Saturday Savor ~ Georgia Food + Wine Festival 21 & over event

Saturday ~ March 23, 2024

• 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Location: JIM R. MILLER PARK ~ 2245 CALLAWAY ROAD

MARIETTA, GEORGIA

An unbelievable afternoon of sumptuous food and drink, with some of Georgia’s best chefs, restaurants and more offering a variety of delicious bites. Tickets include a souvenir wine glass for unlimited beverage tastings of wine, beer and spirits, along with 10 culinary credits (5 Tokens) good towards purchase of gourmet bites and plates from a variety of restaurants and specialty food companies. Samples from the culinary and beverage tasting stages will be available for the first 50 people seated in attendance at the Georgia Celebrity Chef Cooking Demo Stage. Several live music stages will be located throughout the festival. Check out the Audi Marietta display tent, stroll the artisan market with an assortment of unique items showcasing food products, handmade gifts, artwork, and more. Make sure you check out the Silent Auction as well, with ALL PROCEEDS BENIFITING SAFEPATH CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER

**If you would like to donate an item for the auction, please contact: HanaLaine.Safepath@cobbcounty.org

Tickets per person: $59 Early Bird Special | $79 Winter Rate | $99 March/Gate

Your ticket includes an exclusive GF+WF souvenir glass, access to our artisan market, live music, celebrity chef demonstrations and 400+ beverage tastings from our spirits, wine and beer participants, as well as the Bubbles & Brews.

Event Type: Indoor/Outdoor, Rain or shine.

Attire & Info: Casual attire, 21 years and over.

This event will also feature the Cobb Bubbles & Brews Alley, presented by Cobb Travel & Tourism

Cobb breweries and distilleries can fill out the form at the bottom of this page, or click here.

“Georgia Celebrity Chef Stage”

SATURDAY SCHEDULE:

1st Demo: 1:15 – 2:00pm ~ Chef Henry Chandler

Henry’s first instructor was his Nanny Castell, who taught him the makings of down-home southern cooking. Henry’s interest in cooking grew when he moved to French-influenced Lafayette, Louisiana, where he learned the art of Cajun cooking while attending the University of Southern Louisiana. While living in England, Henry earned his degree in French Culinary Arts and gained experience in fine London restaurants. Henry opened Henry’s Louisiana Grill on Main Street in downtown Acworth in 2000, where it was an immediate hit. Henry’s Louisiana Grill is an award-winning community gathering place with local and national acclaim. In 2010, Chef Henry won the ABC Nightline’s People’s Platelist Award and was featured in a segment on Nightline. In 2017, he was featured on Food Network’s Ginormous Food and in 2018 was featured on BuzzFeed Bring Me. The Georgia Business Journal recently listed Henry’s Louisiana Grill as Best of Georgia winner, Cajun Restaurant, 2022.

2^nd Demo: 2:15 – 3:00pm ~ Chef Jernard Wells

Jernard Wells is an Award Winning TV Host/Celebrity Chef/Bestselling Cookbook Author. He is the host of “New Soul Kitchen” & “New Soul Kitchen Remix” on CLEO TV and is well known from appearing on numerous cooking shows on Food Network & Cooking Channel over the last decade. Wells has worked with Tyler Perry, NBA Allstar Brandon Ingram, Lady Antebellum, New Edition & BBD. He has been featured on “Today Show“, “Good Morning America”, “Steve Harvey Morning Show“, ESSENCE, “Daily Blast Live”, USA Today, Lifetime, Oprah Winfrey Network & HLN to name a few. The James Beard House Honored Chef is affectionately called “The Family Chef” because he loves using food to promote positive family images. He and his wife of 24 years have 9 children. Follow him on all his verified social media pages at @ChefJernard

3^rd Demo: 3:15 pm – 4:00 pm ~ Wes Bonner, Publix Apron’s Cooking School Demonstration

Wes graduated summa cum laude from Johnson and Wales University in North Miami and was a member of the silver key honor society. He has more than nine years in the culinary field through various restaurants and the hotel industry. Upon graduating Johnson and Wales in 2002, Wes was first employed with the Ritz Carlton Coconut Grove, a five-star, five-diamond establishment. A year later he chose to move overseas and expand his experience with additional education in the pastry arts through Thames Valley University in London. While living in London, Wes joined the staff of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Hyde Park, and worked in the One Michelin Star restaurant, Le Foliage. After completing school and chocolate courses he returned stateside where he enjoyed developing various skills through restaurants and hotels, including the five-star, five-diamond Four Seasons Resort on Palm Beach. In early 2009 Wes joined the Publix Apron’s program while pursing an education degree that would better support him in his various teaching roles. His passion for the culinary arts combined with his love for teaching paved the way for his success within the Publix Apron’s program. He has a strong and contagious desire for others to enjoy learning how to have fun in the kitchen.

Georgia Grown Chef Stage

1:00-1:45 ~ Ray Kees, Director of Culinary Innovation, Krystal Restaurants

Ray began his lifetime love of all things culinary by helping his grandparents on their vegetable farm – picking, preserving and selling fresh produce to local businesses. His formal experience began in a variety of BOH roles in independent restaurants across Mississippi, where he expanded his knowledge to include the microeconomics of restaurant management and in-depth expertise of operations. Ray went on to graduate from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and continued his education in a variety of upscale restaurants in New Jersey and New York. Moving to the supplier side, he led R&D for manufacturing facilities and provided culinary support for Mondelez International, rounding out his experience in traditional supply chain. He has led culinary innovation for several QSR brands. Ray has a fiery passion for food coupled with deep understanding of how to bridge the gap with today’s changing consumer habits.

2:00-2:45 ~ Matthew Raiford, CheFarmer, Founder of Strongroots 9

Chef & Farmer = CheFarmer Matthew Raiford for the past decade has been working on his own family farm as the sixth generation to be farming land that has been in his family since 1874, and has been working on projects of soil regeneration and bioremediation using red wiggler worms, black soldier flies and creating pastureland. Matthew has worked to make it a mission to work alongside farmers and chefs to bridge the gap between the seed and the table. Farming diversified crops of sugarcane, sweet potatoes, carrots, Thai basil and hibiscus, and animal husbandry including laying hens, goats, and Kune Kune pigs, with a focus on terroir and flavor which has lent Matthew to work with the University of Georgia Food Science Program Flavor Profiles for Foodpeneuers. When he returned to his family land he also worked on Little St. Simons as their chef and garden forager to utilize more of what was being grown on the island and to bring a historical perspective to the seasonality of food in his region. Matthew has had the opportunity also put to work the seed to table process not just in Georgia but also in Whidbey Island in Washington State, Berkely California with Alice Waters and the Edible Schoolyard. Matthew has worked on opening chef teams for large hotels, the Executive Chef at the House of Representatives, and Program Coordinator for the Culinary Arts Program at the College of Coastal Georgia. Matthew also attended the UC Santa Cruz the (CASFS) Center for AgroEcology and Sustainable Food System where theory meets the soil.

3:00-3:45 ~ Robert Butts, Executive Chef, Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours

Robert Butts currently serves as the Executive Chef at Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours. Moving and living in the South of France where he picked up a job at Hotel La Source. He also spent time in Italy and Holland. At this time Chef Butts learned the simplistic and beauty of how food should be experienced. Since returning to his home in Atlanta, Chef Butts has had the opportunity to share his culinary talents with many top named and respected Chefs and restaurants. He has grown from a prep cook to an Executive Chef. Winning many awards including two-time winner of Taste of Atlanta, winner of Southwest Brunch Fest, best dish twice Culinary Fight Club Champion, King of the Kitchen Winner of Atlanta, one of the Top 10 Up and coming chefs from Nola Farm to table, Atlanta Brunch Fest winner, Fish House Live Winner, James Beard Burger Battle Champion. Articles that named Chef Butts a Rising star of Georgia by Restaurant Informer. Additional articles from Local Palate, Food and Wine, Eater Magazine, Eater Atlanta, Bon App, Dlish British Magazine. AJC , Southern Living Magazine and Sheen Magazine. Chef Butts is currently working as the Executive Chef under his mentor/ Creative Director Chef Deborah Vantrece who has a passion for mentoring the new up-and-coming Chefs.

Live Music Stages presented by Superior Plumbing

Main Stage ~ 1:00-4:00 Scott Thompson & Brother Mojo

Get ready to have the time of your life! Scott Thompson and Brother Mojo , will have you moving and grooving all night long. This 8 man band knows all of your favorites; from Jazz to Funk, Blues to Soul and Rock and Roll; these guys love to have a good time. Scott’s smooth, textured vocals combine with guitars, horns and a rhythm section to create an unparalleled Big Band sound that will have you out of your seat and hoping the night never ends.

Big Oak Tree ~ 1:00-4:00 Lance and Wes Duo

Incorporating a variety of styles and influences from every genre of music from rock and blues to country, Lance Price has been bringing his signature guitar and vocal sounds to the Atlanta music scene for the past ten years. Whether playing dazzling melodic lines on his electric guitar with a band or delivering a powerful solo performance on his acoustic guitar, Lance brings a blend of sonic alchemy to a gig that commands attention.