LAS VEGAS – In a test of food, fun and culinary talent, the inaugural Convenience Chef Showdown took center stage at the NACS Show 2006, as three convenience store chefs battled it out for the tastiest and most creative gourmet convenience store meal.

“I have eaten my way across this country and I never would have thought you could buy such great foods in a convenience store,” said showdown host Sandra Pinckney of the hit Food Network show “Food Finds.” Pinckney kept the audience and judges on their toes as the chefs created meals that satisfied the judges’ list of criteria: taste, presentation, creativity and convenience.

“Taste is paramount,” said judge Ira Gallon, executive chef of the Stirling Club in Las Vegas, noting that he would judge each dish on its ability to deliver convenience.

Judge Dan Rossi, chef de cuisine of the Wynn Las Vegas, commented that recent years, it is more common to find gourmet foods in a convenience store, while Executive Director of Culinary Operations at the Las Vegas Hilton George Bargisen agreed the trend for convenience stores is moving in a direction where consumers want more quick and fresh gourmet meal options.

Showdown contestant Keith Boston, director of culinary development at Sheetz Inc., created an assortment of grilled panini sandwiches featuring a Californian, Cuban and Pittsburgh-style, along with a Philly cheese steak-style quesadilla that he described as “a quesadilla that maybe didn’t graduate college, but at least go through freshman year.”

Bob Geitz, consultant chef at Petro-Canada, created a Pesto Chicken Panini sandwich with organic field greens and roasted red peppers.

Tomu Odawara, executive chef, Gourmet Foods (for Famima), created a Chicken Korma dish accompanied by Basmati Rice made with cumin and mustard seeds and roasted cashews.

Pinckney made sure the audience helped energize the chefs. She called on Jinger Duryea, NACS Board member and president of C.N. Brown Company in South Paris, Maine, to come up on stage and take a peek of Chef Tomu’s dish. “I could do this at home, but I would rather find it in a convenience store,” said Duryea. 

At the end of the competition, Chef Tomu wowed the judges with his dish, followed by Chef Keith and Chef Bob. The chefs now move on to round two, which begins today at 3:00 in Hall C4 of the expo floor. For the second competition, the chefs will be creating a chicken dish made exclusively from items found inside a convenience store.

NACS Daily caught up with Chef Tomu following his round-one win. While he wasn’t certain about what his second creation will be, he did say he plans on praying to Buddha for guidance.

Good luck, chefs!