Taste Atlanta’s International Food Culture at the 2025 Food & Wine Festival

By Daniela Cintron

Published September 3, 2025

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Atlanta is one of the most exciting food cities in the United States. So, when the tasting tents rise at Home Depot Backyard in Downtown Sept. 11-14, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival (AFWF) won’t just be a showcase of food and drink — it will be a celebration of the voices that shape the city’s dining identity. 

From comforting Southern traditions rooted in African American, Native American, French and Spanish influences to global cuisines carried by diverse chefs, AFWF 2025 reflects the many layers of Atlanta’s food story.

For more than a decade, the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival has been one of the South’s major culinary events. What makes this year stand out is the prominent representation of global cultures, flavors influenced by immigrants and recipes nestled in Atlanta’s history. Together, they reveal how Atlanta’s food scene has become one of the most dynamic in the country.

Southern Roots, Atlanta Flavors

At its heart, Atlanta’s food scene has always been anchored in Southern flavors — comforting, soulful and deeply tied to the African American community and other cultural influences. At AFWF 2025, that heritage is carried forward by chefs like Carlos Granderson of Southern National, who highlights the shared traditions of Southern and African diaspora cooking and Gary Caldwell from Marcus Samuelsson’s Marcus Bar & Grille, who blends Southern hospitality with global influences.

Toast, a Black-owned, women-owned restaurant, brings Atlanta’s brunch culture — now a defining part of the city’s dining scene — into the spotlight, while Robert Butts of Auburn Angel represents a new generation of chefs channeling the flavors of the South in creative, unexpected ways while honoring the culture and history.

Latin American Voices

Atlanta’s Latin flavors will be well represented across the festival. Lis Hernandez of Arepa Mia brings the soul of Venezuela through handmade arepas that have become part of the city’s comfort food lexicon. Juan Hormiga of Chichería Mexican Kitchen celebrates regional Mexican traditions, while David Aaron of Latin Fresh offers fresh, modern bowls inspired by Latin American cuisines, such as Peruvian. 

Together, they remind festival-goers that Latin voices are woven into Atlanta’s dining fabric.

Mediterranean and European Traditions

The Mediterranean and European influences in Atlanta’s food scene are equally strong. Gizzy Rawlins of Ela – Modern Mediterranean and Jonathan McDowell of ELEKTRA, a new concept at the FORTH Hotel in Old Fourth Ward, highlight the freshness and variety of Mediterranean cooking. 

Paul Yeck of Psito brings Greek traditions to the table, while Italian excellence is represented by Pat Pascarella and Robert Haynes of Amalfi Cucina e Mercato.

French cuisine, long tied to the South through cultural history, shines with Charmain Ware-Jason and Joshua Wetshtein of Tiny Lou’s, alongside Jon Novak of Brasserie Margot at the Four Seasons, which channels Parisian elegance in Midtown. Chryss Lewis and Demetrius Brown of Bread & Butterfly, a beloved Inman Park café, show how a European-style restaurant can serve as both a neighborhood anchor and a hub for global flavors.

Spanish cuisine is also central this year, with Josue Peña of Iberian Pig Buckhead, Jaime Guzmán of Buena Vida Tapas and David Yamaguchi of Gypsy Kitchen all showcasing dishes rooted in Spanish flavors.

Asian and Islander Voices

Atlanta’s Asian and islander chefs continue to push the city’s dining scene forward. Sachi Nakato Takahara of Nakato, whose restaurant has been a Japanese mainstay for more than 50 years, represents one of Atlanta’s earliest immigrant food stories. 

Bank Bhamaraniyama of Tyde Tate Kitchen brings the boldness of traditional Thai street food, such as pad thai and curries. 

Filipino cuisine is spotlighted through Marcus Fernandez of Zarate Kitchen, who is building excitement with island-inspired cooking. And Chris McCord, of Bovino After Dark and Seventh House, is part of the wave of chefs blending modern techniques with global inspiration in more unexpected and intimate spaces.

Caribbean Influence

The Caribbean — long connected to Southern foodways — plays a central role at AFWF 2025. Chris and Payton Williams of Irie Mon Café bring classic Jamaican cooking, while Danielle Smith of Spice House, part of a Haitian-owned concept, highlights dishes from across the Caribbean, from Jamaica to Trinidad to the Bahamas. These kitchens bring the energy, warmth and spice that continue to shape Atlanta’s identity as a global city.

Why It Matters

The chefs featured at AFWF this year prove that Atlanta’s food scene cannot be defined by one tradition alone. Instead, it is built on the voices of minorities, immigrant journeys and cuisines that span the globe while staying rooted in the South’s history and resilience.

Festivals like AFWF don’t just give these chefs a platform — they prove that the city’s dining culture is as layered as its people. 

Event Details

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival 2025 will take place Sept. 11 –14.

The Signature Tasting Tents will be at The Home Depot Backyard, while the Heritage Fire and Whiskies of the World team up for a grand event at Guardian Works, only on Sept. 13.

Intimate dinners will be served throughout the city.

Get more information about events and tickets.

Daniela Cintrón is an award-winning journalist, editor, and producer passionate about storytelling at the intersection of food, art, and culture. She is the content manager and bilingual editor for Discover Atlanta and contributes to publications like the Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Magazine and Eater.