Give & Grub: Good Food, Great Cause & A Groovy Giveaway

Last Monday several Tampa Bay Bloggers enjoyed a tasty and interesting event hosted by the Give & Grub food truck and Laser Spine Institute. It was a beautiful evening, low 80s with a cooling breeze off the nearby river. A perfect day for dining al fresco next to Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightening hockey team.

Disclaimer: Each blogger received dinner and a box of surprises. Inside my box was a t-shirt, (which my son claimed as soon as I got home) and some other goodies ....Which I will be giving away to one lucky winner on 3/19 - see details at the end of this post. All opinions shared here are my own.

The Lightening mascot, Thunderbug, and some lovely ladies show off tasty treats

Gourmet Food with a Purpose: While selling its customers tasty treats, Give & Grub's main goal is to fight hunger in Tampa Bay. Feeding America Tampa Bay, states that approximately 700,000 people in West Central Florida struggle with hunger... and 250,000 if those are children.  The folks at Give & Grub and its partners are changing this one meal at a time. And you really can help:

- For every menu item sold by the food truck, a meal is donated by The Laser Spine Institute to to a child of a family in need. So, buy a meal to give a meal.

- Additionally, every time you use hashtag #GiveAndGrub on your favorite social media sites, an additional meal is donated to someone who needs it.

See, you really can make a difference! As of March 3, the company has already given away 25,000 meals to hungry individuals. They are shooting for 150,000. Why not give them a hand and help children and families in need? 

So, if you are in the Tampa Bay area and looking for some lunch (or dinner), click here to find out where the Give & Grub truck is today. It appears at the Amalie Arena for hockey and arena football games, as well as other occasions. They also travel around town. You can even put in a request to have the truck appear at your special event or workplace. 

 

Wondering what is on the menu? A little something for everyone. We checked out all of the items and tasted quite a few. Bishops Bowl (above) caught my eye. Check out all that color! Named after Lightning goalie Ben Bishop III, this vibrant dish can be topped with either blackened shrimp or tofu and is loaded with roasted red peppers, red peppers, saffron and mango on a bed of yellow rice. It also includes some fried plantains (I took my photo too close and accidentally cropped them out - oops).

The Slap Shot Chicken Salad is also an attention getter. Again, check out all that vibrant color! You are practically eating a rainbow in this dish. Baby greens and tender chicken make up the base, with roasted beets, shredded carrots, dried cranberries, sugared nuts and green apple adding loads of crunch and sweetness. And don't forget the crumbled cheese and vinaigrette. 

After we took some snaps, Chef Brian talked about the food and introduced a new dish, a Philly style cheese-steak sandwich with sweet potato waffle fries. This one still needs a catchy name, so put your thinking caps on and share suggestions. Looks like Carlos (of CarlosEats), the fellow with hand on his chin in above pic, is already working hard on this one. Or, maybe he is just wondering what to eat first.

Then it was time to eat. Here is a close up of my box of munchies. The left side shows sweet potato fries (They sure were sweet!) & a steak sandwich (Can't eat mushrooms, so I passed. Others said it was very good.) The Callahan's Mac Slam, mac & cheese with keilbasa, was a big hit with the 5 yr old sitting at our table (see his thoughts on his Dad's review at Dad's Who Change Diapers). The last two, a steak taco and a chicken parm sandwich were my faves.

The Hedman's Steak Taco outshone everything else in my box. I liked it so much, I decided it needed a stand alone photo...oooh...aahh. The soft flour taco is wrapped around skirt steak, purple cabbage, and roasted corn pico de gallo with a chipotle glaze. Your order will also come with Tijuana rice and plantians.

The Chicken Parmkos, named for Lightning Captain Steven Samkos, is one of Give & Grub's best sellers. After a bite, it was easy to see why. Plump breaded chicken, loads of marinara and parmesan cheese bursting out of a homemade Italian roll. It is a classic.

There are even more dishes on this food truck's menu. Click here to check them all out. And remember -  Each purchase you make AND each #GiveAndGrub hashtag you share will provide one more additional meal to someone who really needs it. For more info please visit GiveAndGrub.com.

Still with me? Phew, I sure am looong winded tonight.

... and kinda craving one of those tacos. 

If you made it this far, I'm guessing that you might be curious about the latest Thursday Giveaway prize. I'll give you a hint:

Crossed paths with the trolley while walking off some of the evening's treats

Are you a hockey fan? Will you be in Tampa on March 26th? Want to win 2 free tickets to the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. the Nashville Predators that night? 

If you answered "Yes!" then this might be your lucky day. Anyone who leaves a comment on my blog before 1 a.m. (EST) on March 19th will be entered into a random drawing for 2 tickets to the game plus 1 voucher for a free menu item from the Give & Grub food truck.  (Please be sure to leave an email address if you contact info isn't in your profile.)

Good Luck!