Food Finds - Rhodes Family Bakery petit fours

The dining scene on Cheshire Bridge Road is an Atlanta culinary anomaly. The road’s eateries – such as Alfredo’s, the Original Pancake House, Nakato, Woodfire Grill and the Colonnade – have tapped into some kind of Cheshire Bridge longevity voodoo. One such establishment, Rhodes Family Bakery, is among the oldest of the bunch.

Magdaline Rhodes started selling baked goods out of her home after the stock market crash of 1929. Her customers’ enthusiastic response prompted Rhodes and her family to open a full-scale operation on Piedmont Road in 1934. They relocated to the Cheshire Bridge location in 1953. A second outpost opened in Roswell in 1997. The Rhodes family still runs both locations and prides themselves on the family tradition of using fine ingredients.

Homespun caramel cakes, regal wedding cakes, soft dinner rolls and crunchy cheese sticks abound. No baked good is more seductive than the tidy rows of pristine petit fours. In the midst of our cupcake craze/trend/whatever, Rhodes’ petit fours are a precious two-bite alternative when you’re craving a little something sweet. The bakery offers two sizes: small ($1) and large ($1.25). The interior of each petit four has a texture similar to angel food cake; each draped in a thin layer of white glaze that’s not cloying, but sweet enough to create the perfect balance. Some are decorated with pastel flowers, but you can get them plain if you aren’t feeling particularly girly. A box of these is the perfect after-dinner treat when a whole cake isn’t practical. They normally have plenty on hand, but call if you need a particularly large order.

Rhodes Family Bakery, 1783 Cheshire Bridge Road. 404-876-3783; 880 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite B120, Roswell. 770-649-1119. www.rhodesfamilybakery.com.