Savor Your Journey with Chef Sakari Smithwick

For chef, author, and educator Sakari Smithwick, food has always been about more than what appears on the plate - it is a vehicle for purpose, growth, and connection. In Savor Your Journey, he combines personal storytelling, practical guidance, and conversations with some of the culinary world’s most influential voices to explore the meaning of passion, purpose, and promise. In this conversation, Smithwick reflects on his career, the lessons that shaped him, and the journey that inspired his debut book.

Savor Your Journey blends memoir, guidance, and food. What inspired you to tell your story through this hybrid format rather than a traditional cookbook or autobiography?

I was inspired by a book from Tony Robbins where he interviewed 50 of the greatest minds in financial literacy. I loved how he added value by letting others share their wisdom, not just his own story. I wanted to achieve that and more within the culinary space. In Savor Your Journey, I wanted to share the early stages of how food made an impact in my life paired with my experiences as an emerging young chef in my twenties. Through the second part of my book highlighting a collection of these incredible stories from some of the greatest culinary minds in this generation, I wanted to showcase the importance of not only mentorship but how integral it is to surround yourself with those you can learn from and connect with through shared experiences. Over my 15-plus years in kitchens, I’ve met incredible chefs and mentors who shaped how I think, cook, live, and do business. Their lessons didn’t just help me, I knew they’d inspire and guide the next generation of leaders too. Savor Your Journey became a way to reconnect with people who guided me, build new relationships with those I’ve always wanted to speak with, and hopefully help a young cook or chef, anyone who aspired to fulfill a passion into profession, and those with a craving to learn how to take ownership while on their journey.

The book introduces a three-step framework- passion, purpose, and promise. How did these pillars take shape through your experiences in some of the world’s most demanding kitchens?

IHonestly, any kitchen is demanding. You’re not doing this work to get rich; you’re doing this work because you love it. What clicked for me early on was how natural the grind felt. I’d work long hours, and instead of feeling exhausted, my energy was on a high. That’s when I understood passion. It was a relentless energy while striving for excellence. I wanted to retain as much knowledge as to what a good chef and a good leader was in the kitchen. Through consistency, taking initiative, accepting criticism, bouncing back, and more, those around me thought it was crazy to push that much, but it didn’t feel crazy to me. That is what first unlocked my passion that led me into wanting for my “pursuits”. Purpose and promise came later. The purpose showed up when I realized that fulfillment comes from serving something bigger than yourself. What did I want to achieve? What impact did I want to leave? How would I want others to recognize my work, my dedication? Promise became about my art of execution, It was important to me to show up for myself every day, to stay consistent, and honor the commitment I made to my craft and values. That is also why writing Savor Your Journey was so important to me as well.

You’ve worked at institutions like Eleven Madison Park and staged internationally. How did those high-pressure environments redefine your understanding of success and personal fulfillment?

Working in those kitchens taught me that success lives in the details. You don’t earn Michelin stars by cutting corners, you earn them by caring deeply about every single plate. That level of precision sharpened my eye and raised my standards. More importantly, I learned how to problem-solve. In kitchens, something always goes wrong. Watching more experienced chefs taught me how to move toward solutions instead of getting stuck in the stress. The importance of knowing how to adapt is integral. That mindset shaped how I approach challenges both in and out of the kitchen.

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