Page 17 - Mississippi/Louisiana Gaming News - Spring, 2026

Island View chefs compete in WFC
Industry Innovator
Pearl River Resort Director
of Sales Kim Gleason was presented the Industry Innovator Award by the Mississippi Society of Association Executives. Gleason credits the award to her tenure in the sales and marketing business along with her ability to partner with tourism and convention and visitors bureaus. Pearl River Resort offers guests a gaming and resort experience, as well as a unique cultural experience through the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
GULFPORT — Four chef teams representing Island View Casino Resort competed last October in the 2025 World Food Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. Representing the
Gulfport property
were David
Crabtree, executive
chef; Jackie Seavey,
executive sous
chef and former
2018 World Food
Champion; Calvin
Lipe, room chef,
Dockside Deli; and
Mary Grace Moss,
room chef, Prime
Cut.
Each category had 20 competing teams. In the opening category rounds each team has 90 minutes to complete five judges’ portions and one display plate. In the final round each team must complete nine portions plus a display plate within 60 minutes. The second round of each category has specific required ingredients and a mystery ingredient.
Crabtree competed in the seafood category, and his wife, Mary, was his sous
chef. He finished fifth overall in the Category. Competing in the sandwich category with
her husband John, who served as her sous chef, Seavey tied for third place.
Lipe chose
his wife, Angel, manager of C&G Grille, as his sous chef in the noodle category. Lipe placed second, earning a golden ticket to the 2026 World Food Championships.
And Moss competed in the bacon category with Guy Gatlin, her
fiancé, as her sous chef. She placed second in the final round taking home a $3,000 prize.
The 2025 Annual World Food Championship celebrated the cooks, chefs, and competitive teams that compete throughout the year around the globe in Food Sport. The champions from each category earned more than $10,000 in cash and prizes and will compete at WFC’s Final Table where the grand prize is $100,000.
Chef Calvin Lipe (center) earned a golden ticket to the 2026 World Food Championships. He was one of four Island View chefs to compete in the 2025 WFC.
SPRING 2026
MISSISSIPPI GAMING NEWS 17