Food That Rocks, a tasting event that celebrates Sandy Springs restaurants, returns today and Saturday for three sessions at City Springs. Here’s a look at some of the featured chefs and restaurateurs.
Jamie Adams, il Giallo Osteria & Bar
Title: Chef/owner
What will you serve at Food That Rocks?
Short rib ravioli
Who or what influenced your culinary career?
My parents. They were born and raised in New Orleans, and my mother was a great cook. As the youngest of five kids, I was always in the kitchen. Later, growing up, my older siblings and my parents were traveling to Italy a bunch. I wanted to do that, and so I did.
What do you love about the Sandy Springs dining scene?
There are lots of new places coming in with lots of different cuisines and backgrounds. It’s extremely vibrant.
What’s your go-to meal to cook at home?
Just about anything on the Big Green Egg
Rob Gayle, Chef Rob’s Caribbean Café
Title: Executive chef/founder
What will you serve at Food That Rocks?
Jerk chicken, plantains and rice and peas
Who or what influenced your culinary career?
Being a greedy kid always around the kitchen. When you grow up in Jamaica, you have to fend for your own food. I just loved watching my mother cooking, and cooking became easy for me. I went to school at The Culinary Institute of America and decided I wanted to emphasize Caribbean cuisine [since] people don’t see it as much, understand it or respect it as much.
What do you love about the Sandy Springs dining scene?
I’ve been here about 20 years, and I’ve seen it build up. The dining is competing with downtown. It’s community driven, which is good because you keep the money in your community. It’s also very diverse.
What’s your go-to meal to cook at home?
Roasted chicken, either jerk or herb roasted, some sweet potatoes, asparagus
Justin Keith, Southern Bistro
Title: Chef/owner
What will you serve at Food That Rocks?
Fried green tomato sliders with bacon, pimento cheese, arugula and pepper jelly
Who or what influenced your culinary career?
My mother and grandmothers
What do you love about the Sandy Springs dining scene?
It’s growing and has an eclectic variety of cuisines.
What’s your go-to meal to cook at home?
Pizza on the grill
Bridgette Washington, Tupelo Honey
Title: Chef
What will you serve at Food That Rocks?
Miniature chicken and cathead buttermilk biscuits with stone-ground goat cheese grits and blueberry compote
Who or what influenced your culinary career?
My entire family, since most of them are chefs. My grandparents had a restaurant in Thomasville, Ga. when I was young, and I started working with them when I was 10.
What do you love about the Sandy Springs dining scene?
It’s a diverse group of young and older people. Today’s younger generation is learning from the older people and changing things up to make it fit our life today.
What’s your go-to meal to cook at home?
Hamburger steaks with gravy, rice and whatever vegetables are in season. I also like to experiment with smoothies.
Dave Green, The Select
Title: Owner
What will you serve at Food That Rocks?
Salmon tartare with lemon avocado coulis, capers, chives, crème fraiche, pickled mustard seeds, black olive powder, lemon vin and crispy wontons
Who or what influenced your culinary career?
I’m not a chef, but I’ve been in the restaurant business my entire life. I started as a dishwasher and a bus boy and was a server and a bartender. Then a manager, and finally made it into ownership. I’ve been in it for 30-something years.
What do you love about the Sandy Springs dining scene?
It’s very much a family of restaurants. Everyone gets along well and supports each other. It’s not a typical cutthroat place. Everybody works together. It’s really nice.
What’s your go-to meal to cook at home?
I don’t cook at home. I live right there [by The Select].
Blaiss Nowak, Nowak’s
Title: Owner
What will you serve at Food That Rocks?
Chilled, sliced filet mignon with an Armagnac mustard sauce
Who or what influenced your culinary career?
I grew up in the restaurant business. My father has owned a restaurant in Buckhead for 32 years called Hal’s.
What do you love about the Sandy Springs dining scene?
Sandy Springs is one of the best family communities outside of the Perimeter. This is where we wanted to be first as we expand outside of the city.
What’s your go-to meal to cook at home?
Nowak’s chicken, a pan-seared chicken breast with fresh vegetables, olives, tomatoes, onions with a reduced white wine sauce and fresh mashed potatoes.
Glenn McDaniel, McDaniel’s QN2
Title: Owner, cook, dishwasher
What will you serve at Food That Rocks?
World Famous Cup O’ Q, which is layers of delicious pulled pork, baked beans and coleslaw, topped with a crunchy piece of garlic bread for dipping
Who or what influenced your culinary career?
While I’m not a chef, I started working in restaurants shortly after college and have always enjoyed the restaurant and hospitality environment. We enjoy bringing in our family influences as well, such as my mom’s squash casserole and my grandmother’s pickles.
What do you love about the Sandy Springs dining scene?
We love our proximity to the heart of the Sandy Springs community and watching it and the dining scene grow over the years.
What’s your go-to meal to cook at home?
My wife and three kids enjoy when I make quesadillas and tacos.