Art Smith’s Reunion restaurant, disappoints
Chef Art Smith, perhaps best known as personal chef for Oprah Winfrey, opened his latest restaurant, Reunion Restaurant in July 2022 after a series of delays caused by the pandemic.
I've always been a big fan of Smith both for his Southern Comfort Food and his charitable commitments including Common Threads. I went to his Gold Coast restaurant Blue Door Kitchen and Garden whenever I got the chance for his delectable biscuits, fried chicken and Hummingbird Cake among other mouthwatering dishes.
When I got word of the opening of his new restaurant, I was ready to be first in line. T.he press release described the food as Southern Comfort Food with a contemporary twist. It included some of my very favorites such as hush puppies, crabcakes. fried green tomatoes and, of course, the chicken and biscuits.
The location on the NW corner of Navy Pier, in the former Bubba Gump space, sounded like a win-win. It also mentioned a moonshine bar—how fun!
It turns out I was a little late to the table – – about two years but I finally arrived Wednesday with my expectation sky high. It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the low 70s, Blue skies, a gentle breeze and the lake shimmering next to the tree lined patio.
When I saw the blue and white Reunion sign and the beautiful paned windows with painted white woodwork on the patio—my first thought was “they nailed it.”
Stepping inside was a different story.
According to a spokesperson for the restaurant, the design was inspired by the look and feel of Chef Art’s Chicago home kitchen where his culinary career took flight, and will also showcase some of Chef Art’s favorite elements of the city.
What I saw was lots of brown, lots of dark wood like something out of the Old West. There were very few changes that I could see from the original Bubba Gump layout.
A disappointment? Yes.
But I still had the food to look forward to.
I had a big breakfast and we were early for lunch so I wasn't very hungry. I did want to try one of Smith’s signature dishes but fried chicken seemed too heavy.
When I spotted the Crispy Chicken Sliders ($16) under First Bites I figured it was the perfect solution.
The sliders were a huge disappointment. They were dry, hard and topped with a flavorless sauce and a tired piece of wilted arugula.
At that point, I was very glad that I had a big breakfast.
(I wouldn’t even give it to my dog).
To be fair one meal does not make for a legitimate restaurant review. Others at my table may have felt differently. One woman originally from the East Coast raved about the crabcakes.
I will return when I am hungrier and try to sit on the beautiful tree-lined patio and order a variety of menu items. And perhaps sample a little Moonshine.
I will report back.
Mote to Know
About Chef Art Smith
Charles Arthur Smith is an award-winning chef, cookbook author, television personality and restaurateur. Smith is the author of three award-winning cookbooks: Back to the Table; Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families; and Back to the Family. He contributed recipes and cooking advice to The Spectrum, the newest book by ground-breaking cardiologist and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Dean Ornish. In May of 2013 his latest cookbook will be released, Art Smith’s Healthy Comfort, with a focus on healthy cooking and healthy living, (published by Harper One 2013). Smith is the founder of Common Threads, a non-profit organization teaching low-income children to cook wholesome and affordable meals since 2003. He believes that through hands-on cooking and introducing children to fresh foods we can help prevent childhood obesity, reverse the trend of poor eating habits, and learn about diversity and tolerance through the celebration of our cultural differences and our commonalities. 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 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, and on September 30th of that same year, former Chicago Mayor, Richard M. Daley, proclaimed it Chef Art Smith Day in Chicago. In May of 2012, Chef Art received an Honorary Doctorate of Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University, North Miami Campus. 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.
About the partners
Chicago restauranteurs and brothers, George and Manolis Alpo. In are partners with Chef Smith. George is the executive chef for the group, while Manolis serves as the director of operations, bringing nearly two decades of diversified restaurant experience. The Alpogianis brothers already have roots at Navy Pier with of their America's Dog & Burger fast-service restaurants located inside the Fifth Third Bank Family Pavilion.