Boca Raton’s Favorite Community Football Night Returns Brimming with Fan-Loving “Food, Fun and Fundraising” Wednesday, November 14

The Fourth Annual Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl
Great Chefs Tailgate Showcase & College Spirit Night
To “Serve Up” Creative Tailgate-Inspired Originals Presented by 20+ Area Chefs and Mixologists

The competition is already heating up for “what’s cooking” at the fourth annual Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl Great Chefs Tailgate Showcase & College Football Spirit Night set for Wednesday, November 14 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel, 2000 N.W. 19th St., Boca Raton, FL. That is when the area’s top restaurant, country club, hotel, cooking school and celebrity chefs and mixologists will once again ‘bring on’ their culinary and cocktail A-game to rally Bowl fans and raise funds to support Spirit of Giving’s annual year-end holiday gift drive.

2018 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl Great Chefs Tailgate Showcase Culinary Stars

The high-spirited, one-of-a-kind fundraising event offers an opportunity for area residents and businesses to network and join in on all of the fun pre-Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl countdown festivities. For this popular laid-back, casual networking and pride-rallying event, guests are encouraged to come out wearing their alma mater or favorite college team’s colors and jerseys. They will get to mix and mingle with other fellow college football fans and community partners, along with ESPN on-air personalities who will be on site and broadcasting live.

Executive Chef William Middleton, Oceans 234; Chef Michael Walters, Publix Aprons Cooking School; Resident Chef Richard Wilson, Publix Aprons Cooking School; General Manager Chris Picotte, The Melting Pot; Executive Sous Chef Christopher Ramirez, True Food Kitchen

As one of the lead-in events for the Fifth Annual Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl, the Great Chefs Tailgate Showcase takes a “Chef vs. Chef” approach in a friendly competition. The culinary masters aim to please the palates of event-goers with their signature twists on tailgate classics ranging from sides and entrees to beverages and desserts. Each chef presents their culinary creation to a panel of expert foodie media, personalities and bloggers while guests as well get to cast their own votes for the “People’s Choice” designation.

Dawn Lopez, Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel; Sous Chef Marco Villanueva, Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel; Sue Diener, Spirit of Giving Network; David Dunston, Spirit of Giving Network; Jena LaMendola, Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl

The diverse roster* of chefs and mixologists participating in this open-to-the-public event will hail from the area’s fan-loving venues, including:

Boca Raton Resort & Club
Bolay
Blue Fire Grille at Palm Beach Gardens Marriott
Ceasar’s Famous Ribs
Chartwells at
Florida Atlantic University
Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar
Hijinks Sports Grill
Hooters
Los Bocados
E.A.T. Eatery & Tap Room
Oceans 234
Publix Aprons Cooking School
Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel
Seasons 52
The Locale
The Loch Bar
The Melting Pot
Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery
True Food Kitchen
Tucker Duke’s
Spirits: Citrus Distillers, LLC

*subject to change

Chef Andrew Donovan; Ouzo Bay; Executive Chef William Ring, Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar; Owner Samir Changela, Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery; Chef/Owner George Patti, M.E.A.T. Eatery & Taproom; Pauline Ceasar, Ceasar’s Famous Ribs; Chef Bill Ceasar, Ceasar’s Famous Ribs

“We are looking forward to seeing and tasting the ‘out-of-the-box’ entries, including those competing for Best Dish to Eat with a Beer, Healthiest Twist on Tailgate, and Worth the Extra Napkins, as well as the ultimate ‘People’s Choice’ and Judges’ Choice,” notes Doug Mosley, executive director of the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl that is set to kick off on Tuesday, December 18 at FAU Stadium. “Each year the competitive culinary spirit ‘cooked up’ for this Bowl lead-in event gets more and more exciting, and all in good fun and funds for our Bowl’s charity partner Spirit of Giving and the holiday magic the nonprofit brings to thousands each year.”

Courtney DeFries, Hijinks Sports Grill; Executive Chef Jorge Lopez; Blue Fire Grille at Palm Beach Gardens Marriott; Chef Patrick Jorcin, Bolay; Owner John Cortes, Tucker Duke’s; Chef Christopher Cartenuto, Tucker Duke’s; Macy Varnell, Hooters

Executive Chef Joshua Miranda, The Locale; Senior Executive Chef Shane Lynch, Chartwells at Florida Atlantic University; Catering Executive Chef Diego Diez, Chartwells at Florida Atlantic University; Chef Scott Manocchio, Boca Raton Resort & Club, Chef James Gettings, Boca Raton Resort & Club

Tickets to the 2018 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl Great Chefs Tailgate Showcase are $50 per person in advance and $60 at the door; price includes all chef and restaurant tastings, entertainment, and beer, wine and soft drinks. To purchase tickets, visit Spirit of Giving at www.spiritofgivingnetwork.org or call 561-385-0144.

About the Boca Raton Bowl:

The Boca Raton Bowl is one of 41 postseason college bowl games in the country and the only one hosted in Palm Beach County. Featuring all the pomp and circumstance of traditional bowl events, the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl is a high-energy, entertaining experience for both college football fans and non-fans alike and allows the national spotlight to shine on Boca Raton and Palm Beach County. This year, the fifth annual bowl game will have primary tie-ins for teams from Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference with the
Mid-American Athletic Conference having a secondary tie-in. The team from Conference USA will make its headquarters at the Boca Raton Resort & Club and the American Athletic Conference team will be at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens.
This bowl game first ‘touched down’ in 2014 and has since aired live annually on ESPN throughout the U.S., as well as on international affiliates in South America, the Caribbean, Australia and Europe as well as on ESPN Radio. As one of 14 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, this year’s bowl game is once again held on the Tuesday before Christmas. The event has become a celebrated annual holiday tradition in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County as it lives up to its other name, ‘Boca’s Biggest Annual Outdoor Party’.” Bowl week activities will begin with the arrival of the participating teams on Friday,
Dec. 14. Days, times and sites for the team welcome parties, beach parties, luncheon, pep rallies and other bowl week activities will be released at a later date. For more info, visit www.CheribundiBocaRatonBowl.com.