our story
farm to table oasis located in the heart of Chicago’s gold coast.
Blue Door Kitchen & Garden, home to celebrated Chef Art Smith, is a farm-to-table oasis in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast and deeply rooted in the philosophy of letting the seasons dictate the menu. From its inception, the Blue Door brand has become synonymous with sustainability and responsible sourcing. The restaurant showcases American heirloom foods made from fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from Midwest farms, including its namesake and Oprah Winfrey’s former Indiana property, Blue Door Farm. As a committed member of the agricultural community, Blue Door Kitchen & Garden is dedicated to cultivating strong relationships with sustainable purveyors to provide our guests with a connection to the land and an honest representation of local flavors and ingredients.
MEET THE CHEF
Meet Chef Art Smith:
Chef Art Smith loves the idea of bringing people together through food. It’s partly what made him the success he is today. He is the executive chef and co-owner of Blue Door Kitchen & Garden, Art and Soul, Southern Art and Bourbon Bar, 1500 South, Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine and Pitmaster at Chicago q.
Art Smith has received the culinary profession’s highest awards and has cooked for some of the world’s most famous celebrities. 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 special events all around the world.
Most recently Smith has made several television appearances including ABC’s Lady Gaga Thanksgiving Special, Top Chef, Top Chef Duels, and returned to Top Chef Masters (for the second time), where he quickly became an audience favorite. Smith was also featured in an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition where he lent a hand to a deserving family that has devoted their lives to providing meals for the less fortunate members of their community.
In 2015 Smith launched a non-profit organization, Reunion, Florida Garden and Kitchen School, in Madison FL at the historic Wardlaw-Smith House near his childhood home in Jasper, FL. At Reunion students of all ages will receive free classes on southern cooking traditions, horticulture, and weather forecasting via Weather Stem systems.
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. In 2008 Chef Art Smith received an Honorary MBA Degree, awarded by the Dedman School of Hospitality at Florida State University. Smith was inducted into the Chicago Culinary Museums Hall of Fame in 2010. September 30th 2010 was proclaimed by Richard M. Daley, Mayor of The City of Chicago as Chef Art Smith Day in Chicago. May 19, 2012 Chef Art Smith received an Honorary Doctorate of Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University, North Miami Campus.
Smith lives in Chicago and Florida with his husband Jesus Salgueiro, their four children Zumy, Zuky, Brando and Angel, and of course three dogs, seven cats, 15 fish and a couple of turtles.