We all love a fresh bouquet of blooms, cheery decor to brighten a room or to celebrate a special occasion. But what about flowers … as a dinner appetizer?

In early June, we joined Clairemont client Il Palio at the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival where Chef Teddy Diggs dished up surprising regional Italian delicacies. His deep-fried squash blossoms piped with ricotta stole the hearts of the guests — as evidenced by the long lines to his booth! After a long (but fun) day in the sun at the Tasting Tent, we snapped this shot of Chef Teddy Diggs and Anthony Carey, general manager, The Siena Hotel, enjoying the last lone blossom.

Check out some of our other culinary festival adventures here!