Brittany Furbee is a local chef who has made a name for herself in the competitive food world. 



"I leapt into the national food scene in 2017, when I was selected to compete on the Food Network show Cooks vs. Cons. Despite having no professional experience, I beat two experienced chefs to win the show and a $10,000 grand prize. The experience set into motion a very exciting year for me that included winning a national recipe contest and competing in the world’s largest food sport event, the World Food Championships," she writes on her website.



But because Brittany is not at a restaurant or other place where we can all try this award-winning food, she put together a prix fixe tasting menu that featured some of these greatest hits! 



I was excited to meet up with friends Katie and Todd to enjoy all of these delicious dishes. 



And, honestly, everything was so good. But perhaps some of my favorites were the catfish - because I've never been a fan of catfish. The soup blew me away with flavor; I didn't know chicken soup could taste like this. And the steam bun and rangoon are things that I would routinely order from any restaurant if they were available. So, if you can catch one of her future dinners, do not miss out.



Catfish Crostini
Tempura fried catfish bites dipped in a sweet and salty fish sauce glaze and served on a toasted crostini with spicy gochujang mayo and cilantro lime micro-greens.



Orange Ginger Chicken Soup
Black rice noodles served with orange ginger chicken broth and tender chicken pieces topped with carrot ginger sauce and crispy onions.



Asian Seafood Corn Dog Bites
Crispy cornmeal batter filled with prawn pieces wrapped in a blended shrimp and scallop mixture and topped with spicy Chinese mustard and cherry soy sauce. The dish is garnished with bonito flakes, green onions, and sesame seeds and served with crispy prawn heads.



Fried Green Tomato Steam Bun & Hibiscus Cheese Rangoon
Crispy fried green tomatoes served on a fluffy steamed bun with cherry jam, spicy yuzu mayo, hibiscus pickled onions, micro-greens, and vegan caviar. The steamed buns are paired with a crispy fried wonton Rangoon filled with a goat and cream cheese stuffed hibiscus flower and a sweet and sour hibiscus sauce.



Orange Polenta Cake
Orange and almond polenta cake with orange honey syrup and fresh salted honey whipped cream.  

Do you know what sometimes just hits the spot? A big ol' plate of spaghetti.



To be honest, spaghetti is probably my least favorite pasta shape. But, the Gino's locations don't have a ton of variety when it comes to pasta, and the spaghetti at the Craigsville location caught my eye.



It comes with meat sauce, which was well-seasoned. The spaghetti could've been far less well done. But, it filled my tummy with nostalgia.

Grade: B