April 26, 2019
CONTACT: Courtney Spiess, Marketing & PR Coordinator
courtney@mariettasquare.com
770.429.1115
MARIETTA - Prepare your taste buds for this year’s 26th annual Taste of Marietta, one of Atlanta’s largest and tastiest food festivals, as it celebrates its 26th year on Sunday, April 28, 2019.
Amidst over 70 vendors and several live musical performances lies an exciting new addition to Taste of Marietta - the Chef Spotlight Stage, featuring live cooking demonstrations held by locally-renowned chefs. Culinary talents include Hector Santiago of El Super Pan, Andre Gomez of Porch Light Latin Kitchen, Greg Lipman of Piastra, and Jaime Vicente of Fork U Concepts.
Originally from San Juan, Chef Santiago attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Before moving to Atlanta in 2001 and opening tapas restaurant Pura Vida, Chef Santiago trained in several kitchens along the East Coast. After earning a spot on Season 6 of “Top Chef Las Vegas” and becoming a three-time “Best Chef of the Southeast” Semifinalist, he officially opened El Super Pan in Ponce City Market in 2015.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Chef Vicente is armed with over fifteen years of culinary experience. After obtaining a Culinary Arts Degree from La Gordon Bleu, he moved to Atlanta to become the Executive Chef for Scott Kinsey’s Fork U Concepts. As Executive Chef, Vicente oversees execution for all brands of Fork U Concepts, including Taqueria Tsunami, Stockyard Burgers & Bones and Forno Vero Neapolitan Drinkery & Eatery.
Chef Andre Gomez brings his pan latin flavors and hospitality to the table every day. After moving to Smyrna and working at restaurants Canoe and Nava and becoming Executive Chef for the acclaimed Kevin Rathbun, Chef Andre opened Porch Light Latin Kitchen in 2015.
Chef Greg Lipman discovered his love for food at a young age after hearing the phrase, “Food is Love.” After training at New England Culinary Institute, he worked in various restaurants around Boston and developed his specialty for Italian cuisine. He later trained with a classically trained French chef on a small yacht while sailing over a third of the way around the world. Shortly after the trip, he moved to Atlanta to work at Maxim Prime and Alon’s Bakery before opening Piastra on the Marietta Square.
The Chef Spotlight Stage schedule can be found on tasteofmarietta.com. The Marietta Visitors Bureau hosts this delicious annual event alongside the City of Marietta.
###
The mission of the Marietta Visitors Bureau is to promote Marietta as a tourism destination with an emphasis on heritage, cultural and sports tourism; thereby increasing overnight visitation by reinvesting visitor generated tax dollars into messages and services targeted exclusively to the visitor.