Omnivore - Atlanta’s first local fried chicken fest

Fried chicken. A classic comfort food and Southern staple. Also, a dish that chef Ron Eyester is so fond of, he decided to dedicate an entire day to celebrate its glory. This weekend marks the first annual Mother Clucker Fried Chicken Festival, where Atlanta’s chefs will fire up the fryers to showcase their favorite version of the classic.

Keeping things truly local, North Georgia’s Springer Mountain Farms is donating all of the chicken for the event, and SweetWater is providing beer. And of course there will be Bourbon. Jim Beam will be in the house with the hard stuff.

Weighing in on their favorites will be judges James Oxendine of Atlanta magazine’s Covered Dish, Ashley Hesseltine of Daily Candy and CBS Better Mornings, and Sarah Ann Soffer of Eat.Drink.Repeat. There will also be a People’s Choice element, whereby attendees will be able to cast a vote for their favorite dish.

Participating chefs include: