The fourth annual Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival unveils its final lineup of participating restaurants and chefs, setting the stage for an electrifying finale at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11.

Friday night’s Chef Showdown, hosted by celebrity chef Robert Irvine, has 20 standout chefs in 10 head-to-head culinary battles, alongside the debut of the Milagro Tequila Bartender Showdown. Here are the chef matchups:

• (NEW) Battle Mediterranean: Chef Ahmad Alaraj of The Shawarma King vs. Chef Ryan VanDusen of LUMA at SkyBeach Resort
• (NEW) Battle Steakhouse Sponsored by Halperns’ Steak and Seafood: Chef Tyson Grant of Parkshore Grill vs. Chef Jesse Merrick of Refined Roots
• (NEW) Battle Mystery Box Sponsored by Mr. Greens: Chef Yanick Destine of Bulla Gastro Bar vs. Chef Dion of Olivia
• Battle Pasta: 2025 champion Chef Anthony Santos, Private Chef vs. Chef David Lazer Benstock of Il Ritorno
• Battle Smokehouse (Rematch): 2025 champion Chef Cameron Capri of Q Southern BBQ vs. Chef Bryan Jacobs of The Liberty Smokehouse
• Battle Surf and Turf: 2025 champion Chef Jason Ruhe of Brick & Mortar vs. Chef Nelly Buleje of Timpano
• Battle Seafood: 2025 champion David Reyes, Hail Mary and Uno Mas Taqueriavs. Chef Arturo Lo of Rusty Pelican Tampa
• Battle Truffle Sponsored by Tartufo Prestige: 2025 champion Chef Diego Gonzalez of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa vs. Chef Freddie DiPietro of Power Design
• Battle Burger Sponsored by Halperns’ Steak and Seafood: 2025 champion Chef Jay Narvaez of Cru Cellars (2x Champion) vs. Z Rackausaus of Tampa Burger Company
• Battle Taco: 2025 champion Chef Christopher Yadid Garcia of Tacos Las Californias (3x champion) vs. Chef Mohamad ElBanna of The Birria Bros

New to this year’s experience is the all new Milagro Tequila Bartender Showdown. Four finalists go head to head as guests sip on their cocktails throughout the night and vote on their favorites. The final round of 2 battle on the Publix LIVE Stage, hosted by celebrity chef Chef Beau Mac and judged by Milagro Tequila National Brand Ambassador Stilo Pimentel and Hendrick’s Gin National Brand Ambassador Erik Andersson. The four finalists are:

• Trinity Shapiro, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa 
• Andrew Hall, Timpano Hyde Park
• Dominic Sala, American Social Tampa
• Gaby Bockhaut, Meat Market Tampa

This year, attendees can travel between Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Armature Works and the Tampa Convention Center via a private Pirate Water Taxi shuttle hosted by Michelob ULTRA. Guests must present their festival tickets at any of the official stops in order to board. The route begins at the Tampa Convention Center, running on a continuous loop from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with stops approximately every 15 minutes. The full schedule is as follows, with two festival stops per hour:

• 12:30 PM – Depart Tampa Convention Center
  • 12:45 PM – Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
  • 1:00 PM – Armature Works
  • 1:15 PM – Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
  • 1:30 PM – Arrive Tampa Convention Center
• 1:30 PM – Depart Tampa Convention Center
  • 1:45 PM – Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
  • 2:00 PM – Armature Works
  • 2:15 PM – Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
  • 2:30 PM – Arrive Tampa Convention Center
• 2:30 PM – Depart Tampa Convention Center
  • 2:45 PM – Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
  • 3:00 PM – Armature Works
  • 3:15 PM – Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
  • 3:30 PM – Arrive Tampa Convention Center
• 3:30 PM – Depart Tampa Convention Center
  • 3:45 PM – Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
  • 4:00 PM – Armature Works
  • 4:15 PM – Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
  • 4:30 PM – Arrive Tampa Convention Center

Guests using the water taxi will receive access to the Michelob ULTRA VIP Lounge and a chance to win FIFA World Cup tickets. Promo code, ULTRAWATERTAXI, provides a 10% discount on Grand Tasting tickets. The Michelob ULTRA Lounge includes an exclusive shaded front-row experience at the Publix Live Stage with complimentary Michelob ULTRA and music.

The Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival takes place next week April 7-11. Check out the festival’s website for more info and see the schedule lineup.