By F.C. Foodie

Dining Critic

One of the great joys in travelling in Europe is wandering through the historic streets and stumbling across a cute little cafe. A cup of cappucino and a slice of thick hearty bread is all you need to sustain you as you watch the colorful drama on the streets.

Fortunately, a touch of Europe has arrived in Fayette County and this month's Citizens' Choice award winner for dining is the Atlanta Bread Company. The restaurant is located in the Fayette Pavilion shopping center and offers some of the best food to be found in the county.

As you step into the cafe, you're struck by the Impressionistic paintings on the wall and the overall design of the facility. The restaurant looks very much like a cafe in one of the great parks in Europe or in our larger cities.

The look of the cafe puts you in the right mood to sample some of the hearty offerings the Bread Company serves on a daily basis. The restaurant offers a wide selection of soups that changes on a daily basis and features such luscious favorites as chicken chili, tomato Florentine and clam chowder.

Along with the soups, the restaurant features sandwiches prepared to your specifications. Deli meats, such as pastrami and roast beef, are available to create a delicious compliment to the soups. Be warned: half a sandwich is sufficient for even the heartiest of appetites.

But when your name is the Atlanta Bread Company, you know the owners put a lot of effort into the bread and it shows. A variety of breads such as Asiago cheese, pumpernickel, cracked wheat are available for your sandwiches or to take home.

As you're looking at the bread, be sure to cast an eye at the wonderful pastry and dessert selection. Everything from eclairs to Snickers cheesecake tempts your taste buds. The selection varies daily and the desserts can be taken home to serve at the most discriminating dinner party.