We are honored to welcome Chef Travis Milton as a guest chef to the Appalachian Dining Experience in Cumberland Gap, TN! Travis Milton didn't set out to be an evangelist for Appalachian cuisine, and he seems borderline surprised that he's ended up making a name for himself as a chef. But if you get to chatting with him for just a minute or two, it makes all the sense in the world. After earning his degree in education, the Castlewood, Virginia-born Milton was barely making ends meet as a ninth-grade remedial English teacher. He'd grown up at the stove, shucking beans alongside his elders at his great-grandparents' motel restaurant, the Village, then kept on cooking when he and his parents moved to Richmond, so it was logical enough to take on a job as a line cook at a local restaurant, Bottega Bistro, while hashing out his lesson plans at night. When the academic year ended, the restaurant came through with the offer of a sous chef position and after a short tenure, he moved up to head chef. After that first restaurant job, he traveled around the country, staging in notable kitchens to lap up every drop of knowledge he could before coming back to Richmond to work as chef de cuisine at his friend Jason Alley's restaurant, Comfort. It was there, back in his home state that Milton began to feel comfortable enough in his skin to delve back into the ingredients, dishes, and techniques that had whet his palate in childhood — the foods of Appalachia. Source: https://www.foodandwine.com/chefs/travis-milton-appalachian-cuisine#:~:text=Travis%20Milton%20didn't%20set,the%20sense%20in%20the%20world. Hailing from rural Southwestern Virginia, Travis Milton spent his childhood in a true Appalachian kitchen, learning the tried and true techniques for shucking beans, preserving and canning, and planting gardens. Most recently, Milton opened the Inn at Nicewonder’s signature restaurant, Hickory, in Bristol, Virginia, where he has the stage to further explore, reimagine and elevate Applachian cuisine using approachable ingredients. Milton’s cooking is not replacing original Appalachian techniques, but instead introduces the cuisine in a fresh way that he hopes will build upon the cuisine’s heritage. Source: https://www.nicewonderfarm.com/hickory

Bill Landry has realized a lifetime performing, educating, and entertaining. He’s among the lucky few whose vocation became his avocation. He holds two Emmy-Awards for Directing some of over 1900 TV episodes, an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Lincoln Memorial University, Educator of the Year Award from Carson Newman University, and served on the Tennessee Historical Commission. Bill is a trained Actor/director, a theater artist with a Master of Fine Arts degree, Dallas Theater Center, Trinity University, San Antonio, Tx. He has created and performed in a variety of stage, television and film projects including Preston Jones, “The Oldest Living Graduate” and “The Texas Trilogy.” He wrote, produced and directed “Master Scrooge” for the Chattanooga Choo Choo, produced “William Bartram - An Unlikely Explorer” for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s 75th Anniversary; “Mountain Renaissance” for Arrowmont School of the Arts, “Deep Roots of Sevier County,” and “We the Principal People,” a bicentennial play for Roane County, Tn. He also directed “Cole Porter, Let’s Do It”, and “Private Lives,” with the Tennessee Valley Players, along with “Gospelfest,” “The George Washington Carver Project,” “The Talk is Cheap Tour,” and “Appalachian Dreams” for Roane County, Tennessee. “Einstein The Man,” which Bill wrote in 1979 and premiered at the Museum of Science and Energy, Oak Ridge, was adapted for National Public Radio. It was first produced by Oak Ridge Associated Universities and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and 1000 performances were given in 38 states and Canada. Bill served as Spokesman for Tennessee Valley Authority for the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, and TVA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. His lifetime interest in the people and the culture of the region and the Smoky Mountains brought him and The Heartland Series together. In 1984, Bill became the spokesperson, writer, co-producer and performer for the NBC affiliate, WBIR-TV, Channel 10 in Knoxville. For more than 30 years, Bill uncovered the sometimes-strange mountain culture and mysteries in his on-going search to uncover the character of a region. His writings successfully carry-on what he’s been doing all along. “Appalachian Tales & Heartland Adventures” was published by Celtic Cat Publishing, 2012, “Tellin It for the Truth” published in 2014, and “Buddy, Dog of the Smoky Mountains,” in 2013. “When The West Was Tennessee” was released in 2018. Bill continues to write, lecture and tell tales, even a few of those left on the cutting room floor. In 2023 he’ll be back in Tennessee promoting his most recent work, A LAST HURRAH.” Bill spends time in Tennessee and the coast with his wife, Sandy. They travel and explore the world. He has great pride in his son, Jack, who’s a performer, himself with a beautiful wife, Weatherly and two high energy grandsons, Gus and Boone.

We are honored to have Nic Jones join the Appalachian Dining Experience as a guest chef! Chef Nic Jones attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles (2001) and the Accelerated Wine and Beverage Program (AWBP) at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone (2012). Shortly after that, he attained his Certified Sommelier credentials through the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2013. Since then, Nic has worked all over the country with some of the world’s most renowned chefs. He has a true passion for charcuterie, live fire cooking, butchery and farm-to-table experiences. Along his culinary journey, Nic has received many awards and accolades, with the most recent being “Best Chef, Napa Valley 2021.” In addition to his culinary experience, Nic has over 12 years of experience in farming and agriculture. As the Executive Chef at Goose & Gander in St. Helena, CA, Nic developed and maintained the two-acre farm that helped sustain the restaurant. Source: https://henhousetn.com/about/

Anne Shelby is an American writer and storyteller, and we are honored to have her join us during the Appalachian Dining Experience. She has worked for the Appalachian Writers Workshop, the School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Lexington, KY, and for the gifted program at the University of Kentucky, Lexington. Three of Shelby's books have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly or Kirkus Reviews: Homeplace (Orchard Books, 1995), The Someday House (Orchard Books, 1996), and The Man Who Lived in a Hollow Tree (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2009). Homeplace was a Junior Library Guild selection.

The Appalachian Dining Experience is thrilled to be partnering and working together with Sam and Chelsea from Cumberland Gap's Hillfolk! Hillfolk is a space for celebrating the diverse plant life in our region, and honoring the hands that worked with them before us. Appalachian Herb shop - Our bulk herbs come from our land in Speedwell, TN or sourced regionally by small-scale growers and foragers. All herbs are grown with organic practices or sustainably foraged in pristine areas. Check the herb list for info/details on what is available! Local Goods - We also sell high quality, hand crafted herbal products made locally such as herbal teas, oils, tinctures, face creams, salves, soap, and children’s products. Books, arts, and more in the shop as well! Learning space - We want the shop to be a space of empowerment for learning how to work with the herbs we have available, as well as to collect & grow them yourself. There is a reference library and DIY supplies for medicine making at home. Children are welcome, too – it’s a small space but there are toys, books, and learning sheets available for them while you study or shop. We also host an array of workshops and events for learning together as a community. Source: https://www.hillfolktn.com/?fbclid=IwAR0aCIm91vzOO9RGz8qsUHYR3Gk2uoL-P8aueyQMRMGOLtOjlPXAWGT2u2c

We are grateful for the partnership with Kevin Larew. As the owner of Angelo's in the Gap, Kevin is invested in seeing the community around him thrive. He and his crew will be collaborating with Chef Travis Milton and Chef Nic Jones on ways to make the dinner experience one to remember for each guest.

Tammy Linn has an eye for beauty, both relevant and timeless. She brings her décor expertise to tie in visual elements for the dinner to maximize overall impact from the moment guests arrive.