Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival announces Chef Showdown matchups

Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival has announced the chef duel matchups for its “Chef Showdown,” presented by Irvine Spirits, and the first-ever “Breaking Bread with Heroes” breakfast, both hosted by celebrity chef, Robert Irvine.

This year’s participating restaurants, and competition lineup, will include the reigning champions from last year (listed first) versus new competitors:

Battle Burger: Chef Tyson Grant of Parkshore Grill vs Chef Jay Narvaez of Cru Cellars

Battle Seafood: Chef Manuel Arevalo of Rusty Pelican vs Chef Jon Walker of The Tides Seafood Market

Battle Fried Chicken: Chef Joe Dodd of King of the Coop vs Chef Cheyanne Misurelli of Sugar Wing

Battle Tacos: Chef Christopher Yadid Garcia of Tacos Las Californias vs Chef Dernier Buleje of The Dan at Hotel Flor

Battle Truffle: Chef Matthew Zappoli of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa vs Chef Paul Morrison of Ponte

Battle Sushi: Chef David Reyes of Haiku vs Chef Mike Morales of Sunda New Asian

Battle Pasta: Chef Ricardo Nava vs Chef Anthony Pellicone of DeVito’s Italian Specialties

The event, which runs from April 9 to April 13, in downtown Tampa, is brought to Tampa by Breakthru Beverage, the exclusive wine and spirits provider of the festival, presented by Goya Foods and hosted by Publix and the Hillsborough County commissioners.

You May Also Like
Tampa steakhouse plans to open on St. Pete Beach

Malio’s Prime Steakhouse, a Tampa steak and seafood restaurant, has announced plans to open a location on St. Pete Beach. The new location, at 4945 Gulf Blvd., is expected to

Read More
Malios-tampa
Exclusive Honig Wine Dinner at Tampa’s Mise en Place Showcases Premium Pairings

Wine enthusiasts in Tampa are in for a rare treat as Mise en Place hosts an exclusive, Honig Wine Dinner on Nov. 7, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. This

Read More
Hooters to open Wesley Chapel location

HMC Hospitality Group has signed a lease for a new Hooters restaurant, in Wesley Chapel. The establishment will be located at 25245 Wesley Chapel Boulevard, in Lutz, adjacent to the

Read More
Fresh Kitchen to open location near USF

Fresh Kitchen will celebrate the grand opening of its 16th location, near the University of South Florida. The new location, at 11802 Bruce B Downs Blvd., in Tampa, opens Nov.

Read More
Other Posts
Visit Tampa Bay brings local art to global stage as sponsor of London Art Fair

Tampa Bay’s artistic talent will take center stage at the 2025 London Art Fair, with Visit Tampa Bay serving as the event’s exclusive, Destination Sponsor. Local artist Ya La’ford will

Read More
visit-tampabay-london
Marina Pointe tower reaches sold-out status with $3.1 million penthouse

Marina Pointe, a luxury condominium development in Tampa Bay, has sold out all units in its first residential tower, with the final sale of a 3,300-square-foot penthouse, closing at $3.1

Read More
How Bianca Burrows expanded her art scene in a unique way 

Custom art is one of those luxuries, sometimes small and sometimes large, but always meaningful. BB Art’s custom, handmade bottles are often described as “the gift for the person who has

Read More
bianca-burrows-art
Bake More Pies adds industry veteran as chief marketing officer

Bake More Pies, a Tampa-based digital marketing agency, has appointed David Capece as its chief marketing officer. According to a statement, the move is part of the agency’s effort to

Read More