Festival thrives at new location

The Taste of Atlanta last weekend (October 14-15, 2006) was a symphony of sights, scents and sounds as hungry crowds came in droves to sample some of Atlanta's finest culinary delights.

Atlanta is truly a unique city because of its blend of Southern hospitality and contemporary style. More than ever, the thriving metropolis that Tech calls home is increasing in diversity and selection. The Taste of Atlanta was a crosssection of Atlanta's multidimensional food scene.

"Atlanta's culinary scene is its best kept secret. A lot of people think of Atlanta as a typical Southern town, but the city has become a culinary capital with awesome, award-winning cuisine," said Dale Gordon DeSena, the founder and current president/executive director of the Taste of Atlanta.

DeSena has been involved in the festival business for many years. Prior to founding the Taste of Atlanta, she had eight years of experience in planning Music Midtown. DeSena was also involved in planning the Dogwood Festival for nine years.

"I wanted to create something that would appeal to all people...everyone likes to eat, so a food festival seemed like the right way to go," DeSena said.

And judging by the heavy traffic and the lines that snaked through the streets of Atlantic Station, DeSena had the right idea. This year's festival was the largest to date since the Taste of Atlanta began in 2002. "We have grown significantly in both the number of sponsors and attendees," DeSena said.

Furthermore, this marks the first year that the Taste of Atlanta has been held in Atlantic Station. Previously, the festival had been held under a single large tent in Lenox Square in Buckhead. This year, individual tents lined the streets of Atlantic Station to create a vibrant, casual, open-air setting.

With flames roaring, pans sizzling, blades chopping, and of course, people eating, the annual food festival allowed attendees to try a diverse array of food from over 70 of the city's top restaurants.

The festival also featured live music and cooking demonstrations from many of Atlanta's renowned chefs and restaurateurs in the central park area of Atlantic Station.

Among those featured chefs was Riccardo Ullio, the executive chef and owner of Sotto Sotto and Fritti.

Ullio is a Tech graduate, having earned a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering in 1991 and a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering two years later.

Environmental Engineering, however, seems like a far cry from the restaurant kitchen.

"After I graduated, I worked in a small Italian restaurant. The owner made his own hours and lived his own life, and I liked that. So I thought, 'If he can do it, so can I.' And here I am today, two restaurants later," Ullio said.

Although he found his true passion in the restaurant business, Ullio acknowledges the significance that his education played in his success.

"Studying engineering was beneficial to me because of the problem solving skills that I learned. In any business, you always have to find a solution...engineering helped me come up with creative solutions," Ullio said.

A creative mindset is definitely an asset when faced with the difficulties of delving into the restaurant business.

"The restaurant biz is multifaceted. You have to think about the concept, product, environment, marketing, public relations, management, and so much more," Ullio said.

Ullio was one of many chefs who came to the Taste of Atlanta to feature their best menu selections. The breadth of Atlanta's culinary scene was evident at the festival, as many cuisines made a showing at the event.

From spicy Caribbean jerk wings to succulent strips of steak to moist and rich slices of cheesecake, Taste of Atlanta offered attendees a smorgasbord of decadent delights.

Samples of food were given in exchange for one, two or three Taste coupons, which were purchased at ticket booths throughout the area. The coupon system was modeled after the Taste of Chicago, the largest festival of food in the nation.

"We are well on our way to being bigger and better than the Taste of Chicago...with the Taste of Atlanta, we are able to offer truly fine food from fine establishments. And good food means a good festival," DeSena said.