Atlanta Meatball Festival presented by TasteATL rolls back into town Sunday

Atlanta Meatball Festival presented by TasteATL rolls back into town Sunday, August 30

Meat matchup returns to bring bevy of balls, music and more to Sandy Springs; Benefits local charity  

ATLANTA – The weather forecast is in, and it’s looking cloudy with a chance of meatballs! The second annual Atlanta Meatball Festival, presented by TasteATL, the culinary event management company behind Taste of Atlanta, will return to Belle Isle Square in Sandy Springs on Sunday, August 30 from 1 – 5 p.m. to serve up a mighty selection of meatball dishes, music, limoncello tastings and much more.

Food lovers hungry for all the meatball madness can join Chef Host Linda Harrell of Cibo E Beve to celebrate this iconic culinary combination with a range of recipes – from traditional balls of beef and pork to more non-traditional seafood and chicken. To round out the festival food and fun, a portion of the event proceeds will benefit a local charitable organization.

“After the success of our inaugural meatball event, I couldn’t wait to serve up some second helpings to the Atlanta community this year,” said Chef Harrell. “It’s a great chance for the chef community to get together and cook up some fun. All of the chefs were so innovative with their dishes last year – I’m looking forward to seeing how ballistic they’ll get this time around!”

Over 20 restaurants looking to make their mark on Atlanta’s meatball scene have already signed on to participate, including:

• 4th & Swift
• Bhojanic
• Cibo e Beve
• Colletta
• Community Smith
• Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse
• Double Zero
• Food 101
• Madre + Mason
• Makan
• Max’s Wine Dive
• No. 246
• One Flew South
• Rathbun’s
• Saltyard
• Seven Lamps
• Smoke Ring
• St. Cecilia
• STK Atlanta
• Table & Main
• Timone’s

Like last year, the festival is formatted as a “battle of the balls” challenge to see which chef can claim the title of Atlanta’s Mightiest Meatballer. Each of the presented dishes will be voted on by festival attendees and select judges. Once their votes are cast, the top three winners will advance and go head-to-head in the “Meat Brawl Throwdown,” taking place during this year’s Taste of Atlanta festival, set for September 25-27 in Midtown at Tech Square.

“We love any chance to showcase our incredible restaurants and local chefs’ talents, and the Atlanta Meatball Festival does just that!”said Dale DeSena, founder of the Atlanta Meatball Festival, TasteATL and Taste of Atlanta. “Our city’s chefs share a real sense of culinary camaraderie, and hosting a little friendly competition makes the event even more fun for everyone. Whether they’re showing off macho meatballs stuffed with beef and seafood or modified vegetarian versions, there will be a winning recipe for everyone to enjoy!”

Reigning 2014 Meat Brawl Champ Drew Belline of No. 246, who wowed the crowd with his braised veal and ricotta meatball recipe, returns to bring the heat once again at this year’s festival.

“I welcome any opportunity to support our local food scene,” said Chef Belline. “TasteATL not only allows chefs to showcase Atlanta’s culinary talents, but it also gives us the opportunity to have a little fun with food. Atlanta’s meatball game is so impressive, and each restaurant really puts its own signature spin on the Italian staple. I think festival attendees will be surprised at the many ways this classic dish can be served.”

Advance tickets are now available online at AtlantaMeatballFestival.com. Tickets include entry to the event, meatball tastes, entertainment and more. Children 10 and under are free with a paid adult. Beverages will be available for purchase. Advance and day-of ticket costs are as follows:

• $20 – June 25 – July 15
• $25 – July 16 – August 30
• $30 – At gate (day of event)

Space for this event is limited, so meatball maniacs are encouraged to claim tickets while they’re hot! For more information, please visit AtlantaMeatballFestival.com.

About TasteATL:

TasteATL, the culinary event management company best known for orchestrating Taste of Atlanta, the city’s largest food festival, presents food festivals and events throughout the year. For more information, please visit Tasteatl.net.