Born & Raised Steakhouse Names New Executive Chef

CH Projects, whose next act is a brunch-focused spot in Little Italy, has announced a major chef move among its ranks. Ted Smith, who joined the high-flying hospitality group in 2016 to helm the relaunch of Craft & Commerce, will now lead the kitchen at Born & Raised, CH’s $6.5 million, 10,000-square-foot, two-level steakhouse. Smith is an alum of the culinary arts program at the Art Institute of California, and previously cooked at the Four Seasons Resort and Larkspur Restaurant in Vail, Colorado as well Market Restaurant + Bar in Del Mar; he also spent four years as chef de cuisine at the acclaimed Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant.

Minted in 2017, Born & Raised was launched by CH Projects’ managing partner and culinary director, Jason McLeod, Eater’s 2017 Chef of the Year. Smith will work with McLeod on a menu refresh, scheduled to roll out this summer, that will expand upon its classic steakhouse programming to incorporate dishes that pull from area farmer’s markets and our local dockside seafood market. In a statement, Smith said he also wants to explore ways to elevate the restaurant’s tableside service, which currently entertains guests with everything from Caesar salad to flambéed Steak Diane prepared on tableside carts.