Allison Smith

Years of Participation

Allison Smith is a Charleston native, but no stranger to global cuisine. Getting an early start in her culinary career, Allison worked her way through Charleston restaurants in high school and culinary school, ranging from bakeries to fine dining. Upon graduating from The Culinary Institute of Charleston, Allison was eager to start making her mark in the culinary scene. At the age of 22 she opened Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts in the heart of downtown Charleston. Glazed was soon recognized internationally and as one of the best doughnut shops in America in countless publications and TV shows. Before opening Glazed, Allison worked in Europe and traveled as much as possible to gain knowledge of other cuisines. It wasn’t until she married into an Indian family and traveled to India she realized not only her love for Indian culture and food, but also the need and demand for it in Charleston. From her first trip to India in 2010, Allison knew she would bring Indian food to Charleston. After visiting several times, and with the help of her mother-in-law, she opened Sambar Indian Kitchen in Workshop in 2017 as a temporary restaurant that ran for 8 months. Sambar is now a pop-up restaurant and Glazed is still open as Charleston’s first gourmet doughnut shop.