Newspaper Page Text
A Taste of Athens: Eat Well,
The Annual Benefit for Community
Do Good
Connection
T might seem silly for a food columnist to say that A Taste
I _1_ of Athens—the annual fundraising event for Community
JL Connection that brings together about 50 local food and
drink vendors for an evening of eating, drinking and fun—isn't all
about the food, but the community aspect is just as important.
One of the things we all love about Athens is how easy it is to
mingle with others who livt here, be they renowned chef, com
munity leader or even the mayor, and A Taste of Athens is one
event that illustrates that principle, bringing together food, drink,
art and people from all over the Athens area to benefit one of its
worthiest causes.
E very year brings new additions, not only among the vendors,
but also to the event itself. This year marks the second edi
tion of the Red Clay Chef cook-off, when two local chefs face off
in a 45-minute battle focused on a surprise ingredient. Homer
Whitmire, the man in the kitchen at DePalma's downtown, who has
been in the restaurant business in one form or another since he
was 13 years old, and Bret Clark, who oversees all three kitchens
at the Foundry Park Inn and Spa, will compete this year to impress
the judges (this writer and Courtney Alford-Pomeroy). The event
will be emceed and commented on by Andrea Griffith, the host and
creator of "Georgia Life and Style," and Lamar Thomas, executive
chef at East-West Bistro. And this time, the whole thing will be
caught on tape; a telecommunications class from the Grady College
of Journalism will struggle to make
A's as they film and later edit the
competition into a one-hour feature
DVD, which you can catch later on
Channel 15.
T here are a few new names among
the vendors in 2007, and while
rubbing elbows with the rest of
Athens is more than a motive for
attending, the chance to check out
just-opened restaurants all in one
venue adds to the reasons to attend.
Town 220 Bistro, for example, is
brand-new, but it serves its menu of
Southern and New Orleans specialties
in Madison, GA, which is probably
a little farther from you than the
Classic Center. If you haven't been
to check out the new full menu at
Kingpins Bowl and Brew, to sample
the goods at Brett's Casual American
Cafe or to munch on tapas at Casa
Mia, they're all here under one roof, Bret Clark and Homer Whitmire will face off in the second Red Clay Chef Competition,
along with Athens favorites like
Weaver D's (whose table always groans with food but empties
quickly), Cecilia Villaveces Cakes, The Grill (mini-milkshakes are a
perennial offering) and more.
S teak eaters can cruise by the Porterhouse Grill, caffeine freaks
can stop at Jittery Joe's and vegetarians can hit up The Grit,
though they should be careful elsewhere—remember, if you're com
mitted to not consuming animal proteins, you might want to be
sure to ask the vendors before you start chewing. Last year, Farm
255 put out a beautiful spread of cured meats, and the strawberry
lemonade at Mama's Boy was a big hit, promising great things
before the restaurant even opened. The beer and wine options are
also worth your time, and not just to keep filling that souvenir
wine glass. The vendors know their stuff at many a booth, and if
you say, "give me something interesting," you might end up with a
Gruner Veltliner instead of the usual snooze of a Chardonnay.
Hiltary Brown
Hugh Acheson (I) stirred things up at the first Red Clay Chef event at the 2006
A Taste of Athens.
TVThile you digest, before you head back in to the maze of ta-
W bles, elbows and tiny plates, you should take some time to
wander through (and bid on) the silent auction section, with art,
gift certificates, memorabilia and much more donated by locals. If
you're more the light-in-the-wallet gambling type, there are raffle
prizes as well, including a year-long membership to the Omni fit
ness club, and you can benefit the cause in smaller ways by buy
ing that wine glass or a souvenir poster designed by local artist
Michael Shetterley, the original of which will be up for auction. At
the end of the night, if you're still up for more (and this is Athens;
we have a reputation to live up to), the official after-party kicks
off at Harry Bissett's downtown at 9:30 p.m. and goes until close.
S o, couldn't I just take $40 of my own money and stagger
around downtown, ordering appetizers and inexpensive booze,
to create my own A Taste of Athens, I hear you wondering? Well,
for one thing, you really couldn't manage to get the same variety
of tastes, nor the same quality, but the most important thing
about the event is the extent to which it benefits Community
Connection 211, not only in the money it brings in, but in terms of
name recognition. The purpose of Community Connection is simple
and unglamorous—to refer people in its 14-county area to needed
resources, whether child care, food, clothing, housing, health care,
volunteer opportunities, legal help, senior citizen services or oth
er—but its name is apt. What it provides, as a nonprofit organiza
tion, is exactly what it specifies, a needed link among members of
the community (via a three-digit phone number) in order to help
t'.em help each other. That's worth $40 and a great party any day.
T ickets to A Taste of Athens at the Classic Center in downtown
Athens on Sunday, Mar. 18 are $40 in advance, $45 at the
door, and are available ahead of time at Jittery Joe's, Homeplace
Gifts and Toys, Aurum Studios, Marti's at Midday, The Rolling Pin
and Borders, as well as via Paypal on the Community Connection
website dedicated to the event: www.tasteofathens.com. For more
information on the event or its sponsors or to learn more about
Community Connection, visit www.communityconnection211.com
or call 706-353-2824.
A TASTE OF
ATHENS
2007 VENDORS
Agua Linda Taqueria
Empire Distributors
Leon Farmer Distributors
Angelo's
Farm 255
Maison Bleu
Aroma's
Foodworks
Mama’s Boy
Barberito’s Southwest Grille
Foundry Park Inn and Spa
Marti’s at Midday
Basil Press
Gautreau’s Cajun Cafe
The Porterhouse Grill
Bischero
Georgia Crown Distributing Qpmpany
Quality Wines
Black Forest Bakery and Cafe
The Grill
Righteous Juice
Brett’s Casual American Cafe
The Grit
Savannah Room at the Georgia Center
Casa Mia
Harry Bissett's New Orleans Style Cafe
Taqueria Mi Herra
Cecilia Villaveces Cakes
Hoyt House
Taste of India
Center Stage Catering
Homemade Catering and
Town 220 Bistro
Classic City Beverages, Inc. V
Personal Chefing
Thai Spoon Cafe
Copper Creek Brewing Co.
II Gelato
Tiger Mountain Vineyards
DePalma’s
Jennings Mill Country Club
Trumps Catering
Donderos’ Kitchen v
Jittery Joe's
Ultimate Distributors
Earth Fare
Kingpins Bowl and Brew
Waterman Spring Water
East-West Bistro
Last Resort Grill
Weaver D’s
\
WHAT. “A Taste of Athens”
WHERE: Classic Center
WHEN: Sunday, March 18,6-9 p.m.
HOW MUCH: $40—$45
: J
12 FLAGPOLE.COM • MARCH 14, 2007 NEWS & FEATURES I ARTS & EVENTS I MOVIES I MUSIC I COMICS & ADVICE I CLASSIFIEDS