Chef Pete Smith

Early Culinary Career

Chef Pete went on to become a Chef de Cuisine at the young age of 22 at Restaurant Medure in Ponte Vedra Beach Florida. At a Four Diamond Restaurant he was the youngest African American chef ever to run a Four-star restaurant in the state of Florida at that time. Now with over 22 years of professional experience Chef Smith has directed many areas of Food & Beverage Divisions at the Forbes Five-Star level. His first passion of cooking is complemented by his experience which spans across the entire spectrum of the culinary industry.

Finding His Passion for Cooking

My mother took me on my first cruise when I was 10. My mother was a really good Travel Agent at the time. This cruise wasn’t really a vocation, it was a hospitality class for 3 nights and 4 days. She taught me how read a menu, order in courses, keep my elbows off the table, napkin and silverware setting, and water glass placement. The last day at the Captain’s Party, the Executive Chef was African American gentlemen from Brooklyn. If anyone has ever been on a cruise ship will know that was very rare. I looked at my mother and told her I was going to be a Chef! That trip July 19, 1990 was the beginning of my Culinary journey.

I’ve been blessed to have owned two restaurants and one catering company in my 22 year career. Today I am pursuing my personal culinary expression with my company The Chef Feature Co.

Chef Pete has been involved with the infamous Family Reunion for several years hosted by Salamander Hotel in Middleburg, Virginia.