It’s not as if anyone thought A Taste of Atlanta needed more food.
But for its 10th anniversary, founder Dale DeSena decided to start the party a day earlier with “The Big Grill,” an all-inclusive food and drink block party taking place in Midtown’s Tech Square.
The Friday night event will feature – in addition to food from 16 area restaurants – music from Yacht Rock Schooner and appearances by the Food Network’s Aarón Sanchez and Atlanta culinary star Kevin Rathbun.
Sanchez will participate in an “eat and greet,” while Rathbun is the chairperson/host of the evening.
“It’s a great way to kick off the festival – which we really hadn’t done before – and we really wanted a way to showcase the grilling scene in Atlanta, which seems to be very popular here,” DeSena said. “I think people are looking for unique ways to try their skills at cooking besides in a standard kitchen and Atlanta has the best weather for [grilling]. We could probably do it 10 months a year.”
Among the grub specialties to be grilled include rosemary lamb sausage with polenta in a mustard reduction from Atkins Park and Ormsby's restaurants; refried black bean and foie gras chalupa from Taqueria del Sol; and a spiced hanger steak slider with pickled slaw and citrus crème fraiche from Ray’s on the River.
“The Big Grill” is a separately ticketed event from the mega Taste of Atlanta on Saturday and Sunday, also at Tech Square.
When Taste started a decade ago, it was stationed at Phipps Plaza in a 30,000-square-foot tent that housed samples from 50 restaurants and attracted about 10,000 people.
Last year’s event, which has been in Midtown for several years, drew about 40,000 adventurous eaters and the restaurant list has increased to 80.
Some of this year’s participants are Escorpion, Food 101, The Melting Pot, Shout, West Egg Café, Fritti, Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q and Botekim.
While DeSena is thrilled by the year-to-year growth of A Taste of Atlanta – and says she is content with its current size and scope – she is, more importantly, proud that the event sparked the creation of dozens of offshoot food fests that crop up year-round in many surrounding counties.
“I’m amazed it’s taken them this long to figure it out,” DeSena said with a laugh. “We really were the trendsetter and jumped out the gate first when we saw the need. This is a way to show people what an awesome variety of restaurants we have.”
For those seeking culinary education beyond scarfing down a bite of barbecue or piece of pasta, the Inside the Food Studio tent, with host Tom Sullivan, will present nine sessions during the weekend including how to prepare meatless meals and how to craft a traditional Southern Thanksgiving.
And those who opt for a VIP experience – limited to 1,500 – will receive entry into a special tasting tent with 50 wines, 50 craft beers and five restaurants offering food that doesn’t require a “taste coupon.”
The continued success of A Taste of Atlanta indicates that yes, Atlantans like to eat, but they also like to sample before breaking out their wallets.
“Clearly, there was a need and a want for a festival like this,” DeSena said. “We’ve been trying to grow it in an organized way to help our local chef-driven restaurants, but also to turn tasters into diners.”
Event preview
Taste of Atlanta
The Big Grill, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Friday. $50 (general admission) or $65 (VIP). Taste of Atlanta, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (VIP hours 12:30 p.m.-6 p.m.). $25 each day for advance general admission or $35 at the gate; $75 each day advance VIP or $85 at the gate. Admission includes 10 taste tickets. Children 13 and under receive free admission when accompanied by a paid adult. Tech Square, Spring and 5th streets, Atlanta.
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