The Atlanta Foodcast: A Food Podcast

In Partnership with Georgia Organics and Peachdish

This is a really fun one here on The Atlanta Foodcast. As you may have watched this past season of Top Chef, Kelsey Barnard Clark took the show by storm and the hearts of viewers across the country.

Kelsey was in town this past weekend for a slew of events and one of them happened to be a Saturday Brunch, Cocktails & Conversations, (by the Cast Iron & Collards Society) at King & Duke. Kelsey partnered with local Levity Farms and Chefs Damon Wise and Thomas Davis from Ford Fry’s team at the restaurant.

Kelsey and I sat down for a LIVE episode of the podcast in front of the brunch’s guests, which is what you’ll hear for this episode. Her story is wonderful and you’ll get to catch some of the Q&A from the crowd as well.

Other great aspects of the event:

Bloody Marys from Cathead Vodka and Sister’s Sauce Bloody Mary Mix

All dishes served on beautiful and elegant pottery/dinnerware from East Fork — based in Asheville, NC

This week, we sit down with one of the most well-known restaurateurs in the city behind one of the most dined-in restaurants on the east side of town -- none other than Tom Murphy of Murphy's in Virginia-Highland.

His restaurant has defined dining in one of Atlanta's coziest neighborhoods (especially through Brunch), housed multiple chefs who have made waves throughout the city, and continues to stay on the top of dining culture for ATLiens.

So, here's Tom's story.

So, here’s a story you may not think to seek out, nor would you expect such a story to come from two individuals in charge of a major aspect of development in Atlanta’s Summerhill neighborhood. Meet Jack and David from Carter.

Now, I know what you’re thinking and believe me — the real estate side of things is not always of the foremost thought if you’re a diner in this city. However, Summerhill is slowly becoming the next darling neighborhood of Atlanta and the guys at Carter play a major role in what is happening on Georgia Ave. So, I wanted to hear their stories and also have them give me the full picture of what is happening in the neighborhood, some history behind everything, and what’s coming in the near future.

Friends, meet Sean Palani. This guy is just someone I absolutely love. He defines what it means to be friendly and outgoing and he’s the best kind of frontman you’d want for any restaurant.

Sean and I met earlier this summer and I learned a lot more about him. He hosts a Monday dinner gathering once a month where he invites guys from around the city to come and meet one another over a meal — all while supporting a local organization or non-profit. This monthly gathering is called the Atlanta Guys Dinner Group and Sean is the perfect host.

We caught up at Ponce City Market so I could hear more of his story and have him give me the rundown on how his group works, the organizations he’s working to support, and how to get involved.

If you’ve lived in Atlanta for most of your life ….or even just a few days, you’re more than likely going to walk through the front door of Ford Fry’s restaurants at one point for another. Since ’07, JCT has been serving incredible southern cuisine on the westside, The Optimist helped define oysters for Atlanta dining, true Tex Mex from Superica (Just found out we should all be pronouncing it Super-REE-cuh, friends), the burger from Marcel, pasta and ping pong at No. 246, and many, many more.

Suffice is to say, this gentleman has helped to define much of what it means to be an eater here in Atlanta. As his restaurant footprint has grown to other southern cities, he has his team continue to support local farmers and growers, amazing organizations like Georgia Organics, and much more.

Ford and I caught up at King & Duke in Buckhead for this interview. His story, if you don’t know it, is really awesome you’ll learn a ton about how each restaurant has come to be.