Chef Calvin Lipe grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and has over 27 years in the food and beverage industry. Chef Lipe trained in the kitchens of several coast restaurants including Mary Mahoney’s Old French House and Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House. His chef-level experience comes from Cobalt in Orange Beach Alabama and The Great Southern Club in Gulfport Mississippi. Chef Lipe had a catering service for several years along with his restaurant Flare Bar and Grill. The  experience he has had has led him to Island View Casino several years ago where he started as a Banquet Sous Chef and quickly rose to Room Chef at the Dockside Deli.

Chef Lipe has won over two dozen medals over the years in various cooking competitions for fruit and vegetable carvings, ice sculptures, and cuisine. He has competed in the World Food Championships for the last five years, two years as the Sous Chef for Chef David Crabtree and two years as a Head Chef of his own team. In 2022, he placed 4th place in Vegetarian category with a final score of 98.2. Chef Lipe took first place in the Judges choice for best signature dish and The People’s Choice award at the Biloxi Shrimp Festival held in Biloxi Mississippi. He has also won The People’s Choice award at the Biloxi Oyster Festival 6 years in a row and 3rd place at the inaugural Gumbo Fest in Gulfport. Most recently, Chef Lipe won the title of Mississippi Seafood King 2023 at the Seafood cook off in Gulfport.

He will be competing with his wife, Angel Lipe in New Orleans for the Great American Seafood Cook off 2023.