America’s most beloved obsession of late is food. Luckily, the Bay area has all manner of great restaurants for taste enthusiasts, not to mention a respectable lineup of food fests, the most recent being the Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival. Last year, the inaugural event raised $262,000 for the Abilities Foundation; this year, the fest fundraiser returns to its beach location and offers plenty of delectable diversions.
An “OSI Party for the Senses” event at Mahaffey Theater features a collection of outdoor villas set up to arouse the five senses, from a massage spa to an oxygen bar to a visual arts gallery to temporary cafés spotlighting tastes by five Outback Steakhouse International restaurants. The fun continues inside the theater with a concert featuring Brazilian music stars Simone and Sergio Mendes.
During Friday evening’s Titanium Chef Competition, two chefs face off in an Iron Chef-style culinary duel with surprise ingredients; a guest panel of judges — including The Sopranos actress and foodie Lorraine Bracco — sample each resulting dish to determine the winner, with the fourth guest judge to be determined by a live auction that precedes the throwdown. Comedian/Studio 10 host Tim Wilkins serves as commentator.
The Grand Tasting Village and its accompanying seminars take place right on the beach on Saturday. The area’s best restaurateurs, suppliers and purveyors of food and wine set up tasting booths down the stretch of sand, and seminar topics include “Party Like a Rock Star,” “Taste Wine Like a Master Sommelier” and “Rubb Me Down.”
The festival reaches its climax at the VIP Black-Tie Gala & Auction later that evening. For a hefty ticket price of $300, guests enjoy a spirited live auction, premium wines and a six-course feast created via collaborations between local culinary legends and a mystery cast of celeb chefs. Afterward, guests are invited to attend the Bubble Bash (included in the ticket price) and enjoy hand-dipped chocolates, art-form cakes, hand-rolled cigars, cognac and champagne.
Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival, May 15-17: OSI Party 6 p.m., concert 8:30 p.m. Thurs., Mahaffey Theater, 400 First St. S., St. Petersburg, $125 per person VIP, $35-$50 concert only; Titanium Chef Challenge 6-7 p.m. reception, 7-9 p.m. competition Fri., Don CeSar Beach Hotel Grande Ballroom, 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, $75 per person; Grand Tasting and Seminars noon-4 p.m. Sat., the beach at the Don CeSar, $75 per person; and Gala and Auction 6 p.m., Bubble Bash 10 p.m.-1 a.m., Don CeSar Beach Hotel Grande Ballroom, $300 all-inclusive/$50 bash only. For more info, call 866-630-5615 or visit unleashyourpalate.com.
This article appears in May 14-20, 2008.
