Justin Smillie Biography

Chef Justin Smillie was born in Upland, California, but grew up in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, where he started his culinary career at Bernards Inn under Chef Edward Stone at the age of 17. Smillie decided to enroll in the Culinary Institute of America after two years on the line, where he learned the fine-dining skills he needed to make it in New York City. He worked at the Mercer Kitchen, Gramercy Tavern, and the Standard in New York, but it was as executive chef of Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria that he—and his much-hyped roasted short rib for two—really took off. "It was my first time cooking for myself, and it was a thrilling, creative experience surrounded by amazing products." "It was insane," he admits. Smillie gained the opportunity to create his ideal restaurant after receiving a three-star review from the New York Times during his stint at Il Buco Alimentari. With dishes like a five-lettuce Caesar salad and spaghetti loaded with chicken liver and sherry, Smillie emotes a California-meets-Italy mentality at Upland, chef Stephen Starr's current blockbuster. His work for Jonathan Waxman at Washington Square Park and Barbuto instilled in him a sense of simplicity. "One thing that astonished me was Jonathan's ability to figure out simple things." "He shaped a lot of who I was as a kid, and I keep that in mind as I've evolved into who I'm going to be as a chef," Smillie says.

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