More than 30 food and drink purveyors throughout the region will flock to TPepin's Hospitality Centre at 6 p.m. Sunday, April 12, for the annual Yelper Party gathering. Brett Nehls, Yelp Tampa Bay senior community manager, calls it the group's "little Super Bowl."
"We try to really get mom-and-pop businesses involved," Nehls said.
Mirroring an Epcot experience, last year's around-the-world theme grouped the featured restaurants together based on cuisine, and this time around, the local spots will be segmented by neighborhood.
South Tampa's Piquant and Toffee To Go will showcase their delicacies alongside one another, as Eats American Grill and Taqueria Doña Maria represent their Brandon area headquarters.
Restaurants from neighborhoods such as downtown St. Pete, Clearwater and North Tampa will also be highlighted.
While Genghis Flan provides the evening's jams, Pair O' Dice Brewing Co., Big Top Brewing Company, Time for Wine and others will pour adult beverages.
The free bash is exclusive to the website's users, but regionites who aren't on Yelp may make an account and follow a few RSVP steps to attend. A $10 suggested donation at the door will benefit the Children's Cancer Center, and Nehls said the event plans to raise $5,000 or so.
This article appears in Apr 2-8, 2015.