The inaugural Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival, brought to you by Breakthru Beverage and presented by GOYA Foods, is officially starting Wednesday, April 12th with demonstrations of culinary greatness and first-class entertainment. One major highlight of the festival is the riveting Chef Showdown, where some of the region’s top chefs will battle it out on Friday, April 14th.
This year’s participating restaurants and competition lineup will include:
- Battle Burger presented by Halperns Steak and Seafood: Chef Freddy Figuera of American Social vs Chef Tyson Grant of Parkshore Grill
- Battle Seafood: Chef Manuel Arevalo of Rusty Pelican vs Chef Eric Bach of Bouzy
- Battle Fried Chicken: Chef Joe Dodd of King of the Coop vs Chef Richard Hales of Hales Blackbrick
- Battle Tacos presented by Brickstreet Farms: Chef Chris Fernandez of Red Mesa Cantina vs Chef Christopher Yadid Garcia of Tacos Las Californias
- Battle Truffle presented by Tartufo Prestige: Chef Josh Werksman of The Tampa Edition vs Chef Matthew Zappoli of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa
- Battle Sushi presented by Brickstreet Farms: Chef Martin Hernandez of Kelp Sushi Joint vs Chef David Reyes of Haiku
- Battle Pasta: Chef Antonio Casamento of Beccofino vs Chef Ricardo Nava of Cru Cellars
The four-day foodie extravaganza culminates with the “Grand Tasting” event on Saturday, April 15th, where Tampa Bay’s most notable chefs and celebrated restaurants will be showcased. Ticketed guests will be treated to flavorful items created by some of the region’s top dining establishments, which have been confirmed and are as follows: Allelo, American Social, Authentic Jerk Chicken, Azure at EDITION, Brickstreet Farms, Counter Culture, Datz, DeVito’s Italian Specialties, Forbici Modern Italian, Gather TPA, Haiku, Hales Blackbrick Chinese, King of the Coop, Kona Grill, M&R Café, Mata’s Philippine Cuisine, Meat Market, Oddfellows Ice Cream, Oxford Exchange, Palazzo Pizza, Predalina, Red Mesa Cantina, Rusty Pelican, Splitsville Southern + Social, Tacos Las Californias, Tanya & Matt’s Ice Cream Shop, The Battery, The C House, The Liberty Smokehouse, The Library, and Soulfull Biscuit.
“Our goal with the inaugural Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival is to serve as a platform that amplifies and connects notable figures and top brands of the region’s hospitality industry with excited fans to shine a light on the incredible culinary talents that are booming throughout the Tampa Bay area,” says Valerie Roy, Director of Marketing and Client Strategy at CI Management, producers of Tampa Bay WFF. “By bringing the best of the area’s local and national culinary talent with the help of nationally recognized brands to one place for all to enjoy, we are making that happen for the community to engage and experience what the destination has to offer. Guests can expect four days packed with thrilling culinary experiences and a variety of cuisines that will leave them looking forward to next year!”
For more information and to purchase tickets to the inaugural Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival, please visit tampabaywff.com. Follow along on Instagram at @tampabaywff and on Facebook at @tampabaywff.
