Emmy Winner, International Acclaimed Journalist, Executive Producer, Food & Travel Lover, and Creator of the Beloved Show "Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives" David Page takes us deep into the world of chefs, restaurateurs, and everything "foodie" from the nationally and internationally awarded to the locally loved on
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Chef Thomas Bille describes his cooking as driven by “a love for food that warms your soul and speaks to our ancestors.” A child of Mexican immigrants, Bille grew up with great food his father was a professional chef and his mother a fabulous home cook and as a self-described latchkey kid he was making French toast and spaghetti for himself by the age of 8. He went on to attend cooking school, then got most of his experience in Los Angeles before moving to Texas and opening Belly of the Beast. He was on the verge of financial disaster when, finally, recognition came, and with it, the crowds. In awarding the restaurant a Bib Gourmand, the Michelin Guide, noted that the “twists and turns” in his Mexican inspired cooking, “make for immensely satisfying courses that feel bold and balanced.” And where else will you find Wagyu birria?
Pioneering chef Jordan Kahn holds Michelin stars at two different Los Angeles area restaurants— two stars at Vespertine, and one star at Meteora. Appropriately, the Michelin Guide calls his rise in the food world “meteoric.” Kahn worked under legendary chefs Thomas Keller and Grant Achatz before striking out on his own, He is known for crafting not just a meal, but a multi-sensory experience intended to connect the diner with the natural world, featuring a range of what he calls “exceptional ingredients” ranging from algae, ancestral grains, and wild herbs and flowers, to inventive creations of local seafood, quail wagyu beef, and more. And each dish — and meal —is intended to tell a story, often historical, even ancient, through the selection and juxtaposition of ingredients and cooking methods. Kahn has a third restaurant, Destroyer, aimed at recreating the vibe of historic café society in Paris.
- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 58
2025 James Beard Best Chef-Texas Thomas Bille on creating great food through the lens of a first generation Mexican American, risking everything on a dream, and rebuilding after losing it all. EP 58
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- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 58
2025 James Beard Best Chef-Texas Thomas Bille on creating great food through the lens of a first generation Mexican American, risking everything on a dream, and rebuilding after losing it all - EP 58
Born and raised in Japan, Chef Julia Momosé developed a respect and love for hospitality watching her mother entertain at home. Her motivation for entering the culinary world was a visit she made to a bar in Kyoto—watching the bartender hand making ice spheres for use in drinks. She pursued that newfound passion while attending college in the U.S., working at bars and local restaurants, before making a big name for herself as a bartender in Chicago, working for celebrated chefs and restaurateurs at Michelin star restaurants, before opening Kumiko, what she calls a dining bar, pairing cutting edge drinks with Japanese food that goes far beyond sushi and ramen, and earned a Michelin star there. Recently, she’s taken on an even greater role—when health issues forced her Executive Chef to step down, she took his place, and is getting fabulous reviews, including from the Michelin Guide. And Kumiko has now won Outstanding Bar in the 2025 James Beard Awards.
Pioneering chef Jordan Kahn holds Michelin stars at two different Los Angeles area restaurants— two stars at Vespertine, and one star at Meteora. Appropriately, the Michelin Guide calls his rise in the food world “meteoric.” Kahn worked under legendary chefs Thomas Keller and Grant Achatz before striking out on his own, He is known for crafting not just a meal, but a multi-sensory experience intended to connect the diner with the natural world, featuring a range of what he calls “exceptional ingredients” ranging from algae, ancestral grains, and wild herbs and flowers, to inventive creations of local seafood, quail wagyu beef, and more. And each dish — and meal —is intended to tell a story, often historical, even ancient, through the selection and juxtaposition of ingredients and cooking methods. Kahn has a third restaurant, Destroyer, aimed at recreating the vibe of historic café society in Paris.
Meet The Host
David Page
David Page is a long-time journalist who reinvented food television when he created Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. He is also an author, having written the award-winning book Food Americana, which explores the creation of American cuisine from the foods of other countries and cultures. Now he’s talking with some of the most important—and entertaining— figures in the food world on Culinary Characters Unlocked. Previously, Page spent many years in news, producing for both NBC and ABC and covering some of the world’s most important events, (even walking through the Berlin Wall the night it opened).
