More than 75 cheeses from artisan food producers from around the world will be showcased at the second annual Atlanta Cheese Festival on Oct. 3 from 6 to 11 p.m. at Atlanta Botanical Garden. The festivities will begin with a Grilled Cheese Meltdown competition from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Attendees will have the chance to vote after sampling grilled cheese sandwich creations from a range of competitors one of which will be crowned Atlanta’s Grilled Cheese Champion. Meltdown contestants include Gunshow, 1Kept, Highland Bakery, Homegrown, High Road Craft Ice Cream, Muss & Turner’s and more. There will also be live music. Admission is $35 or $75 fro VIP tickets. The event will benefit The Giving Kitchen, which lends a helping hand to members of the local restaurant industry impacted by medical or other unanticipated hardship. For tickets and more information, visit atlantacheesefestival.com.
The Square Pub (squarepubdecatur.com) in Decatur will hold its annual Green Chile Roast on Oct. 4 starting at noon. Activities for the party will center around the outdoor hand-roasting of 8,000 pounds of premium Hatch green chiles, personally selected in New Mexico by Square Pub co-owners Jason Wiles and Bob Rhein. Other highlights will include a special chile-inspired menu and drinks that will blend southern and southwestern cuisine and a green chile chili cook-off.
Davio’s in Buckhead will host a Chefs Collaborative Dinner on Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. featuring guest Chef G. Garvin of the Cooking Channel & Food Network and Davio’s Executive Chef Richard Lee. The five-course dinner with wine pairings will be available for one night only. $125 (excluding tax and gratuity) includes wine pairings for each course. Reservations are available by calling (404) 844-4810 or davios.com/atl.
The annual Battle of the Burgers will be held Oct. 18 in John Howell Park in Virginia-Highland from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 20 local restaurants will be cooking up their best hamburgers for tasting and judging by a panel of burger experts. There will also be a 5K run and live entertainment. For tickets and information, visit battleoftheburgers.com.
Harvest on the Hooch will be held Oct. 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Chattahoochee Nature Center’s Unity Garden. The event, presented by Whole Foods, is designed to promote the “farm to table” movement. Local restaurants – including Muss & Turners, Table and Main and Mill Kitchen and Bar – will be cooking up special dishes and there will also be live bluegrass music from the Fulton Ramblers. Tickets are $35 for adults and $15 for children 10 and above, children 9 and under are free. Tickets are available at chattnaturecenter.org.
The Bewitching Beer Dinner will be held at Red Brick Brewing Company on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. A four-course dinner prepared by Executive Chef Christina Curry of Epicurean Endeavors will be paired with Red Brick Brewery Craft Beers. Tickets are $95 per person. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit epicureanatl.com.
The Georgia Craft Beer Festival will be held in Candler Park on Oct. 25 from 1 to 6 p.m. The festival will include an afternoon of arts, live entertainment, a variety of food selections from the city’s top food trucks and 100+ craft beers to sample from over 30 of the top breweries from around the state. Proceeds from the event will benefit The Georgia Craft Brewers Guild, a trade organization representing craft breweries and brewpubs in the state of Georgia. For more information, visit georgiacraftbeerfestival.com.
The Atlanta Lobster Festival will be held in Candler Park on Nov. 2 from 1 to 6 p.m. The inaugural outdoor festival will include an afternoon of live music, arts and crafts, light bites from a selection of the city’s top restaurants, as well as a variety of craft beer and wine options. Proceeds from the culinary event will benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making kids better today and healthier tomorrow through specialized care programs. For more, visit atlantalobsterfestival.com.
The Atlanta Chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier International (LDEI), a worldwide society of women in the culinary, beverage and hospitality industries, will host the 14th annual Afternoon in the Country at Serenbe on Nov. 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. Rooted in philanthropy, the annual fundraiser event will benefit the LDEI Atlanta scholarship fund. A percentage of proceeds will also go to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Georgia Organics, Global Growers Network, The Giving Kitchen, The Wylde Center and Wholesome Wave. Tickets are $125 for adults 21 and older, $50 for guests 16 to 20 and $35 for guests ages 13 to 15. Children 12 and under will be free. Guests may purchase tickets at ldeiatlanta.org. Advance purchase is recommended, as the event continually sells out each year.
Jane St Vodka Soda (janestvodkasoda.com) has officially launched in Atlanta, making it the first to market vodka soda. Offered in four flavor combinations – Original (with a hint of lime), Grapefruit Meyer Lemon, Pineapple Jalapeno and Peach Peppercorn – Jane St. Vodka is naturally sweetened with agave nectar. The drink was created native Atlantan Elizabeth Wiltgen, who now lives in Los Angeles where she created the Ice Ice Shavie food truck.
Twin Smokers Barbecue & Bourbon (twinsmokersbbq.com) is set to open soon in the Luckie Marietta District in Downtown Atlanta. The 4,000-square-foot space located at 300 Marietta St. will offer smoked meats, fresh sides, craft beer and cocktails to match.
Lobby Bar and Bistro at Twelve in Atlantic Station has announced that Justin Kurtz has been named executive chef. Kurtz hails from multiple Ritz-Carlton locations and most recently from Chateau Elan Winery and Resort
The Westin Peachtree Plaza in Downtown has unveiled The Westin Eat Well Menu for Kids, in partnership with SuperChefs. The menu includes eight signature dishes created and tested by kids, including crepes, salmon salad, spinach and cheese omelets.
The Zesto Drive-In on Ponce de Leon Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward closed on Sept. 20. The iconic silver diner had serving up burgers, fries, shakes and dipped cones at the location for 60 years. Zesto locations in Little Five Points, East Confederate and Moreland Avenue in Southeast Atlanta, near Lindbergh MARTA station on Piedmont Road, on Forest Parkway in Forest Park and on Carriage Oaks Drive in Tyrone will remain open. According to Tomorrow’s News Today, the Ponce location will become a new location of Cook Out.
