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
Culinary Characters Unlocked
New episode every Tuesday.
David Page

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Cara Tobin got her first restaurant job at the age of 17, by lying about her cooking experience in the job interview—she had none at all. In the years that followed she went to culinary school, graduating number one in her class, then worked her way up the cooking ladder at several restaurants before falling in love with Eastern Mediterranean cuisine when she worked at Oleana in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Now she is cooking that cuisine at two restaurants she co-owns in Burlington, Vermont—Honey Road and The Grey Jay. And she and her business partner have been named finalists for the title of America’s Outstanding Restaurateur in the 2025 James Beard awards, which will be announced in June.
Chef André Bienvenu spent more than a quarter-century as executive chef at America’s highest grossing independent restaurant, Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach. He considered that the pinnacle of his long career and was looking ahead to retirement, but those plans changed dramatically. Given an unexpected opportunity to partner on a new restaurant, he began a second chapter in his professional life, now as an owner, opening Catch & Cut in Fort Lauderdale, an old school seafood and steak restaurant that became an instant hit. He does things his way—a reservation book instead of an iPad, an obsession with running a civilized kitchen with no shouting, and of course his own take on stone crab.
All Episodes

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 40
SMALL TOWN CHEF AND RESTAURANT OWNER CARA TOBIN ON HER NOMINATION AS AMERICA’S BEST RESTAURATEUR IN THE UPCOMING THE 2025 JAMES BEARD AWARDS. Ep 40
Cara Tobin got her first restaurant job at the age of 17, by lying about her cooking experience in the job interview—she had none at all. In the years that followed she went to culinary school, graduating number one in her class, then worked her way up the cooking ladder at several restaurants before falling in love with Eastern Mediterranean cuisine when she worked at Oleana in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Now she is cooking that cuisine at two restaurants she co-owns in Burlington, Vermont—Honey Road and The Grey Jay. And she and her business partner have been named finalists for the title of America’s Outstanding Restaurateur in the 2025 James Beard awards, which will be announced in June.

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 39
Executive Chef Andre Bienvenu on his quarter century at the legendary Joe’s Stone Crab and his unexpected second chapter as a restaurant owner. EP 39
Chef André Bienvenu spent more than a quarter-century as executive chef at America’s highest grossing independent restaurant, Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach. He considered that the pinnacle of his long career and was looking ahead to retirement, but those plans changed dramatically. Given an unexpected opportunity to partner on a new restaurant, he began a second chapter in his professional life, now as an owner, opening Catch & Cut in Fort Lauderdale, an old school seafood and steak restaurant that became an instant hit. He does things his way—a reservation book instead of an iPad, an obsession with running a civilized kitchen with no shouting, and of course his own take on stone crab.

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 38
Food & Wine Best New Chef Karyn Tomlinson on her invention of “Grandma Chic” cuisine - EP 38

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 37
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – MARY NGUYEN – EP 37
After coming to the United States from Peru in his teens, Diego Sanchez found a sense of belonging in restaurant kitchens. He cooked under some of the world’s greatest chefs before striking out on his own and now owns his own restaurant on the Jersey shore, 39 Degrees North in Manahawkin, NJ—a diner he has reimagined his way, adding items like handmade gnocchi and lomo saltado to the traditional diner menu.

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 36
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – MARY NGUYEN – EP 36

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 35
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - JOHN FRASER – EP 35

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 34
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – SHEILA AND DUFFY WITMER– EP 34

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 33
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED –CARLOS GAYTÁN – EP 33

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 32
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – ADRIAN MILLER - EP 32

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 31
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - KATIE BUTTON - EP 31.

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 30
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - CHEFS MELISSA REAGAN AND STEPHEN GONZALEZ - EP 30

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 29
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – NOK SUNTARANON – EP 29

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 28
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – CHEF MATT VAWTER – EP 28

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 27
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – CHEF VICTORIA SHORE – EP 27

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 26
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - CHEF MICHAEL GULOTTA - EP 26

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 25
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – AMELIE KANG – EP 25

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 24
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL – EP 24

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 23
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – EP 23 – MARISSA GENCARELLI

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 22
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – CHEF NICHOLAS BAZIK – EP 22

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 21
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – CHEF MATTHEW GRAY – EP 21

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 20
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – CHEF BJ DENNIS - EP 20

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 19
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – THE BUSALACCHI FAMILY – EP 19

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 18
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – CHEF PREETI WAAS - EP 18

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 17
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – GREGORY GOURDET - EP 17

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 16
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – ZIGGY GRUBER - EP 16

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 15
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – Chef PAUL SMITH - EP 15

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 14
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED –MARTHA SANDERS HOOVER - EP 14

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 13
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - CHEF JOHN SHIELDS - EP 13

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 12
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - SARAH SIMINGTON - EP 12

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 11
CHEF DONALD YOUNG - CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 11

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 10
THE 2FOODTRIPPERS - CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 10

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 9
JENNIFER JASINSKI - CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 9

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 8
TONY GEMIGNANI- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 8

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 7
ANNE QUATRANO - CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 7

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 6
DAVID STANDRIDGE - CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 6

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 5
DAVID PAGE TALKS WITH CHEF STEPHANIE IZARD EP 5

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 4
DAN BARBER

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 3
CHRISTINA NGUYEN

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 2
Legendary restaurateur Drew Nieporent is David Page’s guest.

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 1
Culinary legend Nancy Silverton is David Page’s very first guest.

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 34
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – SHEILA AND DUFFY WITMER– EP 34

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 33
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED –CARLOS GAYTÁN – EP 33

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 32
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – ADRIAN MILLER - EP 32

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 31
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - KATIE BUTTON - EP 31.

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 30
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - CHEFS MELISSA REAGAN AND STEPHEN GONZALEZ - EP 30

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 29
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – NOK SUNTARANON – EP 29

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 28
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – CHEF MATT VAWTER – EP 28

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 27
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – CHEF VICTORIA SHORE – EP 27

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 26
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - CHEF MICHAEL GULOTTA - EP 26

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 25
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – AMELIE KANG – EP 25

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 24
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL – EP 24

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 23
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – EP 23 – MARISSA GENCARELLI

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 22
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – CHEF NICHOLAS BAZIK – EP 22

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 21
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – CHEF MATTHEW GRAY – EP 21

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 20
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – CHEF BJ DENNIS - EP 20

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 19
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – THE BUSALACCHI FAMILY – EP 19

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 18
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – CHEF PREETI WAAS - EP 18

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 17
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – GREGORY GOURDET - EP 17

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 16
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – ZIGGY GRUBER - EP 16

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 15
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED – Chef PAUL SMITH - EP 15

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 14
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED –MARTHA SANDERS HOOVER - EP 14

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 13
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - CHEF JOHN SHIELDS - EP 13

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 12
CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - SARAH SIMINGTON - EP 12

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 11
CHEF DONALD YOUNG - CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 11

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 10
THE 2FOODTRIPPERS - CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 10

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 9
JENNIFER JASINSKI - CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 9

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 8
TONY GEMIGNANI- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 8

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 7
ANNE QUATRANO - CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 7

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 6
DAVID STANDRIDGE - CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 6

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED - EP 5
DAVID PAGE TALKS WITH CHEF STEPHANIE IZARD EP 5

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 4
DAN BARBER

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 3
CHRISTINA NGUYEN

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 2
Legendary restaurateur Drew Nieporent is David Page’s guest.

- CULINARY CHARACTERS UNLOCKED EP 1
Culinary legend Nancy Silverton is David Page’s very first guest.
