They come from all over the nation’s lower eleven, these artisans of the carefully prepped table, each a nominee or honoree of the James Beard Foundation’s most revered awards.

There’s Edward Lee from Magnolia in Louisville, Andrea Reusling from Lantern in Chapel Hill and Ashley Christensen from Poole’s and Beasley’s and Chuck’s in Raleigh.  They number about 20 in all, hailing from Oxford and Memphis, Chattanooga and Charlotte, Nashville and Birmingham, each plucked from the favored cities of the South.

They arrive at an outdoor site in the west end of Atlanta where two kitchens await on either side of a bridge.  Two former slaughterhouses, once home to White and Star Provisions, form latter-day, mixed use bookends.  At the center is a long table parallel to the railroad tracks, soon to be the site of a much-coveted fete.

“About 175 people come for supper,” says Chef Annie Quatrano, organizer of Sunday Supper South.  “The menu is extremely varied – each chef prepares a family-style dish.”

There’ll be 17 plates, each feeding ten people.  It’s a meal designed to create camaraderie among those who cook, with miminal stress.  “From a chef’s perspective, it’s not a difficult event,” she says.

But from the diners’ point of view, it’s really something quite special.  “It’s a pretty hot ticket,” she says.  “It usually sells out within two weeks.”

This year’s event begins with hors d’oeuvres on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 5:30 PM, then moves to a seated dinner at 7:00, all taking place at Westside Provisions District.

For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/SundaySupperSouth

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