Atlanta Has a James Beard Finalist!
Just like March Madness brought us to the finals, the James Beard Awards have whittled down their brackets to the finals for the restaurant and chef awards categories will be revealed at a gala ceremony in Chicago on June 10. This year's Atlanta and Georgia semifinalists included Sushi Hayakawa for Outstanding Chef; Tio Lucho's, Bomb Biscuit, Southern National, and Puma Yu's in Athens for Best Chef, Southeast; and Cooks and Soldiers for Outstanding Hospitality. But Summerhill's own Talat Market will be Georgia's sole representative at the awards with Rod Lassiter and Parnass Savang being recognized as the chefs. Talat Market started as a pop-up 7 years ago and opened in 2020 with its brick-and-mortar. Last year, it was named as a recommended restaurant in Atlanta's Michelin Guide so it's on quite a roll! Good luck to the chefs!
Heritage Fire Festival
Another festival that I am super geeked out about is the Heritage Fire which returns to Atlanta on Sunday, April 28. Tickets can be purchased HERE. Uniting live-fire cooking, family farms and local chefs, Heritage Fire is built to celebrate heritage breed livestock, heirloom produce and to put it simply: good food. The one-day-only event presents an endless array of sustainably sourced bites from some of the Southeast's most beloved family farms and purveyors, prepared by some of the region's top chefs, and heads to 14 cities on its 2024 tour.
- WHERE:
West Midtown's Guardian Works (775 Echo St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318)
- WHEN:
VIP | 3:30 - 7 p.m.; General Admission | 4:15 - 7 p.m.
- TICKETS:
- VIP | $175 per person: early access, welcome libation,
unlimited food, entertainment, spirits, wine, cocktails + more
- General Admission | $125 per person: unlimited food, entertainment, spirits,
wine, cocktails + more
- Purchase
link HERE
- LOCAL TALENT
INCLUDES:
- Josue
Pena (The Iberian Pig Buckhead)
- Pat
Pascarella (The Porchetta Group)
- Joe
Schafer (Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall)
- Rodney
Scott (Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ)
- And
many more! View the participating talent roster here.
Proteins from beef, lamb and duck to whole pigs and seafood will be
fired up outside (rain or shine!) with free-flowing wine, craft cocktails and
live entertainment - making this a party you won't want to miss. Guests will
also have the chance to vote on their favorite bite of the day to crown this
city's "Heritage Hero" champion. For more information, visit heritagefiretour.com and follow along at
@heritagefiretour.
Dining Out for a Great Cause
Atlanta diners and restaurants are set to support Open Hand Atlanta's 31st Annual Dining Out For Life on Wednesday, April 24. With more than 60 participating restaurants, Dining Out For Life will once again give the community a chance to savor the best bites all over the Metro-Atlanta area while supporting a great cause. Whether opting to dine out for breakfast, lunch or dinner, guests will be participating in one of the largest city-wide fundraisers of the year. Restaurants include Gio's Chicken, Murphy's, El Azteca, Tiny Lou's, Varuni Napoli, Taqueria Del Sol and more! Since 1993, Atlanta-area restaurants have joined together in raising over $3 million in support of Open Hand's mission to provide community members with healthy meals and nutrition education. Every year, thousands of supporters dine out for breakfast, lunch and dinner with the knowledge that participating restaurants would donate a portion of their bill to help Open Hand provide nearly 5,000 nutritious meals daily and support their neighbors battling chronic disease and disability to live healthier, more independent lives. A full list of participating restaurant partners can be found here.
The Keith Lee Saga
Finally, the TikTok phenomenon that is Keith Lee has made it back into the ATL restaurant
news. This guy has millions and
millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram and he's known for his very
frank reviews of restaurants, particularly black-owned establishments. Some might recall when he stopped in Atlanta
last year and did not give very positive reviews of some of the places he ate
and got carry-out. He had announced that
he was returning for a "Redemption Tour" but now that's been pushed back for "business reasons." So I will keep an eye on this, this is about
as big as it gets in the social media world for influencers.