Foraging chef /owner David Jackman of a Bon Appétit 2025 Best New Restaurant
From Culinary Characters Unlocked by Culinary Characters Unlocked
June 9, 2026 · 43 min
About this episode
David Jackman shares his journey as a Canadian chef who overcame numerous obstacles to establish his restaurant, Wildweed, recognized as a 2025 Best New Restaurant by Bon Appétit.
Canadian chef David Jackman faced hurdle after hurdle getting to cook in the U.S., from being unable to afford culinary school to problems getting a visa that would allow him to work in American restaurants. But he persevered, starting a pop up with his wife and building it into a brick and mortar, Wildweed. His menu features unique and creative dishes made from what he calls “wildcrafted” local ingredients sourced from local farmers and cheesemakers, even some he forages for. Wildweed has been named a 2025 Best New restaurant by Bon Appétit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Guest: David Jackman
Topics covered
- foraging
- culinary journey
- restaurant industry
- local ingredients
- Canadian chefs
Keywords
- foraging
- Wildweed
- David Jackman
- Bon Appétit
- restaurant
- local ingredients
- culinary school
- visa issues
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Bon Appétit, Wildweed
Places: Canada, U.S.
More episodes of Culinary Characters Unlocked
- Chef Ellie Parker on winning Hell’s Kitchen and her new job as an Executive Chef for Gordon Ramsey · June 2, 2026 · 46 min
- Chef Matthew Timoszyk on his year-long quest to cook dishes from almost every country on earth · May 26, 2026 · 33 min
- Chef Christina Theofilos on opening a Greek restaurant and bakery with no culinary background at all and then being singled out for a Michelin Guide award · May 19, 2026 · 36 min
- Double Episode – Third generation owner Dino Figaretti on his James Beard award winning Italian restaurant and importer Nate Bradley answers every question about olive oil · May 12, 2026 · 43 min
- Husband and wife Johnny and Kasie Curiel on building a Michelin-star-winning restaurant empire in the blink of an eye · May 5, 2026 · 39 min
- Chef Kevin O’Donnell on cooking in Italy and France, then coming home to create “Freestyle Italian” cuisine in Rhode Island · April 28, 2026 · 46 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Culinary Characters Unlocked podcast page.