Sugar Shack - I'll be back!

As a resident of Brookhaven, I have been dying for the Sugar Shack to open on Peachtree. More and more eateries are slowly popping up in the area, but we still lack a chill place to grab a sandwich or coffee. While it seems my excitement and anticipation might have been a bit out of proportion, Sugar Shack is a decent spot.

Dropping in on a Saturday afternoon, I was certainly impressed with the crowd that the shack had attracted. Apparently I wasn’t the only one anxiously awaiting something unique in the neighborhood. While the pack made the tiny dining area look downright miniscule, there is outside seating that I’m sure will be put to good use once the temperature drops below 90.

I’d had a generous breakfast the day I stopped in, but I still managed to taste two sandwiches and two cupcakes. The turkey and gouda sandwich was palate-pleasing and hearty. All of the flavors blended together very well so that no one flavor was dominant. The smoked salmon sandwich was also good, but half the size of the turkey. Quite tiny, which is why when I originally ordered the turkey and my boyfriend got the salmon, I ended up with half the turkey and half the salmon. Overall the sandwich selection is creative and solid. I’ll definitely make another appearance to try both the prosciutto sandwich and roast beef panini.

By far the biggest focus of the Sugar Shack is its desserts (hence the name). The cases and countertops are overflowing with every kind of temptation imaginable – cakes, cupcakes, cookies, bars, muffins, brownies and more. Throughout the time I was there, my eyes were firmly transfixed on this cornucopia of goodness. I was dumbfounded by how many desserts they had, and also pondered how on earth they were going to sell even a fraction of them before they went stale.

While my eyes devoured all of them, just two of the desserts made it to my mouth – the coconut and cuatro leches cupcakes. The coconut was satisfyingly sweet with a strong punch of coconut flavor, but the cuatro leches was truly special. The “leches” made it so moist that it was completely void of any of the dryness that cupcakes often suffer from. A real treat indeed!

Overall, the shack made a favorable impression on me. I no longer lie awake at night dreaming about it as I did before it opened, but it will surely see my face again – probably sans make-up on a Saturday or Sunday morning when I decide to have cake for breakfast, and of course try one of their many coffee drinks.

Varasano's

I checked out Varasano’s in Buckhead just to make sure my assessment of Fritti having the best pizza in Atlanta was accurate. I’m proud to say that it was. I got the same exact thing at Varasano’s that I’ve gotten a couple of times at Fritti – Caesar salad and salumi and olive pizza. The Caesar at Varasano’s was okay, but lacked the tangy bite prevalent in the Fritti salad. As for the pizza, the salumi was tasty (but when isn’t it?), the olives were a bit too pungent and I could have used more cheese. The crust, though, is where I really had an issue. It was essentially charred, so every bite was overpowered by the taste of burnt dough. The pie was also on the greasy side. Overall, the flavors just did not balance out well for me. It wasn’t horrible, but definitely does not hold a candle to Fritti.

As for the ambiance and decor, it was definitely very Buckhead. Minimalist, sleek and subtle. While I’ve complained before about the elbow-to-elbow seating and chaotic raucous of Fritti, it definitely feels more like an authentic pizzeria experience than Varasano’s.

Sandy Springs Farmers Market – An Unassuming Oasis of Top-Notch Treats

After seeing 1,000 posts about them on Twitter, I had been dying to hit up at least one of Atlanta’s farmers markets. After reviewing its list of vendors, I chose the Sandy Springs market based on the treats I could acquire there as well as its relative proximity to my home. (Getting out before noon on a Saturday can be tricky.)

Pulling up to the market, it looked fairly small, but I appreciated the fact that I didn’t have to struggle at all for parking, as it takes place in the parking lot of an old, abandoned Target. Despite its relatively small stature, the market makes up for its size with the amazing array of treasures it offers up.

Let’s start with the peaches. Over the years I have been relatively confused about Georgia’s top standings in the peach world, as the ones I’ve purchased at Kroger have been small, very mild in flavor and generally lackluster. When I moved here I was expecting the softball sized, super juicy variety of peaches that I used to find in China of all places.

Based on my lack of success in finding those gems here, I almost kept walking when I saw the Georgia Peach table at the market, but the line intrigued me and I took my place at the back. For $5, the kind vendor gingerly placed seven of the largest peaches I had seen since 1999 in Asia in my brown paper bag. As the super sweet juice from the first bite dripped down my chin, I knew I would not, after all, have to return to China for a good peach.

Peaches definitely dominated this market. I got some ginger peach ice cream from one of my Twitter stalkees, Westside Creamery, which was very flavorful and hit the spot in the blazing sun of the July morning. My most amazing find at the market was the yogurt from AtlantaFresh Artisan Creamery. Typically when it comes to yogurt I can take it or leave it, but my interest was strongly piqued by this creamery’s unique flavors. By the time I got to their table at around 10:30 am, they were already sold out of the Tropical Sweet Heat Flavor, which I most had my taste buds set on, but the three flavors I ended up purchasing – Black Cherry & Port Wine, Ginger Peach and Vanilla Caramel - did not disappoint. I could actually taste the wine in the Black Cherry & Port Wine, which blew me away, as did the other flavors. At $2 a piece, these yogurts are not cheap, but they are so far beyond what you can find in the grocery store in terms of both creaminess and flavor that they are well worth the extra investment.

Another terrific find at the market was the “sweet homemade seasonal breads” from Breadwinner. Having made an appearance on Food Network, these guys have been on my radar for awhile now, as have some of the other vendors at the market, so it was fantastic to get to try them all in one spot. The cannoli bread I bought from Breadwinner was sinfully tasty. Crusty on the outside and moist on the inside (much like a cannoli), I can’t get enough! At $15 a loaf and I-don’t-wanna-know-how-many calories, these breads cannot be a weekly purchase, but are definitely a great option for special occasions or intermittent splurges.

I’ve always been intrigued by flavored, dried pastas but have never purchased them. After all my other splurges, I figured what the hay and picked up a pound of lemon garlic flavored pasta from Pappardelle’s. It definitely added some nice flavor to my meal, but probably not $8 worth, which is what it costs for a pound. Last but not least, I purchased some Maple Ginger granola from a very nice lady with Goodness Gracious! Granola. Being all natural, it’s a little on the raw side, but still tasty, especially with milk poured over it.

Overall, SSFM was a very entertaining place to spend a Saturday morning. I have my boyfriend so excited about AtlantaFresh that we’re returning this weekend!