'Bizarre Foods' icon Andrew Zimmern to sizzle at TCC Foundation's 2024 ‘Cleaver and Cork'

The man known for traveling from coast to coast to discover new foods on the hit show “Bizarre Foods” is next year’s special guest for the ninth annual “Cleaver and Cork” foodie event hosted by the Tallahassee Community College Foundation.

The announcement that Andrew Zimmern, an Emmy and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality and chef, would headline the event continues the streak of the TCC foundation landing Food Network chefs following the appearances of prestigious chefs Michael Symon, Aarón Sánchez and Marc Murphy.

The “Cleaver and Cork” events running Feb. 25 to March 2 and hosted by the TCC Foundation, are designed to “elevate educational program opportunities, scholarships, and teaching and learning facilities,” said Heather Mitchell, vice president of Institutional Advancement at Tallahassee Community College and executive director of the TCC Foundation

Zimmern got his start in the media with interviews on the HGTV network building his foundation to produce the popular Bizarre Foods franchise and a handful of spin-off series for the show in hopes of “promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance and understanding through food,” as stated on his website.

Outside of hosting and producing his shows, the food expert and critic can be found judging novice cooks on “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend” on Netflix, “The Silos Baking Competition” on HBO Max, and on “Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen.”

According to his official website, Zimmern restarted building his repertoire after spending six years working in Minneapolis’ Café Un Deux Trois making his way from the back of the kitchen while battling with addiction to "heart of the house” as an executive chef. In this role, Zimmern turned the restaurant into an award-winning, national-caliber restaurant with his menu.

The ninth year of Cleaver and Cork introduces a new concept that is in the true spirit of Zimmern.

2024 Cleaver and Cork

Guests will get the opportunity to experience a taste of Zimmern’s cuisine inspired by food offerings from across the globe.

The event starts off with a Progressive Cocktail Party, a tour for taste buds featuring five local restaurants that will offer a different course and wine pairing including their own take on Zimmern’s recipes. The party starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 25, at Eve on Adams. Single tickets are $175 and couples’ tickets are on sale for $300.

“It has always been a goal to grow Cleaver and Cork into a week-long food and wine experience for our community,” Mitchell told the Tallahassee Democrat. “Most of our events sell out quickly, so we wanted to provide more opportunities for our community to attend curated dining experiences as a part of Cleaver and Cork.”

This year, the Cleaver and Cork team is introducing a new feature, "Restaurant Week."

In a nod to Zimmern and his love for travel, "Restaurant Week" is a four-day series inviting up to 40 individuals to spend their nights traveling to different local restaurants — handpicked for their commitment to the "Cleaver and Cork" concept — each night for a “smaller curated experience.” Guests will try the participating restaurants’ specialties from oysters and champagne to tacos and tequila.

“Since this has obviously resonated with the community, we will definitely be expanding this for 2025,”Mitchell said on the events already quickly selling out.

Here is a look into the “Restaurant Week” schedule.

Oysters, Champagne and Caviar at Poco Vino

• Location: 225 S. Adams St.

• Monday, Feb. 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The four-day series kicks off at Poco Vino with a night of raw and grilled oysters, a full champagne bar and small caviar bites from the TCC Oyster Aquaculture program. Tickets are on sale now for $100.

Tacos & Black Sheep Tequila at La Tiendita

• Location: 1840 N. Monroe St.

• Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The La Tiendita team has partnered with the 2022 winners for best tequila in the world and best of class for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Black Sheep Tequila. The award-winning tequila will be paired with the prized tacos. Tickets are sold out.

Dinner is Brewing at Ology

• Location:  2910 Kerry Forest Parkway

• Wednesday, Feb. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

A four-course dinner will be prepared by Ology’s culinary director and executive chef, Randy Blass, with exclusive pairings. The dinner will also give a behind-the-scenes look at Ology’s brewing process. Tickets are on sale for $125 each.

Wined & Dined at Blu Halo

• Location: 3431 Bannerman Road

• Thursday, Feb. 29 at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The private event includes a four-course menu solely based on the culinary palate of Zimmern, but with the Blu Halo style. Each course will be paired with a wine. Individual tickets are available for $125.

Signature Dinner and Wine Festival

After Restaurant Week, the Cleaver and Cork event ends with the Signature Dinner and Food and Wine Festival.

The signature dinner is an exclusive four-course meal curated by Zimmern. Each course is paired with sommelier-selected wines from around the globe. The dinner will also feature a silent auction. Highly rated Bourbon, bottles of red and white wine, and champagne are also available in a blind draw from the pull-down for a $100 contribution.

The signature dinner is 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, March 1st at the Lifetime Sports Complex on the TCC campus. Single tickets are $325, couple tickets are available for $600.

“Cleaver and Cork” concludes with the Food and Wine Festival featuring over 65 restaurants and food vendors from across North Florida. Along with sip and bites, foodies are invited into the classrooms of local chefs and spirit experts who have been recognized on regional, statewide, and national levels.

The festival runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 2nd at the Intramural Fields at TCC. Tickets start at $100.

Democrat writer Kyla Sanford can be reached at ksanford@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Bizarre Foods icon Andrew Zimmern set to sizzle at ‘Cleaver and Cork'