ALON'S

She says:
Ever since we discovered Alon’s, this fabulous bakery has been one of our mainstays in Atlanta. It’s the closest thing to Zingerman’s (our all-time favorite deli in Ann Arbor, MI) this town has to offer, and fortunately is much, much nearer to our house. From gourmet paninis to high-quality coffee and scrumptious baked goods, Alon’s has just about everything wonderful in life.

As you enter the shop from the left, you immediately hit the bakery counter. Here you can load up on French bread, oh-so-moist muffins (I recommend the carrot-apple variety), scones (the cinnamon ginger is terrific, with bits of crystallized ginger mixed in), croissants (I love the chocolate ones), and cookies.

About those cookies… Downtown Boy can attest to my near-psychotic obsession with their double-chocolate chunk cookies. Ultra chocolatey and moist, they are perfection in cookie form.

He says:
Uptown Girl said it all. Alon’s bakery is nothing short of fabulous. I have an unhealthy craving for croissants, and wherever I travel I tend to try one out. I’ve had stale croissants in Cannes and delicious ones in New Hampshire. I can assure you that Alon’s serves some of the best. They have a flawless blend of crispness at the exterior and a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth interior. I get hungry just thinking about them.

And don’t be fooled by Uptown Girl’s advocacy for the double-chocolate cookies. They are indeed awesome, but the true standouts on the cookie rack are the chocolate chunk pecan cookies. A rare balance of sweetness, saltiness, and chewiness, they are the best cookies you can buy in Atlanta.

She says:
Next you come to the dessert counter, a case filled with fancy French desserts, a beautiful site. I’ve sampled several, most of which are rich and delicious and somehow involve chocolate. The also have some great non-chocolate options, like fruit tarts and tiramisu. These make for great contributions to dinner parties, or you can get an entire cake for a special occasion.

Am I beginning to sound like an infomercial?

The dessert counter is also where you order coffee. Alon’s has the best mocha in town, hands down.

He says:
Across from the dessert counter is a small cheese stand where we regularly steal samples from … Yum!

Moving forward you reach to my favorite part of Alon’s, the sandwich counter. The specialty paninis on the display racks come on a firm ciabatta mini loaf and are incredible in their own way, though the best is the one with arugula, gruyere, and olive tapenade. I order it almost every time I come in.

On rare occasions I may indulge myself and order the garlic-roasted lamb sandwich. Thick, tender chunks of roasted lamb are served with garlic, rosemary, and a zingy red onion marmalade between French bread to a sublime effect.

She says:
And finally, you reach the deli. After hitting up the bakery and sandwich counter, we’re never quite hungry enough to order from the deli, but everything in it looks amazing… And they have a little bit of everything, from fresh lump crab cakes to sun-dried pasta salad to Baba Ghanoush.

We say:
Treat yourself to a pistachio croissant or double-chocolate cookie or a hot Panini at Alon’s and you will leave a happy customer. We promise.




Alon’s
1394 N. Highland Ave, Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.alons.com/