I'm going to let you in on a secret in Alexandria...you may already know about it...but in case you don't then you need to know about it...okay...I'm going to whisper it to you now...Atwood's Bakery on MacArthur Drive. There. Now you know. Whew, I feel better because I don't like keeping secrets.
When I find a great place I just want to share it with everyone. I'm sure if you are from Alexandria or Central Louisiana then you already knew about Atwood's Bakery. It has now made it to my list of must visit places on my trips to Alexandria. To be honest I love baked goods so I try to stay away from them and if I lived in Alexandria then I would have to take up extreme exercising because I would want to visit here often.
Our first few trips to Atwood's consisted of doughnuts or pastries and they were delicious! On our last trip we decided to take our little ones with us and actually go inside. The plan was to pick out some goodies and hit the road. When you walk into Atwood's you are immediately greeted with the smells you would expect from a bakery the overwhelming smell of buttercream frosting and assorted confections hit you like a ton of bricks. The variety is overwhelming (at least to those indecisive types as myself; I absolutely hate to go to cafeterias because there are too many choices and I start having a panic attack!). There are pastries, cookies, pies, cupcakes, Gelato, tea, coffee, cakes, candy and oh so much more.
Once everyone decided upon what they wanted to try, we decided to sit and eat our goodies. Below you will see what the little ones picked out...two monster cupcakes please. Only our son would not eat his; he liked it too much. He sat there at the table while everyone else ate their delicious treats and he would not eat it. It was not until we got home and took a picture of it would the boy eat it. Now, I don't know what planet he is from because I too had a cupcake (chocolate with buttercream frosting) and I had no problem gobbling mine right up.
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| Monster Cupcake from Atwood's Bakery in Alexandria (The cupcake suffered some damage on the way home.) |
I wanted to sample one of everything...that's how good everything looked and smelled. What I noticed while sitting there with my family and enjoying our break from the world was the friendliness of the staff and people who worked there. The atmosphere was relaxed and it felt like a place that you just wanted to stay and hang out for a while. Not many places these days give off that vibe. (I found myself singing the Cheers theme song in my head..."you wanna go where everybody knows your name...)
While we were waiting for our order we were drooling over the gelatos (which are fresh made right there at Atwood's Bakery). They offered us a sample; not just one flavor but I believe that if we had wanted to sample every flavor they would have let us. (oh and it was delicious!!!) They were friendly and nice. I felt special. Yes, in this day and age of fast food and rude workers; I actually felt like they had pride in their product and wanted to share it with me. What a great feeling!
Now, I have a quest. Now, I am going to have to try everything they have and find a favorite. That may take me years as their menu is quite extensive. The list is small right now....one cupcake, check; one eclair, check; one cannoli; check; one cream puff; check... It will be a while before my next trip to Alexandria but until then I'm dreaming about Atwood's Bakery and what to sample next.
I think in my zeal to share my secret I forgot to tell you that Atwood's Bakery also has a deli where they serve soups, sandwiches, salads, and breakfast. (Deli Menu) There is an extensive sandwich list including a build your own sandwich.
So, the next time you are in Alexandria, make it a point to drop by Atwood's Bakery. There's something for everyone. Prepare to be blown away! One other item of interest is that Atwood's Bakery was on TLC's Ultimate Cake Off. Wow! That's really cool. Louisiana has some really cool people!!
In my quest to promote Louisiana and our businesses, I must ask you that if you live in the Cenla area, please give this local business your money. We need to keep our dollars locally and spend them with the hard working and great entrepreneurs who make our state so great. For that next family gathering, Sunday dinner, special occasion, baby shower, birthday, wedding or other celebration, go to Atwood's Bakery and give them a try. I'm already trying to figure out how to move closer...so I can complete my quest!
Visit Atwood's Bakery at 1125 MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, Louisiana. Call 318-445-5134 or toll-free 800-374-8236
