Cakes & Ale Among Bon Appetit's Top 10 'New' Restaurants

A few days ago, Patch reported that Cakes & Ale in Decatur in the country.

The news got better. Cakes & Ale made the website's Top 10 list.

Writer Andrew Knowlton says this is the reason why.

What's that you say? Cakes & Ale was one of Bon Appétit's ten best new restaurants in America in 2009? You're right. But let me explain. First, there's a new location, in downtown Decatur. And then there's chef Billy Allin's cooking.

It's more mature, more risk-taking (I never thought carrots could drive a dish until recently, when I had his roasted carrot and broccoli salad with carrot purée, feta, and cider vinaigrette).

But the main reason for the reprise is the adjacent bakery, where Allin has teamed up with two incredible talents: David Sweeney, who oversees Atlanta's most feel-good, vegetable-heavy lunches at the bakery, and pastry chef Eric Wolitzky. Imagine the fudgiest brownies, most irresistible cookies, and richest layer cakes you've ever had, and that still doesn't get at the magic of Wolitzky's high-end takes on bake-sale favorites. Read on, and start baking these oh-so-sweet recipes.

Congrats, Cakes & Ale.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article didn't say the Bon Appetit list was for new restaurants.