Cat Cora Says This Is The Best Meal She's Ever Eaten

Cat Cora's illustrious career has taken her all across the globe. Born and raised in the South, the chef and Food Network star wrote in her book Cat Cora's Kitchen: Favorite Meals For Family And Friends that her "first kitchen" was at her parents' house in Jackson, Mississippi (via Mississippi Encyclopedia). There, according to Cora's website, meals were often a combination of the flavors found in Southern cuisine and fresh cheeses and olives sent from her extended family living on the Greek island of Skopelos, where Mississippi Encyclopedia notes the second kitchen in Cora's life can also be found.

After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Cora attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York before taking her skills to France. She has since opened several restaurants around the world, per Cora's website, and has earned a number of accolades along the way, including becoming the first female Iron Chef. 

Throughout her worldwide success, it's safe to say that Cora has had more than a few memorable meals. However, the mother of six revealed on an episode of Food Network's The Best Thing I've Ever Ate that she has to travel back to her hometown to find her favorite dish.

Knowing that chef Cat Cora's most-coveted meal can be found in Mississippi, you may be thinking her ideal dish is a staple of the region, such as fried chicken or biscuits and gravy. However, the restaurateur's favorite hometown dish actually pays homage to her Greek roots.

During an episode of Food Network's The Best Thing I've Ever Ate that specifically focused on sliced foods, Cora revealed that the sliced meal that she loves the most is a gyro, and her favorite one is from Keifer's in Jackson, Mississippi.

"The thing I love about this gyro is that the meat is really fresh. It's sliced and rotisserie. The pita they get specially made just for Keifer's. It's real nice and chewy and yummy," she said of the dish, which also comes dressed with lettuce, tomato, onions and tzatziki sauce.

And if you happen to make a pit stop for the original gyro at Keifer's, make sure to ask for some feta salad dressing on the side, which Cora describes as "so good" with the sliced lamb. "It's just all of these combinations of really great cooking and high quality food that make it fantastic," she said. Sounds delicious!