Grazing: First Look: Bakeshop

I’ll start with the best part: the scone. I had ordered it with a sandwich to go from Bakeshop (903 Peachtree St., 404-892-9322). The place, with only three community tables, was packed, and I decided it would be more tranquil to carry my sandwich to Starbucks.

I was handed the scone when I placed my order, and I promised myself I wouldn’t nibble on it while I waited for my prosciutto sandwich. But my wait became so long that half the crowd cleared out. My stomach growled. I found a seat at the end of one of the tables.

I love scones. I’d call them my favorite pastry. This one was made with chopped pecans and dried apricots. It was the last one in the pastry case and its odd shape had caught my eye. It was not a plump oval. It was more triangular but not a fussy isosceles or equilateral triangle. This was a scalene triangle, nearly as big as my hand, and its odd angles created varying thickness and textures.

I pinched off a piece in the bag and took a bite. The flavors shocked me. There was the crisp, sugary texture and taste of the exterior, followed immediately by the rich, nutty flavor embedded in the softer interior. The slight crunch of pecans alternated with tart bits of dried apricot. I was back in Sonoma County 20 years ago, eating scones at a bakery in Healdsburg. I took the scone out of the bag and went to work.

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(Photo by James Camp)