Driving slowly and with white knuckles though sheets of rain during morning rush-hour traffic last Wednesday, I had serious second (and third) thoughts about the day trip to Galveston. To my relief the rain subsided just as I exited for the Seawall.

The purpose of my mid-week outing: The Landry’s organization was hosting their 8th annual in-network Iron Chef competition this past Wednesday and Thursday, and the restaurant group had invited local media into the enormous kitchen at the Galveston Island Convention Center so that we could watch the chefs create, compose and compete.

For many diners, the first thing they think of at the mention of “Landry’s” is fried shrimp and themed venues — such as the Downtown Aquarium and Rainforest Cafe — geared towards families with young children. And while that does make up a segment of the restaurants within the Landry’s organization, don’t forget the more sophisticated restaurants in the group: Vic & Anthony’s, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, McCormick & Schmick’s, Brenner’s, Mastro’s (we don’t have one in Houston, but my fingers are crossed that we’ll get one soon) and Morton’s. Add the in-between establishments like Grotto and Saltgrass Steakhouse, and that makes for a well-rounded variety of restaurants.

It wasn’t just the chefs from Landry’s Houston and Galveston restaurants who readied themselves for last week’s competition; it was 35 executive and concept chefs from all over the country. The large round table of judges composed of Landry’s executives were served a contestant’s submission from the kitchen every eight minutes (on the dot!). An identical plate was kept in the kitchen in order for the chefs to also taste one another’s entries. While hustling to finish their dish in front of competing colleagues, chefs and their plated entries were photographed and shared on Instagram and Twitter by a crowd of chefs.  If you’re interested in seeing their posts, many will be found on social media using #ironchef2013.

Awards were given in several categories including Best Starter, Best Salad, Best Entree (at three different price points), Best Side Item, Best Dessert and the best overall dish, entitled Grand Prize. The chefs also had a chance to compete behind the bar — there was an additional opportunity to win with the Mixology Throwdown. The category winners (listed at the end of this story) have their winning entries considered as menu additions, regarded as an honor within the Landry’s group. The grand-prize winner walked away with a paid trip to California.

Instead of detailing each of the competitors and their dish, I thought I’d share some photos of the competition so you can see for yourself what it was like to be a fly on the wall at the controlled chaos of this unusual competition.

While I was poking around the enormous convention center, I was tipped off by a videographer that there was something cool going down by the loading dock. Cool indeed, it was a pig roast coordinated by the concept chefs of Saltgrass Steakhouse. Their mission for the competition was to create a dinner fit for chefs, and it was no small meal. An heirloom pig and two goats were roasted for the dinner along with 125 quail. Quail eggs with chorizo, fingerling limes and blackberry popsicles are other dinner offerings that caught my attention, and soon my stomach was rumbling with hunger.

While it was interesting to watch colleagues compete against each other in the massive kitchen, I found myself most engaged with Team Saltgrass. Eight hours of mopping a pig with mustard and herb barbecue sauce over an open pit — drinking a few beers and listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd — that’s what I would call a fun weekend activity. These guys call is work, which it is: The pig had to be mopped and turned every few minutes (the spit couldn’t handle this size of a hog) and the weather wasn’t too kind.

I was a little disappointed that I was not able to stay for the entire day of competition, because it was apparent that I’d be missing a good contest and an even better meal. I’ll be back next year, and I’m going to be sure to clear my schedule and stay overnight so that I can experience both days of the event — and the decadent dinner, too.

Best Overall Dish
Ken Hicks – Executive Chef, Aquarium Kemah
28th Street Banana Supreme

Winner – Starter
Brian Kohl – Concept Training Chef, Mastro’s
Katafi Encrusted Shrimp

Winner – Salad
Justin Yovanov – Executive Chef, Big Fish, Dearborn, MI
Roasted Beet Salad

Winner – $3-5 Entrée (cost to the restaurant)
Bob Getchel – Executive Chef, T-Rex Orlando
Baja-Style Mahi-Mahi
Honorable Mention: Mike Frietsch – Executive Chef, Signature Group – Cholula Chicken

Winner – $5-7 Entrée (cost to the restaurant)
Richard Hawthorne – Executive Chef, Grotto Las Vegas
Chicken and Chorizo Roulade

Winner – $7-10 Entrée (cost to the restaurant)
Miguel Moreno – Executive Chef, Landry’s Galveston
Chilian Seabass

Winner – Side Dish
Mike Frietsch – Executive Chef, Signature Group
Boursin Spaetzle
Honorable Mention: Brian Robertson – Executive Chef San Luis Resort – Brussels Sprout Gratin

Winner – Dessert
Ken Hicks – Executive Chef, Aquarium Kemah
28th Street Banana Supreme

Winner – Mixology Throwdown
Norman Reola – Executive Chef, Vic & Anthony’s Atlantic City
On a ‘Mission’ Martini