‘Food That Rocks’ Makes Positive Pivot

With the current inability to gather crowds, this year’s Sandy Springs Food That Rocks festival stood in ready position for the past few months to make the decision on the best healthy and productive way to proceed. Dale DeSena, Food That Rocks promoter and 2020 Taste of Atlanta founder, took the high road and found a way to help the neighborhood establishments that are also navigating uncertain waters.

The festival was originally slated for May 2 with expanded space at City Springs featuring restaurants, live music and libations for adults. About 1,740 adults attended last year with 28 food vendors, not including the beverages.

For the past four years, Food That Rocks has hosted the premier food event in Sandy Springs, created to celebrate the area’s varied and more-than-burgeoning dining scene of local restaurants.

Get The AJT Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

While not able to host the official event in 2020 in the traditional format, Food That Rocks was determined to continue to salute and support the restaurant community by encouraging guests to dine out at their favorite neighborhood spots and cast votes for favorite dishes for a chance to win special prizes and gift cards.

Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop: Granny’s Apple

Beginning Saturday, July 4 through Friday, July 10, “A Salute to Sandy Springs” restaurant promotion will take place with a week-long campaign dedicated to celebrating and supporting favorite Sandy Springs restaurants, chefs and dishes.   DeSena said, “We will have seven days and seven nights of the best food, wine, beer and cocktails from more than 30 of Sandy Springs’ favorite restaurants, each whipping up week-long signature dishes and specials with 100 percent of revenue going directly to the restaurants.”

How it will work:

During the week-long promotion, foodies will be encouraged to feast (via dine-in, delivery or to- go) on participating restaurants’ designated “Salute to Sandy Springs” menu items. Festival dishes will be noted on each restaurants’ menus and available to view at www.foodthatrocks.org.

Diners are then encouraged to cast a vote for their favorite menu items, and to show extra love and support for their favorite Sandy Springs restaurants and dishes with photos on social media at #FoodThatRocksATL and @FoodThatRocksATL.

Winners from all who post and tag will be chosen at random to receive gift cards and culinary prizes. “Best Of” winners will be announced July 17.

Thos. O’Reilly’s Public House salad

2020 participating restaurants include:

Thos. O’Reilly’s Public House

Dublin Down Burger

Grilled ribeye sandwich

Tomato, Red Onion & Cucumber Salad

Hammocks Trading Co. and Under the Cork Tree

BBQ oysters

Salmon: roasted in banana leaves and served with mango-habanero pepper sauce (sample)

Lobster Roll

Nothing Bundt Cakes: Stars and Stripes

Nothing Bundt Cakes: Cupcake

Nothing Bundt Cakes

10-inch decorated Bundt cake: serves 18 people

8-inch decorated Bundt cake: serves 8 people

Bite-sized Bundt cakes by the dozen

Henri’s Bakery

Roast Beef Sandwich

Shortbread cookie

Henri’s: Shortbread cookie

Henri’s: Roast Beef sandwich

Casi Cielo

Fiambre Bowl (sample) Served with a choice of protein or cauliflower, rice, black beans, sweet plantain, onions toreados, cilantro, guacamole and hot sauce on the side.

Casi Cielo: Fiambre Bowl (sample)

Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop

I-40 pecan pie with chocolate chips and coconut shreds in a shortbread crust

Cloud 9 [pie ala mode]

Granny’s Apple

Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop: Granny’s Apple

Participants still coming on board including:

Southern Bistro

Bishoku

Subzero Nitrogen Ice Cream

Huey Luey’s

Clean Juice

City Barbecue

Crab404

Subway

The Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Boruboru

LemonShark Poke

Hudson Grille

Hearth Pizza

This year, Food That Rocks will help feed frontline Sandy Springs healthcare workers at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Northside Hospital and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

To donate directly and for more information on the event, visit www.FoodThatRocks.org. To stay tuned for the latest updates, follow along on social media via Facebook @foodthatrocksatl, Instagram @foodthatrocksatl, or Twitter @ssfoodthatrocks.