Bigs News in the Kitchens at Holiday Valley
Big News in the Kitchens at Holiday Valley
New General Manager Keith Yocum and New Executive Chef Tony Cancilla Join the Food & Beverage Team
Photos / Holiday Valley
Holiday Valley is known for skiing, golf, Sky High, pools, weddings, and meetings, but who takes care of all those hungry visitors? It’s the Holiday Valley Food and Beverage Service! For over 40 years, the food and beverage department had been operated as a concession, most recently by Sodexo Live. Sodexo is a large international company that supplies stadiums, large convention centers, and several ski resorts. But in May of this year, Holiday Valley decided to go self-op - that is, run their own food and beverage service. Here’s why: Holiday Valley has served its customers since the 1950s and knows them best. Also, having the management team on-site will allow Holiday Valley’s food and beverage to react quicker to its guests’ needs.
Several positive changes have taken place over the last few months, starting with the new General Manager, Keith Yocum. Keith’s food and beverage background started in 1995 in the corporate restaurant setting where he steadily advanced over the years. Most recently he was Director of Operations of a group of restaurants covering the entire WNY area. His career experience helps bring the structure needed for a successful food service operation. Keith says, “My goal is to keep the culture of the department moving in a positive direction, promote the well-established Holiday Valley brand, and have everyone in my department feel their role played an important part in making the new Holiday Valley Food and Beverage Department a huge success.”
Holiday Valley was very fortunate to hire Tony M. Cancilla in June as the Resort’s new executive chef for the entire resort. With over 30 years of experience, Tony has worked in every facet of the industry, from hotels, restaurants and country clubs, to casinos, colleges, and resorts. Tony comes with a wealth of knowledge and practical experience. His vision is simple: to serve great food with outstanding service and build a team committed to excellence. With a passion for teaching, Tony strives to pass on the knowledge and skills that he has acquired over the years, hoping to inspire the next generation of chefs to reach their potential and beyond. New menus and food concepts will be a major focus in the months to come. Tony’s family recipe for Sunday sauce promises to be a favorite, and seasonal flavors will keep things fresh and exciting year-round.
The newest addition to Holiday Valley’s Food and Beverage team is James Stark who recently took the helm as the chef at Edna’s at the Tamarack. James spent most of his career cooking in Buffalo. His first job in finer dining was at Craving, where he learned under Chef Adam Goetz. From there he went to Tempo, and then Toutant where he was on the opening team for Dobutsu. Next, he was Sous Chef at the Lucky Day Whiskey Bar before taking over Head Chef duties. After a pause for Covid, James ended up at Lombardo’s, then became Head Chef at Resurgence Brewing. He spent a couple of years with the Grange Group working at the Grange and West Rose, then was part of the opening team for Wayland Brewing. Now he’s happy to be running Edna’s at the Tamarack Club, where he plans to continue inspiring New American/ Global Comfort cuisine with a few “kind of fancy” specials, but still retaining many dishes of warm and satisfying food for skiers, golfers, and local residents.
At this writing, the actual Edna’s menu is much the same, aside from the wonderful homemade pizza dough that James introduced. But until the fall menu comes out, pay attention to the specials. James is particularly proud of the homemade hummus and the Spaghetti alla Puttanesca which will both be featured on the upcoming specials menu. Edna’s focus will be on fresh, delicious, satisfying food without abandoning things that people expect at Edna’s, like the Roasted Half Chicken, Steak Frites, more seafood options, sandwiches, beautiful salads, and of course pizza from the amazing hearth oven.
When asked about what makes Edna’s stand out, James said, “I think we can fit right into the EVL food scene by offering just damn good food. Imagine spending the day on the slopes and then unwinding by diving into some Stout Braised Short Ribs or Spicy Shrimp & Grits. As a chef, I’m a product of all the environments I’ve put myself into and I want to bring a little bit of all those places here, with my own pizazz, of course. We get to make people happy every day, as long as guests are here, enjoying themselves and our food, I can’t ask for anything more.”
So many good things are happening in the Holiday Valley Food and Beverage department. Insider’s tip: be sure to enjoy Edna’s at the Tamarack before ski season arrives for delicious food and the best view in town. There’s plenty of parking nearby and it’s open daily.