ORANGE BEACH — On June 12, Zeke’s Restaurant became the vibrant backdrop for the eighth-annual Alabama Seafood Cook-Off, where seafood enthusiasts and industry professionals congregated to honor and celebrate the state’s seafood industry.

It also provided a short road for the first-place trophy to find its new home after local chef Brody Olive of Voyagers at Perdido Beach Resort and sous chef Luis Silvestre took the top spot out of four finalists.

The achievement was rewarded with a prize of $2,500 and a distinguished plaque. The pair also qualified for a trip to New Orleans to compete at the national level of the Great American Seafood Cook-Off later this summer.

After Olive claimed the championship from the 2017 event, he led the litany of preparations for this year’s competition.

“We’ve done a lot of fishing, a lot of bait collecting and a little bit of prep. We can’t do too much before we get here,” Olive said. “We’re just here for a good time and to challenge ourselves to raise the bar a little bit.”

Silvestre echoed his sentiments, stating, “We want to think outside of the box and do what nobody else is doing. That is what we want to do.”

Drawing in a diverse crowd, this culinary event showcased the talents of four accomplished chef teams selected from a pool of recipes across the state. Representing culinary hotspots such as Magnolia Springs, Auburn, Birmingham and Orange Beach, these culinary virtuosos prepared their best dishes to have a chance at being named the champion.

As anticipation filled the air, the four chef teams meticulously crafted their creations, knowing their dishes would soon face the discerning palates of four esteemed individuals from the food industry. Fans gathered outside to watch the teams carefully prepare their dishes, listen to live music and watch the delivery of each meticulously prepared dish to the awaiting judges.

Jim Smith, founder and executive chef of The Hummingbird Way in Mobile and chairman of the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission, said he was excited to be back at the cook-off, this time as a judge. Smith previously has taken home the win, and The Hummingbird Way founder said he looks for specific things in a dish as a judge.

“The first thing I want to make sure of is that everything is prepared correctly,” Smith said. “Once I realize that fish is cooked properly, then it becomes more of a question of creativity, combination of ingredients and what really showcases the Alabama seafood in the best way.”

After an intense hour of culinary finesse, the judges evaluated each dish and calculated their scores. In the end, it was Olive and Silvestre who made the largest impact on the judges and walked away winners. The Alabama representatives will take on the Great American Seafood Cook-Off later this summer.

Visit gulfcoastmedia.com for more pictures from the state seafood cook-off.