Alabama chef crowned champion at seafood cook-off in Orange Beach

ATLANTA, WASHINGTON, D.C., AND LOS ANGELES. AND WE’RE TAKING A LIVE LOOK NOW IN DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM. THAT OUT THERE IN THE DISTANCE IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY HEAVY DOWNPOUR THAT’S MOVING OVER PARTS OF PRATT CITY AND MOVING TOWARDS THE FULTONDALE AREA AS WELL. HERE’S ANOTHER VIEW FROM OUR SKY CAMERA ON TOP OF OUR STUDIOS HERE. ANOTHER DOWNPOUR OUT THERE IN THE DISTANCE TOO. AND WE CAN SEE BOTH OF THOSE DOWNPOURS ON THE FIRST WARNING LIVE RADAR. IF WE ZOOM INTO THE DOWNTOWN AREA, THERE’S THE FIRST ONE OVER THE BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT. THERE’S A SECOND ONE OVER KOHBERGER AND OVER CARVER HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL. ALONG EXIT 265. ANOTHER ONE STARTING TO DEVELOP OVER THE FULTONDALE AREA TO GREENLEE’S HEIGHTS. HAYES. HIGHLAND KOHBERGER ALL SEEING SOME HEAVY RAIN. MORE DOWNPOURS OVER WESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTY LIKE BROOKSIDE, ADAMSVILLE, WEST JEFFERSON AND THAT’S ALL MOVING NORTHWARD TOWARDS DORA, BARNEY AND RIFTON AND HEADED TOWARDS CORDOVA THERE IN WALKER COUNTY. AND THIS BAND JUST STRETCHES ALL THE WAY OUT INTO PARTS OF FAYETTE COUNTY, TUSCALOOSA COUNTY, EVEN PICKENS COUNTY, OVER REFORM TWO, WHICH JUST MODERATE RAIN OVER DOWNTOWN TUSCALOOSA. I WANT TO ZOOM IN TO THE DOWNPOUR AND NOW THUNDERSTORM THAT’S HEADED INTO PARTS OF LAMAR COUNTY NOW OUT OF MISSISSIPPI. AND THIS IS HEADED TOWARDS SULLIGENT AND PINE SPRINGS. SO WE COULD HEAR A BIT MORE THUNDER IN THAT AREA, SEE SOME LIGHTNING. SO IF YOU’RE IN THIS GENERAL DIRECTION, JUST MAKE SURE YOU GO INDOORS. NOTHING SIGNIFICANTLY SEVERE. JUST WHENEVER YOU HEAR THAT THUNDER OR SEE THAT LIGHTNING. IT’S TIME TO GO INSIDE. MORE DOWNPOURS OVER WINSTON COUNTY CULLMAN COUNTY OVER HANCEVILLE. BANGOR. HAYDEN. MOVING JUST WEST OF WARRIOR NEAR SIPSEY DORA WITH MORE DOWNPOURS OVER THE EASTERN END OF ALABAMA TOO. IN ETOWAH COUNTY, CHEROKEE COUNTY AND TALLAPOOSA COUNTY OVER ALEX CITY. BUT THE REST OF THIS EVENING, RAIN CHANCES WILL FALL, BUT STILL THERE. LIGHTNING, THUNDER HIT OR MISS IN NATURE, VERY MUCH SUMMER-LIKE PATTERN. WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING TO THE LOW 70S LATER ON TONIGHT BECAUSE WE’LL BE CLOUDY OVERNIGHT. WE WON’T COOL ALL THAT MUCH, BUT AS WE LOOK AT TOMORROW’S FORECAST, WE’RE GOING TO START WITH THE OUTLOOK FROM THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER, A LEVEL ONE OF FIVE ON THE SCALE, A VERY LIMITED RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER. THAT’S MAINLY FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND THE WESTERN END OF ALABAMA TO WE COULD SEE SOME GUSTY WINDS AROUND 40MPH. NOTHING SIGNIFICANTLY SEVERE. SOME INTENSE LIGHTNING THAT WE’VE BEEN SEEING TODAY. AND AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR, CAN’T EVER RULE OUT HEAVY DOWNPOURS. AND THAT LOW END RISK FOR FLASH FLOODING THAT COMES ALONG WITH THAT. SO HERE’S THE FIRST WARNING. FUTURE TRACK. THIS TRACK WE’RE TRACKING THOSE ISOLATED SHOWERS, DOWNPOURS AND THUNDERSTORMS. NOW THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST 3 A.M. TONIGHT OR EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. THAT’S ONE BREAK FROM THE RAIN. AND THEN WE SEE ANOTHER WAVE COMING IN FROM MISSISSIPPI AND OVER WEST ALABAMA. THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY ON FRIDAY TOMORROW, THAT ACROSS THE I-65 CORRIDOR FROM CULLMAN TO BIRMINGHAM, THE CLANTON CALERA DOWN TOWARDS MONTGOMERY AS EARLY AS 2:00. AND THEN THAT’S OUT OF HERE BY SIX WITH JUST LINGERING DOWNPOURS AND MAYBE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS THE REST OF THE NIGHT THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING TO WAKE UP WITH SOME PATCHY FOG EARLY IN THE MORNING. SO MAKE SURE YOU TAKE IT SLOW ON THE ROADWAYS. THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE EVERY AFTERNOON FROM HERE ON OUT. SATURDAY. SUNDAY. HIGHS IN THE MID 80S. IF YOU’RE HEADED OUTSIDE MONDAY AFTERNOON, JUST KNOW THAT RAIN CHANCE IS STILL THERE AGAIN. IT’S A LOT LIKE SUMMER AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR. A 50% CHANCE OF RAIN, MAINLY IN THE EARLY EVENING, NOW DECREASE AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES. AND THEN AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THOSE RAIN CHANCES JUST STAYS ELEVATED THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AND WE COULD SEE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 2 TO 3IN OF RAINFALL BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT WEEK, WITH A MODERATE RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE GULF SHORES.

Alabama chef crowned champion at seafood cook-off in Orange Beach

Updated: 9:23 PM CDT May 21, 2026

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>>Weather forecast is aboveChef Robbie Nicolaisen of The Hound restaurant in Auburn won the Sweet Grown Alabama Seafood Cook-Off at The Wharf in Orange Beach this week. According to a news release from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Nicolaisen created his dish of ember-roasted cobia, which featured Gulf shrimp, sweet corn puree, Chilton County peach chow chow, cornbread crumble, and anise hyssop.Nicolaisen and Sous Chef Gabe Atkinson prepared line-caught Gulf cobia, portioned into 6-ounce pieces an inch thick, and coated it with a barbecue rub before cooking it over hot charcoal. “For the cobia, it usually takes six to eight minutes per side. It was challenging today because of the wind so it took a little bit longer. But that actually worked in our favor, I think. Cobia is a fish that if it cooks too fast, it can get tough.”The other teams in the competition were Chef Chris Ippolito of Cayo Coco Rum Bar and Restaurant in Birmingham, Chef Jason McGarry of Central restaurant in Montgomery, and Chef Emilio Urban of CoastAL Orange Beach restaurant. Nicolaisen and team won $2,500 and have earned a chance to compete in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off this summer in New Orleans. Around the country: National coverage from WVTM 13

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. —

>>Weather forecast is above

Chef Robbie Nicolaisen of The Hound restaurant in Auburn won the Sweet Grown Alabama Seafood Cook-Off at The Wharf in Orange Beach this week.

According to a news release from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Nicolaisen created his dish of ember-roasted cobia, which featured Gulf shrimp, sweet corn puree, Chilton County peach chow chow, cornbread crumble, and anise hyssop.

Nicolaisen and Sous Chef Gabe Atkinson prepared line-caught Gulf cobia, portioned into 6-ounce pieces an inch thick, and coated it with a barbecue rub before cooking it over hot charcoal.

“For the cobia, it usually takes six to eight minutes per side. It was challenging today because of the wind so it took a little bit longer. But that actually worked in our favor, I think. Cobia is a fish that if it cooks too fast, it can get tough.”

The other teams in the competition were Chef Chris Ippolito of Cayo Coco Rum Bar and Restaurant in Birmingham, Chef Jason McGarry of Central restaurant in Montgomery, and Chef Emilio Urban of CoastAL Orange Beach restaurant.

Nicolaisen and team won $2,500 and have earned a chance to compete in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off this summer in New Orleans.

Around the country: National coverage from WVTM 13