Walter Scheib has quite a story to tell. In fact, he has two stories to tell. The first involves the rise of an American chef to the most storied position in the land. The second offers an intimate, human view of two First Families, the corridors of political power, international personalities, and the most famous building in the United States, from a unique vantage point: The kitchen.In April 1994, after a lengthy application and screening process, Walter Scheib became the chef to America’s chief executive and the First Family. First Lady Hillary Clinton, impressed by the comprehensive spa menu Scheib had developed for the Greenbrier resort, as well as his highlighting of American cuisine, personally hired Scheib. For 11 years, he prepared everything from simple family meals to elaborate and formal State Dinners. His culinary creations dazzled and delighted White House guests including Nelson Mandela, Emperor Aikihito, Jacques Chirac, Boris Yeltsin, Vaclav Havel, Lady Diana Spencer, Tony Blair, Vicente Fox, and others, not to mention the thousands of congressional members, journalists, and other House visitors who got to know his food.A highlight of Scheib’s White House achievement was his creation of a distinctly American repertoire for the nation’s First House. He continues to speak with eloquence and pride about America’s bounty today, praising the artisan cheese makers, green grocers, mushroom foragers, master bread makers, fishermen, ranchers, and farmers who have helped our national market basket evolve, and make quality cooking more accessible than ever. “America is rich in amazing produce, meats, and fish,” Scheib says. “Using just a few excellent ingredients, anyone can make a perfect meal with very little formal training.”THE AMERICAN CHEF™ is more than the name of Scheib’s first cookbook. It’s also the name he’s taken for his new corporation. In the few short months since he returned to private life, Scheib has founded The American Chef™, the company through which he shares his knowledge of the development of American cuisine at the White House, as well as White House remembrances, with audiences across the country. His special events often aim to bring together business leaders, using group cooking as a method of team bonding. They also offer home entertainers and party planners unique approaches to special events.   For cooking schools, Scheib teaches classes ranging from State Dinner Secrets to throwing a White House Birthday Party.The American Chef offers a multitude of special-event concepts such as White House style cocktail receptions, First Lady Luncheons, State Dinners, and Outdoor “South Lawn” barbecues and picnics.   His educational and entertaining sessions and demonstrations are filled with fascinating White House insider’s anecdotes, culinary insights, and techniques. Sessions frequently feature hands-on cooking demonstrations with audience participation and interaction.Food is Scheib’s lifelong passion. He discovered his mother’s pots and pans early in life and soon felt comfortable preparing meals for parents and friends. By the time he graduated from high school, he was eager to pursue a profession in the culinary arts. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, from which he graduated with high honors in 1979. Immediately thereafter, Scheib started as a Rounds Cook at a premier Washington, D.C. hotel, and within three years was promoted to Executive Chef. Before coming to the Greenbrier and then the White House, he served as Executive Chef at other major hotels and resorts such as the Boca Raton Resort and Club.

The American Chef is off to a quick and encouraging start: Scheib has already performed a number of speaking engagements and private State Dinners. He is building his brand with the assistance of YC Media, a public relations and marketing firm in New York City. Working in tandem with them, Scheib has already made a national media appearance, on the CBS Early Show, where he demonstrated how to make a “presidential burger”…on the Fourth of July, no less. Additional television appearances, magazine, and newspaper stories about Scheib, his company, and his food are also in the works.

Scheib is an avid fisherman and still enjoys cooking as much as he did as a child, and at the White House. He lives in Great Falls, Virginia, with his wife, Jean, and their two sons, Walter and Jim.

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.