Episodes

  • Sisters Sally Kawa and Kari Kawa Harding on the responsibility of running a beloved 104-year-old restaurant and winning a James Beard award

    Sisters Sally Kawa and Kari Kawa Harding on the responsibility of running a beloved 104-year-old restaurant and winning a James Beard award
    Apr 21 2026
    Sisters Sally Kawa and Kari Kawa Harding are keeping a glorious past alive as the third generation in their family to own an Omaha, Nebraska legend, Johnny’s Cafe. The beloved local landmark, now 104 years old and famous for steak and prime rib, recently won a 2025 James Beard America’s Classics award. And no, their grandfather’s name wasn’t Johnny, but when he first bought what was then a bar, he didn’t have the money to paint over the name on the building. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • Chef Aaron Bludorn on building a restaurant empire in Houston after winning a Michelin star as an Executive Chef for Daniel Boulud

    Chef Aaron Bludorn on building a restaurant empire in Houston after winning a Michelin star as an Executive Chef for Daniel Boulud
    Apr 14 2026
    Raised in Washington state, trained at the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Aaron Bludorn held a Michelin star for five years as Executive Chef of Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud in New York. Now he’s running a growing group of his own restaurants in Houston, Texas. His latest, Perseid, was named a Bon Appétit Best New Restaurant for 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • Chef Katarina Petonito on juggling the menus for three different restaurants out of one kitchen and putting a Filipino spin on all sorts of dishes

    Chef Katarina Petonito on juggling the menus for three different restaurants out of one kitchen and putting a Filipino spin on all sorts of dishes
    Apr 7 2026
    Chef Katarina Petonito grew up in the food biz. Her parents had a grocery store and catering company and as a child she would hang out with them and play while they worked. When she got a little older, she helped out in the business. Then, she decided that she wanted to cook for a living, and now is the executive chef for a unique culinary hybrid—cooking for three different Washington, D.C. restaurants from the same kitchen. The cuisines include New American and Italian and often feature the Filipino flavors she grew up with. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 mins
  • Chefs Eric Patterson and Jennifer Blakeslee on leaving Las Vegas and a Michelin star behind to cook their own way in Traverse City, Michigan

    Chefs Eric Patterson and Jennifer Blakeslee on leaving Las Vegas and a Michelin star behind to cook their own way in Traverse City, Michigan
    Mar 31 2026
    Chefs Eric Patterson and Jennifer Blakeslee met in the kitchen of an haute cuisine landmark in Las Vegas. After winning a Michelin star there, the friends decided to move on to open a place of their own. They chose the town Jennifer grew up in, Traverse City, Michigan where Eric says the bounty of local ingredients is second only to California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    38 mins
  • Drinks experts Sother Teague and Greg Benson with everything you didn’t know you need to know about booze

    Drinks experts Sother Teague and Greg Benson with everything you didn’t know you need to know about booze
    Mar 24 2026
    Sother Teague and Greg Benson have boundless knowledge of all kinds of alcohol. Between them, they have experience bartending; brewing; and owning bars, restaurants, and an agave importing company. They host their own podcast, The Speakeasy, and here on Culinary Characters Unlocked they discuss everything in the booze universe, including what’s trendy right now, drinks you’ve probably never heard of, and what’s behind the rise of PBR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • Chef Bricia Lopez on her family’s legendary James Beard award winning Oaxacan restaurant, called the best in America

    Chef Bricia Lopez on her family’s legendary James Beard award winning Oaxacan restaurant, called the best in America
    Mar 17 2026
    Chef Bricia Lopez and her siblings are carrying on a Los Angeles tradition, the Oaxacan restaurant Guelaguetza founded decades ago by their parents, rescuing it from financial disaster and serving up the unique cuisine of that southern Mexican state, including moles, the special topped tortillas called tlayudas, and the fried grasshoppers called chapulines. The late legendary food critic Jonathan Gold called it the best Oaxacan restaurant in America, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • Chef Sam Hart on his recent Michelin star, the unique themed tasting menus at his Charlotte restaurant Counter-, and why he intentionally makes no profit

    Chef Sam Hart on his recent Michelin star, the unique themed tasting menus at his Charlotte restaurant Counter-, and why he intentionally makes no profit
    Mar 10 2026
    When Michelin recently awarded its first stars in the American South region, Chef Sam Hart’s Counter- was the only North Carolina restaurant to receive one. Hart got into the food world later than most after a career in advertising, but he has made up for lost time. His first job out of culinary school was at the legendary Alinea in Chicago. Now, at Counter- he is forging a unique culinary path, with menus based on a wide range of themes such as modern art, fast food, and even mental health. And he spends all of his profits feeding those who are food insecure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • “Scone Queen” Danielle Sepsy on starting a baking and media empire at the age of 13

    “Scone Queen” Danielle Sepsy on starting a baking and media empire at the age of 13
    Mar 3 2026
    Classically trained chef Danielle Sepsy got the name The Scone Queen when she first began selling her home-made scones at the age of 13. And the recipe she created for them launched a baking and media empire. Her bakery, The Hungry Gnome, making scones, muffins, cookies, a Nutella infused banana bread, and more, now supplies more than 300 businesses including Jet Blue, as well as online customers nationwide, with more than 15,000 items per day. She has made numerous television appearances, her online videos have received millions of views, and she is eager to share the secrets of baking at home—she says anyone can do it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    38 mins