Taste of Atlanta Celebrates 25 Years of Tantalizing Flavor

For 25 years, Taste of Atlanta has brought together the chefs, restaurants, and food lovers that make Atlanta one of the South’s most exciting dining destinations.

Founded in 2001 by Dale DeSena, the festival was created to spotlight the city’s growing restaurant community and give Atlantans a chance to connect directly with the chefs behind their favorite dishes. What began as a small gathering of about 4,000 guests has grown into one of the city’s most recognized food events, drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees over the years.

“Our mission was always to turn tasters into diners,” DeSena said. “We wanted people to taste a restaurant’s food, meet the chef, and then go to the restaurant and experience the full entrée.”

When Taste of Atlanta first launched, the city’s food scene looked very different than it does today. In the early 2000s, many restaurants were large chains, and chef-driven dining was only beginning to gain traction nationwide.

Since then, Atlanta has grown into a culinary hotspot known for its diverse flavors, innovative chefs and thriving restaurant culture. DeSena believes the festival has played a role in highlighting the talent that continues to shape the city’s dining landscape.

“Taste of Atlanta has become more than just an event,” she said. “It’s part of the fabric of the city’s food culture.”

According to DeSena, restaurants can gain as many as 1,000 new fans in a single night after participating in the festival.

“It’s always exciting to watch people discover flavors they’ve never tried before and find a new favorite restaurant,” she said.

Like many large events, Taste of Atlanta had to adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, organizers reimagined the festival as a series of smaller, hyper-local tasting experiences held throughout metro Atlanta communities such as Midtown, Sandy Springs, and Alpharetta.

Those intimate, all-inclusive tasting events have continued to evolve, offering guests the chance to explore a variety of restaurants in a more curated setting.

Beyond the food, the festival also maintains a strong commitment to community impact. For more than 20 years, Taste of Atlanta has partnered with Second Helpings Atlanta, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting hunger and reducing food waste.

Leftover food from our events is collected and redistributed to local shelters, food banks, and community kitchens across Atlanta.

“We wanted to help eliminate food waste and make sure the leftover food was going to people in need,” DeSena said.

This year’s 25th anniversary celebration event will bring together some of the chefs who helped build Atlanta’s vibrant restaurant scene. Guests can expect tastings from renowned culinary figures, including Hector Santiago, Jamie Adams, barbecue legends Jonathan Fox and Justin Fox, Greek cuisine pioneer Pano Karatassos Jr., and celebrated chef Giovanni Di Palma.

The anniversary event will feature food tastings, wine, beer, and cocktail samplings, live music, and opportunities for guests to meet the chefs behind some of Atlanta’s most beloved restaurants.

After the tasting event, guests will also receive complimentary entry to an after-party at Your 3rd Spot, continuing the celebration late into the evening.

For first-time attendees, DeSena encourages guests to arrive early and keep an open mind when sampling the diverse flavors the city has to offer.

“Be adventurous,” she said. “Try as many tastes as you can, meet the chefs, and discover your new favorite restaurant.”

Reflecting on the festival’s journey, one moment still stands out for DeSena. In 2005, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse took the stage in front of thousands of attendees and declared Taste of Atlanta “the best food festival.”

“That was the moment I realized we had really created something special,” she said.

As Taste of Atlanta celebrates its 25th anniversary, DeSena hopes guests walk away with a deeper appreciation for the city’s culinary talent and the people behind it.

“I want people to leave remembering the great food they had and the chefs they met,” she said. “Atlanta truly is a culinary capital because of its incredible restaurants and chefs.”