Whole Foods' Fill The Grill Competition: Jim Heins Takes Round One

All photos by Laine Doss

When Michael Jacobs, chef for the Miami Heat players, announced the two competitors for the first round of the Fill the Grill Challenge at the Coral Gables Whole Foods Market, one of the contestants asked for a slight change in title.

"Just call me Jim. Robyn's the chef around here," said Jim Heins, owner of the Latin Burger and Taco food truck. He was about to compete against Robyn Almodovar, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate who has graced the kitchens at the Hyatt Regency Fort Lauderdale and The Forge, currently owns Palate Party food truck and is a competitor on this season's Hell's Kitchen.

After that point was duly noted by the contestants (Almodovar playfully high-fived, then hugged Heins), it was time for the games to begin. In a riff on many Food Network shows, contestants had 20 minutes and $20 to purchase the ingredients they needed to feed three judges. They also has a pantry with basics like salt, pepper, oil, and basic seasonings at their disposal. After the purchase phase, each chef (or cook) had 20 minutes to prepare and plate their dish, which would then be judged for taste, presentation, and originality.

Chef Almodovar checks out the grouper.

Once the clock started, Almodovar and Heins dashed out to the floor. Almodovar made a beeline for the seafood, choosing fresh grouper. Heins was found at the meat counter, buying ground grass-fed beef and a spicy sausage.