Tampa and St. Pete’s culinary rivalry is headed back to the ring, but the real opponent is hunger. The ninth annual Tampa Bay Food Fight will bring chefs, tastings, cocktails and fundraising to The Coliseum in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, September 15.
The 6–9 p.m. event will pit Team St. Pete against Team Tampa in a chef showdown, with tickets now on sale through the official event site. Guests can expect food samplings from 30 restaurants, craft cocktails, an open bar, a new dessert deck, a live auction and premium raffles.
Meet The Chefs Battling For Bay bragging Rights
The 2026 lineup includes Nick Ocando of Allelo as Team St. Pete’s captain, alongside chefs connected to Juno and the Peacock, The Tides Market, Brick & Mortar and Black Pearl Dunedin. Team Tampa is being led by Taro Larrea, with chefs from The Sapphire Tampa, Noble Crust, Quiote Tequilaria, Barcelona Wine Bar, Lara and Capponi Culinary listed on the 2026 team page.
The judging panel is set to include celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian and his daughter Anna, as well as Vanessa Marquis and Rene J. Marquis. A few additional participants remain marked as coming soon, leaving room for at least a little last-minute culinary suspense.
Behind the chef theatrics is a serious hunger-relief mission. Tampa Bay 28 reports that Metropolitan Ministries serves meals to 50 food sites across three counties, with Food Fight proceeds supporting the organization’s Hunger Relief Network.
Metropolitan Ministries says it served more than 2.6 million meals over the past year and helped more than 14,000 families through its support centers, according to the nonprofit’s latest impact figures. The organization also says it works with 65 neighborhood partners across Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.
St. Pete Has A Title To Defend
The rivalry has produced plenty of back-and-forth drama: The official event history lists Team St. Pete as the 2025 winner after Team Tampa took the trophy in 2024. This year’s battle will determine which side gets another year of bragging rights — and which chefs have to endure the other team’s victory laps.
The event will be held at The Coliseum, 535 4th Ave. N., in St. Petersburg, from 6 to 9 p.m. on September 15. Tickets, sponsorship information and event details are available through the Food Fight website, and Metropolitan Ministries lists (813) 209-1246 for inquiries.
