Meet the Chefs, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's annual cocktail-style sampling party, returns this summer

Every summer, Creative Loafing hosts Meet the Chefs as a kicking off party for Tampa Bay Restaurant Week, and 2024’s rendition is right around the corner.

A cocktail-style sampling event, guests can indulge in small bites and beverages from a variety of participating restaurants and bars and also get a chance to chat with popular Bay area chefs (when you’re done chewing, of course.)

Meet the Chefs returns to downtown Tampa’s The Vault (611 N Franklin St.) on Thursday, June 6 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

While the entire lineup of participating restaurants, bars and brands have yet to be released, a few local eateries you can expect at Meet the Chefs this year include: Caracara, The Tides Seafood Market, Birch and Vine, Bright Ice, The Brisket Shoppe, Gin Joint, Melting Pot Social, The Brinehouse, Sea Salt and Good Intentions. [event-1] General admission into Meet the Chefs runs for $75, but up upgraded $110 VIP ticket can get you early entry (aka an extra hour of snackin’ and drinkin’).

Meet the Chefs (and Creative Loafing’s annual “Food Issue”) helps kick off Tampa Restaurant Week every summer, which runs from June 13-23 this year.  Dozens of restaurants on both sides of the Bay are participating in festivities by offering an exclusive “Restaurant Week” prix fixe menus and/or cocktail specials.

A portion of proceeds from Meet the Chef ticket sales will benefit Feeding Tampa Bay, a local nonprofit that aims to end hunger across a 10-county region in Central Florida through free grocery distribution, operating its free restaurant Trinity Cafe, disaster relief efforts and more.

Head to meetthechefstampabay.com or give @cltampabay a follow on Instagram for more information on the 2024 installment of Meet the Chefs. Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

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