The Marietta square has become quite the dining destination. Although not as good as the areas in Decatur and Roswell, it’s a lot closer to our house and much easier to access on Friday nights. Apparently, the rest of Cobb County agrees with us. We arrive at the square around 7:30PM and somehow get a (free) parking space. Our “Plan A” restaurant has a 90-minute wait, so we go over to “Plan B” and the line is out the door. We’ll get back to those places on future dates. Sugar Cakes has no wait, probably because many don’t realize it serves dinner as well as some incredible desserts.

Yes, that’s not our best restaurant exterior shot. Sugar Cakes is over near The Strand, which is rocking tonight with a concert. The interior is nice, but the star attraction of the restaurant is all the way in the back.

Is it OK to have dessert first?

We should probably check out the dinner menu first. For starters, let’s just say that the beer list is deplorable. There’s nothing but Budweiser and Miller products you can get in a convenience store. And Fat Tire. We drink water. If you want beer, go to Johnnie MacCracken’s across the square (good beer, so-so food) first and then come eat here (bad beer, good food).

They bring you a warm baguette after you order.

You just want to cover it with butter and watch it melt. This loaf did not make it to the end of our meal. It barely made it to the beginning.

Knowing that we are having dessert, we skip the appetizers and jump right to the main course. You gotta save up those calories somewhere. If there is trout on the menu, Eve is going to order it.

Accompanied by rice and some nice vegetables, the trout almandine comes generously covered in almonds. It’s pan-seared and crispy. It’s presented in a way that reinforces her faith in this fish. A note about the portion sizes: they are just right. The prices on the menu are reasonable, and they don’t kill you with a huge portion. That way you have room for dessert, because you know you are going to have it.

Look at this beautiful presentation of my salmon risotto.

From the description on the menu, I was expecting the salmon, asparagus, and portobello mushrooms to be mixed in with the Italian rice. Not so. It’s a fun stack that is as good to eat as it is to view. I would have liked the salmon a bit less done, but otherwise, this dish is a hit.

Have we saved the best for last? Perhaps. Peering into the dessert case, we must make tough choices.

To share or not to share? Which one to pick?

Let’s try one of those chocolate things.

The Mirage is a chocolate-lovers delight. The dark chocolate icing covers a dense chocolate ganache.

There’s hazelnut in there too. If this dessert does not inspire bliss, nothing will. Did we share the Mirage? Yes, but in the spirit of investigative reporting (“Spotlight” just won the Oscar for best picture), let’s see how Sweet Cakes does with a southern favorite, red velvet cake.

Quite nicely, we can report. The cake is moist, the icing is full of cream cheese and there are no crumbs left on the plate. Was it impolite to lick it?

The bottom line on Sugar Cakes: Excellent cooking from an unexpected source. The service is good, the food surprised us, and we had a fun date. The owner was very involved in the operation and he seemed to know most of the people eating in the restaurant. And many of the clients knew each other as well. Is this a Marietta secret? Go for dinner, or pop in for dessert. Either way, they have you covered.