Caring Chef’s Event

I’ve heard of this event for years, but never had a chance to go until this past year. Thanks to my husband’s job, I was able to snag a ticket (he was working it). I made my way to the Avenues after hours and started with perusing the list of who I wanted to stop & visit. With so many great local restaurants participating there surely is something for everyone.
The mall layout is perfect for this type of event IMO. While there were definitely some bottleneck areas around popular sections, being spread out across the mall allowed for traffic to flow nicely throughout the venue. And while many of the these big events take place in traditional convention halls with not much to gaze at, being able to window shop was a lot of guilt-​free fun for this girl.
I will definitely keep an eye out next year when this even rolls back around and make sure to put it on my calendar.

OMG Food paradise! I had read the previous review below so I felt that I was pretty prepared for this event. The tickets were $ 70 dollars this year so it was a $ 35 dollar donation to the Children’s Home Society of Florida and $ 35 for the event. That’s a bargain. The mall was shut down for it so you didn’t have to worry about stragglers wondering around the mall. The majority of the people this year were dressed in business casual to evening wear apparel.
I got there shortly before 7pm and my foodie friend got there a little after me. We met over by Belk between Ruby Tuesdays and Buffalo Wild Wings even though the ticket said you can use any main mall entrance. There were a lot of people already in line when I got there. We gave the ticket-​takers our ticket and we were handed a Caring Chefs tray and wine glass for food and wine tasting. We were ready!
We weren’t able to taste every restaurant’s food as there were some that we just didn’t want to try, the restaurant ran out of food, or we ran out of time. No matter, we got to taste some excellent dishes just to name a few:
The Good Food Co — Chacuterie including Cheese, Grapes, Country Pâté, Chicken Liver Pâté, Olive Tapenade, Crostini, and Boursin Mushrooms
Jacksonville Golf and County Club — Cotton Candy Milkshakes, Beer Brats with Cheddar Johnny Cakes
Caffe Andiamo — Herbed Cream Cheese wrapped with Smoked Salmon, Tiramisu
(by far the best restaurant there!)
Sweet By Holly — Amazing Fall Cupcakes
Chart House — Ahi Tuna Chips
Alley Cakes — birthday cake samples
Havana Jax — A REAL Mojito (this was excellent!)
Ovinte — Pumpkin Ravioli
Sweet Pete’s — Candy and Buffalo Chicken Cracklin
Buddah’s Belly — Thai Curry Chicken
Nineteen at TPC Sawgrass — Lamb with peas and corn
I would definitely return next year for this event and bring more people. You’re doing two things that you should love to do: giving back to the community and eating.

Caring Chef’s is a longtime tradition of local restaurants coming together to support the Children’s Home Society of Florida. It was a great fundraiser for a worthy cause.
Tickets (this year) were $ 60. The value of what you receive is about $ 30, so you are making a $ 30 donation with your ticket. Feel good about yourself and then… indulge!
Caring Chef’s features tastings from over 60 local restaurants. It is a mix of locally owned places as well as chains. There was everything from ABC Liquors to Zaitoon’s Mediterranean Grill. Something for everyone.
The entrance to the event is located between JC Penney’s and Dillards. The event takes place on the top and bottom levels of the mall.
The dress was a grab bag. There were people in suits and cocktail attire and there were people in jeans. I wore something fancier and felt better prepared for the occasion.
Of the restaurants features, the following were my favorites for food:
Ruth Chris — oh em gee, delish steak!
North Beach Bistro — Mayport shrimp with creamy polenta
Taverna — tender, roast lamb with couscous & butternut squash soup
Blue Bamboo — crisp and refreshing peanut slaw
3 Sisters Chocolate — amaaaaazing cake
Best Décor:
FSCJ — carved pumpkins, dry-​ice bubble machines, creative presentations
Best Bite:
Potter’s Soul-​Food Bistro — You can die happy after just one bite of this mac n cheese. I’m not kidding. Really. It was THAT. GOOD.
Best Deal:
Zaitoon’s, The Grape, & Blue Bamboo all had giveaways for a free drink or appetizer — no contest to enter, just walk away with the coupon!
Tips:
1. The event started at 7, be sure to get there on time. Many places ran out of food by 8pm.
2. Don’t eat before you go. It’s a waste. Save room!
3. Plan your evening using the guide. Do you really need to go to Panera’s table? Sure, they had cute bread bowls, but wouldn’t you rather try the food from Bistro Aix? Get your $ 60 worth.
4. Don’t bring a large purse or try to carry items. Your hands will be full of tasty food and free drinks!
5. Take your time to read up on the Children’s Home Society. They are an amazing charity.
This event is a little pricey, but the cause is worth it and you will definitely have an amazing dinner! It’s a good deal for the restaurants — they get to attract new customers. And remember, they do all this for free. So if you like something you’ve tasted — thank them by stopping in!
Yay Caring Chef’s. Yay Children’s Home