Dishes by DaShonda: Faith, Flavor, and Community in Northeast Ohio

The culinary scene in Northeast Ohio is flourishing, with chefs like DaShonda Smith leading the way.

Smith owns Dishes by DaShonda, a food catering and delivery business. She has been a licensed chef for four and a half years, crafting all her meals from scratch.

For daily drop-offs, Smith delivers to Sandusky, Cleveland, and Lorain. For catering services, she travels throughout Ohio.

Smith's passion for cooking began in childhood. While many kids spent their time playing outside or watching cartoons, she was in the kitchen learning to cook and watching the Food Network. Food has always been a way for her family to connect and come together.

When COVID-19 hit, Smith sought more for her life, leading to the creation of Dishes by DaShonda. Her menu changes daily and can be viewed on Instagram. Customers can place orders by texting the number posted in her Instagram story. Among her most popular dishes are birria tacos and hot honey catfish.

The birria tacos are packed with flavor in every bit.

The hot honey catfish is a fan favorite.

As Smith puts it, her meals are "made with love and sprinkled with Jesus." Faith has played a significant role in her journey. She shared, “...I feel like God has led me and kept me and blessed me so tremendously from my lifestyle that I used to live to where I’ve changed into this business woman that I am. I am beyond blessed that life did not hinder me from being able to take on this role and I feel like God spoke to me at a service one day... I took that leap of faith, and I thank God every day that I took that leap because He’s been carrying me every step of the way... I feel like I continue to be blessed every single day because of how much I worship and adore Him and anything that I am blessed with I always give the honor back to Him.”

Smith draws inspiration from her two-year-old niece, Dior. “I feel like I keep pushing and thriving because she’s always so happy in the kitchen with me. It motivates me to keep going,” she said.

Through her cooking, Smith has made a positive impact on the community. She expressed, “It literally melts my heart. I literally get teary-eyed when I think about it because to hear people speak about me in such a positive way just keeps me going... to know that I can inspire the next person to chase their dreams, pursue their careers. I just thank God every day for it.”

The community has embraced Dishes by DaShonda. In 2023, Smith was honored with the O.E.A. Best Chef Award presented by Ohio Kings. Her business has received support from local small businesses, council members, radio stations, and newspapers. 

Smith hopes to leave behind a powerful message. “I want to leave behind where people could know that even if rainy days may come, keep the faith in God and don’t give up on your dreams just because you’ve had a few bad days or a few hiccups along the way. Just keep praying and stay positive to know that if God brought you… he’ll bring you through it,” she emphasized.

The culinary and entrepreneurial industries can be tough, and Smith believes in uplifting others. She stated, “Don’t view your other peers that might be in the same business as you as competition but look to them as collaboration to be able to complement each other and collab together to inspire more people to be able to grow together versus trying to compete locally in the same city. Let’s come together and work together and you’ll be able to flourish way better.”

While Smith could leave Northeast Ohio for larger markets, she remains committed to the region. She reflected, “Honestly, I feel like because even though a lotta people have so much negativity to say, even through all of that, there’s still so much good. There’s so much that can be brought together through the city and through food. I’ve noticed that food brings my community together, and if I’m able to even shine a little light and let my light of God shine in this city to be able to bring a little good back out of it, I feel like that little good can help go a long way to be able to change the entire area around us…”

Looking ahead, Smith plans to open a family-run restaurant that feels like home for customers. She also hopes to expand to the Columbus area.

Follow Smith:

📸 Instagram: @dishes.by.dashonda