![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/chef-J-Rios_3191-scaled.jpg\")
Jacob Rios<\/p>\nCooking is an art form, and the chefs behind these beautifully crafted dishes are the artists. Tampa Bay is brimming with diverse culinary concepts and chefs who bring bold skills and distinct flavor profiles to the table. From barbecue pitmasters to gluten-free innovators, we\u2019re taking a look at the faces behind some of your favorite Tampa Bay restaurants.<\/p>\n
Jacob Rios<\/p>\n
Jacob Rios Jacob Rios, originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico, is Culinary Director for Next Level Brands, overseeing Boulon Brasserie, Forbici Modern Italian and Union New American. A Le Cordon Bleu graduate, he\u2019s worked with Wolfgang Puck and Walt Disney World Resort.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Lee Wolen After building a career in restaurants across the world, Chef Lee Wolen became an executive chef and partner with Boka Restaurant Group, leading to Elliott Aster, an Italian-inspired brasserie focused on seasonal cooking.<\/p>\n His menus highlight Florida seafood and produce, from-scratch pastas and wood-fired proteins.<\/p>\n Elliott Aster<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n Suzanne Lara Though she grew up watching cooking shows, Suzanne Lara\u2019s path to the kitchen happened organically. She started as a dishwasher and, through years of hard work, earned her first head chef role by 26. Along the way, she fell in love with hospitality and the energy of restaurant life, helping shape several Tampa Bay concepts before opening her own in Ybor City.<\/p>\n LARA \u2013 Apothecary Bar & Bazaar<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n Nana Darkwah & Joey De Los Santos Executive Chef Nana Darkwah, influenced by his Ghanaian roots, and Chef de Cuisine Joey De Los Santos, drawing from his Mexican heritage, bring globally inspired flavors together at Ocean Hai.<\/p>\n Ocean Hai<\/a> Danny Hernandez Danny Hernandez was born into the culinary world, growing up in his family\u2019s restaurants, including Pipo\u2019s Cuban Cafe. Though becoming a chef wasn\u2019t always the plan, he found himself drawn to the kitchen by a passion for hospitality and building community.<\/p>\n The Brisket Shoppe<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n Debbie Devico-O\u2019Neil \u00a0Rooted in Canadian and Italian traditions, Debbie Devico-O\u2019Neil\u2019s approach to food is deeply personal. Her experience with celiac disease and food sensitivities led her to explore the connection between food, wellness and the body, shaping her philosophy that meals should be both healing and indulgent.<\/p>\n S\u014dl St Pete Bistro<\/a> Check out the Top Chefs from 2025<\/a>. Looking to advertise with us? Click here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cooking is an art form, and the chefs behind these beautifully crafted dishes are the artists. Tampa Bay…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":285063,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[120987,135,1526,120988,1704,137,136,120989],"class_list":["post-285062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-meet-the-chefs","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-bay","tag-tampa-bay-chefs","tag-tampa-bay-restaurants","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news","tag-top-chefs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285062"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285062\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/285063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=285062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Next Level Brands<\/a> \u2013 Culinary Director, Forbici Modern Italian<\/a>, Boulon Brasserie and Bakery<\/a>, Union New American<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_3224-scaled.jpg\")
A Food Network \u201cChopped\u201d champion and two-time ACF \u201cNext Big Thing\u201d winner, Rios blends classic technique with modern creativity rooted in his heritage while mentoring teams.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Elliott_Aster_12_20_-129-Credit-to-Boka-Restaurant-Group-scaled.jpg\")
Lee Wolen (Photography Courtesy of Galdones Photography)<\/p>\n
Executive Chef and Partner, Boka Restaurant Group; Executive Chef, Elliott Aster<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EA_ElliottAster_Opening_Steak_DEC2024_NickPodraza17-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
501 5th Ave. NE., St. Petersburg | (727) 824-8072\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_1757-scaled.jpg\")
Suzanne Lara<\/p>\n
Chef and Founder, LARA<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_1705-scaled.jpg\")
At LARA, she blends high-quality ingredients with an approachable feel, creating a space for everyone. Inspired by Tampa\u2019s culture and landscape, her hyper-seasonal menu features house-made pastas, juices and sauces, often highlighting favorite ingredients such as citrus, herbs, sesame and tahini.<\/p>\n
1919 E. 7th Ave., Tampa<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Wyndham_3296-scaled.jpg\")
Nana Darkwah & Joey De Los Santos<\/p>\n
Executive Chef and Chef de Cuisine, Ocean Hai<\/p>\n
100 Coronado Drive, Clearwater Beach | (727) 281-9544<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Danny-Hernandez-the-Brisket-Shop04102026_2352-scaled.jpg\")
Danny Hernandez<\/p>\n
Pitmaster and Founder, The Brisket Shoppe<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Danny-Hernandez-the-Brisket-Shop04102026_2461-scaled.jpg\")
He went on to found Holy Hog BBQ before elevating his craft with The Brisket Shoppe, a concept rooted in Central Texas barbecue and small-batch cooking. Known for his Wagyu brisket cooked using oak wood, Hernandez focuses on live-fire techniques and quality ingredients. Through his restaurant and nonprofit, Peace Love and BBQ, he continues to give back to the community that shaped him.<\/p>\n
3501 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa | (813) 879-4647<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Debbie-Devico-O-Neil-Sol-StPete04082026_2536-scaled.jpg\")
Debbie Devico-O\u2019Neil<\/p>\n
Executive Chef and Founder,\u00a0S\u014dl St Pete Bistro<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Debbie-Devico-O-Neil-Sol-StPete04082026_2472-scaled.jpg\")
Before opening S\u014dl in 2021, she spent more than a decade as a private chef, caterer and educator in the functional wellness space. At S\u014dl, she creates an elevated dining experience using organic, gluten-free ingredients. Her prix-fixe menu is inspired by what\u2019s fresh and in season, from wild-caught seafood and pasture-raised meats to vibrant produce. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
2149 3rd Ave. S., St. Petersburg | (727) 289-7598<\/p>\n