Veteran Tampa Bay chef Ted Dorsey died today. He was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in April.
The diagnosis came a month after he and his business partner Teddy Skiadotis opened Sunshine City Tavern on Fourth Street N. in St. Petersburg. They shuttered Sunshine City Tavern in August as day-to-day operations became unmanageable, he told the St. Pete Catalyst in August.
Dorsey ran many kitchens in Tampa over the years: Bill Edwards’ Club on Treasure Island, Boca Kitchen Bar and Market, Castile in St. Petersburg’s Hotel Zamora, Ciro’s Speakeasy & Supper Club, Copperfish Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar, The Mill and Sonata.
“He was always super kind to me and really warm and cool, took care of me whenever I went to his restaurants,” said Rob Reinsmith, of St. Pete’s Wild Child and Slim Charmer. “He shaped a lot of younger cooks in this area.”
Dorsey grew up in Clearwater and Tampa. As a cook, he was mentored by longtime Mise en Place chef Marty Blitz.
“He was a guy that could lead a kitchen, but he would wash the dishes,” said longtime friend and collaborator Brooke Palmer Kuhl. “Salt of the earth, would just give you the last dollar he had in his pocket.”
Dorsey is survived by his two children, Jackson and Samantha.
Times food and dining critic Helen Freund contributed to this report.