Bites Nearby: The Australian Bakery Café

Overview: It has taken me years to realize that the bakeries around the Square are a whole lot more than bakeries. Such is the case with the Australian Bakery Café on the Marietta Square. If I hadn’t been at the Taste of Marietta a few months ago, I would still be under the impression that they served Australian pastries, whatever those might be. In reality, it is also a charming little restaurant, serving breakfast and lunch 7 days a week. The signature dish is the Australian meat pie, a homemade dough filled with a variety of meats and vegetables, baked and served hot. There are 22 varieties of this Aussie pie and they are delicious. Another specialty is sausage rolls. Both are prepared from a hand made, old-fashioned bread dough containing no added sugar, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or corn syrup. The Australian Bakery Café has one of the best websites I’ve ever seen for a restaurant because it has pictures, descriptions and prices of almost everything they offer, in every variety. This is a great place to order from for work functions or events. Go to  www.australianbakerycafe.com for the details.

The Food: Breakfast is served all day. There’s a variety of meat pies, sausage rolls, sandwiches and desserts to choose from. Here’s what I suggest:

Omelettes 5.99 - Super fresh, the omelettes are outstanding. Choose from Ham & Cheddar, Crumbled Sausage & Pepperjack, or Garden Vegetable.

Sandwiches: Another specialty of the Australian Café is the  “Sanga” sandwich. Handmade on the premises, each ‘Sanga’ starts with a fresh crusty artisan bread roll, baked daily using  no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, corn syrup or added sugar. Choose from Poppy, Sesame, 9-grain, Whole-wheat, White, Cheddar Bacon or bread of the day. Hearty sandwiches with names like Cape York Chook & Avocado Croc Hunter Chicken are $6.35 and $8.75 with a medium fountain drink and chips.

Desserts:

Hedgehog Pie $2.65. If you don’t try anything else, try this “pie”.  It’s an old fashioned country Australian favorite. Fudgy alternative to the American Brownie with crispy bits and coconut, topped off with an icing.

Hours: Mon, Wed, Thurs 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m; Tuesday 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Friday 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Saturday  8 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The Australian Bakery is located at 48 South Park Square, Marietta, Georgia 30060. Telephone:  678-797-6222. Facsimile: 678-797-0024.