Tampa's Epicurean Hotel at 1207 S Howard Ave. hosts this exciting event each year, as proceeds and awareness raised will benefit Feeding Tampa Bay—one of the area's largest nonprofits.
“The heat rises in the kitchen as our chefs receive a mystery box of ingredients that are not commonly prepared together, and are challenged to create a unique, aesthetically pleasing, and of course delicious, dish under the pressure of the clock,” the Feeding Tampa Bay’s website states. “As you watch in anticipation, your taste buds will not only be awakened, but your participation will also play a part in something much larger happening in our area...the reality that so many do not know where their next meal will come from.”
There will be three different installations of Epic Chef, which happen on July 18, July 25 and August 1.
The first rendition will pit Cena’s Chef Steven Franco against HEW Parlour & Chophouse’s Chef Steven Capone, the second will feature Rooster & the Till’s Chef Suzanne Crouch competing against The Mill’s Chef Caleb Edwards, as the final event be a staunch battle between Chef Jedd Yudelson of Mise en Place and Chef Luis Quezada of Parkshore Grill.
Although limited-batch tickets to watch the competitions are probably already sold out, all three events will be filmed by the Feeding Tampa Bay and livestreamed on its Youtube channel. You can also watch the livestream inside of the hotel lobby, while indulging in its exclusive short rib appetizer and various types of wine—as those proceeds will benefit Feeding Tampa Bay as well.
Exclusive VIP tickets will be released soon, although it's unsure how much they will cost.
In previous years, Epic Chef was a tournament-style competition in which winners of each round would be pitted against each other, instead of standalone events.
Feeding Tampa Bay states that 1 in 6 adults in the greater Tampa Bay area face food insecurity, in addition to 1 in 4 children going to bed hungry. The nonprofit provides food assistance to families across 10 counties and has a goal of a "hunger-free Tampa by 2025."
There are several sponsors for this year’s Epic Chef, including Coca Cola, Florida Blue and GTE Financial.
For more information on this year’s Epic Chef, visit feedingtampabay.org