Originally from Millbury, Massachusetts, husband and wife Dean and Shari Della Ventura described themselves as the “all-American couple.” Although they have only been married for a year, 40-year-old Dean has over 25 years of experience in the culinary business since helping out in his mother’s deli and catering business from since he was 15. since then, he has become a chef at Point Breeze Restaurant until he opted to pursue something else because of an economic slump. Eventually, however, he returned to his real love – cooking – and was hired as executive chef at the Horse Shoe Pub and Restaurant. For her part, 37-year-old Shari is a waitress and office manager at Point Breeze. Dean Della Ventura and Shari Della Ventura are among the eight couples competing on the NBC cooking reality show The Chopping Block, which exposes the behind-the-scene goings-on that goes into opening a restaurant. The contestants will compete with each other for $250,000 under celebrated chef and restaurateur Marco Pierre White of the UK version of Hell’s Kitchen. For them, her experience at The Chopping Block is their last chance to get ahead.