Chef Art Smith Gets Married!
If you’ve been following along with us here at MickeyBlog for a while then you know we are more than a little bit obsessed with Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ at Disney Springs. This restaurant is THE place to go for Florida-inspired comfort food and with dishes like Church Lady Deviled Eggs, Fried Chicken and Donuts and Hummingbird Cake it’s easy to understand why its a favorite with locals and tourists alike!
Well, today we’ve got some exciting news to share with you about the proprietor and Oprah’s ex-chef Art Smith!
According to a recent piece in People, Chef kicked off the day with a four-mile run through Washington D.C. alongside his longtime partner Jesus Salgueiro along with 485 guests. “We had the runners, the joggers, the walkers,” Smith tells PEOPLE. “We had sweat on our shirts but nobody cared because it was beautiful.”
People tells us that the run started at Smith’s DC restaurant Art and Soul and ended at the Lincoln Memorial where the grooms then shared in a marriage blessing. The wedding took place last Saturday and Smith said of the event, “It was this big gay wedding,” Smith, 50 who added “But it was a wedding made up our friends from all over the world.”
So why the run? Smith has an answer: “I believe in the idea of wellness and health. We need to take better care of ourselves.” If you’ve been following along with Art, you know the Chef dropped over 100 lbs this past year thanks to a healthy diet and exercise.
The reception consisted of a brunch prepared by all-star chefs. Highlights included a fingerling potato salad by Top Chef‘s Lee Anne Wong; buttermilk fried chicken by Rey Villalobos and John Vermiglio of Smith’s Table Fifty-Two restaurant in Chicago; smoked brisket by Hill Country’s Elizabeth Karmel; and barbecue pulled pork by fellow BBQ Pitmaster judge Myron Mixon.
Of the menu Smith told People, “Barbecue has always been a favorite of mine,” says Smith. “And I said if we don’t serve fried chicken, we’re going to have a riot!”
Dessert included a nine-layer wedding cake with green fondant made by Duff Goldman. “I was thinking, I don’t like wedding cake and this cake has to be the best wedding cake I’ve ever had in my mouth,” says the chef. “It was incredible.”
Instead of wedding gifts, Art Smith requested that donations be made to a charity that Smith founded – Common Threads. It teaches low-income kids how to cook nutritious meals. If you feel like sending Smith a congratulatory gift you can donate to his charity here.
