FREE CONCERT SERIES COMING TO PIEDMONT PARK THIS SPRING & SUMMER

Sunday, April 26th and Every Sunday through Sunday, June 28th at 7pm

Location: Park Tavern

The series kicks off on April 26 at 7 p.m. with California rock band Bad Suns

A new, weekly alternative music series is coming to Piedmont Park this spring and summer.  Radio 105.7 and Park Tavern have joined forces to bring Atlantans and visitors alike an incredible lineup of live music from some of today’s most buzz-worthy artists every Sunday for FREE.

The series kicks off on April 26 at 7 p.m. with California rock band Bad Suns – known for their stadium ready anthems and undeniably catchy hooks; Atlanta-based indie-alt band The Electric Sons; and the award-winning indie band Kiev.
While the full lineup will be announced in the coming weeks, additional confirmed artists booked for Sunset Sessions by the talented team at The Bowery Presents South include:

Mother Falcon (5/3)

Boogie (5/10)

Those Darlins (5/17)

Kebbi Williams & The Wolfpack (5/27)

Ivan & Alyosha (5/31)

Pigpen Theatre Company (6/7)

The Whigs (6/21)

Caroline Rose (6/28); and Little Tybee (6/28)

BEER, BOURBON & BBQ FESTIVAL 2015

Saturday, February 28th at 12pm

Location: Atlantic Station

Porkus Maximus

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.beerandbourbon.com

 By Liz and John Attaway

On a beautiful, warmer, almost spring day with the Atlanta skyline looming over Atlantic station was the 2015 Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival. What a way to kick-off the spring festival season where you could almost feel spring starting! From all types of beers, to high end bourbons, to food truck after food truck of BBQ, the festival had a little something for everyone and then some. This year’s crowning glory was the first annual Shrine of Swine where porkus maximus was achieved with an hourly whole hog tasting.

The first thing on the agenda was finding new and exciting beers to sip. John and I agreed Heavy Seas was one of the best with their Loose Cannon, which was John’s favorite and mine was the Strong Scottish Ale in the Desert Island Series. It’s an 8% APV limited beer with notes of malt and chocolate, yet drinkable and light enough to have more than one. Loose Cannon is Heavy Seas flagship beer, which is an IPA with three different hops with notes of grapefruit and pine (Soap anyone?). Other beers we enjoyed were Jekyll’s Export Stout, which is a local brew out of Alpharetta. What I like about the Export Stout is an Imperial Stout with very deep malt notes, dark roast, raisin, and a hint of smoke. Second was Finch’s Stash Stout which had deep chocolate notes, as well as Southern Tier’s Chokolat. Both were heavy on the chocolate and reminded me of hot cocoa. Yum.

Along with the beer, the Tasting Tent was an exceptional place to learn about some local breweries. First up was Red Hare with their four year-round beers: Cotton Tale Pale Ale, Watership Brown, Gateway IPA and the Long Day Lager. John liked the Gateway and Cotton Tale, while give me the Watership Brown all day. What I enjoyed about the Watership Brown are the chocolate and malt notes. The other brewery was Monday Night. One of my favorite local beers is the Drafty Kilt from Monday Night and is one of their mainstays. I’ve discussed Drafty Kilt before but it’s dark and roasted Ale but drinks like a stout with a light touch. I could drink it all day. Now just to get out to both breweries!

BBQ. As I mentioned before was Shrine of Swine, in its first year it was an instant sensation that everyone was talking about. Beyond the whole hog tasting general attendees could purchase BBQ from the plethora of food trucks offering pulled pork sandwiches to beef brisket. The lines got long so they must have been offering up some serious grub. If you were lucky enough to go VIP, they had pulled pork   Shane’s, Pork rinds with pimento cheese from Smoke Belly, several offerings from Pit Master BBQ and much more including Pork Belly and flavored bacon. Let’s also not forget Salvage Jerky was handing out Sriracha Bacon. Yum.

Overall, it was a fun-filled warm day in late February. We watched giant Jenga, saw a heated game of corn hole, and enjoyed the warm weather.

 

 

OYSTERFEST 2015

Saturday, February 7th at 1pm

Location: Park Tavern

FOR MORE INFORMATION:http://spiralentertainment.com/

AS WELL AS:  http://www.parktavern.com/

By Liz and John Attaway

You would have thought it was a late springtime day with the sun shining bright and the light, warm breeze coming over the park. There’s no denying Park Tavern at Piedmont Park is a beautiful venue with a striking skyline and park view. You notice the second you walk in that you’re in for a treat. This rarely beautiful February day, and Oysterfest was brought to you by Spiral Entertainment. They know how to gather people for one great party.  Let’s pull out our shuckers and get shuckin’.

What would an Oysterfest be without the stars of the show? Oysters. I admit that I don’t eat them for many reasons, but there are thousands of people out there that obsess over them and what better way to gather a few thousand friends and fawn over these rock-like delicacies.  Inside the cold, hard shell there is a gooey-ooey center, be it steamed, raw, fried, on crackers, with hot sauce or simply naked, Oysterfest at Park Tavern are one big shucking party. And when I say big, I mean packed to the gills, people sat outside in lawn chairs or waiting in lines to get their Oysters the way they want them. Who knew there were so many Oyster fans?

Another ingredient as important as the shucker is the Oyster’s companion drink. For many and myself it’s beer, but there were Bloody Marys and many other Oyster friendly cocktails. Something you may not know about Park Tavern is that they brew their own beer. The one I like the most is the Amber Ale. It is very malty with caramel notes. They also have a good IPA that just the right amount of hops, which is the one John prefers. They have many others, as well as a good food menu, as well as $1 draft when it rains (or snows). That’s a pretty good deal if you ask me.

The event was held on Saturday, February 7th. Bummed you missed this event? Don’t worry: Park Tavern and Spiral Entertainment have another upcoming event called LuckyFest. It’s a St. Patrick’s Day kick-off extravaganza. Luckyfest will be held on Saturday, March 7th.

ATLANTA WINTER BEER FEST 2015

Saturday, January 24th at 1pm

Location: Masquerade Music Park

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://atlantawinterbeerfest.com/

By Liz and John Attaway

After 5 years and dozens of beer festivals, Atlanta Winter Beer Fest sold out! It was filled to the brim, to the max, no vacancy, packed like sardines, no dogs allowed (or birds)! Alright, that last one was taken from one of my favorite Snoopy movies, but you get the drift. What was amazing was that it didn’t feel cramped with several areas to hang out including the local tent, swag and food tents, outside, and then the three Masquerade inside areas. I think the only place I felt like I couldn’t breathe was in Hell and that’s another story for another time. Wink. Let’s dive in.

More and more festivals are in Atlanta are integrating the blooming, ballooning local brewery scene, and I love it. One of the newer breweries that is contracting out of North Carolina but coming soon to Chamblee/Brookhaven near you, is Pontoon. They have a Tiffany Blue color that reminds me of the lake on a calm Sunday. Beyond that, John has an affinity for their Pilsner, which is called No Pants Pilsner. It’s a little hoppy for me but he always gets it at a local bar. Another one we’ve seen for a while now at several beer festivals but without product is Southern Sky. I love their slogan, “a little bit out there.” Being in advertising by day, I find it snarky and fun. Along with their slogan, they are going to go against the grain and permanently offer a porter that they claim can also be categorized as a stout. I can’t wait to try it because with chocolate and coffee notes; it could be right up my alley. Finally, they are going to open their brewery and tap room right around the corner from my office in Kennesaw. Happy Hour, anyone?

It wouldn’t be an Adventures in Atlanta beer festival blog without my proclaimed best beer of the festival. This one was tough because believe it or not, I’ve tried about everything out there that was offered! That being said, drum roll please. The best beer of the festival:  Mac Daddy Porter from Monday Night Brewing!  Confetti falls. A band plays. A trophy exchanges hands. What I like about Mac Daddy Porter is its smooth and light but has big, bold coffee taste with a little bit of earth and chocolate. It’s right up there with Drafty Kilt and I love Drafty Kilt.  Other local brews we found interesting to name a few were Second Self’s Thai Wheat, Jekyll’s Stout, and Eventide’s Nitro Stout. Yum.

Atlanta Winter Beer Festival also offered more food and samples this year than in year’s past. It was a good thing that Knotty Pretzels was around, not only to fill some tipsy stomachs, but to save one of our friends from Savage Jerky’s Ghost Pepper Buffalo Jerky. It was tasty, just a little spicy (ok, a lot spicy). I wouldn’t even think of trying it! Ghost Pepper? I don’t think so! Not only was the food abundant, but so was the entertainment. The two that stood out to us were the duo that dressed as Captain America and Batman and Kara Claudy. The comedy-singing duo gave away swag for correct trivia answers and even sang a song or two including Karma Police from Radiohead. I think they may have been Dad’s Garage, but I’m not sure.  Kara Claudy got a tip from us because she had a great range that included favorites No Rain by Blind Melon and Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd.

After a cold day, everyone went home happy with beer in their bellies and a good time in their memories. I bet you’re all ready for your next festival? Hogs and Hops is coming up in April, and don’t miss Atlanta Beer Fest’s newest venture: Atlanta Wine Party in March.

http://atlantabeerfestivals.com/
http://www.hogsandhopsatlanta.com/
http://atlantawineparty.com/

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ROCK 105.7’S 404 CHRISTMAS WITH BUSH

Tuesday, December 16th at 8pm

Location: Smith's Olde Bar

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ROCK 105.7:http://www.radio1057.com/main.html

MORE INFORMATION ON SMITH’S OLDE BAR: http://www.smithsoldebar.com/

By Liz and John Attaway

There is a lot that can be said about the holidays: a time for family, spreading holiday cheer, celebrating Christ, decking the halls, walking in a winter wonderland, looking for Rudolf’s red nose in the night sky, or sitting on Santa’s knee. If you could talk to Santa this year, what would you ask for? A good concert would be high on my list and one this intimate at the top. So, this year, on a mild December night, situated between Moreland and Piedmont at Smith’s Olde Bar, Rock 105.7 played Santa by treating its loyal listeners and friends to an intimate evening with Gavin Rossdale of Bush. It was a perfect Christmas present for any avid Bush fan. Thanks, Rock 105.7 and sponsor Heineken, you rock!

Onto the concert experience, opening Rock 105.7’s 404 Christmas was Twin Atlantic from Scotland. They just released their third album, Great Divide, and will be touring soon. Melodious with loud guitar riffs, this alternative rock band spent a few songs acoustically with us but was impressed with the American way of spending the holidays. They said people in Scotland should enjoy the holidays like us! Cheers! Once they made way for Bush, the ladies started swooning and out came the smartphones for frantic picture and video taking to forever remember the night.

Starting with “Everything Zen,” accompanied by “Comedown”, “Glycerine,” and a handful of other Bush greats, Rossdale strummed and crooned his way through the night with heart and soul. He was humble and grateful for the loud sing-a-long like atmosphere encouraging the audience to interact with him. Even though billed as Bush, it really became The Gavin Rossdale Show with all the focus on his voice and performance. Chris Traynor, Bush guitarist was also on hand to accompany Rossdale. I’d like to note there’s something to be said about a performer that can take grunge rock songs and turn them into guitar solos and perform them almost totally acoustic.

Beyond Bush classics, Rossdale treated the intimate gathering of Bush fanatics a special holiday treat: two covers that will probably never happen again, so it truly was a once in a lifetime performance. The first was “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd which got the audience singing. Again. After ending with Comedown and taking a bow, Rossdale came back out for his encore, Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” He stayed true to the Mac version of “Landslide” and it was mesmerizing and beautiful to behold.

And with that, to all a good night.

MORE INFORMATION ON BUSH: http://bushofficial.com/

MORE INFORMATION ON TWIN ATLANTIC: http://twinatlantic.com/home/

ANDREWS MOONSHINE FESTIVAL 2014

Saturday, October 18th at 1pm

Location: Andrews Entertainment District

FOR MORE INFORMATION:http://www.andrewsdistrict.com/events-2/tickets/

By Liz and John Attaway

Out in the woods of North Carolina, Wayne Nix of Discovery’s Moonshiners show is hauling moonshine to his clients in an old pick-up truck with some clear bottled liquid in the back, rocking to and fro as the tires hit the cracked, dirt road. That’s kind of what it was like on this fall-like October day, Andrews Entertainment District started a new tradition: Andrews Moonshine Festival, but without the dirt road (yes, there was a pickup truck)! With celebrities and moonshine aficionados in tow, everyone got to rub elbows with distillers and explore the world of ‘Shine.

Speaking of Wayne Nix, he was in the house taking pictures and promoting his own brand of moonshine, Hanging Dog Moonshine. The curious thing is that one of my clients at my day job is Discovery’s off-air and we helped promote the show Moonshiners last year. After talking shop with Mr. Nix, and taking a much needed picture for my office, he explained that Moonshiners is legit and to not lump them in with the other “reality shows” out there. He also came bearing ‘Shine gifts: you could buy a Wayne’s World T-shirt or simply try his ‘Shine. It was pretty good and I know it might not be the ACTUAL ‘Shine from the show, but I can pretend it is! Keep on truckin’ Wayne, you were a pleasure to chat with!

In the same vein as other ‘Shine celebrities was Bill Elliot. When I was young, my parents and close extended family used to travel every July to the Firecracker 400 in Daytona Beach. The adults would go every year to the race, while for us kids, it was the annual beach trip. I’d heard of Nascar greats like Petty and Allison, as well as Bill Elliot every year, as my uncle was a huge fan. Secret: my cousin Allison was named after Bobby Allison. But, I got the pleasure of talking to Billy and told him the above story. He was there as the face for his own brand of moonshine called Dawsonville Moonshine. He had an apple pie moonshine that was a little sweeter but it tasted like apple pie in a glass. Yum.

One thing I didn’t know moonshine could be was inspirational. I talked to Charlie Ball of Troy & Sons Distillery. His wife and he moved to North Carolina to help their sons, whom have a rare metabolic disease. Little did they know that the move would result in a moonshine business that would bloom out of housewarming gifts made by their mother, Troy, for their neighbors. The Today Show covered the story and lovingly call her the Moonshine Mom. Check out their story here:   http://www.today.com/food/mom-honors-her-ailing-sons-moonshine-making-business-2D79607492

Finally, I went into Andrews Moonshine Festival believing that moonshine is a million proof alcohol that you have to drink out of a thimble or risk overdosing on alcohol. I learned something new! Let’s get to my favorite moonshine of the event was Moon Pie Moonshine that has a hint of chocolate with the obvious kick at the end. It was sweet and good on its own but when they added A&W root beer to it and all of a sudden it tastes like a tootsie roll.  Awesome. The other one I was impressed with was American Born Moonshine and their sweet tea flavored beverage that was brewed with a mix of Earl Grey and English Breakfast tea. It literally tasted like tea. They had lemonade added to it in a mixed drink that was also good, but the moonshine itself made the drink!

Thanks, Andrews Moonshine Fest, for setting me straight on moonshine.

KENNESAW CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL 2014

Saturday, September 27th at 1pm

Location: Downtown Kennesaw

FOR MORE INFORMATION:http://kennesawcraftbeerfest.com/

By Liz Attaway

In the hills outside Atlanta is a small, sleepy town with an up-and-coming vibe, and recently has several restaurants popping up in its charming downtown. That being said, wouldn’t it be fitting that one brewery has located there and a second is about to open? I wish we had ONE brewery in our inside the perimeter city! What’s a girl gotta do to get one? Ok, don’t answer that. But, in its inaugural year, Kennesaw Craft Beer Fest, highlighted a variety of fall beers in delightful small town atmosphere.

I cannot say enough about the beer selection at the Kennesaw Beer Fest. Maybe it was the time of year or maybe it was a miracle but this was the best beer selection at a beer festival that I’ve ever been to and that, my friends, is saying a lot. From, pumpkin beers flowing from real pumpkins, stouts, porters, to specialty beers I was impressed with what the breweries had to offer.

My favorite beer of the festival and the best brewery showing was Burnt Hickory Brewery out of Kennesaw. They had at least three beers that I would drink on a regular occasion and that was just what they brought! Starting with my favorite beer of the festival: Gourd Knocker Imperial Pumpkin Stout. It was a delicious, sweet milk stout made with eggnog and strong pumpkin notes. The two together were divine. Yes, divine. I know I shouldn’t have any of it but it was so good, would you blame me? I talked to Scott who owns the brewery and he explained that the beer was a take on their Christmas beer that is brewed with eggnog that they showcase every year over the holidays. They simply added pumpkin to it. This was probably the only time they would EVER have this beer and it was an honor to get a few tastes of it! They also had two other beers that I would have seconds of: the Graham Cracker Stout and a Pumpkin Porter. The Graham Cracker Stout has hints of honey and graham cracker on top of a malty stout.  The Pumpkin Porter isn’t as dark or sweet as the Gourd Knocker but it had a good pumpkin kick at the end of a smooth porter. Want to try Burnt Hickory? They are having an open house on October 18th with some specialty beers.

While perusing the rest of the beer selection, I came across Cherry Street. I’m not sure who I talked to but he was from the Cherry Street Brewery and recommended two beers to try that were not at the festival: Pumpkin Pie Porter and Coconut Porter. He explained that the Pumpkin Pie Porter is like pumpkin pie in a glass. The Coconut Porter is not too thick at 6.3% but tastes like a slice of chocolate pie. I wonder if it really does. I’ll have to give them a try. Not only were these recommended to me but about five independent groups of people recommended Southern Tier’s Warlock. It is a stout but that’s about all I know about it, but that’s enough for me with all the rave reviews. Elsewhere, Terrapin’s Liquid Bliss was a peanut butter cup in a glass, which I bet is delicious on tap. I’m not huge on peanut butter as a drink but it’s pretty good, all around beer for after dinner or as dessert. That brings me to PumKing. I found it in the back room of VIP. A good way to top of the afternoon, If I may say so myself.

At the end of the day, Kennesaw Craft Beer Fest, was an all-around fun event in a great location. I’m sure it will be back next year. Feeling sad you missed the event? Don’t worry, there’s Boos and Brews on October 25th and Acworth Beer Fest on November 8th to enjoy your favorite fall beers. Check out the below links for more information.
http://atlantabeerfestivals.com/boos-and-brews/

http://acworthcraftbeerfest.com/

GREAT ATLANTA BEER FESTIVAL 2014

Saturday, September 6th at 3pm

Location: Turner Field

FOR MORE INFORMATION:http://greatatlantabeerfest.com/

By Liz and John Attaway

America’s pastime holds a special place in everyone’s heart and nothing could make it any better, right? Wrong. Take the breathtaking view of the field, beer samples, good friends, and open the alley games to the attendees and what do you get? Great Atlanta Beer Festival. It makes baseball better. This year we discovered two new pumpkin beers, reconnected with a few old beer friends, and had fun dancing in the rain (ok, not dancing, but close).

As the downpour of rain deluged the open spaces outside Turner Field, we got to hover under the O’Dempesy’s tent who had already run out of their Your Black Heart Russian Imperial Stout, which made me sad, but I got to stand next to the truck with the Harpoon UFO Pumpkin. Yum. That brings me to what this festival is really about: beer. My favorite two beers of the festival were Harpoon UFO Pumpkin, which they categorize as an unfiltered pumpkin ale. The other was Terrapin Pumpkin Alethat Terrapin says is actually a malt beverage brewed with pumpkin and spices. They were both similar with a pumpkin fruit forward start and slightly sweet but smooth aftertaste. It was like having pumpkin pie without all the sugar in a glass. If you know me, you know I love pumpkin. So, if you like pumpkin beer like I do, I would recommend these two beers any day of the week. Not a pumpkin fan, how about another beer that I enjoyed called Blue Point Toasted Lager? It was smooth and a good balance of hops and malt with a toasty finish. It reminded me a little of Shock Top’s Pretzel Lager (also present at this festival and well enjoyed by me!) for it’s almost pretzel feel but not as strong as actually eating a pretzel. Lastly, but not least by any means was Your Black Heart Russian Imperial Stout by O’Dempesy’s. It was my overall favorite beer, again, this year, so I thought I would give it another shout out. Run to your bartenders and tell them to stock this: stout lovers will help it fly off the shelf. So. Good.

Let’s not forget there was more than beer at Great Atlanta Beer Fest. The pitching games in Scout’s Alley were open and a few people (ok, a lot) took their shot at seeing how fast they could pitch. I saw everything from 20 mph to 80 mph. Why isn’t that guy a baseball player? Also, there was a booth for the Proud Beer Drinker that was a crowd favorite with a “Strong man” Standin (thanks Yahoo Answers). My friends and I all took our turn with our faces in it and taking our pictures. See my shenanigans to the left. Finally, there was also music by The Geeks that had a large crowd dancing and singing by about 7pm, as well as lots of football on the TV’s of the chop shop. With that the lights dimmed over Turner Field and the Uber drivers lined up outside the gate, the Great Atlanta Beer Fest 2014 was in the books and the home team won.

Missed Great Atlanta Beer Fest? Don’t worry, Atlanta Beer Fests have another one on September 27th in Kennesaw and then again October 25th for Halloween called Boos and Brews. Get your tickets now.

http://kennesawcraftbeerfest.com/

http://atlantabeerfestivals.com/boos-and-brews/

The Field at Turner Field

The Geeks

Proud Drinker Standin

Braves Statue

ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATO FESTIVAL 2014

Saturday, July 20th at 1pm

Location: The Goat Farm

FOR MORE INFORMATION:http://killertomatofest.tumblr.com/

By Liz and John Attaway

How do all the good, classic horror novels start? It was a dark and stormy afternoon at an urban Georgia farm. The lights flickered and then faded leaving the goats bleating and stirring in their pens. Small red dots start to liter the horizon spilling over the distant hills as far as the eye can see. What the urban Georgia farm didn’t know was this was the end, the end of life as they knew it because the Killer Tomatoes were coming and they were hungry. Ok, so maybe killer tomatoes aren’t scary but they are mighty tasty and pair well with food and drinks more than you can ever imagine. That brings us to the Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival where everything and I mean everything is diced, chopped, pureed, relished, jammed, pickled or stuffed with tomatoes. Take into the account the eclectic site filled with goats, filing cabinets built into a wall, several large barn-like rooms with rustic and odd décor, the festival was primed for festival goers to explore and enjoy this unique festival.

Over its six years this was the festival’s first year at The Goat Farm Arts Center after outgrowing its home at JCT. Kitchen & Bar in years past. This year boasting 70 chefs and mixologists that made everything from bourbon and tomato concoctions for the attendees to shot, to tamales, to tacos, to desserts, to popsicles and so on and so forth, I could go on for hours.  There were several special eats that I thoroughly enjoyed, while my favorite was Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails’ tomato tart with tomatoes from Milton’s Acre. This pizza-like tomato tart was topped with Green Zebra Tomato chow-chow with a little tomato crème fraiche to accent the sweet with the creamy. I went back for seconds because it was fresh, hot and just plain good. Another one of the tomato food invention was Miller Union’s gazpacho that mixed heirloom tomato watermelon and cucumber into a wonderful tasty, dish. Cool and tangy, sweet, the gazpacho was a delight in the heat of the summer day. Outside I found several wonderful tomato mixtures that are worth mentioning here. Farm Burger brought an heirloom tomato sloppy joe that was toped with pickled green tomato and fresh tomato relish. It was filling and good. Down the row was Delia’s Chicken Sausage Stand where Delia Champion brought her chicken chorizo tacos stuffed into a corn shell and topped with roasted tomato salsa. Who doesn’t love tacos? So good! Finally, who can resist a fried green tomato slider from Bantam & Bitty & Chick-A-Biddy? It was freshly fried right in front of the attendees and they definitely win the award for longest line, but it was worth it. The people voted for their favorite tomato mixture was drum roll please; Gunshow’s cherry tomato fried pies with tomato ice cream. The judges gave top honors to Osteria Mattone + Table & Main’s tomato tartar with buttermilk caviar.

As far as the drinks, Wild Heaven knocked it out of the park again with their Civilization Barley Wine that was smooth and flavorful filled with cranberries and cherries. It was quick to go! They also brought the Blackbird that they added a little bit of tomato and chardonnay to, which was good but we much preferred the Civilization. There many other liquor cocktails on hand that included gin with shrimp garnish, moonshine and Georgia peaches, bourbon with sherry and tomato, vodka mixed with pepper, hers and peaches to name a few.  They were all interesting in their own right but my favorite was Paper Plane’s Red Dawn: bourbon, lime heirloom tomato and topped with sherry. This is the first time I’ve had tomato in a drink and not spit it out as I’m not a huge fan of anything like bloody marys or drinks of the like. The people gave the best tasting small plate to Miller Union’s The Night Shade Lightning that included moonshine and peaches. The judges decided on JCT Kitchen + The Optimist’s All In One Basket that included vodka, tomatoes, peaches, peppers, herbs and citrus.

On top of the food and drink, the festival is all about helping out the local organic farmers through the nonprofit Georgia Organics and helping out “members of the Atlanta restaurant community facing unanticipated hardships” The Giving Kitchen. Two other things of note were the filing cabinet wall sculpture by David Baerwalde* that was a big point of discussion among attendees, as well as my run in with a celebrity. The filing cabinet wall was one of those things you probably won’t ever see again. It’s unique and filing cabinets really do work as planters! Not to mention that if you look through the drawers, you never know what you’re going to find. We found a drawer full of documents from what looked like a steel company or contractor that worked at the site from the mid-90’s back to the early 80s. We found hand written notes, customer files, and projects from moving walls to fixing flooring. Finally, that brings me to the highlight of my visit to The Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival: my selfie with Stephen Collins. I was walking in one of the rooms and saw a guy that looked familiar and I immediately knew it was him but I wanted to make sure. I’m sure my eyes bore into the back of his head because I had to stare. Finally, I figured I would ask if he was Stephen Collins and he said, “I am” and turned to face me. He was thin but the voice was unmistakable as I watched him for years on 7th Heaven and recently followed his journey on Revolution. He was nice enough to let me take a picture with him. Thanks, Stephen Collins, for making my day.

Overall, we had a blast trying new food, cocktails, and running into celebrities. Never mind the gloom, rain or humidity, that all paled in comparison to the eclectic charm and stellar eats of the festival. Now, I can truly say I’m tomatoed out.

*Check out David Baerwalde’s collection of art at http://dbaerwalde.wix.com/site

GUMBALL 3000: ATLANTA RALLY 2014

Thursday, June 5th at

Location: Centennial Olympic Park

FOR MORE INFORMATION:http://www.gumball3000.com

By Liz and John Attaway

The dark clouds loomed over Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta and the police shouted loudly for everyone to take cover as the thunder cracked nearby. The storm passed by about an hour later and all but put a damper on the rally as the concert and rally as they were both cancelled due to weather. Even though there wasn’t a concert or fanfare, the Gumball 3000 is about the beautifully rare cars and there wasn’t any disappointment there with everything from Ferraris, supped up Mercedes, McLarens, Aston Martins, Bentleys, Jaguars, Lotus and many more. Started in 1999 by Maximillian Cooper, the Gumball got its name “from New York artist Andy Warhol after he used it to describe how the public chew up and spit out popular culture like chewing gum and ‘3000’ as a nod To Cooper’s fascination with the future, particularly at a time when the world was about to enter the 21st Century.” The 2014 Gumball 3000 ran from Miami to Atlanta then to New York. Once in New York the cars were shipped overseas to Edinburgh then runs to London, Paris, Barcelona and finally ends up in Ibiza, Spain.

This year’s coveted Spirit of Gumball 2014 Winner was D.J. Deadmau5 & Tory Belleci of Mythbusters fame’s Purrari 458. The Spirit Award is for the team that encompasses what the Gumball is all about: speed, fun, and sharing the experience with the world. Deadmau5 and Tory streamed their experience with a 360 camera, as well as promoted it on social media, and really helped the Gumball’s word-of-mouth for this year’s race. The prize? They got a 3 food tall Gumball machine. Way to go, guys!

With this being said, nothing would speak louder than pictures, so here is a gallery of the experience including the real celebs: the cars. Enjoy!