As the co-owner of two successful Charleston culinary businesses, Joe DiMaio brings to the table almost two decades of professional experience that has exposed him to an eclectic range of cooking styles. The chef’s unique perspective on food took root during childhood. “I’m Italian on my father’s side and was raised in Eastern North Carolina by an Irish mother from South Philly”, says the Pennsylvania native, who spent his teens working in country club kitchens along the Grand Strand. After earning his culinary degree from the Art Institute of Charleston, DiMaio quickly advanced through the culinary ranks at Old Village Post House and The Sanctuary Hotel’s Ocean Room, to becoming head chef at some downtown favorites, The Darling Oyster Bar and Millers All Day. He decided to venture out on his own during Covid to start his own private chef company, Chainey Briar Chef Solutions. At the end of 2022, an opportunity presented itself to purchase the catering company his wife had been working at since 2017, Charleston Bay Gourmet. They decided to take the plunge and took over the business in January 2023 with a third partner and chef, Sara Prezioso. Today, he helps run both business while raising 2 children in Mt Pleasant.