PADUCAH — The Cork Room on Broadway Street officially has the Best Bite In Town for its shrimp and grits dish.
The Cork Room prepared shrimp and grits for one of its dishes.
Six Paducah restaurants went head-to-head in an episode of Food Network’s new competition series “Best Bite In Town,” which aired Friday night. World-renowned restaurateur Guy Fieri is the executive producer of the show.
In the episode, each of the six local restaurants, Strickland’s Seafood, Starnes Barbecue, Artisan Kitchen, Branch Out, Gold Rush Café, and The Cork Room, prepare two dishes for the “Bite Club,” assembled by the show’s host Noah Cappe.
The Bite Club then chose their three favorite dishes, Artisan Kitchen’s ultimate bourbon carrot cake, Starnes Barbecue’s barbecue pork sandwich, and The Cork Room’s shrimp and grits, to present to a panel of culinary judges who determine the “Best Bite In Town.”
Starnes Barbecue made it to the top three for its barbecue pork sandwich.
Shawn and Laura Strickland, the owners of Strickland’s Seafood, have been in business for nine years. Shawn said he was inspired to open the restaurant after working at Whaler’s Catch for 38 years.
“We opened Strickland’s Seafood down the road, and it ended up being a little small for us. We got really busy, which is a good thing, and so we’ve moved down the road,” Shawn said.
Once they heard about the show, the Stricklands knew they wanted to participate.
“They approached us and asked if we might want to be involved, and we accepted, and we felt like it was a great opportunity to showcase some of the items we have,” Shawn said.
Shawn and Laura Strickland opened Strickland’s Seafood about nine years ago.
The first dish Strickland’s Seafood prepared for the chefs was a cod fish roll up.
“It’s a white fish. We have a crab cake mixture we put inside. We roll it up. We bake it. We cover it with a white wine sauce, bread crumbs,” Shawn said.
He prepared a shrimp gumbo for the second dish.
“We’ve been cooking gumbo for 40 years now, and we think it’s one of our best items on the menu,” Shawn said. “They loved the gumbo.”
Carrie Signa, owner of The Cork Room, said she was surprised to learn Food Network was bringing one of its shows to Paducah.
“At first, you’re kind of like, ‘Is this a gimmick?'” Signa said. “Food Network in Paducah, Kentucky? The whole flavor town here? It just seemed pretty surreal.”
Carrie Signa, middle, said all the local restaurants featured in the show are winners.
She learned about the competition through a friend and inquired about the application process, which included questionnaires, talking about the restaurant’s history, and sending a full menu.
After completing the application process for her restaurant, Signa heard back from the show.
“Two days later, they call and say, ‘Congratulations, we want to come to The Cork Room.’ It’s still very surreal,” Signa said.
The Cork Room prepared shrimp and grits and a berries and brie grilled cheese for its two dishes.
Artisan Kitchen’s ultimate bourbon carrot cake made it to the top three dishes.
Signa said the anticipation for the show to air has been building since filming happened in August of 2023. She believes every restaurant featured is a winner.
“I am so excited to see all six of these restaurants in Paducah be able to be in the spotlight. What an awesome, regardless of the outcome, we are all winners because we’re on Season One of Best Bite in Paducah,” Signa said.
