chef-name: Paul Milne

Paul Milne was born in Vermont and raised in Maryland. He started his cooking career at age 15, working at several different restaurants during high school and college. He went to the University of Maryland, and then on to the Culinary Institute. After graduating with honors with Great Chef Jamie Shannon, Chef Paul was made chef/partner of a 200-seat restaurant between Baltimore and DC, called Kings Contrivance.

Six years later, in 1990, he found his dream of a small restaurant on the eastern shore of Maryland called 208 Talbot in Talbot County, and brought the administrator of the Kings restaurant, Candace Chiaruttini, along as his partner and pastry chef.

Great Chefs taped Chef Paul Milne in 1993 for their Great Chefs of the East television series. He prepared an appetizer of Oysters in Champagne Sauce (Great Chefs of the East episode #25); Sauteed Venison Medallions with Sauté of Apples, Celery Root, Shiitakes and Onion entrée (Great Chefs of America episode #128), and a Coffee-Butterfinger Crunch Ice Cream dessert (Great Chefs of the East, episode # 3).

In 1997, Paul and Candace bought the Oaks Waterfront Inn, a 240 year old plantation house a mile away from the 208 Talbot restaurant, so he could concentrate more on the wedding and event business. In 2005, he sold the restaurant business so he could concentrate on the Oaks and today Chef Paul enjoys not being chained to the stove day and night.