On Feb. 1, a cool winter’s night, more than 200 people are gathered downtown at Vic & Anthony’s for the Houston Chowhound’s ‘Shroom Throwndown featuring local and amateur chefs.
Rebecca Masson: Joanne Witt photos
The pros, representing some of Houston's best restaurants, showcased their versatility and the entries reflected the diversity of the local culinary scene. See more event photos -- including the dishes -- here.

The winners were:

• First place: Pastry chef Rebecca Masson with her Candy Cap Ice Box Pie (Porcini chocolate crust, candy cap custard and toasted meringue).
• Second place: Mark's owner and executive chef Mark Cox with his Mushroom Medley Salad with Grilled Portabella Dome.
• Third place (a tie): Valentino executive chef Cunninghame West with his Mushroom with Rabbit Marsala and Polenta; and Branch Water Tavern owner and executive chef David Grossman with his Black Trumpet & Butternut Squash soup dumpling with goat cheese fondue and watercress.

Other chefs (and their dishes) included:

• Carlos Rodriguez, concept chef at Vic & Anthony's: Ravioli with Mushroom, Iberico Ham, Fresh Egg Yolk and Crispy Black Trumpette Mushrooms
• Grant Hunter, executive chef at Brenner's On The Bayou: Jack Daniels Smoked Short Rib with Wild Mushroom Ragout
• Robert Del Grande, executive chef and owner, RDG + Bar Annie: Salad of Abalone Mushrooms with Sea Water Shrimp and Shrimp Spiders
• Michael Kramer, executive chef, Voice: Quartet of Mushrooms
• L.J. Wiley, executive chef and co-owner, Yelapa Playa Mexicana: Mushroom Tom Ka Crudo - Spring Transition
• Chris Shepherd, chef and managing partner, Catalan: Mushroom Banh Mi

In an amateur competition, members of Chowhounds group, affectionately known as HouCHies, presented dishes that revolved around rice.

Participants included; Sunny Bogden, Greg Buchold, Stephanie Da Silva, Diane Gossen, Maureen Hall, Jonathan Platon, Gary Wise and Eugene Zafra.

The winners were:

• First place: Hall with her Mern's Cheezy Crawfish Rice
• Second place: Da Silva with her Jambalaya
• Third place: Zafra with his Krakatoa Rice Casserole

The panel of judges came from the media, industry and one Chowhounds. They were Gracie Cavnar of Recipe for Success; Ruthie Johnson of Houston Press, Beaver's chef Jonathan Jones, Houston Chronicle Food Editor Greg Morago, Texas Monthly's Pat Sharpe and Velijko Roskar (HouCHie wild card pick).