Celebrity Chef Tour 2012

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, providingour 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 banquetroom 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 aspirationto 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.

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.