HOST FORD FRY IS READY TO MAKE YOU THE PERFECT BURGER

With over 30 years of culinary experience, 27 restaurants, and an acclaimed cookbook, Ford Fry is more than a chef.

Fry, 57, is the CEO Rocket Farm Restaurants. He's a five-time James Beard semifinalist, winner of the Georgia Restaurant Association’s 2013 GRACE Award for Restaurateur of the Year, and has earned a Michelin recommendation. Fry has worked for celebrities like Justin Bieber and, as a Texas native, has solidified his name in the Tex-Mex cooking game.

Since settling in Atlanta, he's grown his empire of fine dining restaurants and become a fixture of the community. In just a few weeks, Ford Fry will bring his expert palate and cooking expertise to Atlanta Food & Wine Festival presented by Invesco QQQ.

We caught up with him to chat about his cooking practices and what inspires him:

Q:  What inspired your love of cooking, and what continues to inspire you today?

Fry: Traveling and eating all over the world inspired my love of food... The love for cooking just came along for the ride! Amazing experiences (food and all) keep me inspired.

Q: What values guide your culinary practices?

Fry: Less is more (for sure). Compose a dish of 3 to 4 components perfectly executed vs 5 to 6 not so perfectly executed.

Q: Is there one ingredient you always keep in your kitchen or find yourself cooking with?

Fry: Since I enjoy cooking Mexican a lot… Chicken powder sneaks its way into a lot of things! :-) (Caldo de Pollo)

Q: Atlanta has become one of the country's most exciting food cities. What do you think makes its culinary scene so special?

Fry: The Atlanta culinary scene does have a lot of Southern roots... So, no matter what cuisine, you will always find that Southern “love” in the food.

Q: What are you most excited about for this year’s Atlanta Food & Wine Festival?

Fry: BURGERS!!!!!

Q: What does serving as Host Chef for Stacked: The Burger Social event mean to you?

Fry: It means we will have the best burgers in Atlanta representing!

‍

Visit and meet chef Ford Fry on Saturday, September 12 for a taste of the talent as he hosts Stacked: The Burger Social presented by Mike’s Amazing, a walk-around tasting at the Home Depot Backyard where chefs will put their spin on America’s favorite handheld bite. GET TICKETS!