There are plenty of ways to stay busy in October if you love to eat and drink, from checking out a new food festival in Midtown to heading to Dunwoody for samples of barbecue and chili.
Celebrate Oktoberfest
Through Oct. 30, Petite Violette will offer a special Oktoberfest dinner menu from 4-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays featuring German dishes like a Swiss-style Wurstsalat made with fleischwurst, Gruyere cheese, onions and pickles in a vinaigrette dressing; pan-seared Wiener Schnitzel; potato pancakes; and apple strudel. Several German beers will be on draft, and the restaurant’s regular dinner menu will also be available.
2948 Clairmont Road, Atlanta. 404-634-6268, petitevioletterestaurant.com/
Go pink for a good cause
Joey D’s Oak Room in Dunwoody and New York Prime in Buckhead will participate in CentraArchy Restaurants’ 11th annual “Pink Kiss for the Cure” campaign in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Through the month of October, 50% of sales of the Pink Kiss martini will go directly to breast cancer research and care via the Susan G. Komen organization.
Joey D’s Oak Room, 1015 Crown Pointe Parkway, Dunwoody, 770-512-7063, and New York Prime, 3424 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, 404-846-0644. centraarchy.com
More Oktoberfest
Dust off your lederhosen and head over to Good Word Brewing in Parson’s Alley for its Oktoberfest celebration. Try the brewery’s two new canned beers Good Word Drink Time Marzen-Style Lager and Good Word Retrocausality Festbier, with the option to drink from a Good Word Oktoberfest branded liter mug for $25 that includes your first draft pour at the bar or at your table. A special German menu includes dishes like bratwurst with sauerkraut, country mustard and a potato roll and veal schnitzel with braised cabbage and greens.
Noon-5 p.m. Oct. 2. 3085 Main St. NW, Duluth. 678-336-9928, goodwordbrewing.com
Credit: Wendell Brock
Credit: Wendell Brock
Pizza Fest
Try some of Atlanta’s top pies at the daylong Atlanta Pizza Festival. Vendors include 17th Street Pizza, Ammazza, Spina Pizza and Can a Brother Get a Slice, with several styles of pizza including gluten-free options. General admission tickets include entry, with slices sold separately at each booth. VIP tickets offer unlimited samples of pizza, with early admission at noon. All tickets include live entertainment, and beverages will be available for purchase.
Noon-6 p.m. Oct. 2. $15 for general admission, $35 for VIP entry. Pinnacle Parking at Atlantic Station, 1371 Market St., Atlanta. atlpizzafestival.com
Get a taste of Tucker
Sample food from some of Tucker’s top restaurants at the annual Taste of Tucker festival. Participating restaurants include Bell Street Burritos, Just Bakery, Matthews Cafeteria and Ford’s BBQ, and the event will also feature other types of vendors. Proceeds will benefit Camp Kudzu, a charity that serves children and teens living with Type 1 diabetes.
1-6 p.m. Oct. 2. Main Street, Tucker. tasteoftucker.com
Celebrate a local chef
Chefs Todd Richards and Josh Lee are paying homage to Atlanta chef Deborah VanTrece, author of “The Twisted Soul Cookbook: Modern Soul Food with Global Flavors” with a four-course dinner featuring dishes from the book. Prepared by Richards and Lee, the menu will include Braised Chicken Wings Adobo with Coconut Gravy; Collard Green Caesar Salad; and Harissa Lamb Ribs over Risotto. Each course includes a cocktail pairing. Tickets also include a signed copy of the book.
The cost of the event is $75 per person. For more information on the event, visit
6 p.m. Oct. 5. $75. Lake and Oak, 2358 Hosea L. Williams Drive NE, Atlanta. bit.ly/3uEFpFq
Try some wine
Get a taste of Amlés Wines at the Garden & Gun Club at The Battery Atlanta. Meet the vintners behind the new Napa, California, label at the multicourse dinner, which also includes wine pairings. Be a part of the inaugural release of Reflectionist, Amlés’ cabernet sauvignon, and among the first to taste the label’s latest release, Portrait, a grand cru cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley’s finest heritage vineyards.
6-9 p.m. Oct. 5. $250. 2605 Circle 75 Parkway, Atlanta. 843-795-1195, gardenandgun.com/event/vintner-dinners/
Learn to cook remotely
Atlanta chef Arnaldo Castillo of Peruvian pop-up La Chingana will teach a virtual cooking class via Zoom, walking participants on how to make Causa Limeña with Shrimp Salad. A list of ingredients and equipment needed to prepare the dish is provided ahead of time.
7 p.m. Oct. 10. $23.99 per household. virtualcookingclasses.co/classes/p/causa-limea-with-shrimp-salad
All things peanut
Celebrate one of Georgia’s most beloved exports with Georgia Peanuts Restaurant Week. From Monday through Oct. 11, 13 chefs statewide will whip up and promote dishes using Georgia peanuts. Those in the metro Atlanta area include Nick Leahy of Nick’s Westside with Chile Smoked Boiled Peanuts, Pinock Crest Catfish and Boiled Peanut Succotash, Peanut Crusted Schnitzel with Spaetzle Mac, and a Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Sammie; Deborah VanTrece of Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours with Spicy Peanut-Crusted Quail, Country Captain Chicken Stew, and Cajun Fried Turkey Monte Cristo; and Parnass Savang of Talat Market with Thai Style Snapper Ceviche with Green Peanut Oil, Crispy Rice Salad with Raw Peanuts, and Massaman Beef Shank with Potatoes, Fried Shallots, and Raw Peanuts.
Monday through Oct. 11. Various locations. gapeanuts.com/gapnutrestaurantweek2021/
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
A new food festival
The inaugural Gather ‘Round fest, which bills itself as “a celebration of Southern food, drink, music and art,” will be held from Oct. 14-17 at the newly opened Epicurean Atlanta hotel. Epicurean executive chef Ewart Wardhaugh will collaborate with talent from the hotel’s sister properties for the weekend, including the team from Bern’s Steak House in Tampa, Florida. The weekend’s lineup will also have chefs and mixologists from around the Southeast, including Justin and Jonathan Fox of Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q; Tiffanie Barriere, also known as the Drinking Coach; and Miles Macquarrie of Watchman’s and Kimball House. Local nonprofit Giving Kitchen will be a beneficiary of Gather ‘Round.
Oct. 14-17. Prices vary by event. 1117 W. Peachtree St. NW, Atlanta. 470-283-2000, gatherroundatl.com
Cheers to agave
Celebrate all things agave at Kimpton Sylvan Hotel’s Arte Agave festival. The event will offer 20 flavor stations with more than 100 varieties of agave spirits and Mexican bites from local restaurants including birria quesatacos from Birria El Gordo and vegan tacos and quesadillas from Calaveritas Taqueria Vegana. Tickets also include a photo booth and entertainment from a traditional folkloric dance group.
5-9 p.m. Oct. 16. $75 for general admission, $90 for VIP admission. 374 E. Paces Ferry Road NE, Atlanta. 470-531-8900, eventbrite.com/e/arte-agave-tequila-and-mezcal-festival-atl-tickets-157831934565
More Oktoberfest
Head to Fire Maker Brewing Co. for its second annual Oktoberfest, featuring German beers, Oktoberfest-themed food from Johnnie & Clyde’s, and live music from Auf Ghents. Also look for a Boot Chug Contest, Boot Holding Contest and Lederhosen & Dirndl Costume Contest.
1-5 p.m. Oct. 16. 975 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Atlanta. 678-705-8777, .firemakerbeer.com/
Kosher barbecue
The Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival will return for its eighth year after missing 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Held at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody, the event will offer food prepared by 25 amateur and professional competitors. Tasting tickets cost $1 per person, and additional food and beverage options will be available to purchase from vendors. The festival will also include music, kids’ activities and booths from local businesses and Jewish community organizers, as well as a silent auction.
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 17. 4770 N. Peachtree Road, Dunwoody. theatlantakosherbbq.com
Credit: Adam Kuehl
Credit: Adam Kuehl
Celebrate a Georgia chef
Chef Mashama Bailey and John O. Morisano, the partners behind the Grey in Savannah, will stop by Atlanta restaurants in October to celebrate the launch of their culinary memoir, “Black, White and the Grey.”
On Oct. 21, head to Cold Beer for a cocktail reception that includes an opportunity to meet the authors and try passed dishes and two crafted cocktails inspired by the book. Additional drinks will be available for purchase at a cash bar. Tickets also include a copy of the book.
On Oct. 22, Star Provisions Market & Cafe will host a special version of its culinary musical mashup, Dinnerbell. The event will feature a cocktail hour with bites and drinks, followed by a plated four-course dinner inspired by the memoir, as well as a live musical performance from Quiet Hounds and Shelly Colvin. Tickets include all food, tableside wine service, various cocktails, live music and a copy of the book. Additional beverages will be available for purchase, and a portion of event proceeds will benefit Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice.
6 p.m. Oct. 21. $65. Cold Beer, 670 DeKalb Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-254-1032, bit.ly/3zVguhX
7 p.m. Oct. 22. $175. Star Provisions Market & Cafe, 1460 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd. NW, Atlanta. 404-365-0410, bit.ly/3CYpO6z
Get your chili on
Head to the Atlanta Chili Cook Off for samples of chili from competitors around metro Atlanta. Professional chefs, amateur cooks and junior chefs will compete for $5,000 in cash and prizes. All tickets include unlimited samples of chili. VIP tickets offer early entry and beverages from Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and Smirnoff Vodka. Entertainment will also be provided by the East Cobb School of Rock house band.
Noon-5 p.m. Oct. 23. $10-$40. Brook Run Park, 4770 N. Peachtree Road, Dunwoody. atlantachilicookoff.com
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
