Pardon the delay in getting this post done - I've been, quite literally, in a Sugar Coma. I came back from NYC with such quickness to see my dear friend Helen and attend what is already the event of 2010 here in Atlanta: Sugar Coma - a chauffeured tour of sweeteries and bakeries put together by ultra fabulous The Broke Socialite. Helen was in town acting as the "Sugar Mama" of the tour - visiting with attendees and talking about her life as blogger/pastry chef/photographer extraordinaire. It was quite a treat to spend part of the day with her and to meet all the chefs, restaurant owners and fellow bloggers (like Bakerella!) that were on the tour with me.
The afternoon started at Le Fais Do-Do, a multi use event facility on the super-trendy West-side of Atlanta. One of the large ballrooms was set in gorgeous tables for us to have some lunch before we took off on our tour. The savory lunch from Black Tie BBQ was just the thing we needed before the sugar shock set in.
After lunch, we loaded up in super-swanky 2010 Cadillac (our transportation sponsor) SRX's and took off...but not before we got our first sweet treat of the day. Love N' Cupcakes, who is launching Atlanta's first mobile cupcake truck - soon to be showing up in spots all over town - brought us cupcakes in to-go boxes so we didn't have to stand in the rain to get our sugar fix. I had a lemon cupcake that was delish - as you can see from the photo, the HoHo flavor wasn't too shabby either.
Next, we got to get a sneak peek at the new space that West-side classic West Egg Cafe is moving into. Those who live on that side of town are in for a treat - what a cool and creatively decorated space. Chef Patric Bell's cupcakes are the stuff of legend - his red velvet cupcakes make folks swoon. There were also coca-cola and black bottom cupcakes for us to try. That black bottom cupcake, which I ate too fast to take a photo of, was one of my favorite sweets of the day.
A new addition to the bakery scene here in Atlanta, Bakeshop, really outdid themselves. Tables and tables of one of everything they make allowed us to nosh, take photos and really get a feel for what Bakeshop is all about. While we were there for all things sweet, they have a great menu of salads and sandwiches, as well. Each guest was also sent home with a loaf of chocolate raisin panettone to enjoy later.
For those who don't live in Atlanta, the doughnuts in this photo have created a foodie buzz and cult-like following that isn't often seen in this town. They're Sublime Doughnuts - a very fitting name. All flavors are delicious - I'm partial to any of the A-Town varieties. Their inclusion on our Sugar Coma tour had everyone buzzing.
We had our doughnut fix at Noon Midtown, who now carries Sublime Doughnuts during the week. I was super excited to make a stop at Noon - my schedule hadn't allowed me to have lunch there yet. The space is stunningly designed - I felt so calm and relaxed while I was there. They have an extensive lunch menu and specials during the week. You can follow them on Twitter where they conveniently announce those specials. The pairing of their Mexican spiced hot chocolate with the doughnuts made me dreamily sigh.
Our final stop on the tour was Little Cake Bakery, an adorable cupcakery in Buckhead. It's tucked away off Roswell Road and - without the Sugar Coma tour - I probably wouldn't have known it was there. They smartly sent us home with 4-pack boxes of cupcakes so we could enjoy them when we weren't so full and suffering sugar fatigue. The frosting shots were swooned over by everyone - I can't believe no one I know had thought of doing that before. Most people think the cake is a vehicle for the frosting, right?
Everyone was also gifted with a KILLER swag bag, which was put together by various sponsors and The Broke Socialite. Included as one of the goodies was a Sugah candle from Low Country Luxe - I gave one of these beauties away in my Menu For Hope prize. There were also heirloom recipe cards from IceMilk Aprons, cookies from The Cookie Studio and yummy baked goodies from Scratch.
I'm so glad I got to share this event with you - it was truly like no other food event I've ever been a part of. It was also a very sweet treat to meet all the great folks that experienced Sugar Coma with me. Thank you to everyone who took part in organizing this and giving us a taste of all the sweet stuff Atlanta has to offer!