
Green Lentil Soup.
I’m a sucker for anything with cumin. This soup was excellent! The cumin and lentils worked very well together and was more filling than I expected. Certainly a smooth soup that goes down easy.
Garlic-Roasted Lamb Sandwich
House roasted lamb with garlic and fresh rosemary. Served with red onion marmalade and sliced tomatoes on Country French.
This was a very tasty sandwich. The red onion marmalade definitely brought this dish up a notch. My only complaint was that the lamb wasn’t as distinct as I would have liked. The tomatoes were also remarkably distinct and refreshing.
Pfferneuse
(German Christmas Cookie with gingerbread & cinammon)
If you don’t like gingerbread then this isn’t the cookie for you. This moist cookie tasted just like it smelled. Good but left a strong gingerbread taste in my mouth.
Krakovski
(almond cookie with raspberry preserve)
Yeah! Like the wedding cookie the Krakovski was unique to any other cookie I’ve had. That isn’t to say this cookie was “out of this world” but there were many nuances that made this sweet bite very enjoyable. The cookie itself was chewy and sticky (not too much) and on the inside was a very thin layer of raspberry preserve. There was harmony between the filling and the cookie, both allowed to make their respective impacts. The raspberry preserve wasn’t super sweet either!
I can’t wait to return to Alon’s. There are just so many things I wish to try, not to mention that Alon’s market is chock full of fresh cheeses and the like. As for the restaurant section of Alon’s, the prices are synonymous with sub-par deli’s while the food is quite exceptional.
(the owner is israeli)