AFWF Tasting Tent Bacchanalia

After a morning of thought provoking seminars and technique labs, festival attendees were ready to head outdoors to the tasting tents to socialize and indulge in some of the best products the South has to tender. Food and beverage purveyors from the far reaches of the region had booths offering bourbon, moonshine, whiskey, wine and hand-crafted beers alongside barbecue, Southern-grown fixings, snacks and sweets. Needless to say this venue was popular; enormously popular! Even under a blistering sun, hoards of tasters strolled from table to table sampling the goods.

Among our favorites were:

• Buckwheat noodle “Take-out” with Nduja vinaigrette from Acre Restaurant (AL)
• Lime Cordial Cocktail from Liber & Co. (TX)
• Pulled Pork with Rigatoni Mac & Cheese from Grand Champion BBQ (TN)
• Frito Pie with Pork Chili, Chopped Onions and Cheddar Cheese from Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q (GA)
• Perfectly smoked spare ribs from Central Barbecue (TN) 
• Collards with Lima Bean & Corn Relish topped with croutons from Brick and Tin (AL)
• Chèvre Panna Cotta with Micro Greens And Radish from Eastern Carolina Organics (NC)
• Blue Crab Gratin from Barnsley Gardens Resort (GA)
• Chicken ‘N’ Waffles with Red Eye Gravy from One Flew South (GA)
• Tomato Meringue with balsamic glaze, mozzarella, micro greens, and tomato ash from Woodfire Grill (GA)
• Lemon Blackberry Moonshine Fizz from Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine (TN) 
• Patrón Chocolate Sea Salt popsicle from King of Pops (GA)
• Peach donut sliders from Revolution Doughnuts & Coffee (GA)
• Asiago Cheese Bread from La Farm Bakery (NC)

This is just a few of the numerous vendors that served incredible samples throughout the three-day festival. We left each day sunburned and in the Southern vernacular “tight as a tick!” Thank goodness for festival sponsor Uber, which had drivers available to transport over-served festival goers home safely. For a full list of all the Tasting Tent Talent, visit the 2014 Atlanta Food and Wine Festival website.