Meet the Chef: Devin Mills of Peekamoose Restaurant & Tap Room

Chef Devin Mills and his wife Marybeth are the co-proprietors of the beloved Peekamoose Restaurant & Tap Room in Big Indian, NY. Long recognized for its hospitality and farm-to-feast contemporary American cuisine, a visit to Peekamoose promises not just a meal, but a truly fulfilling experience that nourishes both body and soul.

With a solid foundation built on relationships with local farmers, vendors and craft brewers, Devin and Marybeth have created an award-winning gem in the Catskills with a loyal local following. It’s also a must-visit destination for foodies touring the Hudson Valley. Chef Mills, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, along with Marybeth, has extensive training and experience in the hospitality industry. From the moment you walk into the restaurant, it’s as if you’ve just entered their home. This warmth, care and creativity is also extended to the farmers and growers who provide the ingredients for their seasonal menus.

We recently caught up with Chef Devin Mills as part of our Hudson Valley Foodie Month. Read our exclusive interview to discover how Chef Devin, Marybeth and their highly-valued team continue to create, thrive and share the love of what they do in the Catskills.

INSIDE+OUT: Peekamoose Restaurant & Tap Room is a local treasure! How has it evolved over the years and is it what you expected?

Devin Mills: Thank you! We’ve just celebrated 20 years in the Catskill Mountains and we’re ridiculously proud of the life we’ve created in these hills. We get to do what we love with a terrifically talented team and fiercely loyal guests. We started out in 2004 with a team of ten staff members. My wife and I wore many hats trying to figure out how to keep up with the level of business. We were astounded by how quickly we were ‘discovered’ and now have a staff of 30 to keep the business going. Our commitment to local producers hasn’t changed, but there are many newer, small, family-run farmers that we’re still getting to know.

INSIDE+OUT: Where are you originally from and how did you wind up in the Hudson Valley?

Devin Mills: I was born in Brooklyn, but moved to the Catskills, specifically Haines Falls, when I was about 12 years old. I have five sisters and we all attended Hunter-Tannersville schools. After attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, I wound up working in some amazing Manhattan establishments. When I met my wife in 1997, we knew that we wanted to own something someday. When visiting my mom in Haines Falls, we passed a “for sale” sign on Route 28 in Big Indian and knew it was time to make our dreams a reality.

INSIDE+OUT: How did your journey into the restaurant business begin? How long have you both been in the business?

Devin Mills: My wife likes to joke that we are “one-trick-ponies” as neither of us has ever dreamed of doing anything else with our lives. From the time that we were nine years old, we both knew that the restaurant business was where we wanted to be. I think it’s because we both grew up in large, working class families and never really went out to eat at restaurants – and when we did, like Mother’s Day or a graduation, it felt so incredibly special.

My wife studied at Boston University’s fledgling Hospitality school and then on to Ecole Hoteliere in Lausanne, Switzerland and I’m a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. We’ve both been fortunate to work at some pretty top-notch restaurants in NYC and honed our skills under the mentorship of some of the most talented names in the industry like Waldy Malouf, Daniel Orr, Terrance Brennan, Anita Lo, Eric Ripert, and Tom Colicchio. We consider ourselves so fortunate to have learned from these superstars in the culinary world.

INSIDE+OUT: What are you most proud of when it comes to your career as a chef and restaurant owner?

Devin Mills: I think I’m most proud of our team. We get to surround ourselves with such incredible people. We know we can’t do it alone – and it’s a group effort with lots of moving parts. We’ve had the pleasure of being on exceptional teams during our years in the NYC restaurant scene. We saw that the most successful projects were ones that truly valued the team. We’re proud to have always offered health insurance, 401K savings plans and profit sharing, team field trips and vacations. We wouldn’t be anywhere without our team and we will always show our appreciation for their hard work.

INSIDE+OUT: Let’s talk about the food. What are your signature dishes?

Devin Mills: Not sure if we can call them “signature dishes” but there are quite a few that our guests seem to ask for often. Our slow braised short ribs were definitely the most requested dish – but I think it’s because no one has the patience to make them at home! It’s quite a labor-intensive dish, with just the sauce component taking more than 4 days to reduce in a classic culinary discipline.

Our Roasted Beet Tartare is another guest favorite and is served with a Worcestershire aioli, caperberries and micro arugula. This dish was inspired by the classic French dish, Beef Tartare and is probably our most written about dish. Since our menu changes so frequently, it’s hard to nail down a specific signature dish, as they are not available year round.

INSIDE+OUT: Where does inspiration for the recipes and dishes on the menu come from and how often does the menu change?

Devin Mills: The landscape of the Catskills inspires our dishes. We pretty much tell our farmers, “If you grow it, we’ll buy it,” and let the season dictate our menu. We like to cook what we enjoy eating. Sometimes, after a (rare) trip to a different country, we will get excited about a new spice combination or preparation. For instance, after a trip to Barcelona with our kids, we got into tapas for a brief time.

INSIDE+OUT: What is your business philosophy when it comes to your staff, customers and the restaurant?

Devin Mills: Hospitality is the business of taking care of people, so that applies not just to our guests, but to our culinary and service teams, our vendors, farmers and growers. The attention is not just in policy, but in everyday practice. In fact, we were just joking the other day that some of our vendors have learned to “drop by” when we are putting out “family meal” (the supper we serve before our shift to our whole team). It’s great to sit down and break bread with our coworkers and our hungry farmers. Taking care of people is the most important aspect of what we do.

INSIDE+OUT: You recently received an award. Congratulations! Tell us about it.

Devin Mills: We were honored to be finalists for Best Restaurant and Best Front of House Team – as recognized by the New York State Restaurant Association. This was their 3rd annual RiseUp Awards to celebrate hospitality businesses who set themselves apart in the field. The awards took place in Albany at a gala at the Capitol Center. It was fun to attend and mingle with like-minded professionals in the industry. When Mary Beth and I accepted the award, we dedicated it to Deanna Carr, our beverage manager, who has been an integral part of our success for the last 20 years. We also thanked our culinary team, whose passion and dedication makes our fabulous Front of House Team look so good on a nightly basis!

INSIDE+OUT: Give us a favorite seasonal ingredient that you love to incorporate for each season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall.

Devin Mills:

Winter: Braised meats (like pork shank and short ribs)
Spring: Ramps! (wild local leeks)
Summer: Locally foraged mushrooms
Fall: All sorts of squash

INSIDE+OUT: In your opinion, what makes a dish great and do you have a process when creating new dishes?

Devin Mills: I think complexity and balance of flavors is ideal. Dishes can be complex without being complicated. I think new/young chefs might get excited about expensive ingredients and try to add too much to a plate, but to me, I enjoy celebrating the straightforward harmony of ingredients that bring out the best in each other.

INSIDE+OUT: What dish could you eat every night and never tire of?

Devin Mills: A simple roasted chicken is a beautiful thing. And if it comes from Snowdance Farms in Livingston Manor – you’ve got a total home-run dinner.

INSIDE+OUT: What music do you like to listen to when you cook or are in the restaurant?

Devin Mills: Although I love a lot of different styles of music, there’s a soft spot for “Yacht Rock” on my work playlist.

INSIDE+OUT: Name three things you always have in your fridge/pantry?

Devin Mills: A really well made chicken stock, eggs, and Manchego cheese.

INSIDE+OUT: What was the most memorable meal you’ve had and where was this?

Devin Mills: It would have to be at the French Laundry in Yountville, California. My wife and I had 7pm reservations for our 1st anniversary and had hit a ton of detours due to construction and were VERY late for our reservation. We were frazzled by the time we arrived as we knew how hard it was just to score the reservation. They welcomed us with glasses of champagne and despite the late hour, served us an amazing 15 course meal – and each of us got something different for each course! It was the most decadent yet personalized meal of our lives. They made us feel so special. It was a luxury and a memory that neither of us will ever forget.

INSIDE+OUT: If you had not become a chef/restaurant owner, which profession would you have chosen?

Devin Mills: Despite being camera-shy, I would have loved to become an actor.

INSIDE+OUT: If you could have a meal with anyone, who would you invite to your table?

Devin Mills: My grandparents. They were hard-working Irish immigrants who loved having family around their table. Of course, they passed away years ago, but I would love to be able to cook for them and show them what I’ve learned. They taught me about meal times being more than just about the food. It’s an expression of love.

INSIDE+OUT: What impact does the restaurant have on your community?

Devin Mills: We are honored to be able to make a living in this community, which provides us with a landscape and a lifestyle that we positively cherish. Our restaurant’s staff does an annual highway clean-up and we host fundraisers for the local hospital, library, schools and food pantries. We source as much as we can from local growers and farmers. (They have been making us look good for two decades, thanks to their passion and commitment to the land.) My wife volunteers weekly at a local community cafe called People’s Place. We feel so fortunate to call this place home.

INSIDE+OUT: If you could have one superpower – what would it be?

Devin Mills: I think I’d like to be able to fly, but in this business, it’s not too useful. Perhaps the ability to fix kitchen equipment in a blink of an eye?

INSIDE+OUT: Good one!

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Photos courtesy of Peekamoose Restaurant & Tap Room

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