Everyone's favorite foodie event, Meet The Chefs, was back to kick off the 12th annual Tampa Bay Restaurant Week.

Locals got a unique opportunity to rub elbows with some of the folks behind favorite Tampa Bay area restaurants and menu items! Featuring small plates served by notable Tampa Bay area chefs, each chef offered up an appetizer, soup or salad, entrée, or dessert option. This was a cocktail-style event with a limited number of tickets available.

A portion of proceeds benefited Current Initiatives!

FEATURING:

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 with meyer lemon and 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