Celebrate Sweet 16 for Taste of Atlanta at New BeltLine-Close Location Oct. 20-22

Eat. Drink. Do. Walk. Talk. And do it all at one highly palatable place -- Taste of Atlanta Presented by Capital One -- Oct. 20-22. The city’s premier bites and bevs fest celebrates its Sweet 16 anniversary with a brand-new home near the Atlanta BeltLine in Historic Fourth Ward Park. The 16^th annual Taste of Atlanta foodie extravaganza begins with a “Sweet 16” soiree hosted by Jonathan and Justin Fox of Fox Bros. BBQ from 7:30-11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, parties on through Sunday evening, Oct. 22, and encompasses more than 200 kinds of nibbles, noms, sips and samples from a roster of the hottest restaurants to cool neighborhood favorites. Fest-goers can upgrade to the Grand Tasting Experience to access exclusive tastes and tipplers. The Grand Tasting Experience sells out quickly so hop on tickets pronto. Chef demos, barcraft competition, interactive panel conversations, music, a marketplace and more round out the abundant food-ertainment schedule during festival hours on Saturday from 12-7 p.m. and Sunday from 12-6 p.m. Enjoy tastes from 5Church Atlanta, American Cut, Bulla Gastropub, HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern, Midtown Takorea and Ssam Bar, Seed Kitchen & Bar and many, many more buzzworthy eateries. Buy tickets online now ($25-$75 per person per day, plus service fee) and come track Atlanta’s restaurant trends at this affordable, chef-driven food fest tradition.

Fly By the Southern Wing Showdown for Wings, Spirits and More at The Foundry at Puritan Mill Aug. 20

The Southern Wing Showdown alights at The Foundry at Puritan Mill for a second spicy year on the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 20. Taste of Atlanta backs this gathering of 25 high-end eateries, which span the flight pattern from Nashville to Charleston. Chefs crack open Big Green Eggs to turn out winged wonders using Springer Mountain Farms antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken and savory sides. Spirits soar thanks to plentiful Southern libations and music from local band Battlefield Collective. General admission($30 advance, $40 at door if available) includes 2 p.m. entry, wing tastes, live entertainment, chef greet and eat and cash bar. VIP First Taster tickets, over-21 set only ($55 advance, $65 at door if available), gain early entrance at 1 p.m. plus entry into the Southern Spirits Lounge with café seating and an open bar for spirit and craft beer tastings. Online purchase service fees apply. Last year’s history shows tickets flying off the shelf so best pluck yours right away for the rain-or-shine event. Southern Wing Showdown benefits Open Hand and Second Helpings Atlanta. Wing tip, if you haven’t already done so, this is a good time to purchase Taste of Atlanta tickets for October’s gigantic gastro-fest.

Hot Off the Press -- Taste of Atlanta Tickets Now Available with Early Bird Discounts and Extras

Good things come to those who commit and purchase Taste of Atlanta tickets right away on the food festival website. The first 200 fans to purchase tickets to the city’s premier bites and bevs fest can score Saturday or Sunday general admission tickets for just a sweet $16 (plus fees) - the lowest price the tickets will be this year. The first 100 Grand Tasting Experience tickets sold for Saturday or Sunday can be locked in for just $116 per pair (or $58 each), while the first 50 tickets to the Friday night Kick-Off Party are just $65 each. To sweeten the deal, the first 300 Grand Tasting Experience ticket buyers will secure their highly coveted Taste of Atlanta gift bag before the festival begins simply by purchasing early. More and more food fans flock to the city’s premier bites and bevs fest each year, and tickets fly faster than flapjacks off a hot griddle. Block the weekend of October 20-22 and experience the gastronomic extravaganza of more than 200 nibbles, sips and samples from trendsetting chefs and enduring favorites, chef demonstrations, interactive panel conversations, music and extra helpings of foodie fun. In The Grand Tasting Experience, a ticket upgrade allowing access to exclusive tastes and libations, sells out every year – incentive to buy early. Keep your finger on the festival’s palate-pleasing pulse by visiting TasteOfAtlanta.com, subscribing to the Bite of News newsletter and following Taste of Atlanta on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Taste of Atlanta Food Fest Takes Sweet 16 Party to Old Fourth Ward Park Oct. 20-22

Taste of Atlanta, the city’s premier bites and bevs fest, is looking ahead to its Sweet 16 anniversary this Oct. 20-22, moving the feast to a brand-new home in Historic Fourth Ward Park. A Friday night “Sweet 16” soiree hosted by Jonathan and Justin Fox of Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q opens the festivities, which roll on through the weekend with more than 200 nibbles, sips and samples of food, wine, craft beer and cocktails from a who’s who of the ATL’s most buzz-worthy restaurants. VIP Grand Tasting Experience upgrades, always a sellout, allow festivalgoers to access exclusives. Chef demonstrations, interactive panel conversations, music and more fill this weekend cornucopia of food and frolics. Thirsty to be a firstie in following updates and buying tickets? Ruminate on these be-in-the-know links: TasteOfAtlanta.com, sign up for the fun, foodie Bite of News newsletter and follow Taste of Atlanta on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Taste of Atlanta Takes over Midtown this Weekend

Get primed for this weekend’s Taste of Atlanta. You’ll not want to miss a morsel of the city’s signature culinary fest spreading through Midtown’s Tech Square, October 21-23.  Foodies will enjoy samplings from more than 90 of the Southeast’s most popular restaurants -- including The Big Ketch, HOBNOB, Marlow’s Tavern, Seed Kitchen & Bar and Smokebelly BBQ -- and a full schedule of events such as VIP Grand Tasting Experience options, Barcraft Competition, Big Green Egg Grilling Stage, The Chef’s Table, Family Food Zone, The Kitchen Workshop, silent auction and more. Buy tickets for individual days or in two- or three-day packages and view the full schedule online.

Buy Taste of Atlanta Tickets Before Friday or Fork Out More – Price Increases October 7

Let’s talk epicurean economics. Prices for the various Taste of Atlanta admission tickets rise on Friday, October 7. Buy now and have more moolah left over to load extra Taste Points onto your RFID wristband and to enjoy even more of the Southeast’s best foods and spirited bevvies. Plus, your wristband(s) will be delivered in the mail in time for easy, breezy festival entrance. Follow this link to savings: Freshtix.com/TasteofAtlanta. Currently, single-day general admission tickets for October 21, 22 or 23 are $25 each and the VIP Grand Tasting Experience is $75. Tickets to the all-inclusive Friday night kickoff party are $65 general admission and $80 VIP.

Taste of Atlanta Tuesday Dinner Series Beats it to Tom Tom Tonight, October 4

Tonight, chef Tom Catherall and his Virginia-Highland restaurant Tom Tom play host to a five-course tasting menu paired with wine and cocktails as part of the Tuesday Dinner series paving the way to Taste of Atlanta. Over the weekend of October 21-23, the can’t miss food and wine fest will populate the streets of Midtown with chefs doling out samples, mixologists pouring sips and foodies reveling in all of the delicious fun. The Tuesday Dinner at Tom Tom gives a gourmet glimpse of tastes to come. Catherall’s menu features Trailer Park taco with house margarita or craft beer; scallop with field peas served with Sancerre; shrimp and grits paired with chardonnay; Springer Mountain Farms fried chicken with pinot noir; and a dessert medley and Champagne pairing. Buy tickets online for the 7 p.m. event; $85 per person (plus $5.24 service fee; includes tax and tip). After tonight, only one dinner remains in this series, sponsored by Springer Mountain Farms, and takes place October 18 at White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails. 

Lots to Savor with Taste of Atlanta: Creative Loafing Best of Atlanta Award, Tuesday Dinner Series and Tickets Sales

Creative Loafing’s Best of Atlanta 2016 list is out, and Taste of Atlanta takes home the title of “Best Food Festival or Event” – for the sixth year in a row. The Southeastern extravaganza floods Midtown with samplings of fine wines, cocktails, beers and specialties from restaurants in and beyond the metro Atlanta region as well as chef demos, exclusive dinners and tasting events. Carve out time to eat, drink and be merry in Midtown over the dates of Friday, October 21 through Sunday, October 23. Buy tickets here.

The Tuesday Dinner series, sponsored by Springer Mountain Farms, whets appetites for the tremendously delectable Taste of Atlanta weekend through special five-course tasting menus paired with wine and cocktails at top restaurants around town. Chef Tom Catherall of Tom Tom in Virginia-Highland will host the next week’s dinner on October 4. Catherall’s menu takes off with Trailer Park taco with house margarita or craft beer; scallop with field peas served with Sancerre; shrimp and grits paired with chardonnay; Springer Mountain Farms fried chicken with pinot noir; and a dessert medley and Champagne pairing. Tickets available online. Series dinners begin at 7 p.m. and cost $85 per person (plus $5.24 service fee) and include tax and tip. The final dinner in the series will be at White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails on October 18.
 
Taste of Atlanta thinks of everything, including keeping hands free to hold those tastings and tilt those glasses. The cashless festival uses wristbands with RFID tap-and-go technology for easy and fast festival entry and purchasing power. Each wristband “ticket” includes 10 Taste Points; load more Taste Points online pre-fest or at stations throughout the festival. Can’t load a wristband if you don’t buy one, and wristbands sell out in advance. Save money (to spend on more Taste Points) by purchasing yours before prices increase on October 7. See options, choose and buy tickets here.

Not Just Wings, Springer Mountain Farms’ Atlanta Wing Fest Presented by Taste of Atlanta September 25

Fly into this chef throwdown, the inaugural Springer Mountain Farms Atlanta Wing Fest, presented by Taste of Atlanta, at The Foundry at Puritan Mill on Sunday, September 25. Chefs from Atlanta, Nashville, Charleston, Charlotte and Savannah are pulling in for one huge afternoon of wings, beer, Southern spirits and local music to benefit Atlanta-based charities Angel Flight Soars and Second Helpings Atlanta. General admission tickets, $25 each, include 1:30 p.m. event entry, wing tastes from 25 local and Southeastern restaurants, samples of Southern sides, eat and greet with the chefs, cash bar and live entertainment from Davin McCoy and Francisco Vidal. Buy tickets online. Don’t be chicken. Get ready to eat some wings by plucking up tickets today. Bring the chickees. Word has it, children 10 and under are free with a paid adult.

Reserve Seats for Taste of Atlanta Tuesday Dinner Series at Seven Lamps September 27

Four weekends to go until Taste of Atlanta, October 21-23. While waiting for the big weekend, enjoy a five-course appetizer…Taste of Atlanta’s Tuesday Dinner at Seven Lamps on Tuesday, September 27. Organizers behind Atlanta’s signature food fest, along with Tuesday Dinner Series sponsor Springer Mountain Farms, are offering this culinary amuse bouche to spotlight top talent in the city’s iconic neighborhoods. Chef Drew Van Leuvan at Seven Lamps in Buckhead shines in next Tuesday night’s tantalizing tasting paired with cocktails, wine and craft beer. As the evening unfolds, Van Leuvan will visit every table to discuss the flavor profiles he has created for the night’s menu. As guests arrive, they’ll munch on a gift from the kitchen, raw and pickled vegetables with crème fraîche. Once guests are seated, courses will progress through warm mozzarella, pickled cherries, smoked corn, black garlic salmoriglio and Marcona almonds; spicy escarole salad, marinated summer peas, fennel salami and puffed Parmesan with "rampch;" crespelle stuffed with Springer Mountain Farms chicken, wild arugula, goat cheese and Marsala; Bramlett Farms trout, tomato marmalade, endive, OJ fennel, toasted brioche and caper dressing; and a finale of chocolate and hazelnut doughnuts, espresso pastry crème and bourbon chocolate sauce. Seats are limited, reserve yours today. $85 per person (plus online service fee; includes tax and gratuity). The last two dinners in the series will be held at Tom Tom in Virginia-Highland on October 4 and White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails in downtown Atlanta on October 18.

Wing It with Some of the Southeast’s Best Chefs at Springer Mountain Farms' Atlanta Wing Fest Presented by Taste of Atlanta September 25

The inaugural Springer Mountain Farms' Atlanta Wing Fest presented by Taste of Atlanta takes flight at The Foundry at Puritan Mill on Sunday, September 25. Wings are the thing here, flanked by beer, Southern spirits and local music. Appropriately, Atlanta-based charity Angel Flight Soars benefits from the charitable event, as does Second Helpings Atlanta. General admission tickets, $20 each, include 1:30 p.m. event entry, wing tastes from 25 local and Southeastern restaurants, eat and greets with chefs, live entertainment and a complimentary bottle or two of water. A cash bar is available for more potent liquids. For those 21 and over, the $45 VIP First Taster ticket pays the way for early admission plus entry into Southern Spirits Lounge with café seating and an open bar pouring Southern spirits and craft beers.

Buy Taste of Atlanta Tickets Now and Save

Tickets for the 15th annual Taste of Atlanta are now on sale. Atlanta’s must-do food festival is already on your calendar for October 21-23 so jump on buying tickets before prices rise August 1. General admission is $20; fork over $65 for tickets to the VIP Grand Tasting Experience with exclusive tasting opportunities. Starting August 1, ticket prices rise to $25 general admission and $75 VIP. Enjoy more, save more by purchasing tickets now for the special Friday night kickoff party featuring drool-worthy bites from The Optimist, Marlow’s
 Tavern and Colletta. Pay $55 for general admission tickets and $70 for VIP access to this event through July 31 or $65/$85 starting August 1. For those new to Atlanta, Taste of Atlanta is an unforgettable food, craft beer, wine and cocktail festival where guests savor tastes and spirits from Atlanta’s hottest restaurants and trendsetting chefs. Admission to the festival nets each guest 10 “Taste Points” to purchase nibbles, bites, sips and samples. Additional “Taste Points” are available for $1 each. Nibble on the list of participating restaurants, including Seed Kitchen & Bar, The Big Ketch and Smokebelly BBQ and start craving! Visit TasteofAtlanta.com and follow updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sandy Springs, Put Your Chow Face on for Food That Rocks May 14

Even those butting heads over where to dine can agree Food that Rocks is the place to sup from 7-11 p.m. in Sandy Springs this Saturday night, May 14. The Hammond Park festival, produced by fest-expert Taste of Atlanta, is a suppertime fantasy come true for the indecisive set, those seeking new dining destinations and diners spying their favorites on the list of participating restaurants. Noshers at the 21-and-over event can enjoy samples of beer, wine and craft cocktails between bites. Local artists the Tommy Dean Trio, Tony Levitas and Friends, and Ed Roland and the Sweet Tea Project amp up musical vibes while guests vote for their favorite restaurant of the evening. Winning chef takes home a custom Bohemian guitar. This party is going somewhere -- to benefit Sandy Springs-based charities Second Helpings Atlanta, Ian’s Friends Foundation and the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance. All-inclusive tickets are $55 each in advance (plus small service fee); $65 at the door if still available.

High Taste, High Tech – Wristband-Ready Taste of Atlanta Takes Over Tech Square in Midtown September 25-27

Snazzy wristbands relieve Taste of Atlanta attendees from trifling with paper tickets, coupons and cash at this year’s mega-munch out in Midtown’s Tech Square Friday, September 25 through Sunday, September 27. Not Fitbits. More like “feast bits,” the tap-and-go wristbands free hands for forking tantalizing samples from Article 14, Bellina Alimentari, FLIP burger boutique, Gypsy Kitchen, MAX’s Wine Dive, Smokebelly BBQ, Stem Wine Bar, The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, The Southern Gentleman and Twin Smokers BBQ -- over 90 restaurants in all. Chefs from Gypsy Kitchen,Marlow’s Tavern, MAX’s Wine Dive, Seed Kitchen & Bar, Stem Wine Bar and The Southern Gentleman are among those serving guests at Friday night’s “eat and greet” Bucket Bash kickoff party and benefit for The Giving Kitchen. Check the event website for participating restaurant details. Go totally tech and buy tickets online for the Bucket Bash ($75-$90 each plus tax and service fee) or Saturday or Sunday’s big taste fest ($25-$75 each plus tax and service fee). Those preferring a brick-and-mortar-based money/ticket exchange can save $5 when buying tickets at The Cook’s Warehouse locations, Hop City or the Georgia Tech Ferst Center. Whet your appetite by peeking at the food photos on Taste of Atlanta’s Facebook page. Nice to know that attending Taste of Atlanta aids a plate full of charities. 

Taste of Atlanta 2013 Invites Foodies to Indulge October 25-27

Foodies, get your tummies and taste buds ready because it's almost time for the city's best eats fest. Taste of Atlanta heats up Midtown at Tech Square this Friday, October 25 through Sunday, October 27. You'll indulge in premier food, wine, beer and cocktails- just a few of our favorite things. We've got the dish on all the deets, so check out our blog post to find out more information. See you there. 

Buy Your Tickets Today for Taste of Atlanta October 25-27

No need to list your credentials, Taste of Atlanta. We know all about the legendary festival featuring over 90 restaurants and four live cooking stages. We dream about the VIP food-wine-cocktail experience all year long, so we're eagerly awaiting the culinary sprawl to take over Tech Square Friday, October 25 through Sunday, October 27. We're looking forward to the barcraft competition, the Big Green Egg Grilling Experience, the Family Food Zone, workshops, cookbook signings, silent auction and so much more. We'll be on the lookout for some of our favorite chefs and mixologists from participating restaurants such as Alma Cocina, Article 14, Der Biergarten, Glenn's Kitchen, Gunshow, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, King + Duke, Lure, Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails, No. 246, The Optimist and Seven Lamps. A variety of ticket options are available online priced from $30 each on up. Buy now. Chances are there won't be leftovers.

Enjoy All the Tastes of Atlanta This Weekend

Streetwise advice for the October 5-7 weekend is to move your mojo to Midtown for Taste of Atlanta surrounding Tech Square. Bantam + Biddy, Ecco, Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246, The Optimist and Ray's Restaurants are a few of the more than 80 restaurants participating in the big foodie and sampling festival. Chill out with chefs, cocktails and grills gone wild at "The Big Grill" Friday night party at Tech Square. American Spirit Whiskey will shake up cocktails, beer and wine will flow and more than 20 restaurants will be represented at the kick-off event, including Ecco, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246 and The Optimist.

There's excitement brewing on the Home Plate Main Stage Saturday and Sunday as chefs go spoon to spoon. See Ecco's Craig Richards at 1:45 p.m. and No. 246's Drew Belline at 3 p.m. Saturday. JCT. Kitchen & Bar's Ford Fry will hit the stage Sunday at 12:30 p.m. for "Food that Rocks." The Optimist's Adam Evans will be in The Kitchen Workshop on Saturday at 1:15 p.m. followed by The Cook's Warehouse's Mary Moore at 4 p.m.  Will Harris of White Oak Pastures and Lance Gummere of Bantam + Biddy will lead a poultry session on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub Chef Joey Riley tackles tailgating by building steak sandwiches at 1 p.m. Saturday in The Grill Dome. Some events are over-21 only, but most are family friendly, including the Family Food Zone, which sizzles with fun classes and activities for all ages. Purchase tickets here.

Take Eats to the Streets for Taste of Atlanta and More in this Week's Dish!

Plans this weekend? Make sure you eat your way through Atlanta's best restaurants at Taste of Atlanta or enter to win delicious prizes from Marlow's Tavern. There's much more to indulge in this week's Dish!  

Taste of Atlanta Returns and The Big Grill Premiers: It's a Foodie Weekend You Won't Want to Miss!

The age old dilemma of wanting to order everything on the menu is solved, at least temporarily, with Taste of Atlanta this weekend, a foodie’s heaven on earth. Those friends who always "just want a taste" of whatever you ordered will love Taste of Atlanta and so will you. The city’s biggest sampling bacchanalia kicks off its 10th anniversary celebration with The Big Grill - A Midtown Block Party in Tech Square on Friday, October 21 from 7:30-10:30 p.m. (VIP entry 6:30 p.m.). Birthday cake, beer and some of the best bites in the ATL rock this party benefiting Georgia Organics. Among the stellar chefs at the grill gig are Andrew Smith of Atkins Park and Ormsby's, Todd Annis of Bold American Events & Catering, Janine Falvo of Briza, Joshua Warner of Ray's on the River, Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen & Bar and Drew Belline of No. 246. Tickets are $50 each for general admission and $65 each for VIP early entry.

The Taste of Atlanta eat-a-palooza begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, October 22-23, and keeps on dishing it out until 6 p.m. both evenings, so pace yourself for a full afternoon of food sampling paradise. More than 80 of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants will be represented including Atkins Park, Briza, Double Zero Napoletana, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, Iberian Pig, No. 246, Ormsby's and Ray's on the River.

On the Home Plate Main Stage on Saturday, Chef Janine Falvo from Briza will whip up chicken pot pie and red kuri squash soup at 12 p.m. Chefs Drew Belline (No. 246) and Ford Fry (JCT. Kitchen & Bar) will be leading a "Simply Southern Thanksgiving" class with Angie Mosier of the Southern Foodways Alliance inside the Food Studio at 4 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday at 4:00 p.m., they'll take on Rosebud's Ron Eyester and Nick Melvin in the Team Chef Challenge, an "Iron Chef"-style competition, on the Home Plate Main Stage. Also on Sunday, Iberian Pig Chef Chad Crete will prepare farro risotto, roasted delicata squash, piquillo-hazelnut Romesco and fall vegetable sauté on the Global Flavors stage at 2:15 p.m. And Andrew Smith from Atkins Park and Ormsby's battles it out against Food 101's Justin Keith in the Dueling Chefs event at 1:15 p.m. Don’t fret mom and dad, there’s something for the kids too! Even picky eaters will devour Taste of Atlanta -- the Family Food Zone loads up on food-focused crafts, educational demos and kid chef competitions!

Snap up your tickets early for this wristband-access, gated event. Buy a general admission ticket voucher with 10 taste coupons for $25 in advance online or at The Cook's Warehouse stores or Whole Foods. "Day of" gate price is $35 each.

Vote for Your Favorite Chefs So Their Face Can Grace a Street Banner!

Hurry! Every vote counts as Taste of Atlanta selects its top 12 chefs according to Facebook polling. We're campaigning for some of our favorites: Andrew Smith of Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland, Asha Gomez of Spice Route Supper Club and Cardamom Hill, Drew Belline of no. 246, Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen & Bar and John Coley of Double Zero Napoletana. The only "voter registration" required is to "Like" the Taste of Atlanta Facebook page so you can participate in the vote count. Voting ends September 9. The 12 top vote recipients will be listed on festival banners. This year's fill-the-streets-with-eats festival takes place the weekend of October 23 - 24. Get to voting and tasting!