I’ve dined at quite a few Disney World restaurants for my job, but there’s one that I might love more than the rest.

Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ in Disney Springs has a special place in my heart with its homey feel, its Southern-inspired cuisine, and spectacular service. I’ve dined there several times in the past, and it has even become my go-to spot for a delicious birthday dinner. So when Homecomin’ invited us at DFB to come dine with Chef Art Smith himself for lunch, I was delighted to accept the invitation.

Dining with Art was a pleasure in many unexpected ways, from the moment he shook my hand and introduced himself to the moment we stood from the table with full stomachs and said our goodbyes, I found myself intrigued by the incredibly interesting life he has lived. It’s clear that his staff adore him, and he even spoke of his excellent relationships with other chefs in Disney Springs.

We started our meal with the restaurant’s iconic Jasper Board on the table, and while I sampled pimento cheese and crackers, Art told me of the origin of Homecomin’. He first approached Disney with the idea for Homecomin’ years ago, telling his contacts at the company that Disney Springs needed a restaurant that could supply a “taste of Florida” for the thousands of out-of-state visitors each year. He curated the menu with favorites like his iconic hummingbird cake and even sprinkled in family recipes, including his mom’s chicken and dumplings.

But despite the stellar menu and the great atmosphere, Chef Art Smith admitted, “The key to our success, and I say that with confidence, is because of our team of people.” He noted that he puts a strong emphasis on customer relations for his team — the excellent service in the restaurant is something that keeps people coming back year after year.

Chef Art also admitted that for the restaurant to have delicious food, it has to start with the ingredients they use. Homecomin’ has partnered with several farmers to get fresh ingredients — they’ve even added a farmer spotlight wall in the restaurant to highlight some of the farms he admires.

After we discussed the restaurant, Art was kind enough to share stories of his life with me. Everything from his recent rugby team acquisition (and matching tattoo!) to the time he baked a birthday cake for Maya Angelou at the request of his former employer, Oprah Winfrey. For someone with as much fame as he has, Art told me that it’s important for him to stay relevant. He wants to “keep it fresh” with his audience, and he chooses public appearances like Top Chef to help keep his brand alive with the younger generation.

But it’s not just running restaurants or competing on Food Network television shows — Art shared his priority, saying, “It’s all about customer service, it’s all about relationships.” When he judges cooking shows, he dubs himself “the nice chef,” noting that he’d rather put a little more kindness out there than intimidate those he mentors and judges.

He ironically told me that his first job was at a KFC and that he learned to fry chicken from his “mama and the Colonel.” But Art didn’t truly become famous for his chicken until he served it at Oprah Winfrey’s 50th birthday, where all of Hollywood was present. Since then, he’s been arguably most famous for his fried chicken and his hummingbird cakes — which he served at both Lady Gaga’s and Maya Angelou’s birthday parties.

As we wrapped up our meal, I asked Chef Art Smith if he had noticed any challenges with running a restaurant in Disney World as compared to his restaurants outside of The Most Magical Place on Earth. He just smiled and admitted that there was something extra special about his restaurant “inside the magical gates.” Not only is the customer base friendly, but he keeps great relations with the other Disney Springs chefs, mentioning his relationships with Chef Andres and Chef Morimoto (owners of Jaleo and Morimoto Asia, respectively). He described the Disney Springs restaurant community as a big happy family, a group he was proud to be a part of.

At the end of the interview, I asked Art one final question — since Homecomin’ has been such a success, are there any other projects he would want to do with Disney? He laughed and said, “Yeah, of course! If Disney said, ‘Art — we need you to do something, I mean, I’m there!” He followed that answer up by admitting that it would need to be the right project.

Art noted that he would love the chance to bring his Florida cuisine to the Disney World populous in a more casual way — maybe in the form of something like a quick-service restaurant or a food truck. “I would love to make it more accessible,” he said.

Art wrapped up our time together by teasing this year’s Flavors of Florida event at Disney Springs, noting that it would be bigger and better than ever before and that Homecomin’ will be participating again. I can’t wait to see what seasonal offerings the restaurant brings.

My meal with Chef Art Smith was a truly enlightening experience, learning about his history and the history of the restaurant that I’ve come to enjoy so much. The easiest way to sum up our conversation is with a quote from Art himself:

“Fried chicken of course is our game, but the reality is, it’s not just the fried chicken. It’s the people who eat it, and making people happy.”

Click Here to Read My Homecomin’ Review!

Have you ever been to Homecomin’ in Disney World? Tell us in the comments!

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Homecomin’ to dine with Chef Art Smith. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ

The post I Ate Lunch With Homecomin’ Chef Art Smith in Disney World…and He Had Some Secrets to Share! first appeared on the disney food blog.