HOST VENUE The Palisades Restaurant

Located in the former Pyne's General Store, The Palisades Restaurant offers contemporary cuisine in a unique countryside setting, warm hospitality and unparalleled service in an historic landmark building. The Palisades is truly a neighborhood restaurant - all of our pork, beef, trout and produce is grown right here in the New River Valley, providing our guests with the freshest ingredients while supporting the local economy.

Guests of The Palisades Restaurant can enjoy the coziness of our open kitchen and stone hearth oven while listening to live music in our lounge and bar area. Our future deck will offer breathtaking views of the New River and the Eggleston cliffs, known as the Palisades, from Giles County's only outdoor dining area. We also offer a private upstairs banquet room that can be reserved for special occasions.

GUEST CELEBRITY CHEF Barton Seaver
National Geographic Fellow and Chef

Acclaimed chef, author, and speaker Barton Seaver is on a mission to restore our relationship with the ocean, the land, and with each other—through dinner. He believes food is a crucial way for us to connect with the ecosystems, people, and cultures of our world.

Seaver explores these themes through healthful, planet-friendly recipes in his first book, For Cod & Country (Sterling Epicure, May 2011), and as host of both the National Geographic Web series Cook-Wise and the three-part TV series In Search of Food (Ovation, May 2011).

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and executive chef at some of the most celebrated restaurants in his native Washington, D.C., Seaver is known for his devotion to quality, culinary innovation, and sustainability. In 2008, he was honored as a "Seafood Champion" by the Seafood Choices Alliance and as "Rising Culinary Star of the Year" by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. He was named Esquire magazine's "Chef of the Year" in 2009.

As a National Geographic Fellow, Seaver works on ocean issues with Mission Blue to increase awareness and inspire action. He also works closely with D.C. Central Kitchen, the School Nutrition Association, the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, and Future of Fish.

Seaver's insights have been featured in Cooking Light, O: The Oprah Magazine, the Washington Post, Fortune, and Vanity Fair. He has appeared on CNN, NPR's All Things Considered, National Geographic Weekend, and Bloomberg Radio. In 2010, he gave a TED Talk aboard the National Geographic Endeavor.

GUEST CELEBRITY CHEF Jennifer Carroll
Top Chef All Stars and Season 6

Jennifer Carroll is the celebrated chef de cuisine of the award winning 10 Arts Bistro & Lounge by Eric Ripert in Philadelphia, Pa. Carroll is also well-known for starring on Bravo's Emmy and James Beard Award winning television show Top Chef. She was a finalist and fan favorite on the sixth season of the popular series.

Born and raised in the Somerton section of Northeast Philadelphia, Carroll's notion of meals consisted of protein, starch and canned vegatables. "My Dad was a steak and potatoes guy," said Carroll. "My Mom took cooking classes and read about cuisine, but my Dad would have none of it. So our meals were pretty basic."

Carroll's passion for restaurant work, service and the art of cooking led her to attend Philadelphia's Restaurant School. Upon graduation, Carroll worked at Derek Davis' Sonoma and Arroyo Grill, as well as Neil Stein's Avenue B, under Chef Patrick Feury. She also spent time in San Francisco, where she was sous chef at Julia and Cafe Kati. Carroll's aspiration to work in a classic European kitchen led to her role as sous chef at Eric Ripert's prestigious Le Bernardin in New York City.

When 10 Arts Bistro and Lounge opened in May 2008, inside the Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, Carroll was personally selected by Ripert to lead the kitchen. Carroll brings a wealth of experience to her position, where she combines her knowledge of West Coast cuisine, international fare and classic European fine dining. Her work in a three star Michelin-rated restaurant has allowed her to grow into a well-rounded culinary professional with an impressive command of simple, high quaility flavors prepared with pristine ingredients.

At 10 Arts Bistro and Lounge, Carroll creates menus of modern American cuisine with an emphasis on local ingredients. The restaurant is a AAA Four-diamond award winner, and in 2009, was bestowed the Event of the Year award from the Philadelphia chapter of La Chaine des Rotisseur, the oldest gastronomic association in the world.

Carroll also contributes her culinary talents to many charitable causes, including Philabundance, Alex's Lemonade Stand and Slow Food USA. She is the winner of the 2009 Dish It Up! cook-off for Women Against Abuse and is the Chef Chair for Share our Strength's 2010 Taste of the Nation in Philadelphia.

Chef Jennifer is currently working on opening her own restaurant.

GUEST CELEBRITY CHEF Mike Isabella
RESTAURANT Graffiato, Washington DC

Chef Mike Isabella has opened his first restaurant, Graffiato, in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of Washington, DC to rave reviews. The 150-seat Italian-inspired spot features snacks, small plates and artisanal pizzas with seasonal ingredients influenced by the food Chef Isabella grew up eating in New Jersey prepared by his Italian American grandmother.

Before opening Graffiato, Chef Isabella was the executive chef of Jose Andres' Zaytinya. During his three-year tenure Chef Isabella generated accolades and national attention for Washington, DC's Mediterranean powerhouse restaurant.

Chef Isabella's formal training began at The Restaurant School in New York, taking classes and cooking his way through some of New York City's finest establishments. After honing his skills in the Big Apple, he travelled down the coast to Philadelphia, first as a sous chef for James Beard award winner Douglas Rodriguez at Alma de Cuba, then a host of other Stephen Starr restaurants. At El Vez, Chef Isabella learned the true craft of Latin cuisine under the direction of Jose Garces, and as Executive Sous Chef of Marcus Samuelsson's Washington Square, Mike educated himself on the strenuous yet exciting task of opening a fine dining establishment.

While Philadelphia proved to be an incredible learning experience and launching ground, Chef Isabella still needed to find his niche. That niche came when he moved to Atlanta and joined Buckhead Life Group's top-notch Greek restaurant, Kyma. As Chef de Cuisine of the seafood-inspired menu, Chef Isabella learned the slight flavors and techniques of Greek cooking, as well as immersing himself in the traditions of one of the oldest cuisines in the world. While travelling through Greece and parts of the Middle East, Chef Isabella learned the nuances of these cuisines. Talking to locals and sifting through the daily markets gave Chef Isabella a chance to truly understand these foods, and helped to form a base for his culinary imagination.

Outside the kitchen, Chef Isabella recently appeared on Season Six of Top Chef. He didn't win the jackpot in Las Vegas, and battled Chef Richard Blais in the final episode of Top Chef All Stars.

GUEST CELEBRITY CHEF Dana Herbert
RESTAURANT Desserts by Dana, Bear Delaware

Dana Herbert, owner of Desserts by Dana, resides in Bear, Delaware. Chef Herbert lives and breathes in the sweet and artistic world of pastry art, where flavor and color come to life in his wonderful wedding cakes, sugar sculptures, custom cakes, and tasty miniature desserts for all occasions. Dana is an expert sugar artist with a number of nicknames. He’s best known as “The Sugar Daddy” because of his work with pulled and blown sugar, but is also known as Delaware’s “King of Cakes.”

Chef Herbert has garnered a lot of attention for his big win on Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker, a hit show on TLC, which premiered in December 2010. After watching him excel in both design and taste in each episode, he took home the gold (and a new car!) in the finale. All of Delaware’s residents have supported the Sugar Daddy throughout the exciting show’s season. He also was invited to work in Hoboken with Buddy Valastro and can be seen on some of the awesome episodes of Cake Boss.

After Dana’s historic win on Cake Boss: Next Great Baker, the nation has seen Chef in a number of other media outlets nationally and internationally including multiple shows of Deals with Kat Cosley (ABC), and throughout NBC, WHYY, FOX, CN8 and more. Chef Herbert’s features and recipes have been seen in numerous magazines including Essence, Fitness Magazine, Catering Magazine, and the Huffington Post, Chef Magazine, Delaware Today and many more. Dana also graced the cover of Dessert Professional in 2012. Chef Herbert has also been featured on WEtv for Wedding Cake Wars, TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off, and many local television magazine programs.

When it comes to burning in the kitchen Dana is an expert. Dana is trained in both Culinary and Pastry which makes him a double threat in any kitchen. He loves to blend his sweet and savory style together. This caught the eye of James Beard and they asked Dana to be a part of the James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour which has been running for approximately 10 years. Organizers of the tour loved his work so much that they announced that Dana’s course was Top Ten All- Time Desserts on tour. Dana has authored a book called the Sweet and Savory Union as a result of his love for blurring the lines between sweet and savory. Chef also tours the country with Novo Nordisk educating people with Diabetes on how they can make their culinary creations delicious, nutritious, and sensible for a sugar free diet. Dana feels as though the key to living a long life starts with everything in moderation, and balance.

Dana works with a number of celebrities in his line of work and has made cakes for some of the nations’ best athletes and stars including fiancé of Michael Vick, Asante Samuels, Bart Scott, Jimmy Rollins, Joselio Hansen, Jill Biden, Dick Vermeil, Tye Tribbett, and daughters’ wedding of famous jazz musician Najee.

Dana is a 1998 graduate of the University of Delaware (UD) with a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management. While in college, Chef Herbert was involved in the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH), serving as the chapter president and eventually the National Chairperson for the organization. After graduating from UD, Chef Herbert continued his education at Johnson and Wales University (JWU), where he completed a second Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts and an additional Associates of Arts in Pastry. During his study at JWU he worked for the Four Seasons Boston.

After pastry school, Dana worked for Philadelphia Downtown Marriott as the in-house Pastry Chef. During that time, Dana also had the unique opportunity of being the Pastry Chef for the 2006 American Culinary Federation National Convention, and cooking for the Philadelphia Chapter of the Chaine Des Rotisseurs. Currently, Dana is the Chef at the Delaware River and Bay Authority in New Castle and also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. (Wilmington Alumni Chapter), the International Cake Exploration Society (ICES), and the American Culinary Federation.

He is married to his wonderful wife Netesha, and welcomed their first child, Siani Rose, in February 2011

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GUEST CELEBRITY CHEF Aaron Deal
RESTAURANT The River And Rail, Roanoke VA

A native of North Carolina, Aaron Deal draws much of his inspiration from the diverse regional cuisines that the United States has to offer, especially the South. With over a decade of experience in various facets of culinary execution and management at some of the most renowned restaurants in the country, Deal has garnered wide acclaim for his inventive approach to cooking, including being nominated a semifinalist in the Rising Star category of the James Beard Awards in 2009.

Prior to his role as executive chef at Tristan in Charleston, SC, Deal apprenticed in numerous kitchens and took university-level business classes, before deciding to attend culinary school. Applying his intense focus to his studies, he graduated summa cum laude from Johnson & Wales University in Charleston in 2005. He worked as chef de cuisine at Tristan for two years before assuming the role of executive chef in 2007. After just four months with Deal at its helm, Tristan was awarded four-and-a-half out of five stars by Charleston’s Post and Courier, which noted that Deal had “combined the art of cooking with the joy of food.” Under his leadership, the restaurant also garnered the AAA Four-Diamond award of excellence.

The pursuit of new opportunities led Deal to next assume the role of executive chef of Custom House Tavern in Chicago, IL, in 2009. Taking on the challenge of a larger city proved a success in all facets. Deal earned many accolades during his time at Custom House including being named a “Best New Chef Under 30” by Chicago Social magazine. And, most recently, Deal was named one of Restaurant-Hospitality magazine’s “12 to watch in 2012.”

Shifting his focus to professional refinement, Deal traveled to Chilhowie, VA in 2010 for an extended stage with Food & Wine Best New Chef John Shields and Pastry Chef Karen Urie Shields at Town House restaurant. He then ventured north to Cambridge, MA, in late 2010 to work as tournant alongside 2011 James Beard Best Chef Northeast Tony Maws at Craigie on Main.

Deal’s creative impulse has once again led him south—this time to Roanoke, VA—to open The River and Rail. In his role as executive chef, Deal is building the culinary program for the restaurant from the ground up, assembling a team to highlight regional Southern cuisine—specifically from Virginia. “The River and Rail is a wonderful opportunity for me to really explore the kind of cooking that excites and inspires me as a chef,” Deal says. “I’m able to explore a regional cuisine that not many outside of Virginia have had the opportunity to sample.”

HOST CHEF Ashton Carter
RESTAURANT The Palisades Restaurant

While most kids played through the summer in the blink of an eye, Ashton Carter was hard at work in his horticulturist mother’s yearly garden. Although the hard work caused Ashton a bittersweet beginning with food, he would grow to realize the full impact of this formative experience later in life. Primed to work anywhere other than his mom’s garden, he entered a fine dining kitchen in the foot hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1995 at the age of fifteen. It was here, at the Flint Hill Public House, that Chef/Owners John and Denise Pearson discovered Ashton’s natural talent and encouraged his growth.

After five years of moving up the ladder to Sous Chef at the “Public House” he headed to the city of Chicago. His connections landed him a spot on the opening team at MOTO restaurant, a then front-runner in the American molecular gastronomy scene. As a result of his innovative ideas and next level research and development he was chosen Sous Chef out of an even playing field. “It was like interpretive dance, only delicious and mildly dangerous” Ashton say’s of his experience working under Chef Homaro Cantu, “The lock came undone and suddenly food was more malleable than ever. Ingredients didn’t have lines to distinguish between sweet and savory. It was edible alchemy.”

As exciting and demanding as the city was, he felt in his heart that food was something that should do more than just feed the whim of epicures and the wealthy capable of splurging on mind blowing three hour degustations. After coming back to Virginia in 2007 he held titles at two other restaurants but knew something was missing. Ashton then realized that it all starts in the garden, believing, “Until a person can grow and appreciate the product they are touching and preparing, it’s hard to cook with all your senses”. He sought out and acquired through proposal the position of Farm Manager at the farm-to-table Restaurant at Patowmack Farm in Lovettesville, Virginia. Here Ashton physically grew the food that went on the restaurant’s plates. This practice deepened his connection with the slow-food perspective that had taken over inside of him.

Ashton’s experiences on the farm furthered his desire to obtain a piece of land where he and his family could find solace in harvesting and cooking their own food. Southwestern Virginia was first on the list, and Giles County really stuck out. In searching for the right place to utilize his style and vision he discovered The Palisades Restaurant in the ‘lost community’ of Eggleston, Virginia. Here he has been on board as head “Foodsmith” since October 2011. He states “I have found a place where food can help bring the community back to life. After all, food ultimately nourishes the soul.” He and his wife just purchased a piece of property in Eggleston where they are starting to holistically raise a variety of heritage small livestock and poultry breeds including Hog Island sheep, Chocolate turkeys, Buckeye chickens and Ossabaw Island hogs. They will also continue to practice biological gardening, and grow as much food as they can each year to connect with the earth and the community.

HOST CHEF Shaena Muldoon
RESTAURANT The Palisades Restaurant

Shaena Muldoon grew up in Pembroke, Virginia just two miles from the site of her new restaurant. She remembers visiting Pyne's General Store as a little girl with her family. Shaena has been in the restaurant and event businesses for over 20 years. Her extensive experience includes producing high-profile worldwide events such as the award-winning 2004 International VSA Arts Festival in Washington, D.C., the 2002 U.S. Olympic Torch Relay and the 1998 World Exposition in Lisbon, Portugal.

After traveling to all of the seven continents, including Antarctica, Shaena has returned to Giles County which she considers one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

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