Good Morning, Darlings!

A little while back, sweet Tami from Running With Tweezers invited me to a p.r. luncheon given by Bakeshop, a fabulous little spot in midtown that you simply must try.

Upon entering, we saw tables laden with pastries for our enjoyment.

Everything looked divine.  And our tablemates were so delightful.  I met Lisa, a writer for the likes of Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Living, among other publications and we found we had a mutual friend (this happens frequently in Atlanta – everybody knows everybody). I also saw the darling Marian from Haute Travels, whom I had met previously during that fab weekend with Eddie + Jaithan, so we took some time to catch up.

Bakeshop’s chef, Jonathan St. Hilaire, was classically trained at the French Culinary Institute. St. Hilaire began perfecting his pastry technique through various stints in New York City’s finest restaurants including Terrance Brennan’s Picholine, Payard’s Patisserie and Bistro, Bouley Bakery and Danny Meyer’s Eleven Madison Park. Further south, in Atlanta, Hilaire worked in award winning kitchens such as 1848 House, Canoe, Spice, The Four Seasons Hotel and was the Executive Chef of the Westeye Group and Executive Pastry chef at Woodfire Grill. For the past several years St. Hilaire was proudly the Executive Pastry Chef of Atlanta’s Concentrics Restaurants.

During the past year, Hilaire turned his love of baking into a wholesale bread company, which will now be run out of Bakeshop, and boasts clients such as Tom Colicchio’s Atlanta CRAFT Restaurant. In 2000, St. Hilaire won the Gold Medal in the “Southern Pastry Classic” and shortly thereafter received the critics award as one of the best new chefs in the area, earning him the title of ”Best New American Chef in Atlanta” from Bon Appetit magazine in 2002. That same year, Atlanta magazine also recognized him for the city’s “Best Chocolate Dessert.” Hilaire was recently selected to be on the advisory board for Le Cordon Bleu.

And he was funny, too!

As Chef Jonathan regaled us with pastry tales, we all indulged in some very tasty eats. Yummy panini, decadent pastries, perfectly baked croissants.

You must try them.

I hear you running for the door to head out to Bakeshop. That’s fine. I’ll wait here for you. Could you bring me back a tart? Whatever looks delicious.

xoxo, Patti