Dining and Exploring in DeKalb County
From the heart of downtown Atlanta to the surrounding neighborhoods and counties, every corner of the city offers different culinary experiences to suit every taste. Some of these most unique and diverse experiences take place within the boundaries of DeKalb County, a mantle marked by corridors like the Buford Highway that takes locals and visitors on a culinary journey around the world without ever leaving Georgia.
Discover DeKalb, the marketing organization for DeKalb County, hosted its first Dine and DeKalb event Thursday to showcase that diversity in neighborhoods like Doraville, Chamblee, Tucker, Stone Mountain and Stonecrest. The event was an opportunity to spotlight the county’s businesses and give DeKalb chefs and small business owners a chance to highlight their menu items and promote their businesses.
Among the businesses represented were Kamayan ATL in Doraville, a James Beard Award-winning and Michelin Guide-winning Filipino restaurant, and the Spice & Sky hotel in Chamblee, which features a rooftop bar and restaurant.
Private chef and caterer Tiffinee McGilberry was honored to be invited to the event. McGilberry lives in Stonecrest, owns Especially Yours Cuisine and sells gourmet popcorn at the city’s New Black Wall Street Market.
“It was a great opportunity for me to gain more exposure and expand my network,” McGilberry said.
Sweet Potato Cafe has been serving DeKalb County for 12 years and is located just minutes from Stone Mountain Park. Chef Karen Patton and her husband own the farm-to-table restaurant, offering Southern dishes like creamed cabbage leaves, sweet potato soufflé, sweet potato jam, cornbread and pulled pork.
“It’s nice to have something like this outside of downtown because that’s how people know and see us,” Patton said. “I always feel like the downtown restaurants get the most advertising. I think something like this is really useful because it helps us.”
That sense of appreciation was palpable throughout the event, with organizers and partners emphasizing DeKalb County’s importance to Atlanta’s cultural makeup and how it creates a sense of community through its history, food and attractions.
“I love it,” said Chef Isaac Foster, owner of Isaac’s Gourmet Catering, of the event’s mission. “I think a lot of people don’t realize that Dekalb County has a multicultural diversity of restaurants from all over the world. And it was interesting that we had that in this area.”
Adesola Sokunbi, Food Services and Consulting Manager, is the owner of Dishful Thinking, a catering service specializing in event catering, family meals, meal prep and diet plans. Her Boxes for Better initiative ensures that catering proceeds go to support culinary education for youth in underrepresented communities.
Sokunbi said DeKalb has a special place in her heart.
“Atlanta gets a lot of praise, but you have to understand how big DeKalb County is, how big the surrounding area is and how diverse the food is,” Sokunbi said. “We love our city, but it’s not within the city limits of Atlanta, and so people need to understand that there’s a lot to do outside of the city when you delve into culinary matters.”
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