There's no telling what Chef Comer Smith will do next. Recently appointed head chef of Seasons 142, a new restaurant with a worldly outlook and a seasonal menu, he is full of ideas. Reaching to far corners of the world for inspiration, and looking close to home for premium ingredients, he is eager and adventurous, and his enthusiasm is evident in every plate he serves.
Comer was born into a culinary family on an island off the Georgia Coast. His grandmother was a chef and restaurateur, and Comer began working in her restaurant at a young age. He started out prepping vegetables and washing dishes and quickly graduated to making stocks. By age 13 he was working the line, and by age 17 he was running the kitchen during the summers. Soon after, he enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Johnson and Wales South Carolina campus.
After graduating, his culinary career took off, with positions under Charlie Trotter in Chicago, and Klause Buck at Sea Island, a five-star golf resort in Georgia. In 2001, after five years at Sea Island, he was recruited to San Diego, although for a restaurant "that is no more." After that restaurant closed, he moved on to La Valencia as the Chef de Cuisine at the Sky Room for 3 years, and then as Chef at Top of the Cove. When Top of the Cove closed in 2006, he went to work at the the Indigo Grill, under Chef Deborah Scott. He was then offered the Executive Chef positon at Season's 142.
Heading up a kitchen is a challenge Comer embraces. His day by day routine, he explains, is very hands-on. He heads up a small kitchen, but the small size of the restaurant—its capacity is just 50—allows him to focus on the cuisine. This means many ingredients are made in house, including pastas and cheeses. A burrata is currently featured on the menu, a soft cheese similar to mozzarella, and Chef Comer looks forward to experimenting with more cheese making. He is also working on reshaping the wine and beer lists, to create a beverage program that pairs with the food.
As for the food itself, the concept is one Comer helped shape: "seasonal world cuisine." It is also one that lends him a wide degree of creative freedom. While many restaurants are branded with a single culinary concept--French, or Asian, or Californian--Comer has no restrictions. "I want to touch on everything--Ethopian, Scandanavian, Moroccan" he explains, noting that "World Cuisine" does not just mean the big French, Asian, and Italian flavors. "I love Asian," he admits, but doesn't want to limit himself to what has already been done. Instead, he wants to take people to places of the world they don't see every day, and to expand their palates to flavors they've not tried before.
He prefers to travel to do his research, when possible, and when he isn't able to travel, he seeks out local ethnic restaurants. "I'm really getting into the foods of Afganistan, of Persian food. How they cook in clay pots and use fresh bread." His travels are what introduced him to Scandanavian cuisine, and to the intricacies of hot peppers in Oaxaca, Mexico. He likes picking locals' minds at local markets, and finding places the average person doesn't go to. He is seeking "wierd things from off the beaten path places." When you go into these restaurants, he explains, "they let you into their kitchen. you can learn their secrets and the real story behind the food."
While his dishes may have a worldly influence, they are not overwhelming. His emphasis on the seasonal allows him to seek out quality local ingredients, keeping his flavors fresh and real. He also strives to use no more than 7 flavors in one dish, to keep dishes tasting "fresh and clean." In San Diego, he has no problem seeking out fresh, clean ingredients. He loves the luxury of being able to shop for his own produce--at local farms such as Connelly, Crows Pass, and Valdivia. Besides supporting local farms for the flavor, he does so for environmental reasons. Seeking out sustainable species--produce as well as seafood and meats--is something he is committed to. "I'm just doing my part--I think it's important for every chef to do that."
His culinary approach relies on simple flavors that are worldly, but he also leans toward dishes that are a play on American favorites. "I like to have fun with food," he says. For example, he'll play with the popular BLT by introducing a BLT hash, or he'll use the technique of twice baked potatoes but use Peruvian blue potatoes and goat cheese. Because of this, even his most eclectic dishes have a comforting, familiar feel. This, he believes, is important, as he wants to expand his guests’ world view, but to ease them into change.
He is certainly one to keep an eye on. "There are so many neat spices out there," he muses, wistful and enthusiastic. Whichever flavors he discovers, and whatever dishes he decides to create, Seasons 142 looks to have an exciting future.