Come See Whats Cookin' in Georgia
ATLANTA, February 20, 2009 - With an abundance of world-class restaurants, it is no surprise that famous chefs call Georgia home. From Iron Chef contestants to Food Network icons, some of the best cooks on earth have been developing eating destinations and cooking schools all across the state. And Georgia's communities provide the perfect backdrop for these culinary successes with an eclectic array of food festivals, events, pick-your-own farms and local produce (see a full list of venue links below). Food festivals entice culinary tourists to every corner of the state. Save room for the 19th Annual Taste of Alpharetta in May, the largest 'taste of' festival in the South with more than 70 participating restaurants and 70,000 expected guests. Besides sampling the local fare, attendees will get to watch culinary demonstrations and live entertainment. Seafood lovers should head to Darien in March for the 41st annual blessing and sending off of the city's shrimp boats, the Blessing of the Fleet. Lose yourself in a salty celebration of shrimp eating contests, live music, street parades, art shows, a Shrimp Box Derby, fireworks and The Shrimp Boat Blessing Marine Parade. Or, head to Jekyll Island in the fall for the annual Shrimp & Grits: The Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival, celebrating Georgia's illustrious shellfish. Guests will listen to live entertainment, compete in shrimp eating and cooking contests and watch the amazing K9 Frisbee Dog Show. Visit Cordele, known as the Watermelon Capital of the World, for the Watermelon Days Festival. Enjoy live entertainment, seed spitting and fruit eating contests, parades and sports tournaments. Also check out the Tom Watson Watermelon Festival at Hickory Hill in Thomson this summer. Submit your home-grown melon in the growing contest, attempt to move a greased watermelon in the 3-legged relay, show off your artistic skills in the watermelon carving contest or just relax with a historic mansion tour and great food. The Plains Peanut Festival is a fun and educational experience highlighting the importance of agriculture in the region. Every year, crowds line the streets in September to watch the unique entries in the downtown parade. Road races, arts and crafts, folk plays and appearances by President Jimmy Carter round out the festival's schedule. For the past 35 years, Alma has welcomed rides, games, performers, car shows and lots of visitors to the 'Blueberry Capital of Georgia' in honor of its more than 2500 acres dedicated to the fruit's production. June's Georgia Blueberry Festival is fun for the whole family, featuring a big bass contest, pancake breakfast, 5k run, blueberry plant tours, sidewalk chalk contest and live shows. Culinary contests and shows are wonderful experiences for your inner epicure. The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show will be in Atlanta this spring, offering a fun and exciting experience for cooking and entertaining enthusiasts of all ages. Whether you are a just a foodie or an industry professional, something at the show will capture the imagination. More than 200 companies will be exhibiting for attendees to explore between workshops, demonstrations, kids' programs and eating. But the biggest draw for the show may be its heavyweight panel of all-star chefs giving presentations, including Paula Deen, Tyler Florence, Guy Fieri and The Neelys. Atlanta will also host the 10th World Barista Championship in April, which is coming back to the U.S. for the first time in three years as nearly 60 competitors, each the champion or representative of their respective country, face off over four days to win the hearts and palates of the judges. Making stops all over Georgia, from Indian Springs to Kingsland, is the Smithsonian's traveling exhibition Key Ingredients: America by Food. Explore the impact of regional traditions and international influences on 500 years of American cooking. All of our meals and culinary customs are shaped by America's rich immigrant experience, the history and innovations and food preparation technology, and the ever-changing availability of key ingredients. In Georgia, cooking classes and luxury accommodations go together like peas in a pod. Step into the 700 Kitchen Cooking School at The Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah and step out happy, full and rejuvenated. Fall in love with hands-on programs, dive into rich ethnic and regional cuisines, learn through demonstrations of culinary technique and enjoy great food with good company. Meet other food lovers in a session for individuals or take your family and friends for an exclusive group class; stay after the class to refresh yourself with the enchanting comfort and amenities of The Mansion. In Braselton, the curious culinary explorer will find a French estate and vineyard with celebrated kitchens and resort facilities at Château Élan. Most visitors come for the outstanding golf, hospitable atmosphere or luxury spa, but a true bon vivant knows the worth of a French kitchen. With a minimum of 7 students and a maximum of 12, Château Élan encourages lively camaraderie between pupils while ensuring that the class is small enough for a truly personal experience. Each month focuses on a different regional cuisine, with numerous chefs giving their personal take on that style as the weeks go by. The classroom is known as The Culinary Studio and is a 1,600 square foot teaching kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances. Besides the weekly cooking classes and Saturday demonstrations, the studio can accommodate private parties or team building groups of up to 25. So whether you just want to learn some of the latest gourmet trends and taste popular ethnic dishes, or forge bonds with a unique and delicious team building exercise, Château Élan will accommodate your needs. For generations, the Jekyll Island Club Hotel has catered to America's leading families. With this tradition comes one of excellent food, and guests can now join the Executive Chef, Pastry Chef and the culinary staff for elite cooking school packages. These packages include a Jekyll Island Club Hotel chef's jacket, four nights of deluxe accommodations, and wine tastings with the club's sommelier, scrumptious meals, patisserie sessions and a regimen of hands-on cooking classes spread over three days. Besides sensational cooking schools, Georgia is full of destination restaurants that will appeal to any palate. Travelers should head to Social Circle for some of the finest traditional cooking south of the Mason Dixon line at the Blue Willow Inn. Explore Social Circle's large historic district and the quirky shops in Blue Willow Village, then feast on a smorgasbord of salads, meats, vegetables, breads and desserts, all prepared to perfection. Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room is another pillar of southern cuisine in Georgia. In 1943, Sema Wilkes took over a boarding house in historic Downtown Savannah with the goal of providing comfortable accommodations and home-style Southern cooking. Guests can no longer stay there, but her penchant for serving up great southern food in a homey atmosphere has been kept alive through four generations at this family-owned and run establishment. For years, Mrs. Wilkes refused to put up a sign, and the only way to find her dining room was to walk down Jones Street in the Historic District until you smelled fried chicken. There's a sign now, but your nose should still do the trick. Another Savannah landmark is Elizabeth on 37th, a highly praised restaurant housed in a stunning mansion located in the Victorian Historic District. It has been ranked among the best restaurants in the nation by both Food & Wine and Forbes magazines, and is widely considered among the state's best. Patricia Schultz even included both Elizabeth on 37th and Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room in her popular travel book, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Seasonal menus and nightly specials take advantage of local produce, fresh seafood and house-grown herbs, while the Chef's Tasting Menu takes diners on a seven course culinary adventure. Atlanta is also home to fantastic meals, such as those at Rathbun's, brainchild of Iron Chef contestant Kevin Rathbun. He defeated Iron Chef America's Bobby Flay with his brother and has opened several restaurants in Atlanta to tremendous acclaim, being recognized on nationwide lists of top restaurants in publications such as Esquire, Travel & Leisure and Bon Appetit. Everyone knows that barbeque grew up in the South, and Georgia has her fair share of scrumptious barbeque spots. Head to Sprayberry's Barbecue in Newnan, declared 'merely the best barbecue joint on earth' by the late humorist Lewis Gizzard. During high school, country music star Alan Jackson waited tables at this local favorite known for its mouthwatering barbecue and Brunswick stew. Family-owned and operated since 1926, this former gas station ditched the pumps and turned into a restaurant when the barbeque sandwiches they were selling out of the back starting moving faster than the fuel. Over the decades, that decision has elated hungry guests from all over who have stopped to try its famous flavor. Augusta is also home to a distinguished barbeque restaurant, Sconyers Bar-B-Que. Since 1956, it has been the place for real, old fashioned, oak and hickory pit-cooked barbeque. In fact, Sconyers was featured in People Magazine as one of the top ten barbeque restaurants in the United States, and has even been served on the lawn of the White House for President Jimmy Carter and members of Congress. The hearty servings at Country's Barbecue are the choice for Columbus residents, and live bluegrass music on weekends fills up the old bus station Country's calls home, completing the authentic barbeque joint experience. Taste more than pulled or chopped pork with other southern favorites such as fried chicken, ribs, sweet potato soufflé and black eyed peas. The Peach State has a long agricultural tradition of delivering excellent produce. Known for her pecans, chickens, peaches, shrimp and peanuts, Georgia has many edible products produced right here in the state. Visit www.GAMadeGAGrownProducts.org and look up local producers, farmers markets, growers, orchards, pick-your-own farms, catering companies, wineries and restaurants. It is the best way to find delicious, locally-produced foods and edibles, such as those at Lane Southern Orchards. Just outside Fort Valley, visitors can tour the farm of the largest peach grower in Georgia, see the big pecan trees, learn the history of the state's peach industry and how the crops are grown and harvested. After the tour, peruse their Roadside Market featuring fresh seasonal produce, a café, gift shop and full-service mail order department. And if you stop in between April and May, pick fresh strawberries right off the vine in Lane's five acre strawberry patch. Celebrity chefs, top-notch restaurants, fun festivals and fresh produce all work together to make Georgia a foodie's paradise. Whether you want to learn how to cook from the best, or have the best cook for you, the Peach State has the perfect destination for taste buds. Visit www.exploregeorgia.org to plan your culinary caper today. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. Venue Sites and Dates: 700 Cooking School –www.mansiononforsythpark.com/cooking_school/cooking_school.asp Blessing of the Fleet – March 27-29 – www.blessingofthefleet.com Blue Willow Inn – www.bluewillowinn.com Château Élan – www.chateauelan.com Country's Barbecue – www.countrysbbq.com Elizabeth on 37th – www.elizabethon37th.net Georgia Blueberry Festival – June 5-6 – www.georgiablueberryfestival.com Georgia Made Georgia Grown – www.gamadegagrownproducts.org Jekyll Island Club Hotel – www.jekyllclub.com/packages.asp?id=51 Key Ingredients: America By Food – www.keyingredients.org Lane Southern Orchards – www.lanesouthernorchards.com Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room – www.mrswilkes.com Plains Peanut Festival – September 26 – www.plainsgeorgia.com/peanut_festival.html Rathbun's – www.rathbunsrestaurant.com Sconyers Bar-B-Que – www.sconyersbar-b-que.com Shrimp & Grits: The Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival – September 18-19 – www.jekyllisland.com/shrimpandgrits Sprayberry's Barbecue – www.sprayberrysbbq.com Taste of Alpharetta – May 14 – www.alpharetta.ga.us/index.php?p=195 The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show – April 18-19 – www.metrocooking.com/2009GA/home.html Tom Watson Watermelon Festival – August 1 – www.hickory-hill.org/melons.html Watermelon Days – www.cordele-crisp-chamber.com/festival.html World Barista Championship – April 16-19 – www.worldbaristachampionship.com