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EJ's Urban Eatery, Chef John Smith Interview
After almost 20 years of pursuing his dream in the kitchen, Chef John C. Smith opened his own restaurant, EJ’S Urban Eatery, in August of 2017 in Kansas City’s historic West Bottoms. The restaurant is a modern version of the traditional Southern comfort food concept known as a Meat and Three.
A Chicago native, Smith, was instantly exposed to one of America’s greatest food cities, which led him to develop a love of all things food at an early age. He developed his appreciation and experience with southern cooking from his grandmothers, whom he visited every summer and during the holidays, in Mississippi.
John chose to follow his passion for food professionally by enrolling at the Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago in 1998. During that time, he worked at Chicago’s celebrated Park Avenue Café, under award winning Chef David Burke.
Soon after, John wanted exposure to new foods and cooking techniques so he moved to Paris to expand his knowledge and grow as a chef. There, he worked in several restaurants including the Michelin Three Star Restaurant, Taillevent.
He returned to the United States after a year to work for Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chef,” Ted Cizma at Grace Restaurant, and at the famed Pump Room, under Chef Michael Gaspard, in Chicago. His career quickly took him throughout some of the country’s top food cities from Chicago to New York to Des Moines and finally to KC.
During his time in New York City, John had the opportunity work under award-winning Chef Tom Colicchio at Craft Restaurant. John fell in love with Craft because the restaurant focused on how to prepare and present a dish perfectly every time. Today, John continues to teach his cooks that “it doesn’t matter if you have the finest ingredients if you do not have the right technique.” He also had the opportunity to work as the Sous Chef for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, helping to oversee all six restaurants within the museum.
In 2005, he relocated to Des Moines, IA and worked at the award-winning Splash Seafood Restaurant. He later joined 810 Chop House, as Executive Sous Chef, which led to him opening the 801 Chophouse in downtown Kansas City, MO in 2008.
In September 2012, John was asked to open The Jacobson as the Executive Chef in the growing Crossroads District in Kansas City, Mo. The restaurant’s very public opening gained noteworthy attention surrounding his southern influenced American cuisine and generated national media coverage and substantial buzz from foodies.
Soon after, he rejoined the 801 Restaurant family as the Executive Chef of Pig and Finch Gastropub in Leawood, Kan. where he continued to use his talent of blending the influences of his childhood and mentors to create exceptional cuisine in a pub-like atmosphere.
With his first chef-owned venture, Smith takes the lead on a national restaurant concept that brings Southern comfort food to the Midwest in the form of a modern styled Meat and Three. EJ’s Urban Eatery is the first of its kind showcasing Smith’s talents and giving customers the choice of several weekly seasonal features of a protein and three sides. The new restaurant, at 1414 West 9th Street, Kansas City, Mo. 64101, takes its place in a remodeled 100-year-old brick building in the old stockyard and warehouse district of Kansas City’s West Bottoms – a section of KC experiencing immense growth and development.
@EjsUrbanEatery
#Eatlocal
#KC
#Meat+3
#SlackerMorningShow101theFox
#TMobile
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By 101 The FoxAfter almost 20 years of pursuing his dream in the kitchen, Chef John C. Smith opened his own restaurant, EJ’S Urban Eatery, in August of 2017 in Kansas City’s historic West Bottoms. The restaurant is a modern version of the traditional Southern comfort food concept known as a Meat and Three.
A Chicago native, Smith, was instantly exposed to one of America’s greatest food cities, which led him to develop a love of all things food at an early age. He developed his appreciation and experience with southern cooking from his grandmothers, whom he visited every summer and during the holidays, in Mississippi.
John chose to follow his passion for food professionally by enrolling at the Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago in 1998. During that time, he worked at Chicago’s celebrated Park Avenue Café, under award winning Chef David Burke.
Soon after, John wanted exposure to new foods and cooking techniques so he moved to Paris to expand his knowledge and grow as a chef. There, he worked in several restaurants including the Michelin Three Star Restaurant, Taillevent.
He returned to the United States after a year to work for Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chef,” Ted Cizma at Grace Restaurant, and at the famed Pump Room, under Chef Michael Gaspard, in Chicago. His career quickly took him throughout some of the country’s top food cities from Chicago to New York to Des Moines and finally to KC.
During his time in New York City, John had the opportunity work under award-winning Chef Tom Colicchio at Craft Restaurant. John fell in love with Craft because the restaurant focused on how to prepare and present a dish perfectly every time. Today, John continues to teach his cooks that “it doesn’t matter if you have the finest ingredients if you do not have the right technique.” He also had the opportunity to work as the Sous Chef for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, helping to oversee all six restaurants within the museum.
In 2005, he relocated to Des Moines, IA and worked at the award-winning Splash Seafood Restaurant. He later joined 810 Chop House, as Executive Sous Chef, which led to him opening the 801 Chophouse in downtown Kansas City, MO in 2008.
In September 2012, John was asked to open The Jacobson as the Executive Chef in the growing Crossroads District in Kansas City, Mo. The restaurant’s very public opening gained noteworthy attention surrounding his southern influenced American cuisine and generated national media coverage and substantial buzz from foodies.
Soon after, he rejoined the 801 Restaurant family as the Executive Chef of Pig and Finch Gastropub in Leawood, Kan. where he continued to use his talent of blending the influences of his childhood and mentors to create exceptional cuisine in a pub-like atmosphere.
With his first chef-owned venture, Smith takes the lead on a national restaurant concept that brings Southern comfort food to the Midwest in the form of a modern styled Meat and Three. EJ’s Urban Eatery is the first of its kind showcasing Smith’s talents and giving customers the choice of several weekly seasonal features of a protein and three sides. The new restaurant, at 1414 West 9th Street, Kansas City, Mo. 64101, takes its place in a remodeled 100-year-old brick building in the old stockyard and warehouse district of Kansas City’s West Bottoms – a section of KC experiencing immense growth and development.
@EjsUrbanEatery
#Eatlocal
#KC
#Meat+3
#SlackerMorningShow101theFox
#TMobile