Dale DeSena: FACES of Atlanta
Today, meet the woman who cooked up an entire festival to celebrate the Atlanta food scene, Taste of Atlanta organizer and our FACE of Atlanta, Dale DeSena.
Dale DeSena savors the Atlanta food and restaurant scene β¦ so much so, that twelve years ago, she cooked up an entire festival to celebrate it. She developed Taste of AtlantaΒ and it has evolved beyond the typical food festival into a βmust-visitβ destination. Realizing her dream, Dale and her team present Taste of Atlanta as a weekend synopsis of the entire local culinary experience, and we are ALL hungry for another helping!
Festivals are your fortΓ© for sure βΒ from Music Midtown to Atlanta Dogwood and many more. How did you get started in large-scale event planning?
I started my career with a well-known advertising agency, moved into sales with a local business publication and then started a custom publishing firm. My first custom magazine was the Chastain Park Amphitheatre program, which I published for Alex Cooley and Peter Conlon for 12 years. From there they asked me to join their Music Midtown team to sell the sponsorships, create the poster, program and brochure designs, which I did for 10 years.
Over the years, I have worked with more than 10 prominent Atlanta festivals and artistic venues, including Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Atlanta Art Festival and Alliance Theatre, and have loved them all! Continuing this line of work seemed like a logical path that would be both exciting and fulfilling for me.
When did you decide to make food the center of attention and start to generate ideas for Taste of Atlanta?
I have always had a deep passion for food. After being involved with so many different kinds of festivals, I decided I wanted to create a food festival unlike anything Atlanta had ever seen β or tasted β before. My goal was to not only showcase the cityβs growing restaurant scene, but to also educate guests with LIVE cooking demonstrations and seminars, where they could learn cooking tips from professional chefs to recreate in their own kitchens. So, 13 years ago, I made my dream a reality, and weβve been dishing out Taste of Atlanta every year since.
What were the greatest challenges to getting this whole thing up and running?
We have had significant growth over the years, so the greatest challenge has been finding a large enough venue that can grow with us. Weβre thrilled to be back in Midtown at Tech Square again this year! Itβs an incredibly convenient location for Taste of Atlanta β we have phenomenal parking facilities as well as a Marta station just two blocks from the festival.
As youβve watched Taste of Atlanta grow and develop over these dozen years, what has most surprised you?
I have been surprised by how the restaurants, chefs, my staff and I continue to have a fantastic time planning Taste βΒ even after all these years! We all love coming up with fresh, new programming ideas each year to make sure we continue to produce Atlantaβs premier food festival. It was also a huge thrill to be named by Oprah magazine as a βTop Festival Worth the Trip.β
Which part of the festival planning do you most anticipate each year?Β
Developing successful marketing strategies with all of our partners βΒ including restaurants, traditional media, social media and sponsors βΒ is always one of my favorite parts of the planning process. Most of our partners sign on again each year because we customize each agreement. In fact, Coca-Cola has been with us for all 12 years and counting! I am so appreciative for all the help and support we receive from the entire Atlanta community. Taste is proud to create win/win relationships.
Producing a food festival of this magnitude and caliber gives you a special relationship with the Atlanta restaurant community.Β What changes have you noticed shaking up the scene?
The foundation of Taste of Atlanta has always been to βturn our tasters into diners,β and I have had the pleasure of watching many entrepreneurial chefs open their own restaurants. The Atlanta dining scene has transformed so much over the past decade β more chef driven restaurants, more patios, more local fresh products and more ambitious menu items. I am so honored to be a part of the Atlanta restaurant community and to play a role in helping to establish the city as the food capital of the South.
Who do you consider to be your mentor(s) and whatβs the best advice youβve received?
I have had several mentors over the years. Claudia Patton taught me early on to hold my head high and persevere as a female business owner. Alex Cooley and Peter Conlon told me to dream big, and I truly believe that you can create the empire of your choice! Β I live by two pieces of advice. The first is to be a friend-raiser. People do business with people they enjoy, and I love meeting new people and working with team of smart enthusiastic people. Second, if you do what youβve always done, then youβll get what youβve always gotten. I thrive on creating new ideas and new experiences β keeping it fresh helps to keep it interesting!
Tell us how you start your day and your tips for multi-tasking to make deadlines.
I am on morning carpool duty bright and early! This is an exciting part of my day when I get to hear what the kids are thinking. I like to think I am a cool mom.Β To keep organized, I am the queen of list-making. My life is made up of many lists, and I try to delegate my tasks. When I do, thatβs a great feeling.
So, are you a big at-home chef, or do you eat out most of the time?Β
Lucky me, my family prefers to eat at home. I guess they like my cooking! Our favorites are recipes off the grill and Italian and Jewish meals. My motto is to keep it simple, seasonal and flavorful. As for me, I enjoy eating out with no clean up. I am always searching for the best crab cakes. Yum!
Whatβs the most exotic/adventurous food youβve ever tried?
In 2007, I convinced Food Network to let me help create the Iron Chef America Atlanta Challenge. Four Atlanta chefs competed and Linton Hopkins won. He then got to compete against Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto in New York. The night before the competition, I went to dinner with Linton and his sous chefs at WD β 50. What an experience! I canβt tell you what I ate, but it was the most exotic meal I have ever had!
Obviously, youβve got this whole party-planning thing down, but Iβm guessing thereβve been some bombs to diffuse.
Whatβs the biggest entertaining disaster youβve ever had to handle?
When planning big events, you have to be prepared for everything. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the week of Taste of Atlanta. We triple-bolted the tents to the Lenox parking lots in preparation for the huge wind gusts. The storms came, but the weather gods must have been smiling on us β when our gates opened that Friday night, we had blue skies and sunshine!
How do you relax? What would we find you doing in your downtime and where are your favorite hang-outs?Β
I relax by reading anything I can get my hands on, especially magazines. My husband calls me a magazine-aholic. For me, true bliss is traveling to a white, sandy beach with a pile of magazines and sipping amazing cocktails. My favorite hangouts are casual spots that serve seafood and cold adult beverages.
If you could have a dinner party and include anyoneβliving or deadβwho would you invite?
I would love to have dinner one more time with my dad, my Nana (who are both in heaven) and my immediate family. Many great memories are from the family dinner table.
Other than faith, family, and friends, what are three things you couldnβt live without?
Thatβs an easy one:
- My iPhone
- The beach and β¦
- Diet Coke
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Thanks for chatting with us, Dale. Donβt miss your opportunity to sample the fruits of her labor at Taste of Atlanta October 25th-27th down at Tech Square. Get your tickets online at tasteofatlanta.com or at a variety of local retailers, including Whole Foods Market.
Our vibrant shots of Dale come courtesy of CatMax Photography. Thanks, Cat!
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