Good Things Come to Foodies Who Wait

There are a few things that you have to understand if you’re going to enjoy food events like last week’s Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival or this week’s To Live and Dine in Atlanta. Wednesday’s To Live and Dine event, put on by The Atlantan magazine to celebrate their annual restaurant issue and to benefit Georgia Organics, was an evening of sultry summer fun worthy of the usual food fest suspects:

1) Lines. It should come as no surprise that you’re not the only one interested in sampling the creative small plates of the top chefs in the city. Nor should it shock you that you’re not the only one whose thirst begs to be quenched by a carefully crafted cocktail from the best mixologists to pick up a shaker and a stirrer.

2) These things take time. If you want a hot-off-the pan duck-beef burger graciously topped with a delicate quail egg from Canoe, please get in aforementioned line and experience what it feels like to look forward to something for a minute or two.

3) Do not, under any circumstances, try to count calories or any such nonsense. The most glorious part of these events is the chance to try many of the best restaurants on offer, all in one evening. This night, there were over 20 chefs from restaurants including Bistro Niko, BLT Steak, Bocado, Canoe, Craft, Empire State South (opening Aug. 30, can’t wait!), Miller Union, Pacci, Park 75, and Valenza, just to name a few…Desserts were in force courtesy of The Hungry Peach, Bakeshop, and Antico Pizza (the Food We’ve Eaten team should not be presented with a plateful of canoli, but we somehow carried on).

Actually, we had a ball. I have to say that my favorite part was the presence of food trucks (The Good Food Truck, Westside Creamery, and Yumbii Truck), waiting outside the entrance, beckoning us to look up into their little windows and place an order for something magical (like a Good Food Truck hot dog, hugged by a french toast bun, dressed with apple slaw, mustard and maple syrup, of course). And the next logical step is a cocktail, right? Icy concoctions were on hand thanks to of One Flew South’s Jerry Slater and JCT. Kitchen’s Lara Creasy.

So, what about those lines, with their waits and caloric impossibilities? My recommendation? Take them with a grain of salt. Or two.

Check the photo gallery for our favorites from To Live and Dine: