COOKING WITH FIRE

WITHFIRE

CANTINA 18' s CHEF JASON SMITH GIVES 18 SEABOARD A RESOUNDING SECOND ACT

BY KURT DUSTERBERG PHOTOS BY BRUCE D E BOER

hen Jason Smith was a kid, there were subtle forces at work within his family, nudging him toward his purpose and place in adult life. He remembers meals at random restaurants when he shuttled back and forth between his mother’s home in Raleigh and his father’s home in Wilmington. He recalls the delights that came from his grandmothers’ kitchens. Those memories helped lay the W foundation for Smith’s professional life.

The local restaurateur apprenticed with top chefs in the finedining world before opening his own restaurants. He worked at Raleigh’s 42nd Street Oyster Bar and Durham’s

Magnolia Grill before venturing to Peninsula Grill in Charleston, South Carolina, and

Gramercy Tavern in New York City. He made his way back to the Triangle in 2006 and opened his firstrestaurant, 18 Seaboard. Four years later, he opened Cantina 18 in

Cameron Village (recently rebranded as the Village District), where he grew up riding his bike and eating lunch at Burger King with his grandmother. In 2014, Harvest 18 was up and running in Durham. And while 18 Seaboard closed in July 2019 due to developers buying Smith out of his contract, its menu is enjoying a second act at Smith’s other two restaurants.When he’s not working, Smith cooks for his wife Lauren, daughter Sutton (13), and son Lawson (8). But they all share his love for dining out, especially on their frequent trips to North Carolina’s beaches. Smith’s story is one of hard work and the usual ups and downs of the restaurant business. He shared with us how that kind of experience has allowed him to push through the pandemic and still see brighter days ahead.

Do you remember where you first got a feel for cooking

Both of my grandmothers were excellent cooks—both Southern, of course. My Grandmother Smith was a little more rustic, more down-home. My Grandmother Lloyd is still living at 91 and can still cook. She was a little more “Southern Living.” Both of them could make desserts. My Grandmother Lloyd is an excellent dessert cook.

I always loved food. The other thing I really loved was when my dad and I would commute back and forth from Raleigh— we would stop at different places. Back then, you took [U.S. Route] 421. We’d go off the beaten path a little bit to fin places, whether it was a McDonald’s or the Green Top Inn or Stephenson’s Bar-B-Q. That was always exciting to me. To this day, going out to eat—it’s almost like before you go out to eat is more exciting than actually eating. It’s like an adventure.

All of your restaurants have 18 in the name. Where did that come from?

When we opened 18 Seaboard, we named it after the address—18 Seaboard Avenue—and we adopted 18 as our lucky number. But there’s no luck in the restaurant business, just hard work. We’re kind of happy rolling 18s for now.

Chefs and restaurants have taken on an elevated status in recent years. Are you happy to see your industry held in such high regard?

The independent, full-service restaurant community is a pretty neat thing and I like being a part of it. I enjoy the entrepreneur side of it—the leadership side of it—interacting with co-workers, customers, the purveyors. All of those conversations are really engaging and healthy.

Restaurants felt the brunt of COVID-19. How have your businesses weathered the tough times?

Being a chef is different than it was before. The pandemic has really set the industry back, as you can imagine. I think it’s going to be a long time before we really see [improvement], and it makes me sad because the staffing crisis is not just th unemployment benefits that have taken place. There are s many talented, passionate young people who have left the industry and probably aren’t coming back.

How did you come up with a plan to survive the shutdown?

I woke up one day and decided to do curbside, and I pulled out some of the Seaboard dishes. So I went to Harvest, prepped

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Chef Jason Smith. Smith turns the wahoo for his Grilled Wahoo Tacos with Street Corn Salsa and Cabbage. (See recipe on page 43.) Smith slices the skirt steak for the fajitas. (See recipe on page 44.) Smith grills watermelon for his Pickled Shrimp and Grilled Watermelon Salad. (See recipe on page 42.) Can you smell the tomatoes cooking? (See recipe for Grilled Heirloom Tomato Salsa on page 41.) Bon appétit! Good friends enjoy great food on a perfect summer evening in Raleigh.

about five dishes, transported them over her [to Cantina] and put it on social media. It put some wind in our sails. There were Seaboard customers who were picking up Seaboard food and they were excited we had it. Seaboard has been the gift that keeps on giving.

I know you like cooking on a wood-fir d grill, and there are more people who can cook that way from their own backyard. How did you develop that interest?

At Seaboard, I knew I wanted a wood-fir d grill. It was kind of the heartbeat of the restaurant for a long time. At Harvest, we still have a wood-fir d grill, and we have a very similar menu as Seaboard. The salmon cooks up really well. We put the meatloaf on the wood-fir d grill, and it eats like a steak. I always liked cooking on fire. I like camping and bein outdoors. Our backyard is pretty wooded. When we added the fire pit, it was going to be just for fires, but when we added e grill grate on top of it, it cooked like a champ! It’s an awesome grill. I’ve cooked on it 50 or 60 times. I have a lot of fun with it, getting the kids around the fire, us pulling some wood fro falling timber in the woods behind us. I just like the flavor o it.

What’s the process of coming up with a new recipe?

I think of it as being inspired. Some of it is what’s in season. I like having stuff that’s fresh and fun. I’m a lot more of a function over form guy. I didn’t want any of my restaurants to be an intellectual test, and I want everybody to feel welcome. Seaboard had that menu. I don’t mind a little nuance here and there, but the protein that’s in the center of the plate on my dish? You’re going

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Grilled Pineapple Jalapeño Margaritas. (See recipe on page 45.) Fallon's Flowers arranged a colorful, menu-enhancing bouquet for the festivities. Friends gather around Smith's fie pit after enjoyiing a wood-fied meal.

OPPOSITE PAGE

Lauren and Jason Smith.

Summer is a great time to take the party outdoors. Whether you’re gathering with friends for a full fire pit menu, or making s’mores for the kids to munch on during an outdoor movie, fire-grilled fare puts a tasty twist on summer fun. Chef Jason Smith of Cantina 18 and Harvest 18 knows his way around the grill grate. His fire pit–grilled creations will wow your guests and make for a memorable summer evening.

FIRE PIT RECIPES

GRILLED HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALSA

Ingredients

1 bowl of salsa base (see recipe below) 3 chopped heirloom tomatoes

Directions

Mix salsa base with cooled grilled tomatoes and serve.

Salsa Base Ingredients

1 cup of chopped cilantro 3 cloves of minced garlic ½ sweet onion, minced 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and allow time for the flavors t meld together. Grill the tomatoes then allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Roughly chop tomatoes and combine them with the salsa base, and your salsa is ready to serve. It keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator.