Last Thursday, I was invited to attend a new event being held here in Atlanta: Wine Enthusiast's Toast of the Town. Held at the Georgia Aquarium, it was a celebration of Atlanta food and amazing wines - and it all took place at the Georgia Aquarium, which really provided such a great backdrop for the event.
I have to say...it was a really great event. There were so many great wines...too many to try in an evening. There was no shortage of bubbles - my favorite - so seeing the Piper Heidsieck and Mumm tables was a treat. There was also doing a tasting of the 50 year Grand Marnier, created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Grand Marnier.
Food-wise, there were around 30 restaurants present. The highlight for me was getting to officially meet and chat with Michael Tuohy, who has a wonderful restaurant called Woodfire Grill. I have been a fan of his for a long time...and he was just as genuine and wonderful as I had hoped. His salmon with spring vegetable dish was also pretty incredible. I have linked to his really informative blog, Frontburner, on my blog over there.
Ecco did a wonderful mushroom stuffed piquillo pepper. Another great salmon dish came from Feast, which was paired with a lentil salad. I had great bites from Taurus and Atlanta Grill, as well - both did skirt steak or brisket with flavored grits. My one complaint: you have hundreds of people there and its a chance to impress a wide audience...and you serve boring all bruschettas? I appreciate the ease of eating these nibbles at this type of event...but step it up a bit! Portofino did some great versions with a smoked salmon & horseradish and a wild mushroom crostini...but lots of restaurants seemed to just be calling their food in.
Overall, I had such a wonderful time. Special thanks to Tony Clark Photography , who acted as the official photographer of Running With Tweezers. I'm sure he took great joy in snapping photo after photo of me consuming, well, everything.
