As the host and executive producer of the podcast Culinary Characters Unlocked, David Page has a knack for uncovering the stories behind the chefs, restaurateurs, and culinary innovators who shape our food culture. You may also know him as the creator and executive producer of the Food Network’s hit Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. What’s more, he’s also the author of the award-winning book Food Americana, where he explores the fascinating journey of how diverse culinary traditions have melded into the American food landscape. Here’s an exclusive yet brief look into his experiences, insights, and the stories that have shaped his remarkable journey.
About David Page
David Page is a renowned figure in the culinary world, celebrated for his extensive contributions to food journalism and television. He is the host and executive producer of the podcast Culinary Characters Unlocked, where he delves into the world of chefs, restaurateurs, and everything “foodie.” David is also the author of the award-winning book Food Americana, which explores the creation of American cuisine from the foods of other countries and cultures. He and his family live on Long Beach Island, along the breathtaking Jersey Shore.
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
A two-time Emmy Award winner during his time with network news, David Page is best known for creating the Food Network hit Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. His career in television spans decades, including significant roles in network news at both ABC and NBC. With a passion for food and travel, David continues to inspire and entertain audiences through his various media ventures, making him a beloved and influential figure in the culinary world.
Can you tell me a little about yourself?
I’ve been a journalist nearly all of my life. Got into radio while still in high school, worked in local TV news, then network news. I was lucky enough to be posted internationally for NBC News during a golden era of news, walking through the Berlin Wall the night it opened and covering a slew of major world events. I didn’t realize it then but my years overseas teed up my later switch to food journalism as I sampled cuisines from all over the world (and realized how much each country or region’s cuisine could tell me about life, society, and history there). After returning to the states, I married my NBC lawyer, we have a wonderful daughter, and we live on the Jersey Shore.
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What inspired you to start the Culinary Characters Unlocked podcast?
I have always been driven to tell stories. In whatever medium people were turning to. These days it is podcasts. So it seemed a natural fit to try that out. Also, I have long wanted to find a longer form medium to have in depth discussions that would have had to to be edited down in other formats. Hence, CCU.
How do you select the guests for your podcast?
I keep a very close eye on culinary news. There are so many sites, as well as mainstream media sources, now covering food that chefs and restaurateurs are mentioned daily. I also track the big awards — James Beard, Michelin, and Food & Wine primarily. But I don’t want only big-time, celebrity folks so I often google culinary subjects searching for stories about mom-n-pops and as yet unheralded chefs and restaurateurs doing it right.
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David Page’s Culinary Characters Unlocked (credit: David Page)
Can you share a particularly memorable or impactful episode from Culinary Characters Unlocked?
I have been deeply impressed by, and moved by, so many guests. But asked to single out one, Chef Eric LeVine. He’s not the best known guest I’ve had. He has mostly run restaurants in New Jersey and on Long Island – quite successfully – and recently expanded to his hometown of Brooklyn. But what touched me most was this guy’s grit. He has beaten cancer six times. And run the New York Marathon. And after a knee replacement he is planning a cross country bicycle trip to raise money for charity.
How do you prepare for each podcast episode?
Read, view, and listen. It’s the old journalistic method – research. I read everything I can find about each guest. Listen to other podcasts they’ve been on. Watch video appearances. Not to copy what others have asked – but to get a complete story of their life from which to generate my own inquiries.
What challenges have you faced while producing Culinary Characters Unlocked?
Frankly, they’ve mostly been technical. I do my interviews through the cloud and that can bring technical snafus with it. More broadly, though, there’s a large industry now built on promoting chefs so the biggest challenge is separating the hype from the reality in selecting guests.
What trends or changes in the culinary world have you noticed through your podcast interviews?
First, I think, is fear. The post-pandemic economy is hell on restaurateurs. Prices for everything keep rising, margins keep shrinking, and many fear the continuing death of independent restaurants. On a positive note, I think we as a country are becoming more receptive to foods from other cultures, and perhaps even getting more adventurous about trying ingredients that might have been considered distasteful, such as offal.
What future plans do you have for Culinary Characters Unlocked?
Just to keep on finding and talking to the most interesting people in food. And growing my associated Substack of the same name.
I want to change course now and ask about your earlier accomplishments. What inspired you to create Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
Impending poverty. I had left network news and opened a production company but was having no success selling any programs to any networks. Until, finally, I pitched a Food Network executive who asked if I had anything in development about diners. I lied, said sure, and pulled the name Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives out of thin air. And the rest was history. Mind you, it wouldn’t have worked if I didn’t have a deep love for food and an interest in food TV.
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How has your experience with Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives influenced your approach to podcasting?
First, DDD gave me a deep appreciation for the people who make and serve the food. I learned just how tough the biz is and how passionate these people are. And I met so many great characters. Ultimately, I learned, it’s about the people. Whatever we are talking about, in this case cooking food and running restaurants, what truly interests any audience (and me) is the human beings at the center of the stories being told.
Can you share a memorable experience from your time producing Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
My family and I were in Kentucky and dropped in to a barbecue restaurant that had been featured on the show. I introduced myself and the owners went wild. They embraced us, and explained that before being on the show the business was dying, they were considering bankruptcy and planning to shut the restaurant down. But once their episode aired, their business skyrocketed and they actually opened a second location. Not the only such story I have heard. While saving small businesses wasn’t the reason I started the show, it sure felt good.
Can you tell me about your book Food Americana?
It occurred to me early on in producing Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives that virtually everything we love to eat came from someplace else. And all of those imports combined – and evolved – to form a uniquely American cuisine. So I dug into the history of the various main elements of that cuisine, and that became the book.
How do you define “Americana” in the context of your book?
What became American. Yes, pizza began in Italy, hamburgers came from Germany, tacos from Mexico and on and on – but evolved and melded together they became the food of America.
What advice would you give to aspiring food writers and television producers?
Be curious. Listen. Don’t just run down a list of questions – follow the story wherever it goes.Tell the truth. No embellishment. No taking conventional wisdom at face value. Tell. The. Truth.
Lastly, I’m visiting the Jersey Shore in September. What dining recommendations can you recommend?
Two places on Long Beach Island near me, both in Beach Haven: La Bamba, a family owned Mexican restaurant where the molé is made from grandma’s recipe, and The Delaware Avenue Oyster House where the local oysters are fabulous and inexpensive.
Where You Can Listen to David Page’s Culinary Characters Unlocked Podcast
Culinary Characters Unlocked is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Audible and Spotify. It’s also available on YouTube, as well as on the official Culinary Characters Unlocked website. A new episode is presented every Tuesday.
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About The Author
Randy Yagi is an award-winning writer who served as the National Travel Writer for CBS from 2012 to 2019. More than 900 of his stories still appear in syndication across 23 CBS websites, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. During his peak years with CBS, Randy had a reported digital audience reach of 489 million and 5.5 million monthly visitors. Additionally, his stories have appeared in the Daily Meal, CBS News, CBS Radio, Engadget, NBC.com, NJ.com, and Radio.com. He earned a Media Fellowship from Stanford University and is a Bay Area Travel Writers (BATW) member.