Lawrence "LT" Smith

Chef LT Smith’s bold exploration of Southwest and Mexican flavors is an addictive expression in culture, craft, and community.

Smith did not take a traditional path to the kitchen. A former NFL player whose career was cut short by injury, he returned to Phoenix and redirected his discipline and intensity toward food, channeling the focus of professional athletics into a new arena.

In 2024, he was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs and recognized as a James Beard Award Emerging Chef Semifinalist. That momentum followed a breakout 2023, when Chilte earned national acclaim from Bon Appétit and Esquire as one of the country’s best new restaurants, establishing Smith as a defining voice in the Southwest’s new guard. He was also selected for Taco Bell’s inaugural TBX program, where he reimagined the Crunchwrap Supreme through his lens, bridging soulful childhood nostalgia with contemporary Mexican American cooking on a national stage.

Smith founded Chilte, which began as a pandemic-era pop-up operating out of a 10-by-10 tent at local markets and bars before evolving into a funky and homey destination on Grand Avenue. What started as scrappy survival became a nationally recognized restaurant grounded in intention and identity.

Shaped by formal technique, street swagger, and a deep respect for cultural memory, his dishes weave together ingredients like hoja santa, chicatanas, and huitlacoche with approachable creativity and crave-worthy purpose. Smith trained under chefs including Beau MacMillan, Alex Stratta, and Rene Andrade, experiences that sharpened his technical foundation while reinforcing his commitment to telling his own story on the plate. His guiding ethos, “Me Vale,” anchors his work in a clear, unapologetic point of view.

Beyond the plate, Smith is equally focused on the culture within his kitchen. Having moved from intense stadiums to demanding restaurant brigades, he is intentional about cultivating workplaces grounded in mentorship and mutual accountability. He believes hospitality must extend inward, toward ourselves and the teams who make the work possible. At Chilte, he creates platforms that uplift emerging leaders and creatives, prioritizing growth, visibility, and opportunity.

Raised in a family where meals carried history and identity, Smith approaches each menu as a living love story to his journey and an open invitation to gather around a table.