It was a sunny Saturday in early spring, and I was thrilled to be attending the Georgia Food + Wine Festival’s “Savor” event at Jim R. Miller Park, one of the many events of the action-packed weekend and presented by Georgia Grown. The sky was a bright blue as I stepped up to the tent to claim my 10 culinary tokens and a commemorative wine glass etched with the words “Georgia Food + Wine Festival” in a flourish. The park was a sea of colorful tents and people dressed in their seasonal best, all looking forward to the food, cocktails, wines and wares.
It’s hard to select the standouts from the day. I sampled a lot of delicious food and probably even more beverages. However, my friend Lea and I found ourselves repeatedly coming back to the St. Royale Vodka tent, requesting their refreshing cocktails and, believe it or not, sipping their oh-so-smooth spirits neat! Try the green tea variety; it’s perfect for sipping in the summer, and you won’t need a mixer. I also loved the gin from Silent Pool Distillery — and their tasty concoction, "The Chelsea Flower."
Choosing what to nosh on was difficult — but we managed. Rodney Scott’s Atlanta location was definitely a pull – and since I’m from South Carolina, we had a spirited discussion about the original version in Hemingway. Then, we LOVED the mac ‘n’ cheese from Forks and Flavors, baked on top and just gooey enough. Finally, I scored a slice of pound cake from Hardy Bakery & Catering. I was full at the time, but it was delicious with the next morning’s coffee, still fluffy and moist, plus not too sweet.
As for the wares that day, well, I couldn’t help myself and bought a sparkly bauble from Fabulina Designs. Between the wine glass and my snazzy quartz ring, I was looking at my hand for the rest of the afternoon — while counting down the months until the next Georgia Food + Wine Festival, of course.
