Taste Williamsburg Greenpoint

We’ve been talking a lot about tomatoes this month on the socials. The Killer Tomato Festival takes all that juicy, sweet talk and packs it up with an impressive chef line up and a musical act seemingly named for this convergence of nightshade lovers, G.Love and Special Sauce. By impressive we mean 33 local chefs and 4 visiting chefs all making tomato based dishes for you to taste. The food is backed by 20 mixologists from Atlanta’s best bars keeping this whole party well lubricated. The best part of the entire angry tomato theme is that in partnership with Georgia Organics, who’s mission is to connect organic food from Georgia farms to Georgia families, they are helping locals eat better at home instead of just in restaurants. The king pin on the vine for all this is Chef Ford Fry who, besides his Atlanta restaurant dynasty tearing up top 10 lists for years, he has the distinction of Esquire magazine’s Best New Restaurant of the Year. Not shabby on the kitchen chops we’d say. If you’re thirsty for some ‘matos and you’re local or visiting Atlanta, this might be your Sunday move. Sunday, July 15th from 1:00 to 5:00 P.M in Atlanta.

Hey Americano! You may know these as Disco Fries. Just know the best late night cheese fry and brown gravy throwdown you’ve ever had can’t hold a candle to a proper Canadian poutine. It’s all about the curds. Double that up with old town Montreal, one of the prettiest of North American city waterfronts, and you’re two goals to a hat trick. (It’s hockey country. Yes, even in the summer) That third goal can be scored in two ways. The best strip clubs north of the Dade County line (not recommended) or a post poutine cocktail crawl up Boulevard St. Laurent to the Plateau. Whatever your evening entails, be certain The Great Montréal PoutineFest will blow your taste buds into a Nova Scotian Noreaster and prime your belly for an evening of mixologist guided, gastro-debouchery. June 29th – July 3rd in Montreal.

Don’t let the name fool you —  the Phuket Vegetarian Festival may be the most hardcore festival we’ve ever heard of. While veggie-friendly eats do play a role in this firecracker-friendly affair on Thailand’s largest island, this nine-day religious festival is really known for its ceremonies that include acts of self-mutilation and face and body piercing with knives, stakes, and household items by entranced mediums — called mah song — who parade through the city in outfits of white. While these and other rituals like firewalking, bladed ladder climbing, and bathing in hot oil may make you cringe, they demonstrate a belief that the gods will heal any wounds and are part of a larger goal of purification that includes abstinence from sex, alcohol, and meat. But don’t worry — like any good festival, this one doesn’t forget the food, and je, special vegetarian dishes marked by red and yellow signs, is one festival tradition that’s easy to stomach. Although you may encounter a bleeding mah song or two as you chow down, that will be the only surprise — apparently je tastes just like the meat-based classics. October 1-9 in Phuket, Thailand.

We love a good Taste Festival. Next week is Sydney. Some of Australia’s greatest chefs are cooking up some of their most creative and favorite bites for you to snack on while sipping that lil’ something you best have in your other hand. By that we mean BOOZE. This event is jammed with options and, from what we can tell, really well organized. Their list of attractions hits every possible machination from tastings to lounges to learning. Wish we could get down under but hope some of you already are. March 10-13 at Centennial Park.