Don’t think that we’re posting about cupcakes to lure you back into reading our blog. Or do. Whatever. Cupcakes are delicious. And, like my stance on ice cream, I believe in a cupcake for all times. That means that a little dessert-jumping-the-shark trend-tastic-ness will not deter my love of small cakes adorned with big frosting. Cake and frosting, people. Trend me up. 

At the end of 2010, we discovered CamiCakes (don’t let the unfortunate website music scare you). It took us a while to stop by this little pink outpost of the popular Florida-based shop, but it’s worth a trek to that funny part of town between the Midtown and Buckhead blocks of Peachtree St. These small cakes pack considerable flavors from Lemon Drop to The Elvis. We’ve tried these two as well as the Classic Cami, Mint Chocolate, Sweet Potato, Red Velvet, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream. They’re all good. Really. And with plenty of other flavors to choose from, there’s something for everyone. Really. And props to CamiCakes for having both cream cheese and butter cream frosting options. What? Even a girl who hasn’t met a dessert she didn’t like can have preferences (butter cream, baby). 

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To say that I’ve been looking forward to the opening of Empire State South is an incredible understatement. It’s been over a year since we first started hearing about the place that would bring to town one of Athens’ best chefs’ modern take on the Southern meat ‘n’ three. Chef/partner Hugh Acheson has earned national acclaim for his Athens restaurants Five & Ten and The National, and has garnered four James Beard Foundation nominations. When he announced Nick Melvin, who had been gaining praise upon praise for his work at Parish, as Empire State’s Chef de Cuisine, swoon-worthiness took full effect. My anticipation was between “I like really good new restaurants in Midtown” and “I am pining after this restaurant with all of my little foodie heart.” After attending last night’s opening party (thanks, JOE!), I believe I’ve moved into solid pining mode. 

We walked out of the 999 parking deck to see a tranquil bocce court flanked by bright green grass next to a courtyard of lime green outdoor seating. Located at 10th and Peachtree, the reinvented space had already made me forget that I was on the cursed corner that brought us The Grape and years of vacant hope for something better. Finally, someone had opened a window there.

A window to all good things Southern: butter, salt, peaches and pecans, to name a few. John was dutiful in snapping some beautiful shots of the food, so take a look at the image gallery for a veritable photo buffet. In addition to the gorgeously prepared food, we really enjoyed the vibe of the place, warm blue walls, weathered leather banquette, farmhouse wood and old-school shade lighting. We were free to mingle into the kitchen where, instead of a nervous group of line chefs, we found a happy, kind staff. That’s what happens when everyone is proud of the good stuff being put on the farm table.

Opening Monday, Empire State South will serve breakfast, lunch (including lunch box takeaways) and dinner—look for us to try all three. Mostly, we’re grateful for a spot serving thoughtful Southern food in a comfortable environment that we think will become a real community standby. That’s our kind of Empire.

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We’ve been busy, y’all. In this post:

• Ice Cream Sandwiches at Miller Union
• Brownies Thanks to my HomeGirl
• Attack of the Killer Tomato Fest

You Had Me at Ice Cream: Only at lunchtime does Miller Union offer up ice cream sandwiches. And, while I give due respect to savory sandwiches and quite enjoyed my creamy farm egg salad & watercress between soft white bread, there is a special place in my heart and stomach for a good ice cream sandwich. I mean, seriously, cookies and ice cream in one portable package? I love you, inventor of the ice cream sandwich (one small step for street food, one giant leap for deliciousness). Miller Union takes the humble frozen treat to another level, with flavors like Earl Grey Tea and Mexican Chocolate. My Mom and I shared a classic Cherry sandwich – you’ll see in the photo that they’ll cut it in half for you. I probably could have eaten a plateful of these if not for following my Mom’s example of moderation (it didn’t hurt that half-size was pretty cute). Thin, chocolate-y cookie with a thick slab of cherry ice cream between, like a frozen chocolate covered cherry. Yum. 

Square Goods: Sometimes I forget about brownies. When I’m called to make a dessert for a dinner party or potluck, I generally pick a recipe that I haven’t made before, something exotic and challenging (exactly what one shouldn’t do, by the way – if you want a recipe for anxiety, follow this rule). I think that I do this because, if I’m going to invest time and energy into something, I like using that time to try something new. All that’s to say, this summer has kicked my butt and I’m super busy. So, when it came time to bake something for a potluck, I remembered the crowd-pleasing, multiple-serving dessert, brownies. No cookie scooping or cake icing, just simple, glorious squares of goodness. Next time I forget about brownies, I’ll try to remember just how tasty that batter is, too…But I still couldn’t resist trying a new recipe, so I looked to Virginia Willis for inspiration. The resulting Georgia Pecan Brownies were out of this world. Fair warning, 12 ounces of chocolate takes a minute or two to finely chop, but the tired arm is totally worth it when you take a bite into these dense chocolate pecan squares. We love the added depth that sea salt brings to chocolate and will definitely be making these again. It’s hard to make a brownie that’s both chewy and moist, but also has that nice cakey top. This one’s a keeper.  

When Tomatoes Attack: This weekend, we were very excited to attend the Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival, benefiting Georgia Organics. We even hydrated for the occasion. There’s nothing else to prepare you for an afternoon of tomatoes and booze, after all. Angie Mosier was MC for the festivities and The Spazmatics rocked out with their socks out. The stage was set to celebrate summer’s most beguiling fruit.

Our favorites from the region’s top chefs and mixologists included: The Golden Ticket cocktail from Miles Macquerrie (Leon’s Full Service) – Oronoco Rum, Sungold Tomato Jam, Pineapple, Lime, Cynar, Black Pepper Syrup, and one big ol’ ice cube – a sweet but spicy drink perfect for GA hotness; the Electric Boogaloo from Cara Ludino (Miller Union) – daiquiri-like with fresh ground pepper; Hugh Acheson’s (Athens’ Five & Ten and soon-to-be-Atlanta’s Empire State South) Tomatoes with Pickled Shrimp, Field Peas and Boiled Dressing; Carvel Grant Gould’s (Canoe) Warm Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Bacon Crust and Tomato Fig Jam; Chris Hastings’ (Birmingham’s Hot and Hot Fish Club) Tomato Salad with Fresh Corn, Field Peas, Fried Okra, Bacon & Chive Aioli; Linton Hopkins’ (Restaurant Eugene, Holeman & Finch Public House) Heirloom Tomato Corn Dogs with Brandywine Ketchup; Gerry Klaskala’s (Aria) Grilled Cheese Keaster with Roof Top Dried Tomatoes, Bacon & Chipotle Dipping Sauce; Eddie Hernandez’s (Taqueria del Sol) Tomato Cruda in Habanero Vinaigarette on a Tostada topped with Southwestern Crema and Caviar; Joe Truex’s (Watershed) Tomato Pie – cheddar tart with cherry tomato center; and Mike Lata’s (Charleston’s FIG) Heirloom Tomato Tarte Tatin (warm tomato compote over thin, delicate pastry) with Fromage Blanc. For sweet somethings, we appreciated the creativity of Ford Fry’s (JCT. Kitchen & Bar) Killer Tomato Jelly Donuts and Kevin Gillespie’s (Woodfire Grill) Tomato Ice Cream Sandwiches. But our favorite tomato dessert was definitely Keira Moritz’s (Pacci) mini ice cream cones – flavors changed on the half hour and we liked them so much that we made it over to sample three – basil with a hint of tomato, peach tomato with a yummy candied heirloom on top, and strawberry tomato. It was pretty serendipitous when The Spazmatics started playing “Just Can’t Get Enough…”

Judges Andrew Knowlton (Bon Appetit magazine), Kate Krader (Food & Wine magazine) and Carolyn O’Neil (local dietician and author) had their work cut out for them…for a summary of the cocktail winners, check out this nice post at Food & Wine; and for food winners, check out their other post! I knew I waited a day to write about this thing because of more than just fullness…I had a plan, see…

I have been eagerly anticipating the Midtown outpost of an old-favorite, Inman Park’s Highland Bakery. Midtown Atlanta could use more spots to pick up a tasty breakfast or lunch, not to mention a sweet something around the witching hour of 3 p.m. A co-worker and I walked over to check it out today, only its second day open for business in the building that houses King & Spalding, off 14th St. near Crescent. We walked into the bustling mini-bakery, with a little line beginning to form promptly at Noon. Unlike its sister restaurant, Midtown’s Highland Bakery is counter-service with table delivery – I can see it easily becoming the Taqueria Del Sol of sandwich shops. The line moved quickly, though, with a staff eager to make a good first impression, complete with samples of cookies (rum raisin, wedding, and molasses) and a “nutrition bar” filled with creamy peanut butter. A fed crowd is a happy crowd.

For lunch I chose a tangy Pimento Cheese sandwich made with Vermont white cheddar, topped with sliced tomato, grilled on buttery sourdough. Sandwiches come with chips and a pickle, but you can sub fresh fruit or a salad for a dollar more. The fruit was tasty – I always appreciate a fruit salad made up of more than giant chunks of cantaloupe and a few red grapes – this one also included strawberries, pineapple and blueberries. My co-worker chose the Grilled Cheese, also with Vermont cheddar, and added sprouts and tomato. Part of the reason sandwiches are so good at bakeries is because of the fresh bread, of course; and this Grilled Cheese was something special because of the Rosemary Garlic Bread, fragrant and delicious.

And about that sweet something…I sampled two mini-cupcakes (a steal at only $0.95) – Red Velvet and Oreo. Of the two, I preferred the Oreo, rich with chocolate and generous bits of cookie. We also tried a Salted Caramel Brownie and Lemon Bar. The Brownie was gooey and dark with a nice layer of caramel, very satisfying. I got hints of smoky salt in the caramel, but wouldn’t have minded some fleur de sel sprinkled on top as well. The Lemon Bar was moist with a good layer of shortbread; could have been a bit more punchy with lemon, but still a nice treat.

I’ll certainly be coming back to Highland Bakery and look forward to trying breakfast out, too. Since we moved to Ansley Park I’ve missed the occasional Sweet Potato or Ricotta Pancakes I would crave from the Inman Park location. Plus, my other favorite lunch spot here, Noon Midtown, stopped serving breakfast in order to serve dinner.

In sum, I’ll totally visit a Highland Bakery that’s not on Highland Ave. Welcome to Midtown, y’all!

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