Shovel & Pick takeover at Buxton Hall Barbecue, April 24

Virginia-based chef Travis Milton will give Asheville a taste of his his soon-to-come, highly anticipated restaurant, Shovel & Pick, during a collaborative takeover evening with chef Elliott Moss at Buxton Hall Barbecue on Sunday, April 24.

Featured in a recent article in The Washington Post, Milton is known for crafting innovative cuisine that celebrates Appalachian foodways. Read the press release below for details:

PRESS RELEASE FROM BUXTON HALL BARBECUE:

What:

On Sunday, April 24th, for one evening only, Travis Milton & Brandon Christensen takeover the Buxton Hall BBQ kitchen and bar in anticipation of their soon-to-open concept, “Shovel & Pick” in Richmond, Virginia. Asheville diners get a special opportunity to preview the cuisine of this much anticipated restaurant.

Elliott Moss and Travis Milton will collaborate to serve up their style of insanely delicious, collaborative and creative food – food that is rich in history and celebratory of Appalachian and Southern heritage. Recently, both Milton and Moss participated in the Appalachian Storyteller’s Dinner with Blind Pig Supper Club of Asheville, and were subsequently featured in an article in the Washington Post, (found here) celebrating “Humble Appalachia” as “the next big thing in American cooking.”

On the bar side, Kelly Vormelker of Buxton Hall, and Brandon Christensen of Shovel & Pick will create an original menu of craft cocktails, slung fast, hard, and on the low.

These specials are served in addition to the regular Buxton Hall food & drink menu.
When:

Sunday, April 24th from 5:30 pm – 11 pm
Where:

Buxton Hall BBQ 32 Banks Avenue, Asheville, NC
Who:

Hailing from rural Southwestern Virginia, Travis Milton learned first-hand at a very young age what tradition and heritage meant in a Southern Kitchen. With the culture of Appalachian food and a blue collar work ethic, Travis set out to cook once he moved to Richmond in his early teens. He bypassed culinary school for the opportunity to stage and learn from some of his heroes such as Chris Cosentino and Todd Gray. Milton then got the opportunity to work with his friend and fellow Southwestern Virginian, Jason Alley, as Chef de Cuisine at Richmond mainstay, Comfort. Recently, he left Comfort in order to pursue his dream of a sustainable restaurant based solely on Virginia Heritage ingredients and the foodways of Appalachia, calling it Shovel and Pick. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Food Heritage Project, and is heavily involved with the Central Appalachian Food Heritage Project, The Clinch River Valley Initiative, and the Appalachian Community Table with fellow Appalachians Ronni Lundy, Lora Smith, and Kendra Bailey Morris. – Biography sourced from Flour & Fork – http://www.fireflourandfork.com/travis-milton/

Brandon Christensen started bartending at age 20. He began by working private events, then, slinging beers and pouring shots at Alley Katz and Pie in in Richmond, Virginia. After taking a short break to explore life as a tattoo artist, Christensen landed himself a gig in the dish pit at Comfort. Here, he apprenticed under Derek Salerno, who introduced Christensen to the world of craft cocktails. Milton calls Christensen one of the hardest working guys that he knows – this recognition of character lead to a promotion in a big way. Christensen is now set to run the bar at Shovel & Pick, Milton’s dream project – a sustainable restaurant concept, based solely on Virginia heritage ingredients.
Why:

This is an opportunity to collaborate, celebrate good food & drink, to bring together members from the local food community and to produce something new and fun. This event is simply a raucous, fun evening of damn good food and cocktails.
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