Food Events

Meet Chef Pete Smith, Root to Table

A Jacksonville native, graduated from Wolfson High School in 1998 before attending the Southeast Institute of Culinary Arts in St. Augustine, Florida. When graduating in 2000. Chef Pete has been exposed to various areas of the culinary industry, including managing a gourmet food truck and resort restaurants, owning restaurants, developing restaurants, bar/lounge design concepts, baking and pastries. Chef Pete went on to become a Chef de Cuisine at the young age of 22 at Restaurant Medure in Ponte Vedra Beach Florida. At a Four Diamond Restaurant he was the youngest African-American chef ever to run a Four-star restaurant in the state of Florida at that time. Now with over 22 years of professional experience Chef Smith has directed many areas of Food & Beverage Divisions at the Forbes Five-Star level. His first passion of cooking is complemented by his experience which spans across the entire spectrum of the culinary industry.

Meet Chef Wells Selbe, Mountain Lake Lodge

Chef Wells was born into the food business in Roanoke, Virginia. His great-grandfather owned a restaurant in upstate New York called The Candlelight. His grandfather was the chef, grandmother the barkeep, and his mother the waitress. He was raised in his family’s catering company, Chanticleer Catering, bussing tables and helping with prep work since elementary school. At 16 years old, he attended Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Paris, France, later going on to graduate from the University of Virginia with a degree in Anthropology. Wells continued to work with his family’s company as they expanded their operations to create and acquire three historic venues, Overhome, The Corinthian Ballroom and The Virginian on Jefferson.

Wanting to expand his culinary knowledge, Wells pursued tenures at Jean-Georges and Don Angie in NYC, The Continental and Audrey in Nashville, Ballyhack in Roanoke, Virginia, and The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, VA. When Chef Wells isn’t in the kitchen, he spends his time hunting for rare Appalachian ingredients on his 50 acre farm in Hardy, VA. He is an avid fly fisherman and loves spending time hiking in the beautiful mountains of Giles County.

Special Guest: Forager Clay Morris

Clay Morris is a restoration ecologist focused on using native plants as food sources. An avid forager and “foodie,” he distinguishes between edible and palatable, supplying wild ingredients to local chefs. With interests in ethnobotany and ethnoastronomy, his work centers on preserving Indigenous and Appalachian foodways. Raised among Mescalero Apache, Taos Pueblo, and Mexican communities before moving to West Virginia, he grew up with diverse food traditions—from foraged staples to Appalachian classics.

By 14, Clay was a short-order cook on the night shift at a truck stop, later working at L’Auberge Provencale in Virginia, where he learned French cuisine and developed a taste for fresh, local food. He holds degrees in Natural Resource Management, Horticulture, Environmental Studies, and Biology. At Shepherd University, he taught a graduate seminar on Appalachian Foodways and Foraging, exploring how traditional food systems might address modern food challenges.

Special Guest: Indigenous Chef Dr. Hey

Dr. Hey’s research and training focus on land-centered sustainability and wellness through Indigenous culinary traditions. She brings this expertise to the Mountain Lake
Root to Table event, presenting seasonal Native American dishes adapted for optimal flavor, aesthetics, nutrition, and a modern palate.

Her work emphasizes critical participation, engaging with communities to promote Indigenous gardening, food-sharing, and decolonizing diets. Dr. Hey continues
her learning through apprenticeships with Indigenous chefs and agronomists, further enhancing her expertise in sustainable food practices.

Special Guest: Chef Travis Milton

Travis Milton, a James Beard–nominated chef from rural Southwestern Virginia, grew up immersed in Appalachian cooking, learning to shuck beans, preserve produce, and plant gardens from an early age. His culinary journey took him from local kitchens to renowned restaurants like Equinox in D.C. and Incanto in San Francisco, where he honed his skills and developed a passion for blending traditional Appalachian flavors with modern techniques.

Now at the helm of Hickory at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards in Bristol, Virginia, Milton brings his roots to the forefront, reimagining Appalachian cuisine with a fresh, approachable twist. Off the clock, you’ll likely find him on his porch, sipping whiskey, spinning Whitney Houston, and rocking one of his 480 pairs of Nikes.

“I look forward to welcoming you to SAVOR: Chefs, Farmers & Friends at Mountain Lake Lodge, a magical weekend of cuisine, community and celebration set amid a backdrop of the magnificent Blue Ridge. The grand farm-to-table experience will feature Southwest Virginia’s best chefs, farmers, artisans, and brewers – all together for the first time and inspired by mountain areas worldwide – to celebrate our region’s exquisite flavors, culinary Appalachian heritage and sustainability.”

-Heidi Stone, President and CEO of Mountain Lake Lodge