The Atlanta Food and Wine Festival blew through midtown Atlanta bringing with it a whirlwind of activities. I attended a number of events throughout the festival but Sunday Brunch was by far my favorite.
Revolution Donuts was in the house starting the day off RIGHT! There was no need to wait to eat, just grab a doughnut and some coffee while mingling in the pre-function area.
The Atlanta Food and Wine Festival Sunday Brunch is a fantastic value. They offer both a General Admission Brunch (which I attended) at the Loews Hotel, Atlanta as well as a slightly more costly VIP brunch that was held this year at the Vineyard in the City. This was my second year attending the festival and for the second year in a row I’ve come to the same conclusion, Sunday Brunch is the best! The General Admission Sunday brunch is the least expensive event of the festival, for less than $50 per ticket both my husband and I were able to attend without breaking the bank. While the event attracts a lot of people it never seemed over crowded.
This is a seated event with family style service delivered to each table by participating chefs so the food comes to you, the only lines you wait in (beside the line to get into brunch) are for drinks. Even that wait wasn’t bad as there were several beverage options at stations around the pre-function area. There was a champagne station, a bloody Mary bar, water and juice stations and super mixologist Tiffany Barriere (from One Flew South – pictured below) serving up the most delicious cocktail with blackberries and 4 Roses Bourbon…I may have had 3.
The best part of this whole deal is that the food comes to you “Gunshow style” in honor of the host chef Kevin Gillespie (pictured below, left with his executive chef Joey Ward, right). Chef Ward was on stage telling us all about the inspiration for his dish.
Lots and LOTS of tasty bites are brought to your table (about 16 different dishes this year) and the chef who prepared them comes up on stage to describe what they created. The chefs even go around the room with the waitstaff to pass the food and chat with guests.
This event attracts chefs from Georgia and all over the Southeast. Chef Kenny Gilbert , Top Chef season 7 contestant and chef-owner of Gilbert’s Underground Kitchen in Fernandina Beach Florida brought his “A” game with Nashville style Hot Quail (pictured below)
Justin Burdett Chef-owner of Local Provisions (pictured below) in downtown Asheville, NC made a fantastic pork terrine.
We ran into friends Karen and Oswald Morgan (pictured below, right) , owners of Kozmo Gastro Pub in Alpharetta, GA.. We sat with them during brunch and had a wonderful conversation. Definitely check their restaurant out, they’re doing some great stuff.
Chef Kevin Rathbun (pictured below, left) was delightful as usual and was gracious enough to let me grab a quick interview that I broadcast on Facebook Live
(here’s a link https://www.facebook.com/SweetSavant/videos/10154943147782942/ ). He described his dish “Loin in a Do-Rag” and explained his technique of wrapping filet of beef in a seasoned, damp cloth and cooking it directly in the coals of a barbecue.
Here’s a look at last years Atlanta Food and Wine Festival Sunday Brunch . The weather last year was perfect for brunch outdoors, this year…not so much! It was a bit rainy this year but it cleared up nicely for those holding tickets to the Sunday Tasting Tents.
I purchased my own tickets for Sunday Brunch and I purchased a Saturday Day pass. I received a complimentary media pass to cover some of the festival events held on Friday.
