Hailing from rural Southwestern Virginia, Travis Milton spent his childhood in a true Appalachian kitchen, learning the proper method for shucking beans, preserving and canning, and planting gardens—all under the tutelage of his great (and great-great) grandparents. A reverence for the traditions and heritage of southern kitchens was instilled in Milton from his earliest days spent behind the counter of the Village, a restaurant in Castlewood, Virginia owned by his great grandparents. Milton moved to Richmond to attend school and started cooking on his own in his early teens, initially just as a way to make money doing something familiar. Soon, jobs in the kitchen became more than just income, and before long Travis was staging in kitchens across the country, like Todd Gray’s Equinox in D.C. and Chris Cosentinos’ Incanto in San Francisco. When Milton joined his friend and fellow Virginian Jason Alley to work as Chef de Cuisine at Comfort in Richmond, he realized his ability to combine the memories of his family’s kitchen with the techniques of his mentors, creating composed and modern Appalachian dishes. It was with these two culinary traditions in mind that Milton left Comfort and embarked on his dream of a genuine Appalachian restaurant where he opened his first (three!) restaurants in 2017: Miltons at the Western Frontin Saint Paul, Virginia and Shovel & Pick and Simply Grand just minutes away in Bristol, Virginia. Most recently, Travis has embarked on his latest dream venture with the opening of signature restaurant, Hickory, in the new Inn at Nicewonder located in the highlands of Bristol. Through Hickory, Chef has the stage to further explore unique, elevated spins on Applachian cuisine that does not replace original techniques, but adds to the heritage story. Travis pulls in fresh ingredients grown right on the farm at Nicewonder to create classic southern-inspired dishes on Hickory’s menu, as well as experiment with more out-of-the-box creations such as Miso Paste made out of Doritos and Cheetos. Outside of the restaurant space, Milton is at the forefront of the grassroots effort working to preserve the heritage of the Appalachia kitchen, including having had a hand in the creation of the Appalachian Food Summit, where Milton served on the Board of Directors. Food insecurity is another cause that he is deeply invested in, serving as a proud member of the World Central Kitchen Chef Corps and volunteer at Feeding Southwest Virginia as well as multiple other local food pantries. Milton spends much of his free time traveling to Virginia farms and fostering relationships with purveyors across the state. When not in the kitchen, his favorite place to be is in his shoe room with his 400 plus pairs of Air Jordan’s!
9:30 am - 11:30 am
