Epic Chef

For the 8th year in a row, South Tampa’s Epicurean Hotel hosts a series of friendly battles between local chefs, always benefitting a great cause. Epic Chef is a series of local “Chopped”-like culinary competitions that benefit Feeding Tampa Bay, a popular non-profit that aims to end hunger across a 10-county span in Central Florida. The first round happens on of Epic Chef pits Evan Lipman of popular St. Pete restaurant Wild Child against Josue Collado of the Bib Gourmand-winning Rooster & the Till. Each dish—which consists of mystery ingredients picked by a child currently served at a Feeding Tampa Bay Summer Food Service Partner—will be assessed by presentation, creativity and flavor, and a panel of esteemed judges will decide which restaurant goes on to round two of the competition. The second round of this year’s competition pit Noble Rice's Jada Vidal against Bandit Coffee Co.'s Adriana Siller on July 17–the winners of the first and second rounds battle it out at the Epic Chef finale, which happens on Monday, July 24.