Thank goodness I chose a place outside of the perimeter. At the time I decided go out to lunch on this particular weekend, my body was no where near in the mood to travel a mile away from home. After eating here many times on occasion, I thought the Australian Bakery Cafe on Marietta Square therefore would be the perfect match to last week's visit at Intermezzo Cafe.
This relaxed, down to earth Aussie eatery has been serving not only just the southern community but also Aussie expats including the Australian Embassy in DC since 1994. They claim to officially introduce the Aussie meat pie to Americans and have a wide variety of selections to prove it.
Their pies are not the only things that are worth waiting for, however. Sandwiches, pastries, breads and even imports also share the spotlight so I thought I would try an old favorite of mine, the Dundee Turkey Sandwich when it came to lunch.
Verdict? It never fails me. Perfectly sized, this basic turkey, cranberry and Swiss cheese combination smoothed with mayonnaise and accompanied with a pickle on an Aussie wheat bun made my afternoon with my magazine a lot more enjoyable. They even have my favorite Linzer cookies for dessert even though they are not quite as memorable as V&V Bakery in Queens.
Better than the city? The Australian Bakery tasted a little more satisfying but both places are great destinations for a simple sandwich. If its good, anyone will come to enjoy it.
To shop well in Atlanta, you almost always have to travel into the perimeter, and its obviously natural to know at some point you will get hungry from all that walking, standing, waiting, the stairs, trying clothes and driving from shop to shop. I wondered during one afternoon if the same concept applied to eating? Is it better to have that lunchtime sandwich in or outside of the perimeter? I thought I would be up for one of my own experiments and see for myself.
I picked two places that have been firmly established in their communities, historically known to offer their best to their fellow southern neighbors.
Since 1979, this modernized Europaesche Kaffeehaus was one of the first in its kind in the city to showcase European coffee, pastries and food to the Atlanta community. I have not returned since I was living here 11 years ago, so I thought it would be great to see what I have missed.
What: Turkey Deluxe with Focaccia Bread, Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
I forgot that Café Intermezzo was one of those places that loves whipped cream, even on top of cappuccinos. In any case, I was there for the sandwich and it was not bad. Perfectly filling at the time, as the apples were sliced thin enough and the Swiss cheese was not completely oozing everywhere. I would have added a little more turkey and the bread was a little too light for focaccia but was overall good. On a more exceptional note, the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake was delicious. Chocolate flakes, Nutella, hints of coffee, and chocolate sponge cake just left me thinking that I should have listened to the servers in buying three more slices.
Overall: Definitely good enough to return but not sure if the better of the two.
