Rising Star Chef Joshua Smith of New England Charcuterie - Biography

There are many culinary riches to be found in North Carolina, but classic French charcuterie isn’t, generally, one of them. But fate had a special hand to deal Joshua Smith, a local kid working at a Dean and Deluca in Charlotte. One day, the butcher didn’t show, and Smith was thrown into the task—under the tutelage of French Master Chef Charles Semail.

Outfitted with a new passion and skill set, Smith went west, working his way up the coastline before settling into four formative years at the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel in Seattle. After cooking (and cycling—Smith’s other passion) his way around northern California, an opportunity arose back in Charlotte, which found Smith working for Nobles Restaurant Group under Chef Dale Ray, and diving deeper into charcuterie.

Smith made another leap back west, setting up food and beverage programs for a resort in Lake Tahoe (and meeting his wife) before settling in Boston in 2005, where he was sous chef at the Four Seasons Hotel and put his charcuterie on the menu. After four years, Smith transitioned to the executive chef position at Michael Schlow’s Tico, earning placement on Esquire’s “Top 20 Best New Restaurant in America.” Rightfully confident, Smith took a chance on his passions, founding New England Charcuterie in 2012 and its storefront Moody’s Deli & Provisions in Waltham the following year. There, Smith partners with the best local farms to create Old World-style meats, bringing a proud French tradition on an unlikely journey from Charlotte to New England. In April 2015, Smith will open Backroom, an addition to Moody’s which will have 50 seats and feature wine, cocktails, a rotisserie, and wood-fired oven, bringing together Smith’s love of wine and food.