From the heart of Downtown Atlanta to its surrounding metro neighborhoods and counties, every corner of the city boasts various dining experiences that fit every palate. Some of those most unique and diverse experiences live within the lines of DeKalb County, a mantle signaled by corridors such as Buford Highway, which takes locals and visitors through a culinary journey around the globe without ever leaving Georgia.
Discover DeKalb, the marketing organization for DeKalb County, hosted its inaugural Dine and DeKalb event on Thursday to showcase that diversity in neighborhoods including Doraville, Chamblee, Tucker, Stone Mountain and Stonecrest. The event was an opportunity to shine a light on the county’s businesses and for DeKalb chefs and small-business owners to highlight their menu items and promote their businesses.
It featured businesses from Doraville’s Kamayan ATL, a Filipino restaurant that received nods from the James Beard Award and the Micheline Guide, to Chamblee’s Hotel Spice & Sky, which features a rooftop bar and restaurant.
For personal chef and caterer Tiffinee McGilberry, it was an honor to be invited to the event. McGilberry, based in Stonecrest, owns Especially Yours Cuisine and sells gourmet popcorn at the city’s New Black Wall Street Market.
“It was a great opportunity for me to get more exposure and more networking,” McGilberry said.
Sweet Potato Cafe has been serving DeKalb County for 12 years, just minutes from Stone Mountain Park. Chef Karen Patton and her husband own the farm-to-table restaurant, which features Southern dishes such as cream collard greens, sweet potato souffle, sweet potato marmalade, cornbread, and pulled pork.
“It’s nice to have something like this outside of downtown because that way people know us and they see us,” Patton said. “I always feel like the restaurants downtown get most of the advertisement. Something like this I think is really beneficial because it does help us.”
That sentiment of appreciation carried throughout the event, with organizers and partners emphasizing the importance of DeKalb County to Atlanta’s cultural makeup and how it creates community through its history, food, and attractions.
“I love it,” chef Isaac Foster, owner of Isaac’s Gourmet Catering, said of the event’s mission. “I don’t think a lot of people know that Dekalb County has a multicultural diversity of restaurants which you can find from all over the world. And it was interesting that we had that in this area.”
Hospitality and consulting manager Adesola Sokunbi owns Dishful Thinking, a catering service specializing in event catering, family meals, meal preps and dietary plans. Their initiative, Boxes for Better, ensures that catering proceeds go toward supporting culinary education for youth in underrepresented communities.
Sokunbi said DeKalb holds a special place in her heart.
“Atlanta gets a lot of shine, but to have the understanding about how big DeKalb County is, how big the greater area is, and the variety in the type of food,” said Sokunbi. “We love our city, but it’s not within city limits of Atlanta, and so people need to understand that when you’re diving into all things culinary, there’s a lot to offer outside of the city.”