| (May 31st, 2019 – Tampa, Fla.) – Creative Loafing’s Tampa Bay Restaurant Week is back for its 12th year from Thurs., June 13th, through Sun., June 23rd, with multiple-course prix fixe menus at participating restaurants throughout Tampa Bay. To kick off the annual foodie week, Creative Loafing will host the fifth annual Meet The Chefs on Wed., June 12th, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Vault (611 N. Franklin St. in downtown Tampa). VIP tickets to Meet The Chefs have sold out, and full details of the menu for Meet The Chefs have been announced. Meet The Chefs provides attendees an exclusive opportunity to participate in a meet and greet and sampling opportunity with 16 of the chefs behind favorite local Tampa Bay area restaurants and menu items. Each of the chefs will be sampling a soup, appetizer, main course, or dessert option to make up a small plates, cocktail-style meal. This event sells out every year. Meet The Chefs 2019 will feature: 717 South | Chef Josh Bury Baked Farfalle | bowtie pasta, roma tomato, basil, spicy Italian sausage, marinara, mozzarella, goat cheese Armani’s | Chef Jonathan Wilson Tomato braised beef cheek with Anson Mills white polenta, trumpet mushrooms, parmigiana Ava | Chef John Lister Gnocchi alla Vaccinara | oxtail, pine nuts, currants Boat Run Oyster Co. & SaltBlock Hospitality | Chef Dan Miller Cheese Steak | bulgogi duck, bao bun, gruyere, sesame fried onions Boat Run Select Oyster | pickled ramp chermoula, preserved lemon CW’s Gin Joint | Chef Gui Alinat & Chef Cody Tiner Tete de Moine Rosette with Lavender Honey | scallop crudo, meyer lemon, dried herbs Dr. BBQ | Pitmaster Lee Jasper Burnt End Arepas | ghost pepper jack arepa pan-seared in tallow, topped with burnt ends and a sweet pepper coulis Forbici Modern Italian | Chef Jason Saldutti Pizza Bianca with mortadella, homemade mozzarella, pistachio salt Oak & Ola | Chef Anne Kearney Horseradish dressed crab meat with chilled roasted garnet beets, pickled red onions, herb salad Oxford Exchange | Chef Richard Anderson Nutella Babka | Nutella swirl babka, sweet raspberry cream Red Mesa Restaurant | Chef Chris Fernandez Brisket Barbacoa Tacos | blue corn tortillas, guajillo chile braised beef barbacoa, pickled red onions, chopped cilantro, jalapeno, avocado sauce Rooster & the Till | Chef Ferrell Alvarez Pork Tostada | five spice pork shoulder, tonkatsu sauce, nori kewpie, fermented cucumber and radish Roux | Chef Gary Pyrus Southern Lump Crab Cakes | lump crab cakes served with jalapeño remoulade Steelbach | Chef Nathan Hardin Beef Tartare | grass-fed beef tartare on a puffed Carolina Gold Rice crisp, dotted with preserved lemon emulsion and smoked egg yolk puree, served with housemade katsuobushi – microplaned cured, dehydrated tuna The Black Pearl | Chef Chris Artrip Berry Garcia | bourbon macerated raspberries strawberries and blueberries with preserved lemon curd, vanilla bean chantilly, crisp meringue The Library | Chef Rachel Bennett Benne Cauliflower | crispy cauliflower and garlic, scallions, spices, chile sauce This is a cocktail-style sampling event with a limited number of tickets available. Tickets for Meet The Chefs are on sale now with advance pricing, featuring a $5 savings off door prices. This year, an exclusive VIP-only hour has been added to the event from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. VIP Admission includes early entry for an extra hour of sampling from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. while mixing and mingling with the chefs among an intimate crowd, passed apps and open bar by CW’s Gin Joint during VIP-only hour, a VIP lanyard, small plates by each chef, + more. VIP has officially sold out and limited GA tickets remain. General Admission includes small plates by each chef + more. More information on Tampa Bay Restaurant Week 2019 at tampabayrestaurantweek.com Please use the following hashtag for Restaurant Week digital promotions: #TampaBayRestaurantWeek More information on Meet The Chefs 2019 at meetthechefstampabay.com Please use the following hashtag for Meet The Chefs digital promotions: #MeetTheChefsTampaBay About Creative Loafing Creative Loafing is an award-winning alternative, weekly newspaper and website committed to providing Tampa Bay with an independent perspective, up-to-the-minute local news, and a comprehensive listing of local happenings. Creative Loafing offers readers’ unique monthly events and CL Deals, a locally focused platform featuring dining and event experiences at half-off their regular price. For more information about Creative Loafing, visit cltampa.com and cldeals.com.### |