I just got back from Paris and loved the food there, I can't wait to try on my own a couple of dishes.
Question, In Atlanta, where would I find that perfect french baguette? Is it possible?
Just crusty on the outside, soft in the middle?
Is it possible to buy it here in the US at the store or get it in a restaurant?
I'm a little fuzzy on my recollection of the specific presence of baguettes at the various bakeries. That said, your best bakeries to check are Alon's, The Bread Garden, and Buckhead Bread Co.
The dark horse, if you can live with a more hoagie-sized loaf, is one of the Asian markets on Buford Hwy. I've picked up a bunch at Hong Kong Supermarket (now Atlanta Farmer's Market or something similar) for a good price (3 for $1, if I remember correctly). I went in the morning, they were still hot, and they were wonderful. These are French via Vietnam.
Alon's makes the best bread in Atlanta, and has remained top quality for over a decade. I've bought no other bread for the past 11 years. Not just baguettes, but the loaves of everything else are terrific. The only trouble is availability, especially on weekends, so if it's for a party, call ahead and reserve what you want.
Second the motion for Alon's on Highland Ave. in Morningside. We lived around the corner some years ago and lived on their bread!!! Have you tried their roasted veggie/goat cheese/?basil? sandwich. To die for! We moved away 5 years ago. Glad to hear Alon's is still going strong.
I am particularly fond of the Baguettes in the DeKalb Farmer's Market, but not much past the first day. They even make them in two mini-loafs, one for eating and one for freezing.
One of my favorite things there is getting the baguette, a wedge of Brie (French or German) and a jar of the Apricot Spreadable fruit. Very tasty.
I've always liked Alon's too. I knew a guy from France that couldn't find any bread he thought was worth a darn here in ATL. He decided that he was going to have to make his own, even attempted to build a wood fired clay oven in his backyard. He was serious about this project! By the time he got his technique dialed in after a year of experimenting with different flour, yeast, rise time and temps etc. he managed to make some amazing bread in a regular ol' home oven. I brought him a loaf of Alon's country french. He tried it and said "now thats good bread". I figure thats a pretty good compliment. Another place I like is on Amsterdam, in that shoping area on the Piedmont Park side of the intersection with Monroe, a few doors down from Cooks Warehouse. I forget the name of it at the moment but they do breads for some of the nicer restaurants in town, so they must be doing something right.
That's the Bread Garden.
I love Alon's, despite a near severing of the relationship just before our wedding a few years ago. My wife had ordered a croquembouche as the groom's cake. Alon called up (maybe just left a message) the Friday before our Sunday wedding (a holiday weekend, too) and said he was going out of town and couldn't do it.
When my wife actually spoke to him she just about tore him a new one, basically because we had no other alternative at that point. He finally agreed to step up and do the cake. And it was wonderful, like most everything there.
I agree with Alon's for general bread needs. But if it's Parisian baguettes you want I would look in the French style Vietnamese owned bakeries on Buford Hwy with names like Paris and Vive la France. They have the exact replicas of those baguettes you experienced in France.
I have made a systematic search for good baguettes in ATL. That is to say, I went out one day and bought about 5 or 6 from places that were recommended in other posts, plus a couple of my own. Alons may be very good but it was the only place I visited where after picking it up and giving a little squeeze, I declined to purchase. It was pretty thin, crunchy, and very light - seemed dry. Perhaps this is some people's idea of the perfect baguette, but not mine. Of several I tried, I actually thought Trader Joe's had a really nice one, and so too did Publix if you get there before they are bought up. Both of these places are grocery stores. This is not directed to the original poster as that post is 13 years old….just anyone else who may be searching for a good baguette in ATL. The suggestion to try Buford Highway is a good one.
Nice resurrection of a 13 year-old thread.
My preferences for baguettes are Star Provisions and Holeman & Finch (H&F), though neither of these quite lives up to the Parisian gold standard. Alons is not at the top of my list. The Vietnamese bakeries on Buford Highway make a nice baguette for banh mi sandwiches, but the crust is more crumbly than the crust of a Parisian baguette.
Part of the problem is that in Atlanta, a baguette may be baked in the morning and remain on the shelf for sale all day. In, say, Paris, they bake once in the morning and once in the evening, so a baguette is never more than around 4 or 5 hours old. I suspect Atlanta bakeries do what it takes to give them a bit of shelf life (no, I'm not suggesting preservatives, but perhaps something technique-wise). A day-old Parisian baguette is practically inedible. Whatever it is that gives them such great flavor and texture seems to have some relation to whatever it is that limits their shelf life.
by Jen Wheeler | Need a spring vegetable guide to what's in season? Consider this your spring produce cheat sheet—complete...
by Rachel Johnson | Whether the kids are still distance learning or returning to a classroom, with school back in session...
by Kelly Magyarics | You’ve sprung for a gorgeous piece of enameled cast iron cookware; protect your investment by cleaning...
by Debbie Wolfe | Home chefs love wood cutting boards because they are durable and reliable. Wood boards are attractive...