Quick! Name one reason to go to Atlantis, Florida.
A tiny town of about 2,200, it's surrounded by Lantana, Lake Worth, Greenacres and Boynton Beach. There is a small commuter airport (officially Palm Beach County Park Airport, but it's known as Lantana Airport, after its airport code: LNA), JFK Medical Center, and the very nice (and very private) Atlantis Golf Club. John Prince Park's recreational facilities are just north of the town, as is the main campus of Palm Beach State College.
But a reason to actually go to Atlantis? Hard to find one, unless you live or golf there, or get sick or injured near there. That is, until Atlantis Bagel & Pastry opened its doors a few weeks ago.
If you were raised in a time where your town had an independent bakery, before every supermarket began baking shipped-from-Central-Storage "artisan" breads and pastries that were designed for looks rather than taste, then you understand the point of Atlantis Bagel & Pastry as soon as you walk in. The sales area, with its baskets and spotless glass cabinets displaying breads, cakes, pies, strudels and cookies is perhaps one-third the size of the kitchen/baking area. Owner Richard Isolini Jr. is still putting the final touches on the place, but he obviously loves the process of turning good ingredients into finished products.
The selection is diverse, kosher-style (some items are parve, or made without meat or dairy products) and downright elegant. You can get apple strudel, buttercream-frosted cakes, fruit pies, cheese-filled pastries, challah, bran muffins, bagels, baguettes, brownies, Italian rainbows and there's even a soup of the day to enjoy alongside your bread or before your pastry. And the product tastes like someone cared about it, respected both the art and science of baking.
You have to be wondering, "Why on earth is a place like this open here?" Well, when the pastry is perfect, you can offer it pretty much anywhere.
Atlantis Bagel & Pastry, 5817 S. Congress Ave. (Shoppes of Atlantis, at Lantana Road), Atlantis, FL. Phone (561) 209-2807 or (561) 209-2808. Catering and custom orders available. Hours: Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Sunday.
------------------------------------
You can't keep a good food truck down...and who would want to? Gourmet Truck Expo is bringing about a dozen food trucks to West Palm Beach's Gaines Park on Thursday, Jan. 17 from 5 to 9 p.m. for Feast In The Park. There will be music along with the feasting, which will include burgers and subs from Overload Extreme, Boca Raton's Lucille's on Wheels, ethnic vegan fare from VeggieXpress and AZ Canteen, a food truck venture from Andrew Zimmern, host of The Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods. Gaines Park is located on Australian Avenue, between 13th Street and North Mangonia Drive.
Comments