Blackwell Smith made his name in Chattanooga with a couple of restaurants.
A Chattanooga native, he graduated from the Culinary Arts Institute of Louisiana with a degree in the culinary arts and lived in Sonoma County, California, for a few years before returning to his hometown. He worked in the Bluff View Art District before opening his own restaurant, Caffeine, on M.L King Boulevard. It was a popular spot for several years before he closed that restaurant and opened Blacksmith’s Bistro and Bar in St. Elmo.
He and wife Kelly operated Blacksmith’s for several years, specializing in burgers, salads and brunch, but that eatery also closed. The decision was based on “money, lack of satisfaction, quality of life, frustration – typical reasons for any business closing,” he says.
He’s still involved in food, but maybe not in the way he expected. Several years ago, he discovered he has a gluten intolerance, and that set his life on a new course. He is now bringing awareness to and teaching those with food sensitivities how to eat and feel better through classes on his website, blackwellsmithiv.mastermind.com/masterminds/25669.
“Gluten-free cooking is hard,” he says on his website. “It’s even harder when you don’t know where to start. Tackling the gluten-free diet with curiosity, creativity and confidence is my approach.”