The executive chef and co-owner of Table fifty-two, Art Smith has received the culinary profession’s highest awards and has cooked for some of the world’s most famous celebrities as personal chef to Oprah Winfrey. A native of Jasper, Florida, where he grew up on his family’s farm, Smith is the former executive chef of the Florida Governor’s Mansion during the tenure of Bob Graham, now a United States Senator. A graduate of the prestigious Walt Disney Magic Kingdom College culinary program, Smith also was chosen for, and completed, two highly selective internships at The Greenbrier Resort. In addition he has studied at the Florida State University School of Business.

In 1997, Smith became the personal, day-to-day chef to Oprah Winfrey, a position that lasted ten years. Smith now coordinates and cooks for the headline-grabbing special events that Ms. Winfrey hosts all around the world. A contributing editor to O, the Oprah Magazine, Smith is also the author of three award-winning cookbooks: Back to the Table; Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families; and Back to the Family. Most recently he contributed recipes and cooking advice to The Spectrum, the newest book by groundbreaking cardiologist and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Dean Ornish.

Smith has made regular television appearances on programs such as Iron Chef America, The Today Show and Oprah, in addition to having served as a Williams-Sonoma culinary instructor and the special events chef for Martha Stewart Living magazine. Smith’s cooking and writing talents have earned him highest praise, but perhaps his greatest gift to the community at large has been his philanthropy. In 2003 he founded Common Threads, a non-profit organization that teaches children about diversity and tolerance through the world’s great cultures.

For his tireless Common Threads leadership, Smith was honored by Chicago magazine as a "Chicagoan of the Year" in 2007. That same year, the prestigious James Beard Foundation named him "Humanitarian of the Year.” Chef Art Smith newest restaurant, Art and Soul, opened in the fall of 2008. The restaurant will be located in Washington DC, at The Liaison Capitol Hill, An Affinia Hotel.

Smith lives in Chicago with his life partner, renowned artist Jesus Salgueiro, and their three dogs, five cats and fifteen fish. He has graciously shared two of his favorite recipes with us, Pistachio Crusted Chicken and Hummingbird Cake.