This year’s inaugural “Gather ‘round: Celebrating the Food, Drink, Music, and Art of the South presented by Epicurean Atlanta, far exceeded my every expectation. There were super educational classes during the day, fun rooftop food, beverage, music, and art events every evening, and satellite dinners held across the city in some of Atlanta’s most coveted restaurants. It truly was a feast for the eyes, ears, and taste buds!
All guests were welcomed upon arrival with a choice of signature cocktails. There was a super easy, covid safe, check in where vaccine cards or negative covid tests were required for entry. Upon entering Epicurean, you immediately understood that you were in a food and beverage centric restaurant, what a dining room, what a beautiful bar or was it the lobby!!! Everything from the smiles on the staff who greeted me when I entered Epicurean, to the gentleman who escorted me to the elevator was absolute perfection. In my opinion it is a version of hotel service that Atlanta has not seen in quite some time!
It seemed as if Epicurean Hotel was designed for the sole purpose of hosting culinary events such as Gather ‘round. The 9th floor “culinary theatre” was sheer perfection. A perfect balance between education and entertainment; those of us who signed up for classes where certainly shown an amazing time from beginning to end. Pre-set wine glasses, water service, perfectly folded napkins, all the silverware, you would ever need, and a welcome appetizer all seemed to set the stage for what would come next. The classes offered insight into a range of topics from Chicken, Spice, and Everything Nice to Roots: Re-Examining Authentic Influences in American Cuisine. Course after course of delicious food, created right before our very eyes by some of the most acclaimed chefs in the Southeast United States, seemed to multiply as flocks of wait staff appeared out of nowhere delivering some of the greatest bites of the weekend right to our tables. The series of Master Classes was most impressive!
Each night on the 9th Floor Rooftop Bar and Pool Deck was themed differently. Thursday’s Awaken Your Senses and Friday’s Tomorrow’s Table prepared us for what I believe was the best of the signature events series: Saturday’s Classic Cocktails and Soundtracks! So many delicious nibbles from every corner of the Southeast United States. And every nibble seemed to pair perfectly with any of the amazingly creative cocktails offered by a bevy of cocktail sponsors who all wanted to amplify the experience with their signature drinks!
Gather ‘round was everything that it suggested it would be and a perfect addition to the Atlanta food and beverage festival circuit! The team behind the scenes was organized and deliberate in their every move; all done to ensure the perfect guest experience.
I am already looking forward to next year!
