Guests at Art Smith’s Homecoming in The Landing neighborhood at Disney Springs prepare to dig in to some of the restaurant’s signature items. [Courtesy of Art Smith’s Homecoming]

As celebrity chefs go, Art Smith is the antithesis of the flashy food mavens you often see on TV cooking channels. He’s thoughtful, articulate and genuinely down-to-earth.

But that doesn’t mean Smith isn’t passionate about what he does.

When Smith partnered with the Walt Disney Company to create Art Smith’s Homecoming, one of the crown jewels of the newly transformed Disney Springs shopping, dining and entertainment district, he did so with the intention of bringing back the traditional family dining concept that’s been lost in the hustle and bustle of our 21st Century lifestyles.

“It’s great to see people enjoying food,” Smith said during a recent interview at his restaurant, located in The Landing neighborhood of Disney Springs, the district’s own version of “restaurant row.”

Smith is a proponent of what he calls “celebrational family food,” as well as sharing at the dinner table. “I like to serve food that’s ‘shareable’,” meaning the meal is placed at the middle of the table and everybody just digs in.

“The sharing of food makes it more precious. And where I came from, we always had a salad with every meal.”

Smith is no stranger to preparing delicious food, owning restaurants or being in the spotlight.

Chef Art Smith is a proponent of family style, shareable dining. [Courtesy of Art Smith’s Homecoming]

He has cooked for several political leaders and celebrities, and was even Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef for several years. “Oprah taught me some great lessons,” he says with a laugh, “including, ‘Wine with food, thank you very much!'”

He’s appeared on a number of television shows and specials, has written four books, has traveled the world as part of the State Department’s Chefs’ Program, owns restaurants in Chicago [TABLE fifty-two] and Washington, D.C. [Art and Soul] and has won several awards, including the James Beard Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year in 2007.

Indeed, if there’s one takeaway from talking to Smith is that he’s a caring individual.

He cares about his home state of Florida [he’s a sixth-generation Floridian whose great-grandfather was a moonshiner], making a commitment to use only Florida-grown products in Homecoming [as it says on the sign outside his establishment, “Florida Kitchen, Southern Shine”]. He also cares passionately about teaching children sound nutritional values. To that end, he founded the non-profit Common Threads. He’s also on the board of a nutrition program in Minneapolis called Kids’ Cafe.

Smith and his husband, Jesus Salgueiro, have four adopted children, so for him, the stakes are pretty high when it comes to children’s nutrition.

Church Lady Deviled Eggs are one of many must-have selections at Art Smith’s Homecoming. [Courtesy of Art Smith’s Homecoming]

Years ago, “I played the whole funny fat chef thing,” he said. At one point, he admits, his weight ballooned over 350 pounds. He credits healthier food choices and running marathons for helping him drop more than 100 pounds. “We have four kids. I wanna live a long, healthy life for them. You have to be responsible when it comes to your food choices, including cutting down on sugar and salt consumption. My No. 1 rule is don’t drink your calories. When you take better care of yourself, you take better care of others.”

Smith is involved in a number of projects which reaffirm his commitment to responsibility when it comes to the field of agriculture.

He recently purchased a former jai alai arena with plans to build a bakery and market. “I wanted to create a real farmer’s market, one that showcased fresh items from Florida farms. You have to remember there are a lot of hard-working families on our farms,” Smith said, adding that “Florida is the winter pantry of America.”

Art’s Fabulous Fried Chicken is buttermilk-brined, moist and tender. [Courtesy of Art Smith’s Homecoming]

He also purchased an Antebellum house with the idea of turning it into a school of sustainability.

“Most chefs don’t know where their food comes from,” Smith says, adding that many have a “Cisco-to-table mentality,” meaning they take food from a delivery truck, cook it, then serve it. “Chefs should be more conscious of health and wellness.”

He’s also involved in helping to bring back the sagging oyster industry in Florida. “In Apalachicola, the water has changed so much and the oyster industry has suffered because of it.” An oyster farming program he helped initiate at a local community college is so popular that it has a six-year waiting list.

Smith is the first Disney College Program graduate to open a business on Disney property, a fact that he’s very proud of. “That’s me when I was a young pup,” he says, pointing to a picture of himself while in the program in 1980.

“I’m a big believer in internships,” he said. He’s also a big Disney fan. “I admire the sense of team spirit at Disney, the sense of family. It’s no wonder so many people stay and work here for as long as they do.” Smith first visited Walt Disney World when he was just 12; he and his family stayed at the Polynesian Resort.

According to Chef Art Smith, Homecoming’s desserts “taste like momma made ’em.” [Courtesy of Art Smith’s Homecoming]

Sense of family is so important to Art Smith and it shows through in the signature items Homecoming offers.

His Church Lady Deviled Eggs are truly mouth-watering. Momma’s Mac and Cheese … delicious. His buttermilk-brined Fabulous Fried Chicken is moist, tender and absolutely scrumptious. Addie Mae’s Chicken and Dumplings … superb. There’s also fried catfish, shrimp and grits and an assortment of sandwiches and burgers. Homecoming also has a full bar with a variety of signature drinks.

And then there are the rich, decadent desserts … desserts, Smith says proudly, “that taste like momma made ’em.”

Smith says that Homecoming was five years in the making, but during the process, he never once thought about how much it would cost. “I’m a big believer in dreaming it and making that dream come true.

“I hope you find inspiration here. For all of us, the sharing of a meal is a common, anticipated ritual that reunites us with loved ones and brings a sense of balance to our lives. It’s my heart’s desire … to serve a simple, unfussy meal of freshly made foods … and see how it enriches your lives.”

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