AARON DEAL, 37 / Executive Chef/General Manager, The River and Rail Restaurant
With over 20 years of experience from restaurant operations throughout the country, Chef Aaron Deal earned his formal culinary training at Johnson & Wales University and garnered a 2009 James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef nomination. He has been highlighted in multiple national publications for his work (Southern Living, USA Today, Garden & Gun) and has appeared on The Food Network and The CBS Early Show. In 2016, he formed Deal & Associates, a restaurant consulting firm, to help others launch their visions. While his work has highlighted Roanoke’s dining scene on regional and national levels, his involvement to volunteer, teach and invest in others – such as teaching as an adjunct instructor at the VWCC Culinary Arts Program and volunteering with the students at the Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Virginia – continues to drive his passions. “Thoughtfully sourcing ingredients from local businesses, farmers and artisans to be served in the restaurant [impacts our community],” Deal says.
- Boys and Girls Club – Teaching Healthy Meals for Students, 2017, 2018
- Adjunct Instructor – Virginia Western Community College
- Platinum Winner for “Best Chef” in Roanoker Magazine, 2012-19
- 2015 USA Today, The River and Rail, Voted #2 of 10 Best Southern Fine Dining
- 2014 Winner, Guy’s Grocery Games, Food Network Television
- 2013 Food Network Magazine, Best Pastry Dessert Virginia
- 2012, 2013 Southern Living, The River and Rail, Top 100 Restaurants in the South
- 2012 Restaurant & Hospitality, 12 Chefs to Watch in 2012
- 2010 Chicago Social Best New Chefs Under 30
- 2009 James Beard Foundation Award Nominee, Rising Star Semi-Finalist
- Host Chef, James Beard House, (October 2006, January 2008, January 2009)
- Featured in multiple national media outlets including: CBS’ “The Early Show”, Eatocracy, Gourmet, Southern Living, Garden & Gun, Restaurants & Institutions, The Local PALATE, Wine Enthusiast, Travel + Leisure, Nation’s Restaurant News, Paste, and Food Network Magazine
From the Nomination: “Chef. Teacher. TV Personality. Restaurateur. After finishing his formal culinary training at Johnson & Wales University, Deal worked alongside industry leaders such as Ciaran Duffy, James Beard Award Winner Tony Maws, Michelin Starred Chefs John Shields of Smyth and Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern among many others. Appearances on local affiliates, The CBS Early Show’s “Chef on a Shoestring” and The Food Network further showcased Deal’s versatility in the kitchen. As a culinary demonstrator/teacher, Deal has traveled to Johnson & Wales, The French Culinary Institute and the Culinary Institute of America to discuss sustainable food culture and cooking techniques. Opening The River and Rail Restaurant in Roanoke, VA has been his most notable achievement, earning multiple accolades. Deal sets himself apart by his uncanny ability to not only maintain the high expectation of guest hospitality at The River and Rail, but also extend the same passion to the surrounding community. The food, service, value and atmosphere he has created at The River and Rail over the last seven years has lifted Roanoke’s dining scene into the regional and national spotlight. He works diligently on passing that attention on to the local diners, producers, providers and artisans of the area by volunteering, teaching and investing, as he knows without them none of the restaurant’s success would be possible.”
What do you love about Roanoke?
Deal: “I was born in a small town and I have lived many different places in my life. City environments, suburban environments and more rural neighborhood ones. Even in the bigger cities, everyone lives in small towns, identified by their neighborhoods just like here in Roanoke with the Grandin Village, Old Southwest and West Station for example. In my opinion that is the beauty of Roanoke, you get many types of living in one beautiful setting.”
