Before starting today's post, I just wanted to apologize in advance for a few things. First off, I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately! I've been crazy busy lately and just haven't had a chance to actually sit down and blog like I used to. Secondly, I didn't realize that my blog was experiencing some technical difficulties courtesy of *cough cough* The Daily Meal's banner until one of my fellow bloggers pointed it out to me. So now that everything's settled & fixed, I can't wait to FINALLY share with ya'll my pictures from this year's Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival hosted by Chef Ford Fry! It's hands down one of my absolute favorite annual food events that this gorgeous city has to offer & I've had the pleasure of attending AKTF since 2013! No matter how hectic or crazy my schedule is, I always try my best to work around this event because it's definitely one of those CAN'T MISS events! The location of the event has typically jumped around from venue to venue to accommodate the larger crowds and this year was no exception. This year's event was held at Park Tavern, a popular Atlanta venue for festivals, weddings & other celebrations. To make AKTF more affordable for Atlantans, Chef Fry lowered ticket prices to $45 for general admission, which you could definitely tell attendees took advantage of, including myself and my guest! At AKTF, notable Atlanta chefs are paired with local farmers to create tomato-themed dishes for attendees to sample, while feature mixologists shake and stir up their own signature tomato creations. In short, this festival is centered around bursting red, green and yellow balls of juicy goodness at the peak of their freshness! Want tomato snow cones, tacos, ice cream sandwiches and more? Then this is the event for you! By the time I left the event, there's no doubt I began feeling a ROUND (& red from the hotter-than-Hades Georgia humidity!) as a tomato, but my goodness, it was SO worth it! With all of these mindblowing tasty tomato dishes, live music & alcohol flowin', it was pretty obvious that ALL of these tomato-lovin' peeps were excited to be at the event. And while I probably won't be able to recall the 30+ dishes I sampled while at the event, you can always check out the hashtag #AKTF2016 on instagram and check out my IG (@bellavivere) for more pictures!
Let's get started:
☆Tasting Tents
☆Tomato Cart
☆Aria (Chef Gerry Klaskala): Pauisse with Tomato Chutney
☆Star Provisions (Summerland Farm Green Tomato Hand Pie)
☆The Iberian Pig (Chef Eric Roberts): Bocadillo
☆Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails/JCT. Kitchen/Marcel (Chef Tom Gray): Tomato + Stone Fruit Salsa over Stracciatella with Olive Oil Breadstick
☆Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails/JCT. Kitchen/Marcel (Chef Tom Gray): Tomato + Stone Fruit Salsa over Stracciatella with Olive Oil Breadstick
☆Bernadines/State of Grace (Chef Bobby Matos and Graham Laborde): Crispy boudin with Purple Cherokee Tomatoes
☆BeetleCat (Chef Andrew Isabella and Justin Stang): Hama Hama Oyster and Tomato Ice
☆King of Pops: Georgia Grown Tomatoe with Sweet Corn Lime Pop
☆The Optimist
☆Watermelon Tomato Salad
☆St. Cecilia's (Chef Craig Richards and Scott Schusher): Chichen Liver Agnolotti, Tomatoes, Thai Basil
☆Makan (Chef George Yu): Korean Cold Noodles, Tomato Kimchi
☆Steinbeck's Ale House: Roasted Tomato Michelada (Savory Creature Comforts Bibo Pils Cocktail with Tomato Puree, Smoked Gulf Shrimp, Pickled Tomato)
☆Bar Margot (Chef Robert Gerstenecker): Yellow Tomato Sauce with Hand-cut Pasta
☆King and Duke: Roasted Tomato Pinwheel with Finocchiono + Challerhocker, Smoked Tomato Cream
☆No. 246: Charred Squid Pasta Salad
☆No. 246: Charred Squid Pasta Salad
☆Superica: Tostada de Mariscos Jerez
☆KR Steak Bar (Chef Jessica Gamble): Crostini with Smoked Blue Cheese and Tomato
☆O-Ku: Osaka Style Kushi Katsu (Panko breasted chicken with spicy tomato confit)
☆Delia's Chicken Sausage Stand (Chef Delia Champion): Potato + Tomato Pie (Chicken Chorizo Sausage, Potato Crust, Tomato Salsa, Queso Fresco)
☆Ladybird: Macaroon Sandwich with Tomato Sorbet and Mayo Ice Cream
☆Fox Bros Bar-B-Q: Woodland Gardens Tomato Pie
☆Leon's Full Service: Oven-Roasted Tomato Cornbread, Pickled Blueberry Goat Cheese Spread, Sungold Tomato Jam, Micro Basil
☆Oak Steakhouse (Cab Brisket, Green Tomato Chow-Chow, Honey Cornbread)
☆Colletta: Pork and Tomato Agnolotti
☆PeachDish
☆Chai Pani (Chef Meherwan Irani): Tomato Tikka Skewers over Yogurt Rice with Tomato and Peach Chutney
☆Milton's Cuisine and Cocktail: Early Girl Cupcake with Goat Cheese, Candied Bacon and Micro Basil
☆Ormsby's (Chef Scotley Innis): Yellow Tomato, Pineapple, Gazpacho Snow Cone
☆Serpas True Food (Chef Scott Serpas): Deviled Egg Toast with Tomato Jam
☆Saltyard (Chef Nick Leahy and Maggie Huys): Heirloom Tomatoes, Chile Vin and Garlic Chips
☆La Tavola (Chef Justin Jordan): Tomato Salad (Heirloom tomato, Cucmber, Red Torpedo Onion, Lambrusco Vinaigrette, Patio Basil, Local Feta)
☆Zebulon (Chef Zeb Stevenson): Green Tomato Escabeche with Red Eye Vinegar
☆Kyma (Scallop and Shrimp Ceviche from Santorini, Greece with Tomato Sorbet)
☆El Super Pan (Chef Hector Santiago): B.C.T (Tomato Coconut Water Pork Belly Confit with Coconut Steam Buns and Tomato Coconut Marmalade with Fresh Coriander)
☆Local Three (Chef Sean Newton): Yoder's Tomatoes with Smoked Mussels and Boquesone
TOP FIVE FAVORITE EATS:
1. Fox Bros Bar-B-Q: Woodland Gardens Tomato Pie
2. St. Cecilia's (Chef Craig Richards and Scott Schusher): Chichen Liver Agnolotti, Tomatoes, Thai Basil
3. Star Provisions (Summerland Farm Green Tomato Hand Pie)
4. El Super Pan (Chef Hector Santiago): B.C.T (Tomato Coconut Water Pork Belly Confit with Coconut Steam Buns and Tomato Coconut Marmalade with Fresh Coriander)
5. Milton's Cuisine and Cocktail: Early Girl Cupcake with Goat Cheese, Candied Bacon and Micro Basil
TOP FIVE HONORABLE MENTIONS:
1. BeetleCat (Chef Andrew Isabella and Justin Stang): Hama Hama Oyster and Tomato Ice
2. King of Pops: Georgia Grown Tomatoe with Sweet Corn Lime Pop
3. Delia's Chicken Sausage Stand (Chef Delia Champion): Potato + Tomato Pie (Chicken Chorizo Sausage, Potato Crust, Tomato Salsa, Queso Fresco)
4. Bar Margot (Chef Robert Gerstenecker): Yellow Tomato Sauce with Hand-cut Pasta
5. The Iberian Pig (Chef Eric Roberts): Bocadillo
TIPS/ADVICE:
☆Be EARLY: Make sure to buy your tickets in advance! Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before the event to find parking near the venue & to wait in line to get your wristbands!
☆Be FAST: Once the food is out, it's out & you're out of luck! It's not unusual to see plates gone after 2 hours once the event has started, so once you've already picked up your plate, step aside so that others can get theirs.
☆Be COURTEOUS: Just because there are people shoving their way through the crowds and think that it's the end of the world if they don't get a plate of food or are cutting you in line, don't act or be like them! These people clearly left their manners at home & don't know how to behave themselves in public. This is especially true to the people who were rude to volunteers---you know who you are!
☆Be SAFE: If you plan on drinking, make sure you have a designated driver beforehand or use UBER. It's NEVER okay to drink & drive....EVER!
☆Be PATIENT: There's going to be a ton of people waiting for plates and drinks & the team behind each table can only do so much at once, so please be nice and know that without them, this entire event wouldn't have been possible. Be appreciative because you can bet they were also sweating their tails off in the heat!
☆Most importantly, have an AMAZING TIME! You're at a gorgeous venue in the beautiful city of Atlanta surrounded by the passionate foodies like yourself and some of the best chefs, farmers and mixologists ATL has to offer! Seriously, what more could you ask for?!
Side note: If tomatoes aren't your thing, then you're probably going to feel a bit awkward at this event seeing that EVERY item incorporates some sort of locally-sourced tomato in it. However, if you're like me and can't get enough of this love apple, then you're really going to be attacked by some killer tomato dishes and drinks created by some of Atlanta's best! Like I've mentioned time and again, this is a ONCE a year event that you absolutely CANNOT miss out on! So just letting you know 11 months in advance, cancel whatever plans you have going on this time of year (mid to late July) and ATTEND AKTF 2017! Gah, I'm SO glad to be living in such an incredible city where there are themed food fest like this is--the hospitality industry in Atlanta is just simply surreal and welcoming that I feel so fortunate I get to be a part of it! I hope to see you all there next year, CHEERS!
Have a wonderful day,
-Sandy
FTC: I was not paid or compensated for this review. All reviews and opinions expressed are my own.
If you'd like to invite Bella Vivere to cover & share your restaurant's media events, tastings or parties, feel free to shoot me an email at bellavivere {at} gmail {dot} com-Thanks!
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