You are home at Homecomin ’— my home .
INTERVIEW BY RAIN BLANKEN
Guests of Walt Disney World come from all over the globe . How important is it to you to share Florida cooking with them ? chicken flavor profile . The poultry is brined in buttermilk for 24 hours . That ’ s the key to tenderness .
It ’ s the reason I opened Homecomin ’ Florida Kitchen . There are a lot of beach-themed restaurants all around , but I wanted to showcase rural Florida and the heart of the state ’ s farmlands .
I grew up in Jasper in Hamilton County , in the northern lowlands between Jacksonville and Tallahassee and south of Valdosta , Georgia . This region of Florida boasts cooking traditions as traditionally Southern as the Sunshine State gets . Local poultry , beef , sugar cane , fresh pecans , citrus , and more were important ingredients in my mother ’ s and aunts ’ recipes . Their repertoire of hearty , straightforward food continues to influence the family fare at Homecomin ’.
When you put together the menu for Chef Art Smith ' s Homecomin ', what was one item that you knew had to be on there ?
Fried chicken , of course ! My mother taught me how to blend the spices for the perfect coating . Over the years , I ’ ve tweaked the recipe a bit depending on the time of year and who I was serving . Homecomin ’ has its own signature fried
TOP : Homecomin ' is located in the Landing section of Disney Springs . ABOVE : Both the fried chicken and the cheddar biscuits are out of this world . Double up the goodness and order the chicken sliders to try both dishes at the same time . PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE SHUSTER