Two Dozen Area Chefs, Brew Masters, Mixologists Brought Their A-Game in Friendly Competition

Boca Raton, FL (November 9, 2023) – More than 430 residents, civic, and business leaders, community supporters and football fans — decked out in their alma mater or favorite college team’s colors — enjoyed fresh, new palate-pleasing takes on tailgate classics created by popular area chefs, brew masters and mixologists at theAnnual ABC Supply RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl Great Chefs Tailgate Showcase presented by Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC) and CP Group. The friendly competition, held at BRiC, fielded a group “cheer” of excitement and pride for the 10-year milestone college bowl game set for Thursday, December 21 at FAU Stadium, while raising monies to grant nearly 900 gift wishes for Spirit of Giving’s 2023 Annual Holiday Gift Drive.

Emceed by ESPN 106.3 Sports Anchor and On-Air Host Theo Dorsey, the high-spirited event, held for a third year at BRiC, featured several returning food and beverage contenders and many first-timers. Samplings ranged from appetizers and entrees to craft beers and refreshing cocktails. Each contender presented their signature dish or drink to a panel of food and drink media experts while guests cast their votes for the “People’s Choice” winner.

And the 2023 Great Chefs Tailgate Showcase winners are…

While the real winners are always the children benefitting from Spirit of Giving’s Annual Holiday Gift Drive that is supported by the event, the victors who spent the last few weeks creating their winning dishes and beverage blends were: 

• Culinary Grand Champion (Judges’ Choice): Waterstone Resort & Marina
• Best Beverage:  Duffy’s Sports Grill
• People’s Choice: Copperfish Kitchen
• Most Spirited Player (based on themed décor): The Boca Raton

With the Evening’s New Creative “Takes on Tailgate,” The Competition was Impressive

This year’s menu board included:

• Bazille, Chef Benjamin W. Skinger, Braised Beef Sweet PotatoGnocchi
• Boca Lago Golf & Country Club, Executive Chef James Borges, Traditional Peruvian Ceviche, Leche de Tigre (Tigers Milk) Aji Amarillo Aioli, Micro Cilantro
• Burtons Grill & Bar, Executive Chef William Ring, Cabernet Braised Short Rib, Vermont Aged Cheddar, Maple Sriracha Sauce, Pickles Red Onions, Brioche

• Ceasar’s Famous Ribs, Chef Bill Ceasar, Pulled Pork Sampler

• Chartwells/FAU Dining Services, Chefs Cristiane Brito and Antonio Garcia, Brisket Mac & Cheese
• Copperfish Kitchen, Executive Chef Brian Cantrell, Maryland Crab Cake Slider
• Crazy Uncle Mike’s, Chef Tara Abrams, BBQ Smoked Ribs, House-made Pickles, Bourbon Barbeque Sauce

• Crystal Bay Caterers, Chef Sam LoPiccolo, Ahi Tuna Poke Mini Bowl, with Cucumber Wakame, Edamame, Sriracha-Lime Drizzle
• Desiign by Food Chef Jay Fisher, Curry Chicken Spring Rolls with Jerk Aioli Sauce, and Creamy Rasta Pasta with Jerk Chicken
• Drift at Marriott Boca Raton at Boca Center, Chef Moises Hernandez, Tuna Wontons, Wasabi Aioli, Diced Peppers, Cilantro, Jalapeno with Spicy Aioli Glaze
  
  
  
• Duffy’s Sports Grill, Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Slider
  
  
  
• Eat District, Executive Kitchen Chef Soon Torn “Tony” Promsa, Grandma’s Ribs: Marinated Pork Ribs, Fried Shallots, and Spicy Tamarind Reduction
  
  
  
• Kapow Noodle Bar, Chef Angelo Arboleda, Peking Duck “Nachos” – Crispy Wonton, Japanese BBQ, Asian Slaw, Peanut, Lime, Avocado, Fresh Herbs, Spiced Tofu “Crema” 
  
  
  
• Lemongrass Asian Bistro, Executive Sushi Chef Andy Yaun, Stuffed Chicken Wings: Fried Until Crispy and Finished in Aromatic Asian Flavors
  
  
  
• Mississippi Sweets BBQ, Chef Randy Smith, Pulled Pork and Shredded Chicken Sliders with Mississippi Sweets BBQ Sauces

• Ramen Lab, Chef Louis Grayson, Loaded Dumpling: Hand-wrapped Chicken Dumpling with Truffle oil, Melted Cheese with Togarashi
  
  
  
• The Boca Raton, Banquet Sous Chef Jose Pluchinotta and Sous Chef Roberto Castillo 

Tostada: Two Ways

                        —Sweet and Spicy Pork Belly Tostada, Avocado Crema,
                                     Crisp Lettuce, Pico de Gallo, Queso Fresco

—Seared Octopus Tostada: With Sour Cream, Black Bean Pico de Gallo, Crisp Lettuce, Queso Fresco

                                Mini Elote: Mason Jars with Slow Roasted Sweet Corn,  Roasted Scallion Vinaigrette, Spicy Aioli, Cilantro, Queso Fresco

• The Melting Pot, ChefChris Picotte, Cheese Fondue served with Grilled Bratwurst and Bavarian Pretzel Bread
  
  
  
• Tom’s Louisiana Kitchen, Chef Tom Tannozzini, Creole Bread Pudding with Pecan Praline Crust and White Chocolate Bourbon Cream Anglaise
  
  
  

• Waterstone Resort & Marina, Executive Chef “Chris” Kin H Wong, Black Bean Sliders
  
  
  
• ZIMI Italian, Chef Brian Cantrell, ZIMI Meatballs

Vying for the Best Beverage Award were:

• Barrel of Monks Brewing, Brew Master Bill McFee, New Flagship Beer: Waypoint IPA 
• Cove Brewery, Brew Master Corey Wilson, Tan Man Brew
• Deep Eddy Vodka, Strawberry Lemonade
• Duffy’s Sports Bar: Tropical MVP Margarita
• Saint James Tea

At the judges’ table were:

• Michael Mayo, Chief Judge: Veteran journalist and former Sun Sentinel dining critic and food writer who co-founded and still administers the 125,000-member “Let’s Eat, South Florida” Facebook group, and host of the daily food livestream show “Mike Mayo’s Lunchbox.”
  
  
  
• Jan Norris: Veteran journalist, former food editor for the Palm Beach Post, contributing columnist for The Coastal Star, and freelance writer for several Florida food and travel publications.
  
  
  
• Deby Goldfarb: Founder/Owner of Stepping Out Florida event website, restaurant writer for Simply the Best magazine and celebrating her 15th year in both careers, and was a 10-year Ambassador for the

Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce and past Chair in 2021-2022.

• Lara Goodwin: Lifestyle expert and a host of the national Emmy-nominated television show: The American Dream, and Global Real Estate Advisor with One Sotheby’s International Realty.
  
  
  
• Reginald Laroche:  Assistant Vice President, Baptist Health Orthopedic Care
  
  
  
• Making the call on the “Best Beverage”was Cary Roman, founder of LivingFLA.com and TheGourmetClub.com

“This event continues to be a ‘bowl fan’ favorite as each year the community gathers to cheer on local businesses who serve up creative tailgate-themed dishes, brews and cocktails, all in support of Spirit of Giving’s Annual Holiday Gift Drive. Each year our culinary and beverage roster grows as more chefs, breweries and mixologists ‘raise their own bar’ in pure giveback,” said Doug Mosley, executive director of the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, the only postseason college bowl game hosted in Palm Beach County. “So pleased to have Bowl partners ABC Supply and BRiC ‘team up’ to support this night of college football fan raising and community pride.”

                                                                                

This year’s 10-year milestone college bowl game will kick off on Thursday, December 21 at 8 p.m. ET at FAU Stadium and will broadcast live nationally on ESPN television and radio, and locally on ESPN 106.3 FM.

Featuring all the pomp and circumstance of traditional bowl events, the RoofClaim.com 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. The event has become a celebrated annual holiday tradition as it lives up to its other name, “Boca’s Biggest Annual Outdoor Party.”  Bowl week activities will begin on Sunday, December 17 with the arrival of the participating teams; days, times, and sites for the free open-to-the-public pep rally and other bowl week activities will soon be released.

For more information about the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, visit RoofClaimBocaRatonBowl.com or follow through social media on Facebook (Facebook.com/BocaBowl), Twitter (@BocaBowl), and Instagram (@BocaBowl).
                                                                 

ABOUT THE ROOFCLAIM.COM BOCA RATON BOWL
The Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl is one of 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN. The RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl debuted in 2014 with Marshall University claiming the bowl’s first championship trophy. Through the years, six conference champions and another three conference division champions have played in the game and counted among the Bowl’s alumni. They are New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (BYU, 2020 and No. 2 pick in the NFL draft), Houston Texans running back Devin Singletary (FAU, 2017) and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick (Temple, 2015), who helped lead the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII. For more information about the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl visit RoofClaimBocaRatonBowl.com or follow through social media on Facebook (Facebook.com/BocaBowl), Twitter (@BocaBowl), and Instagram (@BocaBowl).

ABOUT ESPN EVENTS

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2023, the 32-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, and a college softball event, in addition to a new college gymnastics event coming in 2024. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, while reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools, and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.  
                                                                
ABOUT BRiC
Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC) is the largest single facility office building in Florida at 1.7 million square feet. Designed by iconic Brutalist architect Marcel Breuer, the campus was originally built in 1969 for IBM and is home to the invention of the first personal computer. The campus was acquired by CP Group in 2018 with the vision of transforming BRiC into the technology and life sciences hub for the Southeastern United States with unparalleled amenities including two coffee shops, event space seating up to 1,000, an autonomous grab & go, art exhibitions and more. BRiC is currently home to 18 national headquarters and 19 regional offices including Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Kroger, Modernizing Medicine, and Canon. Learn more at workatBRiC.com.

ABOUT ABC SUPPLY

ABC Supply Co., Inc. is the largest wholesale distributor of roofing and other select exterior and interior building products in North America. Since its founding in 1982, ABC Supply’s sole focus has been serving professional contractors and “making it easy” for them to do their jobs by offering the products, support and services they need — including myABCsupply, which allows them to place material orders and manage their account details from anywhere.

ABC Supply is a 17 consecutive Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winner and a two-time recipient of Glassdoor’s Employees’ Choice Award for Best Places to Work. The company was also named a Best Employer for New Grads by Forbes in 2021 and is committed to hiring military veterans. Headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin, ABC Supply has over 900 locations across the U.S. and Canada. More information is available at www.abcsupply.com. Contractors can find resources for growing and improving their businesses on ABC Supply’s blog and the company’s LinkedIn page.