The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A hit for healthful baked goods
Garnet Gal’s in Buckhead bakes with flour milled in- house.
Garnet Gal’s Coffee Shop & Bakery in Buckhead prides itself on its health- minded baked goods. It’s also a place where healthful translates to tasty.
“I found that a lot of people, once they come in, they come back,” owner Pat Azogu said.
Oh, I’ ll be back, alright. I’ ll stand in front of that bakery case and point my finger to the blueberry lavender muffins, whose moist insides are stained Cookie Monster purple, and the mixed berry scones made with matcha flour, too. I’ll salivate as I wait for the barista to heat up the savory stuff: flaky hand pies packed with curry- laced vegetables and chicken, and bombs — bready, dome- shaped breakfast handhelds, filled with scrambled eggs, melted cheddar, chicken sausage or vegetables, that really are da bomb.
Azogu is a hobbyist baker turned pro. She opened her shop in the space vacated by Mae’s Bakery last April, the culmination of a life- changing journey that began four years ago, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“That diagnosis made me rethink everything,” Azogu said. “I was in a job that had a lot of stress. It paid well, but I wasn’t happy. I changed the way I was eating, became more physically active. I’ve always loved food, been baking over 30 years. I decided, if I made it to the other side, I was
going to do something that made me happy, but where I could help others.”
The food- as- medicine philosophy that Azogu adopted during her fight with cancer — “If you are eating the right foods, it can really change your health trajectory ” — guides the food prepared at Garnet Gal’s.
Ingredients are organic, when possible. Baked goods are notably fresh. A key reason why: Flour is milled in- house from grains that include soft white, hard white and hard red wheat, rye, spelt and corn. There’s also an Ezekiel blend of grains and beans used for bread, and even snickerdoodles, that has a slightly earthy character and grainy texture.
Cinnamon rolls aside, the selection of sweet morning treats I sampled weren’t sugary indulgences; they tasted wholesome. Garnet Gal’s doesn’t do cupcakes topped with inch- thick buttercream frosting; it does mini loaves of vegan chocolate chip banana bread, blueberry coconut oat bars and chai- spice coffee cake to pair with tea or coffee ( beans are from Counter Culture, Peach Coffee Roasters in Johns Creek and Batdorf & Bronson).
But, it’s the savory stuff that makes me want to return the most. The vegan chickpea sunflower seed sandwich, on house- made focaccia with sun- dried tomatoes and black olives, was as satisfying and flavor-filled as any chunky chicken salad sandwich.
Roasted red pepper multigrain is new to the loaf lineup. I want to try turkey and Swiss between a couple of slices, as well as the tuna melt, maybe with millet bread; the meat lover’s quiche; and another bomb, this time vegetarian.
Despite the delicious fare, Garnet Gal’s has struggled in its first year. Weekday traffic is slow, with many people working remotely, and catering orders are fewer than hoped for.
“Opening during the pandemic was not a deliberate choice,” said Azogu, who settled on the l ocation i n October, 2019. “There are all sorts of delays when you are trying to open.”
Because Garnet Gal’ s unlocked its doors after February, 2020, it did not qualify for federal aid last year. The current financial situation has Azogu concerned enough that she launched a Go Fund Me campaign, but the f undraiser hasn’t taken off.
“We’ve just been managing as best we can to get people in the door,” she said.