IF YOU WERE AMONG the throngs who noshed and sipped at the 2018 Taste of Atlanta in October, you might be gastronomically interested in which purveyors of food and drink took top honors. This annual foodie paradise, attended by thousands, featured more than 90 neighborhood restaurants, demo stages, and a boozy nirvana of craft beer, wine and creative cocktails.
The 2018 event — the 16th Taste of Atlanta — moved to a new home in Historic Fourth Ward Park near the Atlanta BeltLine. It returns there in 2019, on Oct. 19-21. Now, here are the 10 spots that took home 2018 bragging rights.
Friday
BEST TASTE: Noble Fin, the seafood, steak and cocktail spot in Peachtree Corners.
Saturday
BEST TASTE: NaanStop, which serves fast, fresh Indian food at restaurants in Buckhead and downtown Atlanta.
BEST PRESENTATION: PONKO Chicken, a fusion of Japanese and Western food with one location on Atlanta’s Chamblee Tucker Road.
BEST DESSERT: Batter Cookie Dough Counter, which has counters at Avalon in Alpharetta and Ponce City Market intown.
MOST UNIQUE TASTE: Char Korean Bar & Grill, doing brunch, bar bites, beef, pork, sake and cocktails at a restaurant on Atlanta’s North Highland Avenue.
BEST-SELLING TASTE: Texas-born Tiff’s Treats, which sells cookies, brownies and other treats — some delivered warm to you — from stores in Alpharetta, Buckhead, Decatur, the Cumberland Mall area, Midtown Atlanta and the Perimeter Mall area.
Sunday
BEST TASTE: Simon’s Restaurant, which serves a chicken- and seafood-friendly menu at brunch, dinner, happy hour and late nights at Fifth and Juniper streets in Midtown Atlanta.
BEST PRESENTATION: Hawkers Asian Street Fare, which claims to redefine “eating Asian” in the United States and is coming soon to Auburn Avenue in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward.
BEST DESSERT: Revolution Gelato, scooping dairy-free organic gelato at locations in Alpharetta, intown Atlanta, Blue Ridge and Toccoa.
MOST UNIQUE TASTE: Tropics Jerk Center, authentic Jamaican food served in Lithonia.
BEST-SELLING TASTE: PONKO Chicken. See above.
