- I walked into the party.…
As I walked into the posh Atlanta Athletic Club the words from Carly Simon’s song You’re So Vain played in my head which was odd because the party, Give Me Five, was a charity event for a well deserving campaign* No Kid Hungry. I am sure the people attending were not “so vain.” But still you know when a song gets stuck in your head…
However, the lyrics that did make sense and for me reflected the goals of the evening were also in Simon’s song.
I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee
Disclaimer: This post is part of an influencer blogger program. Although the meal was complementary, I received no monetary compensation. All comments and opinions are those of the author.
The people who attended and supported Give me Five were part of a big dream; however, clouds sometimes make it a challenge to see the path to success.
And sometimes dreams can be nightmares. Like the ache in a child’s tummy, from lack of food, when she is trying to go to sleep.
Did you know 13 MILLION kids in the United States struggle with hunger? Source: No Kid Hungry
The backstory. In 1984, brother and sister Bill and Debbie Shore founded a nonprofit, Share Our Strength, which is the nonprofit that put into play the No Kid Hungry campaign.* People in the culinary world along with others who understand the need to take an active role in providing children with access to healthy food and families with nutrition education, create fund raisers like Give Me Five.
Simply put, Give Me Five was a celebration of food and wine presented in an elegant setting. 5 chefs prepared 5 courses paired with 5 wines carefully chosen by 5 sommeliers. The event raised $90,000.
The Chefs who shared their talents included: Chef Chair Master Chef Daryl Shular/Atlanta Athletic Club, Morey Anderson/Atlanta Athletic Club, Christian Castillo, Atlas Restaurant, Charlie Hatney/Charlie Hatney & Co., Aaron Masanotti /The Merion, Todd Richards/Richards’ Southern Fried.
The Sommeliers who thoughtful chose the wines were: Sommelier Chair Gil Kulers/Piedmont Driving Club, Jacob Gragg/Cru Artisan Wines, Andres Loaiza /Aria, Chris Lodge/Atlas Restaurant, Maggie Meroney/Capital City Club.
Adding to the festivities was a silent auction with amazing items.
The big ticket items were put to bid in between courses. I was delighted to see that Diva Foodies’ pal Chef Jennifer Hill Booker offered an exciting package of a culinary demonstration, dinner party for 10 and autograph copies of her new cookbook Diner Deja Vu: Southern Tonight, French Tomorrow.
I walked into the party.…
and was greeted by servers who seemed as excited to be apart of the event as the guests.
Sparking wine was indeed the start of a glorious evening. complements of Georgia Crown Distributing Co.
And then there were signature bourbon drinks! complements of Four Roses Bourbon and National Distribution Company
I walked into the party.…
to the sounds of the Atlanta Acoustic Jazz Trio… enjoy a bit of a listen!
Atlanta Chefs and Sommeliers Did Not Disappoint!
First Course – Cedar smoked Atlantic salmon with Peekytoe crab, avocado and ossetra caviar and an heirloom tomato glaze.Wine: 2015 Maculan Pinot & Toi, Vento Italy
Second Course – Spice rubbed wild boar tenderloin with blackberry demi glaze, sweet potato bread pudding and mushroom-corn ragout. Wine: 2015 Banfi Col di Sasso Tuscany, Italy. Note: this was my favorite!
Third Course – Organic baby arugula and grilled Georgia peach with Thomasville Tomme cheese, toasted almond crisp and a Meyer lemon-sparkling wine vinaigrette. Wine: Non-vintage Gustave Lorentz Crement d’Alace Rose, France
Fourth Course – Smoked iron flat beef with cranberry mole, butternut squash, pumpkin seed brittle. Wine: 2013 Quinta do Portal Colheita Douro, Portugal 
Fifth Course – Itakuja mousse, 55% dark chocolate double fermentation with passion fruit pulp mousse, mango-peach Jasmine compote, caramelized crispy puff rice and mango-peach caramel sauce. Wine: 2013 Hetszolo Kesoi Szuretelesu, Tokaji Harslevelu, Hungary
Gil Kulers, sommelier from Piedmont Driving Club showed us a unique way to open a bottle of wine ~ with a sword! 
It was an honor to be part of a group of talented food and lifestyle bloggers from the Atlanta Food & Lifestyle Bloggers’ Society, a sponsor of the event, who worked hard to provided social media support for Give Me Five.
Contact With No Kid Hungry
How to Help | Website |Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
September 12, 2017
Really good write-up Toby, you touch on every area that counts! I missed a pic of Atlanta Acoustic Jazz Trio and love you got a video, enjoyed their music. I truly enjoyed this dinner and sharing the experience with you, well that was an added bonus.
September 12, 2017
Thanks Linda for your kind words! It was a special honor to be a part of the social media team. Of course it was made extra special by sharing it with friends, like you (!) at Table 34.