FoodieBuddha.com

It’s Atlanta, it’s July, and it’s tomato season.  That can only mean one thing: it’s time for the annual Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival.  This highly seasonal food festival put on by the fine folks at Georgia Organics returns to the Westside Urban Market and neighboring Westside Provisions District on Sunday, July 17th.  From 1pm-5pm you’ll be able to consume, carouse, and cavort like it’s nobody’s business.

For those unfamiliar with said event, here’s the lowdown.  Basically, a bunch of chefs, farmers, and mixologists get together and put out their best tomato inspired food and drink.  Think of it as the most kid appropriate orgy you will find.

It’s a get it while you can type of event, so I suggest you arrive early and buy your tickets even earlier.  Tickets currently stand at $60 for non-members of GO and $55 for those that do subscribe.  After July 1st, all tickets are $70.

Though prices have gone up since last year, this festival, in my humble and honest opinion, is the best festival in town, bar none.  If that isn’t enough to wet your whistle, check out my recap of last year’s event and/or the Flickr set!

More details after the jump!

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Early this morning, I got one of those unsolicited communiqués that seems to come at me all the freaking time.  With a hush and a whisper, I was told that two Atlanta chefs are about to be nominated for Food & Wine Magazine’s 2012 Best New Chef Southeast award.

Every year, F&W tries to identify our country’s best new chefs.  They divide the nominations up by region and scour the country for the best and brightest.  The list of criteria is not long, but it is stringent.  To even be considered for the award you have to do all of the following:

The nominee must create menus and oversee the day-to-day operation of the kitchen. He or she must have held the top chef position at one or more restaurants for no more than a total of five years. The restaurant does not need to be new, and the chef’s age is not a consideration.

So you want to know who made it from Atlanta?  Keep on reading …

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Nestled away in a quaint shotgun styled house just outside of Downtown Athens is one hell of a culinary adventure.  Comprised of Damien, Randolph, Patrick, Eddie, Matt, and Nancy, the collective known as The Four Coursemen have taken their game from impromptu kitchen slinging to the precipice of national fame.

The abbreviated version of their story goes a little something like this: dude meets dude, both love food, both hunker down in a kitchen.  Soon, three gainfully employed chefs (a pastry chef, an executive chef, and a sous chef) and a certified sommelier make their way into the group.  Little by little, friends, as well as friends of friends, start showing up just to take down some of the offerings.  The makings of a fine underground supper club if you will.

That started roughly four years ago; since then, the team has started to prepare approachable prix fixe affairs for anyone willing to blindly entrust a meal to these Four Coursemen.  Thanks in part to a ton of media attention [most notably an article in Food & Wine Magazine], these dinners have become such a hot ticket, that a spot at the table is guaranteed to get snapped up in a matter of moments.  Throw in an upcoming TV special on The Cooking Channel, and things are about to get all crazy up in he-uh.

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One of the strange little developments of these here internets is the propensity for print content to show up online before it shows up in the stores.  Next month’s issue of Food & Wine Magazine is no exception.  It features a little ditty on boutique outfits that pump out good grub.  Two Atlantans are featured, and as chance would have it, both are gunning for your sweet tooth.

Kristen hard of Cacao Atlanta showed up to talk about all things chocolate.  You can check out her delectables on the Cacao Atlanta website.  In addition, Kamal Grant, the bane of Homer Simpson’s existence, was featured and chatted up his amazingly awesomely delicious Sublime Doughnuts.

Dear Kristen and Kamal, I’m kind of mad at you making it hard for me to continue my “I don’t like sweets” stance.

Kevin Gillespie is easily one of the most talked about culinarians in Atlanta.  His showing on Top Chef is a big reason why droves of people now lineup at Woodfire Grill to sample his cuisine.  Meanwhile, his delicious grub keeps people coming back for more.  He’s so popular that I get a near daily report of a Kevin-sighting (the latest being at my beloved Gato Bizco – thanks Lilly!).

Yes, it’s true … people can’t get enough of Kevin.  In fact, exactly one-month prior to this posting, Jennifer Brett interviewed KG on her AJC blog.   In that postification of insights, innuendos, and implications, Kevin confirmed what many in the foodie circles had already heard: he’s hell bent on opening a barbecue inspired restaurant.  As these things tend to go, information has oozed out like jelly from your favorite doughnut.

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Georgia has long been unofficially known as the Empire State of the South.  Now, it looks like we’re finally ready to make that official (at least in the restaurant world).  Empire State South is set to be the first foray into the Atlanta dining scene for the accomplished Hugh Acheson.  Sporting a progressive take on Southern cuisine, Empire State is destined to add a whole new class level to the meat and three concept.  Meanwhile, it will serve as the anchor restaurant for the 999 Peachtree Street office and retail building in Midtown, Atlanta.

For the better part of a year, we’ve known of Acheson’s intentions to open Empire State South.  Initially, the opening date was identified as Spring 2010.  Now, according to the restaurant’s website, that season has been narrowed down to April of this year.  More details after the jump!

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Congratulations to Linton Hopkins of Atlanta’s Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch!  Food & Wine magazine has just named Linton one of America’s best new chefs.  A handful of other Atlanta chefs have won the award.  Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison won for their work at Bacchanalia and Sotohiro Kosugi won during his time in the ATL.

While this wasn’t a big secret to everyone, it is great to see another Atlanta chef pushing the envelope while here in the city.  Congrats to Linton, Greg, Regan, and all the gang for this win! It’s a team effort!

I am going on vacation the first part of next week; however, when I return, I will be sure to hit up Restaurant Eugene as soon as possible.  They have a new small plates menu that looks very appealing (albeit very overwhelming)

From Food & Wine Website:

Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch Public House, Atlanta
Restaurant Eugene: Restaurant Eugene Menu | Restaurant Eugene Reservations | Restaurant Eugene Website
Holeman & Finch: Holeman & Finch Menu | Reservations Not Accepted | Holeman & Finch Website

When Linton Hopkins was a kid, his mom once refused to make him hollandaise sauce for his eggs—so he prepared it himself, with a recipe from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Hopkins still has the (egg-stained) cookbook, plus a vast collection of others including Junior League and community cookbooks.

We loved: Chicken livers, soft grits, pickled peaches (at Restaurant Eugene); the H&F burger, served only after 10 p.m. (at Holeman & Finch Public House).

Hi Everyone – so yesterday, FoodieBuddha.com hit two months!  I know, it’s still early in our relationship; and, we don’t know if we’re ready to take this to the next level or not.  Celebrating two months is a little strange if you ask me, but I really do just want to say thanks!

We like where things are headed (don’t we???).  If we’re going to take things to the next level, I suppose we need to share some more about ourselves (plus – you should keep reading for that nice little treat!).  So here is some more about me and a little bit of thanks to everyone.

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