Chef Corwin Kave of Deer Mountain Inn in Tannersville has been named a James Beard Award semifinalist for best chef in New York State, placing the Catskills restaurant among the most nationally recognized kitchens in the country. Kave, 44, who has led the inn’s kitchen since 2021, spoke about the recognition, his philosophy in the kitchen, and what it means for the team behind the scenes.
What was your initial reaction when you learned about the nomination?
Corwin Kave: I was honestly pretty surprised. All my friends and family tell me that I shouldn’t be, but it caught me a little off guard. We’re all super excited. Personally, I’m pretty thrilled to be in such amazing company. It really does mean a lot to have the work that we do up here on the mountaintop being so nationally recognized. I think it’s very special.
What does this recognition mean for Deer Mountain Inn as a restaurant?
Kave: It does wonders for the restaurant. The past few days we’ve seen a lot of new diners coming in—people who are coming in specifically because of the nomination. That’s been really great.
Does the nomination change the direction of the menu?
Kave: We want to stay the course a bit, just because it is the work that we’ve been doing over these years that’s gotten us where we are now. I think it’s important not to deviate too much. But it really encourages us to lean more into some of the ideas we’ve been working with and push a little bit further.
Some of our core values are hyperlocal sourcing, working with regenerative and organic practicing farms, and trying to incorporate holistic health into the food we cook. We also really embrace the surroundings we’re in. This mountain retreat is a beautiful old wood building with textured rugs, artwork, and furnishings. It all really screams fireside chat and cozy vibes. We try to lean into that with the food, especially in the winter.
How did you end up at Deer Mountain Inn?
Kave: It was kind of a strange time, 2021. I was living in Brooklyn and starting to look for work locally when I got an email from Alfred, who’s kind of an old-school kitchen headhunter. Someone at Deer Mountain Inn had reached out to him, and he thought of me. It felt very kindred; Someone I trusted; a property I was familiar with; and an area I’d always dreamed of living.
You’ve said this recognition isn’t about just one person. Why is that important to you?
Kave: This isn’t about one person. I do love the accolade. I’ve worked very hard and sacrificed a lot, but we have a whole team of professionals here. These are people who have stuck with us for years. Some started as runners or dishwashers and moved up through prep cook, line cook—this beautiful arc of careers that culminated in a moment where we’re really firing on all cylinders.
The service staff is super dialed in, and this nomination really speaks to the amount of effort everyone has put in consistently over years—through wedding seasons, crazy storms, everything we deal with up here. To still be recognized as a true culinary destination means a lot. Everybody who works at Deer Mountain should be very proud.
On a lighter note—what do you eat when you’re not cooking at the inn?
Kave: Today was my day off. I drove off the mountaintop and stopped at the infamous Circle W and had the best egg sandwich of all time.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
Kave: I work all sorts of shifts. We’re open seven days, and I balance time with my chef de cuisine and sous chef. On morning shifts I do production—sauces, stocks, butchering, long-term projects. Night shifts are more about dialing things in with the team. A lot of nights I’m there until midnight or after, depending on how service goes.
Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.
