Quickie - Octane at the Jane / Little Tart Bakeshop

For those few of you that haven't heard, Octane Coffee has opened their newest outpost in Grant Park - Octane at the Jane. This wouldn't concern me much, as I don't drink coffee, but the new lofty digs houses The Little Tart Bakeshop which makes this far more than a coffee shop. I first had the opportunity to try the Little Tart's offerings at an Atlanta Underground Market and I was floored by how good her pastries were. The apple/cheddar and pear/ginger turnovers were some of the best fruit filled pasty I've ever had.

Rather than wait for the next local Farmer's market, Little Tart's goods are now offered up around the clock at the new Octane. And the best part about that is, you can have items warm from the oven. The technical prowress that is exhibitied behind the display glass is astounding. Flakes are where they should be, moistness remains at the forefront, and unique flavor combinations are embodied in a variety of items. The aforementioned turnovers are not to be missed, nor should the pain au chocolat. However, the item that truly blew both kins and I away was the bacon/cheddar scone. More like a biscuit in texture (a fluffy center with layers of texture/flake surrounding), these scones are irresistible and have kept us coming back way more than we should have. Make sure you get their early to not only enjoy a warm scone, but to actually get one - they're made in small batches and run out frequently.

This is certainly my favorite option for morning pastries in Atlanta.

Patty Cake Patty Cake - Bakeshop

Atlanta is getting some serious bakeries and I'm beginning to value this trend much more than the burger epidemic that is running rampant in our fair city. The Concentrics Restaurant group has opened the Bakeshop in the former location of Goldstar Bakery in Midtown. This prime location is ideal for another bakery and Bakeshop (yes that is the name of it) is going to do quite well in this spot.

I stopped in this past weekend and picked up a couple of pastries and a breakfast item. The inside of the place reminds me of Parish's (another Concentrics endeavor) Marketplace, but with a more modern, less cozy feel. Like Parish, the communal tables are present and inviting newspapers are strewn about. There is a narrow spot to order your food, peruse the pastry case, and look at bread-lined shelves. I imagine it's going to be quite the clusterfuck when it gets crowded.

Bakeshop got one strike from me right away - there were no prices on the menu. I really don't get the point of this and I was afraid that I would be leaving with a much lighter billfold than when I entered. Fortunately, despite the yuppie digs, the bakeshop was moderately priced.

Croissants seem to be somewhat of a speciality at the Bakeshop and they offer three kinds (plain, chocolate, and almond) along with a ham & gruyere croissant sandwich. Kins likened the croissants to Alon's (I've never had one) and I certainly thought they looked the part.

The chocolate one that I devoured was light, flaky, and thankfully not as greasy as many I've encountered. The chocolate unfortunately was lying a little right of center. I can't say it slowed me down, but I definitely didn't get chocolate in every bite.

Additionally I ordered the Eggs al Forno and frankly, wasn't too pleased with them. Granted, I didn't exactly know what I was ordering, but the breakfast item consisted of a slice of sourdough smothered in cheese, onions, red peppers, parmesan, and two eggs (one poached and one hard boiled). While I didn't really know what I was getting into when I ordered them, the two types of eggs were the opposite of what I was expecting, and I became turned off by the open-faced sandwich. Additionally, the peppers and onions were very haphazardly clumped together on opposite ends of the sandwich respectively. While I was warned, this little egg concoction took 15 minutes to make. Why?! Thank goodness for the aforementioned newspapers.

So Bakeshop gets my praise for their pastries and thus far, my jeers on their breakfast. However, with items like apple stuffed french toast, fried egg with BBQ pork on ciabatta, and a milk chocolate (would prefer dark) hazelnut sponge cake, I'll surely be back. Cheers to Concentrics on their rapidly expanding empire.

By the way, for those of you without economy defying incomes, my total for all 3 items was 12 bucks. Not cheap, but certainly not terrible for one of Atlanta's better bakeries.