“This year, we extended Scheib’s visit to two nights. One night was not enough to accomodate all of our guests who were interested in having this unique dining experience. Chef Scheib’s amazing food and entertaining stories about cooking for the first families guaranteed a memorable night for all our attendees,” said Palisades chef-owner Shaena Muldoon.When I read this quote in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, I was humbled. Chef Schaena is a talented and noteworthy chef in her own right. The chef and her kitchen crew worked tirelessly to pull together this incredible meal for the James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour. So Shaena’s compliment actually reflects the measure of skill and care that the staff put into the dinner. All in all, $8000 was raised for theJames Beard Foundation, which helps fund scholarships for aspiring culinary professionals.I was very happy to be invited back for the tour’s only stop in Virginia. The Palisades restaurantserved as a gathering point–hosting more visitors than people who actually live in town. I met some pretty incredible people, as well as some friends from last year’s dinner. I enjoyed seeing Brandi Evans and her husband Nick from branapetit.com again. I wrote about Brandi’s blog last year and it’s exciting to know she now has a regular food column in Bella Magazine.

The only thing I regret about this short visit was not being able to stay and explore the local countryside. The sights and sounds of the local river caused me to long for a little casting time. Eggleston is a quiet getaway for campers, canoers, kayakers, explorers and fishing-types like myself. If I make my way back here in the summer, I think it would be fun to try out the not-so-famous Tarzan rope swing the town is rumored to have – located somewhere along the river right after passing the big bend.