B. Smith
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| B. Smith (Barbara Smith) | |
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| Born | date of birth unknown Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Cooking style | Global eclectic with Southern influences; Simple yet elegant |
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Current Restaurant(s)
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Television show(s)
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Barbara ("B.") Smith is a former fashion model turned restaurateur, television host, author, entrepreneur and entertainer extraordinaire who is widely regarded as an expert when it comes to casual but elegant living.
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[edit] Television
For the past 9 years, B. Smith has hosted the lifestyle television show B. Smith with Style. Originally distributed by Hearst and Tribune Entertainment companies, the show aired in more than 90% of the U.S. and 40 countries. Viewers in select markets can now watch the show on the cable network TV One. Plus, they can enjoy B. Smith’s effervescent personality and creative ideas via her appearances on programs such as ABC’s Good Morning America and The View,” and NBC’s Today. B.Smith has a regularly scheduled twice a week radio vignettes B.Smith Tips for a Better Life on the #1 adult 25-54 radio station in New York City WBLS-FM
[edit] Restauranteur
A seasoned culinary expert who was recognized by Elle Décor as one of America’s 10 most outstanding non-professional chefs, Smith is the owner of three successful B. Smith restaurants in New York, Washington, D.C., and the scenic Long Island Hampton village of Sag Harbor. Smith’s first restaurant, launched in Manhattan in 1986, was located on 8th Avenue and 47th Street for 13 years. In 1999, Smith relocated the restaurant to Restaurant Row, where the flagship has just entered its 22nd year in business. Her D.C.-based restaurant, in the historic Beaux-Arts style Union Station, recently celebrated its 14th anniversary, and in May 2008, the Sag Harbor restaurant opened for its 11th season.
[edit] Retail
Smith’s flair for décor, demonstrated in the ambiance of her restaurants, led to her entry in home style and the Spring 2001 launch of her first collection at Bed Bath & Beyond. The B. Smith with Style Home Collection includes bedding (duvet and comforter sets, coverlets, quilts, coordinated sheets, decorative pillows and window treatments) as well as tabletop, bath towels and area rugs, doormats, wall art and paper products. Launched in 2004, her line of specialty serveware has expanded to include a variety of pieces for entertaining.
In Spring 2007, Smith debuted her first furniture collection (At Home with B. Smith) with Clayton Marcus, a division of La-Z-Boy. The introduction of Smith’s upholstery collection will mark the first time an African American woman has presented her own furniture collection.
Another recent venture for Smith is her line of jewelry, introduced on television retail giant QVC. The B. Smith Jewelry Collection, made from 14K gold and silver and often incorporating semi-precious gemstones, is designed to reflect Smith’s international, multi-cultural appeal.
[edit] Spokesperson
A native of western Pennsylvania, Smith started her career as a fashion model. She has graced the covers of 15 magazines including Mademoiselle’s first ever featuring an African-American woman. She is currently the spokesperson for Colgate Palmolive Oxy Plus dishwashing products, General Mills Betty Crocker Cornbread and Muffin Mix, Pillsbury Grands and Unilever’s Lawry seasonings, and appears in a national television commercial for Mercedes Benz.
[edit] Author
Smith is the author of two tabletop books on entertaining, the host of “B. Smart Tips for a Better Life” heard on New York’s WBLS-FM, and a columnist for Soap Opera Digest. She and her husband Dan Gasby have produced four television specials for TV One. The couple’s B. Smith Restaurant Group, formed in May 1998, is in the process of expanding its holdings. Smith and Gasby recently spoke about their successful partnership as a “power couple” at the Harvard Business School’s Dynamic Women in Business Conference.
[edit] Bibliography
- B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking for Friends (1995)
- B. Smith Rituals & Celebrations (1999)
