A native of Elkins WV, Chef Tim White is the current Executive Chef at Smokey’s on the Gorge, where he brings his take and flair to seasonal, regional cuisine and a fresh approach to a menu line-up that changes each day.
Chef Tim grew up in Elkins, WV, opening, and cooking in local restaurants and at Snowshoe Mountain Resort and earning a Food and Beverage Management degree at Davis and Elkins College before heading off to New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier VT. Culinary school took him on externships in fine dining restaurants in Boston and Chicago, and it’s where he met his wife, Erin. Together they opened a small, fine dining bed and breakfast in her lakeside hometown in Northern Michigan, where they remained for six years, drawing on the Chicago and Detroit based vacationing diners. The restaurant earned many local and regional awards and both chefs were featured in local publications.
Following this enterprise, and hoping to return closer to home, Tim became the Executive Chef at Tavern 1785 in Lewisburg WV, helping to further grow the business and expand into Del Sol Martini Bar. Chef Tim was soon lured to Charlottesville VA, where he took a role at the AAA Four Diamond legend Boars Head Inn, at the helm of its fine dining Old Mill Room. He moved quickly through the ranks, leading a team of five Sous Chefs and managing five restaurant outlets before becoming the interim Executive Chef of the property. Chef Tim was the opening Chef of the Boars Heads new 5000 square foot banquet space, serving 400 people a multiple course, plated dinner on its debut night. Tim was also highly involved with local high school culinary programs and served as a teacher, mentor, and competition judge.
When the opportunity came to not only return to WV, but to his hometown, Tim quickly took the Executive Chef position at Graceland Inn and Conference Center, on the campus of his alma mater, Davis and Elkins College. Chef Tim was instrumental in turning around the historic, fine dining Inn, and the weddings and special events hosted by Tim and his crew soon became legendary and widely sought after. Chef Tim and Graceland Inn were featured in WV Living Magazine, WV Weddings, and the Charleston Gazette. Chef Tim was a regular participant in the annual Culinary Classic at Stonewall Resort, the Legislative Reception in Charleston, and was widely active in judging and mentoring through WV Hospitality Education and Training (HEAT).
Chef Tim joined the Adventures on the Gorge team in June, 2011 and has taken on a welcomed role in carrying on the reputation of its landmark restaurant, Smokey’s on the Gorge.
