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DEL.ICIO.USSomething Old, Something New
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HIGHLAND BAKERY: It should be known for more than just the sweet potato pancakes.
Photo: Becky Stein/special to the AJC
I’ve never understood the “something blue” part of that old wedding saying, but I guess that’s something for Google.
I’ve been away, and for a very good reason: this past Saturday, I got married. Between gowns and rings and champagne toasts (made by my 11-year-old daughter, who was stellar throughout), a few cakes were made, and they were both so gorgeous, and so different.
The first was part of an all-girl celebration at the nail salon, where we all did the works on hands and toes. Amid wine, cheese and some darned good sopressata supplied by my incredible sister, mom and sis-in-law, the girls at Highland Bakery made some magic of their own.
You may be familiar with Highland as a hip breakfast eatery on the outskirts of Inman Park in the Old Fourth Ward, where owner Stacey Eames serves up sweet potato pancakes alonside white chicken chili faster than you can say “I do.”
What you might not realize is that behind the hippy-esque store front is a pastry chef/cake designer who is one of the city’s greatest hidden treasures. Karen Portaleo’s work with fondant and gum paste place her way above the pack in the pastry department. And underneath that mantle of fondant is a cake that tastes really, really good, whether it’s chocolate chocolate or red velvet or coconut.
Mine? A precious tower of “pillows,” perfectly placed on top of each other — one chocolate, the other red velvet, blanketed in fondant to look like purple lavender pillows. The top was crowned with a shoe (since my motto is ‘change your shoes, change your life’) fashioned from purple iris petals and flower stems made from gum paste, a kind of sugar “dough.”
Trust me, I used to teach this stuff. It couldn’t have been lovelier.
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Comments
By Carolyn
September 16, 2008 4:01 PM | Link to this
I LOVE THIS PLACE!! There is always a line to sit inside or out. I used to live next door, so walking over for breakfast was a real treat. Great food!!
By Carolyn
September 16, 2008 4:04 PM | Link to this
I LOVE THIS PLACE!! There is always a line to sit inside or out. I used to live next door, so walking over for breakfast was a real treat. Great food!!
By Carolyn
September 16, 2008 4:04 PM | Link to this
I LOVE THIS PLACE!! There is always a line to sit inside or out. I used to live next door, so walking over for breakfast was a real treat. Great food!!
By Lisa
September 17, 2008 7:03 PM | Link to this
Congrats! And, hey! Thanks for the tip. A wedding cake is a difficult choice. My parents next door neighbor made my first (20 years ago) - 4 tiers and 6 satellite cakes. It was obscenely huge, melted in your mouth like butter, and spoiled me for any other cake! I’ve yet to find that this time, now that I’m back in the wedding cake market. I honestly hadn’t thought of Highland Bakery! I’ll schedule an appointment ASAP.