GRAND RIVERS, Ky. — Cuisine in the Commonwealth is becoming a bigger deal by the day, but fancy foods aren't exactly what we're famous for. That's changing one ounce at a time thanks to a small, unassuming company in Grand Rivers, Kentucky.
It's called America's Best Caviar, and the name really says it all.
"When you think of bourbon, you think of Kentucky. Well, when you think of caviar and top quality caviar, you need to be thinking of Kentucky," said Owner and Operator David Fields.
Forget the foreign fish, there are caviar carriers calling these Western Kentucky waters home. The elusive and exquisite eggs are paddlefish produced and sturgeon supplied.
MORE: What even is caviar?
The Lake City Fish Market, where the magic is made, is about as real as it gets -- and so is David Fields.
"I don't have to worry about what my clothes smell like when I get up in the morning because I know it's just going to get worse," he said.
PHOTOS: How America's Best Caviar is made
What is also real is the passion he has for his craft. Fields said that his moods are often dependent on the quality on the eggs that come in. That dedication is undeniable in the delicate delights he produces each and every day.
From November to May, David and his team spend the season in steps: securing, slicing, screening, salting, and solidifying their spot as America's Best Caviar.
"Whether you have ten fish, five fish, thirty fish, the process is completely the same," he said.
But David hasn't always been a caviar connoisseur. Before eggs, it was education - spending 13 years, many of them at Murray High School in Murray, KY. He started as a teacher and basketball coach and was promoted to assistant principal and athletic director.
So why trade one net for another? He had reached a point in his life where he was ready to move on and go in another direction. He had grown up fishing out on Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, so when the opportunity arose to work in the fish business, he was hooked. His wife was pregnant with twins at the time, but the trick timing turned out terrific.
"I haven't looked back ever since, and it's turned out well for us," he said.
Fields is excited about his success so far but he knows that it's not guaranteed. The caviar business is competitive and complex - far from the "rich and famous" lifestyle that the idea of caviar evokes.
"The misconception about caviar is the price of it and how everybody thinks that if you're in caviar, somehow you're rich. That's just not true. There are a lot of hands in that cookie jar," he said.
Business is booming for this Bluegrass boy, but Commonwealth caviar consumption needs to catch up. Right now, he doesn't sell any of his product in Kentucky. 80 percent of his company's product goes to New York City and another 15 percent lands in the West Coast and California. The last 5 percent finds itself in other large markets like Chicago and Miami.
Get a look behind the scenes of this interview here.
Fields hopes that getting the word out will help pave the path to more local sales - and he's ready to go every step of the way to get there.
"If I use the analogy of a ladder, I hope I'm just stepping on that first rung, and I want to climb to the top," he said.
David and his team are supplying the caviar for the Trifecta Gala on Friday night - the first time they've been invited to cater a Derby party. If you want to try some of America's Best Caviar for yourself, Jeff Ruby's and Masterson's Catering are also selling the product this week.
Contact reporter Sara Wagner at swagner@WHAS11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@WHAS11Sara) and Facebook.