Epicurean Hotel Hosts 5th Annual Epic Chef Showdown

TAMPA, FL — The Epicurean Hotel is hosting the fifth annual Epic Chef Showdown to benefit Feeding Tampa Bay, the area’s largest food rescue and distribution organization.

The Epic Chef Showdown is a seven-week competition pitting eight of the Tampa Bay area’s top restaurants against each other in a friendly cooking competition judged by a panel of local celebrities and notable food writers. Each week, two competing chefs receive a mystery box of ingredients not commonly prepared together, and are challenged to create two unique dishes under the pressure of the clock. When time is up, each dish is judged and one restaurant eliminated, with the winner moving on to the next round.

The first competitions in the showdown were July 15 and 22. The event continues July 29 and Aug. 4, with semi-finals taking placing Aug. 12 and 19 and the finale occurring Aug. 26.

Participating local restaurants include Ichicoro Imoto, The Mill, Mise en Place, Noble Crust, Oxford Exchange, Parkshore Grill, Red Mesa and Rooster & the Till.

Each week, the event is hosted by Chef Jeff Philbin of “MasterChef” TV fame. Judges will rotate each week and include personalities ranging from former Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Vincent Jackson and Sheriff Chad Chronister to local on-air media talent including WFLA’s Stacie Schaible and Ian Beckles from WDAE sports radio.

“We’re very proud that this amazing event is now in its fifth year and that each year we’ve been able to expand it to better showcase our incredible partner, Feeding Tampa Bay, and support their mission of bringing awareness to the hunger issues in our community,” said Kevin Scott, general manager of the Epicurean Hotel.

“Now into our fifth anniversary of Epic Chef Showdown, we couldn’t be more thrilled with the meaningful relationships and conversations the event has created around the mission of hunger relief,” said Thomas Mantz, president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay. “Each and every one of us has a connection to food in some way, whether it be a favorite childhood memory, a time when your family pauses from the daily hustle and bustle, or – in the case of our amazing chefs – an art that you share with others. There are many reasons to celebrate food and the very life it gives us all. With the vision of a hunger-free Tampa Bay, we aim to create these memories and moments for hundreds of thousands of families across the Tampa Bay region.”

Epic Chef Showdown events take place inside the Epicurean Hotel’s Epicurean Theatre from 6:30 to 9 p.m. A limited number of tickets to the public are available for $250 for a pair of two (finale is $350 for two), which includes a coursed meal with wine pairings, inspired by the participating restaurants and Élevage.

Those without tickets can watch from the lobby area, where the event is shown on big-screen TVs.

In addition, Epic Chef Showdown is streamed live through The Identity Tampa Bay’s channel and mobile app.

Click here for tickets.