PORTLAND, Maine — A Portland restaurant is reaping the benefits of being on national TV.
Natalie DiBenedetto opened Figgy's Takeout and Catering in Portland in 2015 after moving to Maine from New York, by way of Missouri. Bringing her fried chicken recipes to a city already bustling with a popular food scene.
"Most embracing city," DiBenedetto said. "Often times you might find competition and people not being kind to the neighbors and it has just been so welcoming."
She knows how to cook, but advertising and marketing hasn't been easy. It's why DiBenedetto decided to audition for the show Chopped when casting directors came to Maine looking for contestants. A chance to get her name out into the public and win $10,000.
The Portland chef and restaurant owner made it on the show and filmed her episode in February 2018. She went ready to prepare a dish she might not be familiar with, but to her surprise was handed the very same type of food for which she's known.
"I kind of couldn't believe it," DiBenedetto said, laughing. "When I opened the basket and saw the chicken I was like 'here goes what I know how to do', but then I was like really? Every day of my life I have to cook chicken and the one time I have to show my other culinary talents, yup guess I'm going to make fried chicken again."
When her episode aired in March, viewers had the chance to watch DiBenedetto cook up her famous Missouri inspired fried chicken with a touch of Maine. Beating out three other competitors to win first place and the $10,000 check. With success come customers, a lot of them.
"It looked like a scene from the walking dead," DiBenedetto said. "You're seeing these hoards of people come and you're like, 'oh my god, they are coming for us.' We sold out several nights in a row. Eventually just took the phone off the hook. It was a little too much for this tiny little 400-square-foot kitchen to handle."
Natalie used her winnings to pay for trips to New York City and to pay her taxes.