Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 10/9/18

Friday Night Host Chefs Archna Becker (Bhojanic), Eddie Hernandez (Taqueria del Sol) & Hector Santiago (El Super Pan) Will Showcase Global Flavors Alongside More Than Two Dozen Chefs from Restaurants Across Atlanta

Saturday & Sunday Lineup Includes Tasting Tents with Bites & Bevs, Chef Demonstrations, A Beer Garden, Hands-On Cooking Classes & More

Weekend of Oct. 19-21; Tickets Available Here

Taste of Atlanta, the city’s weekend-long food and drink festival celebrating the local restaurant scene on October 19, October 20 and October 21, announces “World of Taste” as the theme for its 2018 Friday Night Kickoff Party. On October 19 from 6:30pm to 11pm at Historic Fourth Ward Park, the all-inclusive kickoff event will be hosted by acclaimed Atlanta Chefs Archna Becker of Bhojanic, Eddie Hernandez of Taqueria del Sol and Hector Santiago of El Super Pan.

“World of Taste” will showcase international flavors from across the globe, bringing together over two dozen local chefs  to prepare unique dishes representing a variety of cuisines, including Salmon Usuzukuri with pickled wasabi stem, chives, black volcano salt and crispy crunchies from O-Ku, Crispy Mortadella with giardiniera from Donetto and Lamb Steak with coffee molasses steak sauce, arugula pesto and new potatoes from Twisted Soul. Other participating restaurants include CO, Deep End, il Giallo Osteria & Bar, Porch Light Latin Kitchen, The Mercury, Tiny Lou’s and more. Dixie Vodka, the official vodka of Taste of Atlanta, as well as Bulleit Bourbon will serve tastings of cocktail creations alongside pours of international beers and beverages from Long Drink, Ravage Wines, Proximo Spirits, Topo Chico and White Claw Hard Seltzer.

Friday night guests will be treated to live music from funk and soul band Bumpin’ The Mango and The Cordon Blues Band, which features chef and foodie band members. Cheney Brothers, a leading food service distributor serving the Southeast, is the official food distributor of “World of Taste” and will be providing  chefs with protein for their culinary creations. Tickets to the Friday Night Kickoff Party are $85 and can be purchased on Taste of Atlanta’s website here.

The Taste of Atlanta festivities continue on Saturday and Sunday with local chefs and hospitality pros leading on-stage cooking demos and hands-on cooking classes, while guests sample craveable bites from more than 90 of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants, plus Georgia craft beer, wine and cocktails. General Admission and VIP Experience tickets are now on sale here.

This year’s festival also features a Beer Garden, showcasing some of Atlanta’s favorite craft beer makers as well as cocktails and wine. In addition to the Saturday and Sunday tasting tents and Beer Garden, event centers include:

The Chef’s Table Stage: Sponsored by Nissan, the Chef’s Table stage gives attendees an inside view into the culinary world. Watch chef demonstrations and learn a trick or two while sampling dish creations from featured chefs.

Saturday, October 20

• 12:30-1:15pm – “Tremendous Tiramisu” with Maggiano’s: Join Maggiano’s Atlanta Chef Thomas Wenning and learn how to craft the perfect tiramisu.
• 1:45-2:30pm – “The Sexiest Dish in Atlanta!” with Poke Burri: Atlanta has been coined one of the top three culinary cities in the US – experience why when you check out some of the sexiest dishes in our city firsthand.
• 3-3:45pm – “Soul School vs. New School” with Das BBQ and This is It BBQ: Experience the down-home tastes of soul food BBQ v. the new Texas style, smoky flavor from two of A-town’s most recent BBQ hits.
• 4:15-5pm – “Grilling with Wine” with a Weber Grill Master Dustin Green and Ravage Wine: Time to fire up the grill, y’all! Weber Grill Master Dustin Green will demonstrate how to rock a rack of ribs with Ravage wine and a secret rub.

Sunday, October 21

• 12:30-1:15pm – “Brunch-a-Holic’s” with Barcelona Wine Bar and Best Sommelier Competition Winner Jim Cumiskey: Taste of Atlanta’s Best Sommelier Competition Winner Jim Cumiskey of Highland Fine Wines is teaming up with Barcelona Wine Bar’s Chef Joe Paire to show off what to sip with brunch-style fideos, a traditional Spanish noodle dish.
• 1:45-2:30pm – “Egg-rything You Need to Know About Eggs” with The White Bull: The White Bull’s Chef Pat Pascarella will whip up his brunch best while sharing egg-straordinary culinary secrets. Also during this demo, Dietitian Beth Bynett, RD, LD of Emory Healthcare will debunk health myths about eggs.
• 4:15-5:30pm – “French Toast-est With the Mostest” with Four Forks: Chef Taylor Shulman of Four Forks will top off her made-from-scratch French toast with delicious decadence while attendees sip “berry” delightful craft cocktail tastings made with Flor De Cana Rum.

The Kitchen Workshop: Sponsored by The Cooks Warehouse, PeachDish and Guy Gunter Homes, The Kitchen Workshop offers hands-on, free cooking classes for home cooks. Led by Atlanta chefs, festival attendees will learn to cook a variety of dishes, from Southern to Italian to vegan. Sprouts is the official grocery store sponsor of Taste of Atlanta.

Saturday, October 20

• 12:45-1:30pm – “Everyone Loves Italian” with The Cooks Warehouse and Hammer Stahl: Chef Mary Moore of The Cooks Warehouse will join Bobby Griggs of Hammer Stahl to teach students how to prepare Crispy Chicken Cutlet with fresh vegetable panzanella.
• 2-2:45pm – “Redefining Asian Food” with Hawkers and the Georgia Peanut Commission: Chef Allen Lo will spill his family’s generational Szechuan wonton recipe that is surprisingly easy enough to make at home!
• 3:15-4pm – “Simple & Healthy Stir-Fry” with Chef Cynthia Graubart: James Beard Award-winning writer and cookbook author Cynthia Graubart will show home cooks how to hone their skills while preparing her original recipe created with PeachDish – Chicken Stir-Fry with baby bok choy, carrots and brown basmati rice.
• 4:30-5:15pm – “A Delightfully Vegan Dish” with Chef Zu and PeachDish: Holistic nutritionist Chef Zu and PeachDish team up to teach even the most novice home cook how to craft a vegan dish –– a Spiced Quinoa Bowl with apricots, greens and golden milk dressing.

Sunday, October 21

• 12:30-1:15pm – “Brunchin’ with Bloody Mary’s”: No instant grits here! Get ready to mix grits and greens with one hand and sip a Sunday brunch Bloody Mary with the other as you cook along with Chef Thaddeus Keefe of 1Kept.
• 1:45-2:30pm – “Sunday Funday Breakfast” with Sprouts and Trageye Fraiser: Trageye Fraiser, chef and winner of the 12th season of “Food Network Star,” presents a veggie-filled breakfast dish perfect for kicking off your Sunday Funday. Learn how to make Portobello Bagel Burgers with roasted red bell peppers and vegan cajun aioli.
• 3-3:45pm – “Modern Greek Cooking at Home” with Chef Pano Karatassos of Kyma: Join legendary local Chef Pano Karatassos of Kyma and learn a recipe from his new cookbook Modern Greek Cooking: 100 Recipes for Meze, Entrees and Desserts. He’ll be preparing a Tuna Tartare and Wild Mushroom Salad with shredded phyllo. Chef Pano’s cookbook will be for sale after his demo and at Kyma’s tasting table in VIP Experience on Saturday.
• 4:15-5pm – “Sharpen Your Southern Cookin’ Skills” with Jennifer Booker: Learn how to make two classic Southern dishes with a French twist from Southern-raised, French-trained Chef Jennifer Hill Booker. She’ll be preparing two dishes from her cookbooks –– Green Onion Hoe Cakes with smokey pimento cheese and Brown Sugar Bacon.

Home Plate Stage: Sponsored by Northside Hospital, the Home Plate Stage features on-stage demonstrations from nutritionists and chefs sharing tips to take home. Sprouts is the official grocery store sponsor of Taste of Atlanta.

Saturday, October 20

• 12:30-1:15pm – “Eat Better One Morsel at a Time” with Sprouts and Marisa Moore: Marisa Moore, a registered dietitian and nutritionist from Northside Hospital, will share her favorite (and quick!) go-to vegetarian recipes, inspired by her Southern upbringing.

Sunday, October 21

• 12:30-1:15pm – “Chef Kid Cook-Off” with The Melting Pot and Speak Easy Supper Club: Chefs and their kids will team up and show off their favorite dishes to cook at home, featuring The Melting Pot and Speak Easy Supper Club. Each recipe will feature a secret ingredient – peanuts from the Georgia Peanut Commission – and fellow kids will judge the delicious creations.
• 1:45-2:30pm – “Barcraft Celebration – 10 Years Strong!” Presented by Bulleit Bourbon: While esteemed Atlanta bartenders serve up Bulleit Bourbon cocktails, Atlanta’s renowned cocktail connoisseur Greg Best will lead a panel discussion about the city’s mixology world and how it has evolved over the last decade.
• 3-3:45pm – “Cure the Lunch Box Blues” with Georgia Peanut Commission’s Executive Director Don Koehler: Shake it up with a fun, new recipe idea from Georgia Peanut Commission’s Executive Director Don Koehler. Their team will prepare Peanut Apple Pancrepes for attendees to taste and learn how to cook.
• 4:15-5pm – “Chefs of Tomorrow” with Miller Grove High School and Chef Keio Carter Gayden: Cheer on culinary students from Miller Grove High School as they compete to win a cooking contest featuring their best twist on a Springer Mountain Farms chicken dish.

To keep up with Taste of Atlanta details, check out the official festival website at www.TasteofAtlanta.com.

*Programming schedule subject to change.