Bring Your Appetite for Georgia’s Best Bites
Mark your calendars and loosen your belts—the Georgia Food + Wine Festival is rolling back into town March 21-23 at Jim R. Miller Park in Marietta. Three days of award-winning chefs, top-tier wineries, and Southern flavors so rich they could make your grandma weep. VIP events, live music, bourbon tastings, and a Sunday brunch that might just get you to church early to repent? This festival is a love letter to Georgia’s deep-rooted food scene.
But why stop at one weekend? Georgia’s got legendary eats waiting for you year-round.
Georgia on My Plate
Sure, we all know about peaches, but let’s talk about the real staples—the flavors that tell our stories, the dishes that stick to your ribs and feel like home.
Brunswick Stew – Brunswick, Georgia, and Brunswick, Virginia, have been duking it out over this stew for generations, but we’ll claim victory—just ask the 25-gallon iron pot holding court at Mary Ross Waterfront Park. Packed with chicken, pork, or, if you’re feeling real old-school, a little squirrel, this is the kind of stew that settles any argument with the first bite.
Savannah Shrimp – If the Atlantic had a greatest hits album, Georgia shrimp would be the lead track. Fresh off the boat, butter-basted, or simmered in a Lowcountry boil, these briny beauties put cocktail sauce to work.
Boiled Peanuts – Salty, messy, and as Southern as a front porch swing. They call them “mush nuts” when they’ve soaked up enough brine to melt in your mouth. But whether you like ‘em soft or with a little bite, if you haven’t burned your fingers fishing them out of a paper sack from a roadside stand, you’re missing out on Georgia gold. And while we’re on the subject—go ahead and grab an extra bag before the big game on February 9. Nothing says football like a handful of salty peanuts and a cold drink. What kinda drink? Well, a Coca-Cola, of course. That was a Georgia thing before it was an anywhere else thing.
Apple Butter & Fried Apple Pies – North Georgia orchards do apples right—tart, crisp, and ready for the deep fryer. Slather apple butter on a biscuit or go all in with a fried apple pie, crisp on the outside, gooey in the middle, best eaten while watching leaves turn in the fall.
Lemon Pepper Wings – Atlanta’s culinary crown jewel. Zesty, buttery, lemon-peppery beauties that deserve their own state holiday. If you’ve never had them wet (the real way), you’re doing it wrong.
Meat and Three – Once upon a time, you could find these gems all over the state—tucked into downtown Atlanta diners and small-town squares alike. The kind of place where you pick a protein (fried chicken, country ham, or pot roast) and round it out with three sides that feel like a hug from your grandma. Chains have taken their toll, but when you find a good one, you hold onto it like your last piece of cornbread.
In Georgia, we don’t just eat. We gather, we debate whose mama made it best, and we always make room for one more plate at the table. Get your food fix at the Georgia Wine + Food Festival, then set off on a year-round culinary road trip. Because down here, a meal isn’t just food—it’s how we stay connected.
Find more must-try Georgia eats at www.gbj.com/food-drink.
