Ambassador Chef Adam Kirby Wins PNC Competition At Atlanta Food & Wine Fest

From ATL Food & Wine Fest: The seventh annual Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is pleased to announce 2017 South Carolina Ambassador Chef Adam Kirby as this year’s winner of the PNC Best of the Fest competition.

Kirby who is the Executive Chef and Owner of Bistro 217 and Rustic Table in Pawleys Island, SC delighted Festival-goers with shrimp and grits featuring South Carolina Bulls Bay jumbo white shrimp served over iron skillet cream corn grits and Adluh Grits from Columbia, SC. Each ingredient was sourced from South Carolina and North Carolina, including Lee’s Market silver queen corn grown in Aynor, SC and okra and tomato from Inlet Culinary Garden in Murrells Inlet, SC. For the second year, PNC Bank hosted Best of the Fest contest at the AF&WF Tasting Tents where Festival-goers were encouraged to cast their vote for their favorite dishes throughout the South.

PNC was also the presenting sponsor of the Festival’s epic Tasting Tents. “The flavors of a dish are a reflection of our emotions, and the Pawleys Island shrimp and grits were filled with lots of love,” said Chef Adam Kirby. “I’m so pleased that Atlanta Food & Wine Festival attendees enjoyed the dish and that I was able to share a little bit of South Carolina with them.” This year’s Tasting Tents explored Main Street favorites, including bakeries, butcher shops, roadside cuisine, and hand-picked Southern purveyors and featured nearly 80 food vendors from Texas to D.C. offering guests the ultimate all-you-can-eat-drink-and-indulge experience. “We’re thrilled to again partner with PNC to celebrate the best bite from the Festival’s Tasting Tents,” said Festival Co-Founder Dominque Love. “PNC’s Best of the Fest award gives Festival-goers the opportunity to cast their votes for their favorites, which is not an easy task considering the amazing talent participating in the Tasting Tents.

Best of the Fest is also a great way for guests to show their appreciation for the passion and hard work that Tasting Tent participants invest in their dishes.” In addition to receiving the 2017 Best of the Fest title, Adam Kirby will also receive a set of hand-crafted Middleton Made Knives courtesy of PNC Bank. Bistro 217 follows 2016 winner Hattie B’s of Nashville as Best of the Fest.

Image Courtesy of ATL Food & Wine Fest