BERLIN – A local culinary family will be featured on an upcoming episode of the Food Network program “Family Restaurant Rivals.”
The connections of DiFebo’s Restaurant, the popular Italian eatery with locations in Berlin, Rehoboth and Bethany Beach, will be featured in the “A Family Affair” episode of “Family Restaurant Rivals.”
“I think it’s going to be a fun episode,” said Lisa DiFebo-Osias. “The families we competed with were very talented.”
“Family Restaurant Rivals,” hosted by Valerie Bertinelli, pits restaurant families from across the country against each other in a competition for $10,000. Participants have to overcome real-life restaurant challenges as they cook to please the show’s judges.
“The most exciting thing for me was to cook for those three judges,” DiFebo-Osias said.
DiFebo-Osias, her husband Jeff Osias and her father Bob DiFebo flew to California in June to film the episode. While this was the third time DiFebo-Osias competed in a Food Network program, she said it was the first time she’d ever done so with her family. She said they loved getting to work with Bertinelli.
“She was lovely,” DiFebo-Osias said, adding that the actress was originally from Delaware. “I think she was smitten with my father.”
She said her dad kept the three days of filming interesting, as he wasn’t accustomed to having his every word recorded.
“You’re always miked,” DiFebo-Osias said. “That was the funniest. He was great.”
Though many people would be nervous prepping for a national television show, DiFebo-Osias said she had more jitters heading into the Battle of the Sexes at this weekend’s Southern Delaware Wine, Food and Music Festival.
“I’m more in my head for this than I’ve ever been for Food Network,” she joked.
DiFebo-Osias said she actually seeks out television cooking competitions each year.
“I might interview for six or seven shows a year,” she said. “Sometimes the show’s not right for me, sometimes I’m not right for the show.”
After decades of running her own restaurant, she says it’s interesting to go on the occasional interview. When she is selected for a show, DiFebo-Osias likes being in contact with fellow chefs.
“A lot of people have feelings about food TV but as a chef it’s just fun,” she said. “I like being around other culinarians. It keeps my life exciting after 32 years of being in business.”
