Chef & Proprietor Brian Ball
"Restaurant Guy"
Brian came to snowshoe back in 1977, when the resort was first growing. He came up with a group of friends from his hometown in Elkins, WV. When they got to the top of the mountain, it was one of those picture perfect snowshoe days, the frost on the trees, the beautiful snow, and bright blue skies. Brian knew instantly that this would be his home, it was love at first site, and he has been here since.
The next year, Margaret Ann Smith and Brian decided to open a small restaurant at the base of the mountain. It was a simple small restaurant with 7 tables, from there it grew and The Red Fox Restaurant was born. A year later, Dr Tom Brigham, the original developer of Snowshoe, asked Brian to move the Red Fox to the top of the mountain, and from there, his passion for the restaurant business was born. The Red Fox eventually grew into one of the regions most acclaimed restaurants; earning the Top Twenty Five best restaurants in the country by Fodor’s travel Guides, and numerous awards and accolades from many national magazines. The Restaurant Closed in 2005.
In 2000 Brian created a place he dubbed The Foxfire Grille - to play homage to his love for great southern comfort foods. He took some classics, like macaroni and cheese, “uptowned” it a bit with some lobster, crab, and roasted tomatoes. Brian took great foods from childhood, and made them great grown up foods….ever had a fried bologna sammich on faux wonder bread with a dash of pepper cured bacon and bourbon bbq?
The Foxfire remains the mountains most popular restaurant with waits of often an hour or more to try the bbq, ribs, and southern comfort foods. The open kitchen and blaring blues tunes create an exciting and energetic atmosphere for skiers and bbq enthusiast alike.
In 2006, the developers of Soaring Eagle Lodge, Snowshoe’s luxury grand mountain lodge approached Brian about creating a couple of unique dining experiences there to match the luxuriousness of the lodge they were creating. From there, Ember, Hearth, and The Marketplace were born.
So each day you’ll find Brian at all different aspects of his restaurants, at the doors greeting guests, in the kitchens expediting food, selecting exactly the right light bulb to create the glow he is looking for, to traveling around the country seeing what new creativity chefs are developing , “I am a very hands on restaurateur. I meet with purveyors and vendors to select just the right ingredients…” From bbq, to fusion cuisine, to haute dogs, Brian loves his craft and sees that it's an awesome experience to wake up and love what you do…thirty years ago Brian came to Snowshoe, fell in love with an incredible mountain, and says he still feels the same way today.
Brian remains very involved in his community as well. He serves on the board of Directors of Davis and Elkins College, The Snowshoe Foundation, which raises money for local charities and neighbors in need, The West Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association, Fairness West Virginia, and many other civic and chariatiable organzations throughout the region. Brian resides at Snowshoe Mountain with his dog Clicquot, a bubbly Airedale named for Brian’s favorite beverage.