Art Smith's Backyard Kitchen

If you're at Chef Art Smith's Chicago home, you're probably in the kitchen watching him cook. "Bringing people to the table is one of the most beautiful things we can do," he says. "The more time we spend at the table, the deeper our relationships. Everything tastes better, feels better, when shared."

If you're lucky enough to be at Art's home between mid-May and late October, however, you're probably watching him cook in the backyard, in an outdoor kitchen he built after grilling food outside at Oprah's California home. "I got back to Chicago and thought, I want to be just like Oprah."