Island View Casino chef prepares to cook at national competition

A chef right here in Gulfport has the incredible opportunity to showcase his talents at the next level. News 25’s Ansley Brent got to know Island View Casino’s Chef, Calvin Lipe, before he takes off to compete in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off.

A familiar face in the kitchen and around the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Chef Calvin Lipe has been whipping up food locally for 27 years and counting. The past seven years, Lipe has been demonstrating his talents at the Island View Casino, and is currently the room chef of the Dockside Deli.

Lipe enjoys showcasing the food the Gulf Coast has to offer, and he was recently rewarded doing so. He was named the “King of Mississippi Seafood” last May, and he’s not stopping there.

“I had to win the local competition for the state of Mississippi, so I’m the King of Mississippi Seafood at the moment,” said Lipe.  “I’m going to try to become the King of American Seafood after this weekend.”

This weekend, Lipe will head to New Orleans to compete in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off. Lipe will have exactly one hour to create the meal of his dreams for a panel of judges. He says the challenge is tough, but so very rewarding.

“I can wait to get over there and try to win a National Title. I really want to bring that back to Mississippi and I really want that title, so I’m very excited to go over there and cook,” said Lipe. “It’ll be one of my first time competing in New Orleans and I can’t wait to try it out and show them what I got.”

By the sound of the edible masterpiece Chef Calvin has planned for the upcoming competition, we think he’ll be quite hard to beat.

“I’m making a soft shell crab that’s going to be crusted in panko bread crumbs,” Lipe said. “I’m also going to make a little shrimp and crab cake and then we’re going to do a little corn maque choux which is a Creole cream corn, a little tomato and jalapeno jam, and I’m going to make a crystal hot sauce per block, and then top the crab with a little jumbo lump crab meat that way it just kind of showcases the bounty of the Gulf Coast and how great those ingredients are kind of without over doing it a little, but over doing it as much as possible.”

The competition will take place this Saturday at the New Orleans Convention Center.

He hopes to come back to the coast and have a nice new special that is also a national prize winner.