Tampa Bay chefs aren't strangers to the Food Network competition circuit.
Jeffrey Jew, who's about to open Lingr on 6th St. in St. Petersburg, was on "Guy's Grocery Games." Rosana Rivera (co-owner of Xilo and Kofe at Tampa Heights' Hall on Franklin) made history when she took down her husband before facing—and then beating Bobby Flay—in the "Must've Been Love" episode of "Beat Bobby Flay" last year.
And last night, Rachel Bennett—a 2019 James Beard award semifinalist and chef at The Library in St. Petersburg—became the latest to appear on the cable network during her appearance on the "Scratch Chef Showdown" episode of Guy Fieri's "Guy's Grocery Games."
Throughout the show four chefs go head-to-head in a grocery store collecting items and cooking dishes for a panel of judges with hopes of winning $20,000.
One of the dishes Bennett finessed was a plate of scallops with purple sweet potato, carrot and corn purée and chard with mushrooms. Although the chef didn't take home the win, she did make it to the final round.
"Competing was so fun and nerve-wracking. But it just goes to show how well you actually can work under pressure. I would totally do it again," Bennett told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
We'll see what's next for the rising star when it comes to television debuts, but until then, you can get a taste of what the chef is cooking up at The Library, located at 600 5th St. S. in St. Petersburg.
UPDATED 2/20/20 1:37 P.M.
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