Paul Smith

The Path

Technical training at Culinary Institute of America and Culinary Institute of America, Greystone campus, gave Paul Smith the base that many restaurant careers lack: repetition, discipline, and a clear standard for execution. From there, the work moved through Executive Chef at University of Charleston in West Virginia and Corporate Chef at Buzz Food Service in West Virginia, two roles that broadened the scale of his practice. Those positions put him in contact with institutional service, volume, and the operational side of feeding a community. The throughline is not one room or one format, but the ability to move between them while keeping the work legible and useful.

The Work Today

At 1010 Bridge in Charleston, West Virginia, Smith works as chef-owner, and he is also chef-owner at 1010 Bridge Restaurant & Catering. Alongside that, he serves as Culinary Ambassador at Capitol Market in Charleston. The structure matters: one part of the job is the day-to-day discipline of a restaurant; another is the broader, outward-facing work of representing a market and its producers. That split keeps the practice anchored in both service and civic life. On the restaurant side, the pressure is immediate: timing, consistency, and coordination. At Capitol Market, the responsibility shifts toward connection, visibility, and the local food system around him. Smith’s work moves between those modes without treating them as separate worlds. The language Smith uses is one of stewardship. He frames the work in terms of what has already been built, what is being maintained, and what can still be developed. That is a practical stance for a chef whose responsibilities cross restaurant operations, market culture, and community presence.

In Their Words “I know where we have been, where we are, and where I think we can go. I'm excited to play my part in that journey.”

Acclaim

Paul's honors include James Beard Foundation, Best Chef of the Southeast Award (2024), James Beard Foundation, Best Chef of the Southeast Award finalist/nominee, and West Virginian of the Year (2023).