Taste Of Atlanta First Atlanta Taste EventTo Go All Digital

Photo #1 The Big Ketch Executive Chef Garrett Teckmyer and staff with trophy for best tastePhoto #2 Big Ketch prepares Mini Lobster Rolls Photo #3 Bartaco Employee serves their Duck Taco Photo #4 Bartaco Duck Tacos Photo # 5 Your Pie Pizza chicken and spinach Photo #6 Hardrock Cafe Cheeseburger Sliders and Mac and Cheese Photo #7 Digital Machine Photo #8 Digital Wrist Band

Almost nothing happens in this world these days without digital technology involvement. Taste of the Atlanta is no exception becoming the first tasting event in Atlanta to incorporate digital wristbands for entry and purchase this year instead of traditional paper tickets.

At first I was concerned that their attempt to go 100 percent digital and paperless with no tickets or cash exchanged would surely have a glitch. However, everything ran smoothly and a flick of a wrist kept things moving without a hitch.
Taste of Atlanta teamed up with Intellitix,the leading provider of RFID technologies for live events, and One Ring Networks fixed-wireless Internet service provider to be the first Atlanta food and drink festival to fully integrate RFID-enabled wristband technology. The festival featured RFID access control and cashless payment systems, making it easier and faster for attendees to enter and enjoy the festival

Taste of Atlanta successfully became the first food and beverage festival to incorporate digital wristbands into the entire event experience, and we’re proud to announce it was a huge hit with new and returning attendees!” said Dale DeSena, president and founder of Taste of Atlanta. “We are constantly seeking new ways to make the festival even more accessible and enjoyable, but one thing that remains the same every year is our guests’ overwhelming support for Atlanta’s dining scene and the genius chefs that fuel it!”

On Friday,Taste of Atlanta kicked off the weekend with an VIP party themed “Bucket List Bash.” A portion of the proceeds benefitted The Giving Kitchen, an organization providing emergency assistance grants to Atlanta’s restaurant community facing unanticipated hardship.The judges selected Colletta’s Smoked Rabbit Agnolotti for best taste that night but my favorite was a gourmet cheeseburger with lettuce and tomatoes from relatively new to Atlanta Buckhead-based Shake Shack.

On Sunday I walked up just when The Big Ketch Executive Chef Garrett Teckmyer was handed the best taste trophy for his delicious Lobster Rolls. With a line wrapping around his booth the Chef celebrated and hoisted the trophy in the air.

My other favorites were: Duck Tacos from Bartaco. Having never been a big fan of duck was very surprising that these tacos were moist and stuffed with duck, lettuce and tomatoe. Jim N Nicks Bar B-Q, Hard Rock Cafe cheeseburgers and mac and cheese, Waffle House waffles, Morelli’s ice cream and chicken and spinach pizza from Your Pie rounded out those I found most enjoyable.

Jim N Nicks Bar B-Q took top top seller the entire weekend and a dded best booth decor honors on Sunday.

The Taste of Atlanta’s onsite silent auction raised over $35,000 to benefit nonprofit Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters program.