ADK Talks
ADK Talks brings you the stories behind the people, places, and things to do in the Adirondack Park of New York State. With 6 million acres, the Adirondacks are the ultimate playground.
We take you beyond the guidebooks and into the heart of one of America's most breathtaking regions. Just like we do on our website, adktaste.com, our podcast uncovers the hidden gems of the Adirondacks, offering hand-picked recommendations for the best places to stay, eat, shop and do in the Adirondack Park.
But this isn't just about places. It's about the people who make the Adirondacks so special and unique. In each episode, we talk to people from all walks of life—restauranteurs, farmers, innkeepers, historians, artists, local leaders, writers, hikers, and more. Hear real stories about what they do, their passions, and how they found their way here.
And they'll share their insider tips on the best things to see and do in the Adirondacks – insights you won't find anywhere else.
So subscribe now to ADK Talks to get real stories from real people, sharing the real Adirondacks.
You can also visit us online at adktaste.com.
ADK Talks
Cooking Up the Future: Inside Paul Smith’s Culinary Program and Adirondack Hospitality
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this episode of ADK Talks, we sit down with Chef Robert Dumas, Director of the Institute of Adventure, Hospitality, and Food at Paul Smith’s College.
Chef Dumas brings a remarkable perspective to the table. His career has taken him from washing dishes in a neighborhood Chinese restaurant to cooking aboard a Navy submarine, serving at the White House, teaching at the collegiate level, and now helping shape the next generation of culinary and hospitality professionals in the Adirondacks.
What does “adventure hospitality” mean? At Paul Smith’s, it’s where food, lodging, recreation, and the natural world meet. Chef Dumas shares how the college’s culinary, baking, hospitality, and resort management programs are rooted in hands-on learning, local food systems, and the unique setting of the Adirondack Park.
What you’ll hear in this episode
- How Paul Smith’s College is training chefs for today’s hospitality world.
- Chef Dumas’s path from New Orleans kitchens to the Navy, the White House, and higher education.
- Why local farms, regional ingredients, and seasonality matter in culinary training.
- What students learn from visiting Adirondack producers and cooking with local ingredients.
- How kitchen leadership has changed, and why today’s students respond to teaching, purpose, and respect.
- What visitors should look for in a great Adirondack dining experience.
- A peek inside Paul Smith’s student-run bakery and restaurant, plus plans for future lakefront dining.
- Why Paul Smith’s VIC and the St. Regis Canoe Area are among Chef Dumas’s favorite Adirondack places.
Resources:
- Paul Smith’s College Culinary Management
- Paul Smith’s College
- Paul Smith’s Visitor Interpretive Center
- Adirondack Harvest
- Deer’s Head Inn
- Juniper Hill Farm
- Harmony Hills Farmstead
- Farmer Ground Flour
- Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation
Produced by NOVA