Sunday, February 07, 2010
Food, In this Issue..., Atlanta

Amuse bouche

Say “I love you” with heavenly bites at Bakeshop

By H.M. Cauley

Valentine’s Day may be the first serious challenge to those well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions. What better excuse is needed to break out of the low-fat, fake-sweetener regime than a romantic holiday?

Just in case you need some help going AWOL, Chef Jonathan St. Hilaire has come up with an almost irresistible temptation. The sweet genius behind Bakeshop in Midtown is preparing a buffet of treats to seduce every palate. For four nights beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, St. Hilaire will serve a range of delights designed to make your hearthrob’s pulse rate skyrocket. This is no place for weak-willed dieters, but it may be the best spot in Midtown for a Valentine’s Day date.

“I’m trying to go back to the plated desserts that a lot of people know me for,” says St. Hilaire, whose past culinary credits include stints at a number of outstanding bakeries and patisseries, as well as Canoe, Spice, the Four Seasons Hotel and Woodfire Grill. “The idea is to bring back a nice dessert menu with a whole section for chocolates, fruits, custards and frozen items.”

St. Hilaire plans to put out 24 choices, including his signature warm chocolate truffle cake, a peanut butter bar, a butterscotch pot de creme and a honey saffron creme brulee. “These are the items I know people love,” he says.

The assortment comes with a glass of champagne and four desserts for $24.99. But Bakeshop offers smaller options as well, whether you want to linger in one of the high-topped communal tables or snack bar seats or get it boxed up to go. Miniature cakes, brownies and Nutella croissants are among the best-selling items that have stocked the pastry cases since the space opened for business in late November.

But Bakeshop is more than just desserts. It opens early for the breakfast crowd that digs into pastries, granola parfaits, fried egg sandwiches and challah toast. By lunchtime, the focus shifts to quiches, soups, salads and sandwiches such as roasted turkey, marinated tuna, grilled cheese with brie or barbecued pork. Throughout the day, customers drop in for a gourmet coffee while they check e-mail with the free Wi-Fi or a loaf of mixed olive or Parmesan and pesto bread, straight from the ovens at the rear of the room.

Even when it’s not a major dessert holiday, St. Hilaire is on the job, turning out almond croissants, French baguettes and cookies. His creations go beyond Bakeshop and wind up on the tables at the various Concentrics restaurants (One, Two, Tap), Craft, La Grotta, the Four Seasons and the Thumbs Up Diner. As the owner and head baker, St. Hilaire doesn’t mind the long hours; they’re his personal passion.

“Being an owner now means I’m watching over everything,” he says. “And that’s OK, because it’s a labor of love.” SP