Some of Tampa Bay’s top restaurants went head-to-head in a bit of friendly competition for the fifth annual Epic Chef Showdown, benefiting Feeding Tampa Bay. Held at the Epicurean Hotel and presented by Florida Blue, the contest ran over seven weeks in July and August. Each week, two competing chefs were presented with a mystery box of ingredients and challenged to incorporate them in creative dishes. The results were judged by a rotating panel that included food writers and bloggers, media personalities like radio host Ian Beckles and WFLA’s Stacie Schaible, and sports figures like Derrick Brooks and Vincent Jackson. The winning chef from each week moved on to the next round, with the winner — Chef Alan Garcia from Parkshore Grill — crowned on August 26. Other participating restaurants included Ichicoro Imoto, Red Mesa, Oxford Exchange, Mise en Place, The Mill, Noble Crust and Rooster and the Till. Guests who attended each round at the Epicurean Theatre received a coursed meal and wine pairings inspired by that night’s competing restaurants and Élevage, the hotel’s signature restaurant. Proceeds benefited Feeding Tampa Bay, which serves more than 700,000 people in a 10-county region. Click through the gallery below to see more photos from the event.
