Employees & Bios
Executive Chef Colin Smith
Famous writers have said that Louisiana, although it is a part of the United States, has a culture that is more Mediterranean than Atlantic. This unique part of the country shares a common heritage of music, literature, and particularly food far more with the vibrant cultures of Spain, Greece, Italy, and the French Riviera than with Paris, London, New York, or even the American South. Creole and Cajun are not only the boldest and most challenging of all American cuisines, they also share a common bond with many of the most delicious styles in the world: those situated around the blue Mediterranean.
This is part of what inspired Chef Colin Smith of the brand-new Tasting Room to create his Creole-Mediterranean menu from the ground up. The other part is that Colin himself is a native of Metairie, Louisiana, not too far from the gastronomical hub of New Orleans. This part of Louisiana is where many different culinary worlds collide: The bright, robust Creole, the rich, spicy Cajun, and the simple, fresh traditional low country Southern. He first had his interest sparked in food in his mom's kitchen as a small child, so his experience cooking goes back for as long as he can remember. His family mainly ate traditional cuisine, but he has a real passion for the diverse dishes of Louisiana's many cultures.
His experience is broad and varied, having worked in fine dining restaurants all around the country for the last 20 years. He is new to Atlanta, but has worked in New Orleans, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Martha's Vineyard, Montana, and a number of other diverse locales. He's spent as much of his time running restaurants and planning menus (Rainbow Ranch Lodge, Big Sky, MT; Ohia Tapas Bar, New Orleans) as he has working alongside famous chefs to study and improve his craft (French Laundry, Yountville, CA; Bayona, New Orleans). Now he brings all this experience to Atlanta to create a menu both challenging and comforting, ever-changing and yet consistent for The Tasting Room.
Colin received his bachelor's degree from University of New Orleans in 1993. He went on to the famous Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute in Vail, CO, and received his degree in Culinary Arts in 1994. He was an excellent student at Johnson and Wales and made dean's list as well as the Institute's Advanced Standing Program.
