Last weekend, hundreds of people came together at the Historic Fourth Ward Park to celebrate their love for food, wine and spirits. For some, it was their first time, for others– having the Festival back was heaven-sent and an introduction to new opportunities.
While the attendees were happy about their decision to be there, so were the staff members and Chefs.
Chef Whitney Thomas was excited to be at the event after working for 5Church for only three months. Her special appetizer ‘Sushi Tots’ was a hit. It was composed of crispy sushi rice formed into a tater tot as the “play on ” and topped with tuna tartar, sriracha mayo, eel sauce, and wasabi tabiko.
“I was at the Charlotte festival and it is kind of similar. I get to share my bites with the crowd. It is a good experience,” Thomas said.
Tandra Carter was a Representative of Publix, a major sponsor for the festival. “It’s awesome. The music is live. There’s so many people having a great time,” she said.
Carter felt comfortable at the festival despite COVID-19 guidelines due to the choice of the location being outside giving attendees the option to social distance.
There were 33 Wine and Spirit Participants, over 40 tasting tents with Local Restaurants and Vendors from Jackson, Mississippi, a city that was also a major sponsor for the event.
Black Owned Businesses were flourishing during their time at the festival. There were a great number of Black-Owned Liquor Companies such as Red Hazel, Black Leaf, Island John and Revanche Cognac.
The Atlanta Voice spoke with Wendy Hodge, Co-Owner of Revanche Cognac, a Multicultural Cognac Provider.
“It is excellent. I love the fact that it is a diversified group of people. It is a way for people to try your brand,” Hodge said when speaking on her time at the festival. It was Revanche Cognac’s first time being a vendor and the exposure meant a lot to them.
Kaneka Ramsey has been an attendee of the festival for eight years and this one was her favorite by far.
“They moved here (Fourth Ward Park) in 2019. Previously, it was in 2019 and it was in a much smaller space,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey declares that she is a huge “foodie” and coming to the festival every year allows her to experience different cuisines and wines that she may have not tried in the past. Ramsey hopes that the festival continues to remain in the same location, because of the space it gives attendees to explore their options.
Outside of tasting tents, intimate dinners were served at restaurants across the city for those who were interested in receiving a deeper and more personal experience with the Chefs.
The Atlanta Food and Wine Festival plans to continue next year in June as of now.
