Atlanta Food and Wine Festival

I was fortunate enough to get a VIP pass to the inaugural Atlanta Food and Wine Festival held in Midtown Atlanta. Demonstrations were held at the Loews Atlanta Hotel.

 
I've eaten at Proof on Main in Louisville, Kentucky a couple of times when I was there for work. I had one of the most fantastic meals of this year consisting of seasonal and pickled vegetables. So, I took the opportunity to attend The Misunderstood session demonstrated by Michael Paley, Chef at Proof on Main.

Class description:
Beets, rutabaga, turnips and Brussels sprouts rarely get their due. Misunderstood and underappreciated, these lovely vegetables hae boundless potential. Through this cooking demonstration, participants will learn how to transform these humble goodies into delicious dishes.

Chef Paley showed the audience a variety of salads and made it look incredibly easy to prepare. Best of all, everything was vegetarian if not completely vegan!

 
The next session I participated in was with Eric Ziebold of CityZen in Washington D.C. Although I haven't dined there, I will have to stop in and try the vegetarian tasting menu that they serve. His session Braising in the Spring also caught my eye because it focused on vegetables.

Class description:
Cover cropping protects and rejuvenates soils, while fostering balanced, biologically-diverse ecosystems. Science aside, cover crops also taste great! Through this cooking demonstration, participants will learn to uncover the vibrant tastes of nutritional greens.

While this session focused on cooking with cover crops such as kale, mizuna, fava beans, and kohlrabi, Chef Ziebold did not shy away from the use of butter and cream. However, instead of using animal stock to add richness to the braising, extra virgin olive oil and some garlic can do the trick much lighter technique for spring eating.

 
Upon concluding this session, I met up with some friends and we headed over to the festival tasting tents.

I found an Atlanta local favorite, King of Pops.

 
The tents were divided up into Southern cooking themes. After looking at every section, I couldn't find anything vegetarian until my friend Debbie pointed out the canapes at the Empire State South table.

 
 
After the quick bite, I went over to thank Hugh Acheson, owner and chef of Empire State South, for providing the only vegetarian-friendly dish in the tasting tents. He was very generous and offered me additional portions!

 

 

We concluded the day in the Street Cart Pavilion, where I was able to find two more vegetarian options. The Crooked Spoon, from Orlando, Florida, was serving cheesy grits.

 

 
Klausie's, from Raleigh, North Carolina, had two types of vegetarian pizza. I tried their traditional veggie, and it was pretty tasty!

 
I applaud the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival for putting on a top notch event in a city that often overlooks the finer details. I hope in the future that they consider adding a Vegetable section in the tasting tents. It's unfortunate that as a food group, it was largely ignored despite the recent movement for sustainability and supporting local farmers. All in all, I had a great time attending the cooking demonstrations and being amongst foodies.