Fresh Plates Dinner: Rodney Smith Jr.

From the venue:

Enjoy a fun evening dining, sipping and learning as Chef Rodney Smith Jr. from 5Church prepares a four-part small plate menu. Learn new recipes and taste freshly prepared courses and wine.
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About Rodney Smith Jr.

For longtime chef Rodney Smith Jr., crafting innovative takes on contemporary American cuisine isn’t just a passion—it’s in his blood.
“Cooking is quite literally a family tradition,” he says. “My grandfather was a chef who owned a few restaurants in Wisconsin when I was a kid. Growing up in that family, you had a choice—you could learn to cook, or you could learn to sew. I chose cooking, and I really took to it. I figured out pretty quickly that I wanted to be a cook for my career. It’s all I’ve done all my life.”
After graduating from Art Institute of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Applied Science in culinary arts, Smith began working his way through the ranks of his chosen profession with stops at such spots as Buca di Beppo and Minneapolis landmark First Avenue & 7th St. Entry. He also served as a traveling freelance chef specializing in large-volume events, working at several PGA events including The Northern Trust (now the St. Jude Championship), the TOUR Championship and The Players Championship as well as the Presidents Cup. 
Smiths’ travels eventually brought him to Atlanta, where he most recently served as culinary director for Perfectly Portioned Nutrition meal prep and running his food truck The Northern Nomad before signing up with K5 Hospitality, the parent company of 5Church Midtown, Virtue Rooftop, 5Church Buckhead and Alta Toro.
At 5Church, he oversees the restaurants’ ongoing transition to a farm-to-table dining model, dealing with farmers and growers and “figuring out how to best showcase these fresh, high-quality seasonal ingredients,” he says. “And I act as a kind of managing director of both 5Church kitchens—helping to design menus, training staff, working with line cooks and so on. We do a lot of banquets and catering events, and I’ll jump on a line and work a station with the other cooks. It’s just whatever needs doing. No task is too great or too small.”
Smith describes his role as “a dream job. I have an amazing team I get to work with on a daily basis. And we’re such a presence in the city that we’re usually a first call for a lot of farmers and providers who want to share some amazing ingredients. One of the best parts of the job is that we get to play around in the kitchen, testing out new ingredients and new approaches. I just love that I’m surrounded by people who are excited about what they do.”
During his downtime, Smith is likely to be found hiking or unwinding at home. But it’s also not uncommon to see him in the kitchen at 5Church on his day off. “I might do a little research and development,” he says. “Stop by a farmers market, pick up some ingredients and come in and cook a little bit. Chefs always need a release for their creativity. When you’re getting paid for your hobby, why would you need anything else?”