Bay area residents don't have to leave their homes for takeout or groceries if they don't want to. Turns out, the same is true of the Epic Chef Showdown, which is hosted annually over seven weeks at Tampa's Epicurean Hotel in SoHo.
Now in its fourth year, the friendly cooking competition is a way for the boutique hotel to help Feeding Tampa Bay end hunger throughout the community. That won't change in 2018. But what is different this time around? The new digital network backed by Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik, The Identity, plans to broadcast Epic Chef live and on-demand.
Some of the region's best restaurants — among them FarmTable Cucina, Mise en Place and On Swann — are slated to face off, two at a time per round, with a box of mystery ingredients and a time limit. Critiqued and scored by the panel of judges, dishes that the Epic Chefs churn out must be one-of-a-kind, aesthetically pleasing and, of course, tasty. The winner then advances to the competition's next culinary challenge.
"Food brings people together — to celebrate friendship, to embrace family tradition, and to share moments that shape who we are," said Thomas Mantz, executive director of Feeding Tampa Bay, in a statement. "Epic Chef Showdown celebrates food in a unique and fun way, and our ongoing partnership with the Epicurean Hotel allows us to bring awareness to the issue of hunger in our community and ultimately give families in the Tampa Bay area the opportunity to reach their full potential because of a meal on their table."
Epic Chef begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday and every Monday thereafter. Locals can catch the real-time action on several devices, including the Android app, Apple TV and the Identity website. An on-demand version of each battle will appear on The Identity's platforms on Tuesdays.
Bonus: Before the kitchen heats up, interviews and special guests kick off the Epic Chef festivities.
