Week: Thurs
June 8th, 2006
A few months ago, several highly spirited members of our Atlanta
Cuisine discussion board posted with great appreciation for an
obscure jar of truffle honey being sold at a small Buckhead specialty
shop called Savor. This fanatical discussion prompted a well-known
chef to create his own version of truffle honey at his popular
restaurant in Athens, Georgia.
The point I’m trying to make is that these small mom & pop
run markets and specialty shops help to enrich this city’s
culinary scene. We need more of these little guys who actually
care about the community and much less of the faceless corporate-types
like Whole Foods.
Adriano Baldelli, owner of Zola Italian Bistro in Alpharetta,
has recently done his share to fill a gaping hole in Alpharetta’s
culinary world by opening Zola Italian Market. Located directly
next door to his bustling neighborhood eatery, several jars of
that same truffle honey can be found among the store’s many
gourmet offerings.
I’m shocked to routinely find other luxury items such as
canned truffles and chilled white anchovies. A variety of fancy
pastas imported from Italy sit on a shelf beside those salty
marcona almonds that cost an arm and a leg – but are so
addictively tasty – I don’t care.
In the display window you’ll find a giant bowl of that killer
olive tapenade they sell in the restaurant. That together with
a small container of roasted red peppers and a loaf of freshly
baked (in house) Crusty Italian Bread, and you’ve got yourself
one hell of a Saturday afternoon.
They offer five specialty sandwiches with the best being a muffeletta
served on buttery (freshly baked) ciabatta bread. If I worked
nearby, I'd be tempted to eat three or four of these of week.
The only downside is that the market doesn’t offer any dine-in
service so you’ll have to get your sandwich to go.
What's for dessert?
This city is also desperately in need of pastry chefs.
So it brings a smile to face just knowing that Kathy High,
a very talented François Collet disciple, actually moved
to Atlanta from Chicago.
It should be a crime to exit the store without purchasing at
least two of her flawless passion fruit tarts. |
Glossy Fruit Tart and Matignon at
Zola's Market, prepared by new pastry chef, Kathy High.
Type of Cuisine: Gourmet
Italian Market
Address/Tel: 14155 Highway 9, Alpharetta
Tel: 770-360-5777
Recommended Dishes: Muffeletta, Passion
Fruit Tart, Housemade Breads, Ciriole Pasta, Truffle
Honey and Freshly Baked Crusty Italian Bread
Pricing: Retail merchandise varies. All
sandwiches and desserts are priced well below $10
Hours:
Market: Tue - Sat: 11am - 2pm
Restaurant: Mon - Sat 5:30pm - 10pm
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