Which Taste of Atlanta chef should have a Midtown street-pole banner?

After celebrating ten delicious years of culinary accomplishment, Taste of Atlanta is gearing up to begin its second decade of bringing together the city’s best restaurants for a weekend of fun and fare. One of Atlanta’s premier foodie events returns to Midtown's Tech Square on Friday, Oct. 5 through Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012.

Taste of Atlanta will again kick off this year with the "Big Grill, A Salute To Atlanta Chefs" on Friday evening and feature a diverse selection of the finest culinary treats. Foodies will love getting in on the action as the festival continues on Saturday and Sunday, serving up plenty of palate-pleasing seminars, demonstrations and participatory activities

More than 80 of Atlanta’s hottest, newest and tastiest restaurants have already signed on to participate in this year’s Taste of Atlanta. From city classics such as The Big Ketch and Café at Pharr to notable newcomers including Ocean Prime, Fig Jam Restaurant & Bar and The Optimist, this year’s festival will once again highlight the city’s culinary diversity and prominence.

Want your favorite chef to have a “banner” month with their face on a Taste of Atlanta street-pole banner flying high in Midtown?

Head over here and cast your vote among the chefs including Adam Evans (The Optimist), Wayne Rheinlander (West Egg Café) and Constanzo Astarita (Baraonda).

Festival-goers will be able to satisfy their palates with just about any type of cuisine imaginable – whether craving BBQ from Jim N Nicks, tacos from Tin Lizzy’s Cantina, or something a bit more out of the ordinary such as chicken tikka masala from Bhojanic, there’s a taste of something for everyone. Not only will there be plenty of cuisines to enjoy from around the world, but restaurants from all around Atlanta will be serving up their signature fare. Atlantans can explore the tastes of Decatur with no. 246; Sandy Springs with Double Zero; Buckhead with Davio’s Nothern Italian Steakhouse; Midtown with Takorea; Marietta with Seed Kitchen & Bar; and more all in the expanse of six blocks at Tech Square.

"Every year I look forward to being a part of Taste of Atlanta,’’ Jennifer Johnson, West Egg Café general muir, said in a release. "It's a great opportunity to interact with Atlanta's food lovers and network with other restaurants.  It gives us a chance to connect with existing fans of West Egg and to personally introduce the restaurant to new customers. Hearing someone weeks later saying that they came into the restaurant because they tried us for the first time at Taste of Atlanta is really rewarding."   

Participating restaurants include:

• 4th & Swift
• 5 Seasons Westside
• Another Broken Egg
• Baraonda
• Barrelhouse
• Bhojanic
• BrickTop’s
• Briza
• C & S Seafood and Oyster Bar
• Café Intermezzo
• Café at Pharr
• Crawfish Shack Seafood
• Cucina Asellina
• Davios’s Northern Italian Steakhouse
• D.B.A. Barbecue
• Delia’s Chicken Sausage Stand
• Desta Ethiopian Kitchen
• Double Zero
• Ecco
• eleven at Loews Atlanta Hotel
• Fig Jam Restaurant & Bar
• FIGO
• Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q
• Frank Ski’s Restaurant and Lounge
• Genki Noodles and Sushi
• Gilbert’s Café & Bar
• Gordon Biersch
• Harry & Son’s
• High Road Craft Ice Cream
• Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern
• Iberian Pig
• Inc. Street Food
• JCT. Kitchen & Bar
• Jim N Nicks Bar-B-Q
• Johnny Rockets
• Kaleidoscope Bistro and Pub
• Legal Sea Foods
• Little Alley Steak
• Local Three
• L’Thai Organic
• Max Lager’s
• Meehan’s Public House
• Milton’s Cuisine and Cocktails
• no. 246
• Ocean Prime
• Park 75 Restaurant
• Rathbun’s
• Ray’s in the City
• Ray’s Killer Creek
• Ray’s on the River
• Ri Ra Irish Pub
• Salt Factory Pub
• Seed Kitchen & Bar
• STK
• Sugo
• SunO
• Surin of Thailand
• Taco Mac
• Takorea
• The Atlanta Grill at the Ritz-Carlton
• The Big Ketch
• The General Muir
• The Graveyard Tavern
• The Melting Pot
• The Optimist
• The Shed at Glenwood
• Tin Lizzy’s Cantina
• Umma Food Inc.
• Waffle House
• West Egg Café
• White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails
• Willy’s Mexicana Grill
• Woody’s Cheesesteaks

WHAT: 11th Annual Taste of Atlanta

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 5 – Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012

TIME: 7:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m., Friday’s Big Grill Block Party

VIP Entry begins at 6:30 p.m.

11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Saturday & Sunday

The VIP Experience is held 12:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

WHERE: Tech Square

The street festival will span eight acres and 10 city blocks in Midtown, including Spring Street and 5th Street.

COST: General admission: $25 in advance, $35 at event

Includes 10 taste coupons. Additional taste coupons are $1 each.

VIP tickets: $75 in advance, $85 at the event

Includes 15 taste coupons and entry into Wine+Beer+Cocktail Experience

- Taste of Atlanta contributed to this story