A Study in Corn
From South Carolina Chef Ambassador Darren Smith
"I hate the term 'farm-to-table,' because if you're not doing that—what are you doing?" asks 2025 South Carolina Chef Ambassador Darren Smith.
It's a philosophy that has shaped not just the food he cooks, but the life he and his wife, Cindy, have built together. More than 30 years ago, they moved to her hometown of Conway—"a cool little town with a couple of little restaurants," Darren remembers—but one where they saw the potential to grow something lasting.
"Conway's a gorgeous town," he says. "I live about six blocks from both of my restaurants, so I'm very fortunate. I get to walk down these old oak-lined streets, saying hi to neighbors and go check on both restaurants—kind of see a path for the day, what seafood we're going to order, that kind of thing. My days revolve around the restaurants."
The couple met in Charleston when Cindy started working at one of the restaurants Darren was running. "We started dating, and here we are, 34 years later," laughs Darren. "She graduated from the College of Charleston with a business finance degree. We had a great team to start—not only did we love each other, but it made sense to open a restaurant together."
While still setting up the space for Rivertown Bistro, their first restaurant, their landlord, George Jenkins, came through the back door with crates of fresh produce. "He had asparagus, banana peppers, tomatoes," Darren recalls. "He said, 'I hope you'll not only be my tenant for a long time but utilize me as a farmer.' I said, 'You're a dream come true.'"
Relationships like that have always mattered to Darren. "I went over into Murrells Inlet and said, 'I'm opening a restaurant, and I want fresh fish.' They said, 'Well, that's a breath of fresh air.' No one around here was asking for that. I try my hardest to buy local and utilize the people around me—whether it's a farmer, artisan or beekeeper. I just always have."
Among those longtime local partners are Richard and Megan Floyd of Low Country Farms of SC, whose products regularly appear on Darren's menus.
"Just knowing that our names are on the menu and that other people can enjoy what we put our heart and soul into blesses my heart daily," says Megan.
For the Floyd family, farming is more than just a profession; it's a tradition that spans generations. Everyone contributes, from Richard's father helping with the cattle to their kids learning the ropes alongside them.
"It's in my blood," says Richard, a 13th-generation farmer. “Our family's roots trace back to Wales. My great-grandfather was knighted by the Queen, and three of his sons immigrated to America—one even signed the Declaration of Independence. We began farming tobacco and other staples about ten generations ago. My great-great-grandfather owned 1,000 acres in Galivants Ferry, but after his passing, most of the land was lost due to an alleged debt owed by his wife. The current farm was started by my great-granddaddy, Richard, after he worked as a sharecropper and eventually saved enough to buy land. Today, we cultivate around 500 acres.”
While farming is deeply rooted in his identity, Richard and his family recently made the tough decision to shift away from their long-standing tobacco farming to a more diversified, direct-to-market approach. Richard hopes that the next generation will have the option to continue.
"My daughter wants to be a large-animal vet. My three-and-a-half-year-old son already knows the names of every piece of equipment in Farmhouse Magazine. If he's not a farmer, he'll sell farm equipment," he says with a laugh. "I just want something to be here if they choose to stay in farming."
Today, the farm grows corn, soybeans and wheat; raises cattle and pigs; and runs its own corn milling operation. "We stone-grind our own grits in-house and refrigerate or freeze everything to avoid preservatives and pests," says Richard. "That's why our grits taste different—they're the same ones we eat ourselves."
Darren discovered those grits after a Farm Bureau event and called Richard the next day: "Where did you get these?" Richard replied, "They're ours."
That was just the beginning. "We've known each other so long. I started off just buying grits and then cornmeal, pigs and honey. I don't know where it's going to end, but this sweet corn is just phenomenal," Darren says.
The farm's closed-loop system reflects the same "nothing wasted" ethos Darren values in his kitchen. "We do all of our corn processing ourselves," Richard explains. "Any byproducts—broken corn, husks, leftovers—go into our hog feed. Even the pork heads get used. Darren has made hog head cheese and cooked heart and liver in his restaurant. It's all full circle."
Those ingredients—and the people behind them—are at the heart of what Darren and Cindy have built in Conway. Since opening in 1994, Rivertown Bistro has become a fixture of downtown Conway. "It's a well-known, celebratory restaurant," says Darren. "I've seen so many big moments there—from 16-year-olds at their first daddy-daughter dance to 60th wedding anniversaries. That touches me."
Darren's the kind of chef who's always trying something different—keeping things fresh for his team, his guests and himself. About eight years ago, he and Cindy opened Bonfire: A Smokin' Taqueria. This more casual, fire-fueled restaurant brings bold flavors and smoked meats to Conway's riverfront.
"We have the prettiest river walk," says Darren. "Bonfire sits on the historic Waccamaw River, right on the river bend, so it's just the most incredible view. We make everything from scratch there. No gas or electricity. We build a fire every day. We smoke ribs, whole half birds, wings—even the potatoes for the potato salad."
Memory on a Plate
Darren's food is grounded in memory as much as place. "My first real memory of food was with my grandfather in Tennessee, picking Silver Queen corn from his backyard field, eating it raw right there. It was that sweet," he recalls. "I thought, wow, why would you even cook this? But then we cooked it later and it was fantastic."
His latest dish—A Study in Corn—pays homage to summers with his grandfather in Tennessee. "I love cooking corn in season, and this dish brings together all the different facets of it," he explains. "I'm making a corn fritter and a savory corn pudding that's piped into a ham tuile made from country ham. I pop sorghum—a cousin to corn—and use it like mini popcorn on the ends of the ham cannoli to mimic chocolate chips."
The inspiration extends beyond the plate. Darren fat-washes a corn-heavy bourbon from Twelve 33 Distillery with rendered country ham, then decants it and serves it in a glass rimmed with powdered roasted corn. "It gets you a little buzz," he says, "but it also tastes like country ham and corn."
Whether it's reimagining the menu or refreshing the atmosphere at Rivertown, Darren and Cindy are always evolving. "We're in our mid-50s—we're not hitting pause. We're always trying to reinvigorate ourselves," he says.
The couple loves to travel, and Darren collects cookbooks obsessively. "I'm just keeping my mind open to what's out there, what's new," he says. "If you read my restaurant's menu, some of it is old school. That's me. I'm old school now. I went through the sous vide phase, molecular stuff—encapsulating, making spheres. I find it all intriguing. But really, I'm a braised meat, local fish, keep-it-simple kind of guy."
It's not about trends or flash, Darren says. It's about flavor, feeling and remembering where things come from.
A Study in Corn
Corn Pudding
Sweet Corn Fritter
Ham Tuile
Popper Sorghum
BBQ Sweet Corn & Shrimp Saute
Pea Tendril
Corn Pudding
Ingredients
10 ears corn
1 qt cream
7 cups milk
12 egg yolks
4 oz country ham scraps
1 tbsp black pepper
6 tbsp corn starch
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Shuck and clean corn. Butter corn, season with salt and pepper and wrap in foil. Place on cookie sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes.
Allow corn to cool. Cut kernels off the cobs and reserve.
Add the cream, milk, ham scraps, pepper and corn starch to a pot. Place the 10 cobs in the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Turn off the heat and let steep for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, puree corn kernels with 4 cups (1 quart) of milk.
Add the puree to the pot and return to a simmer. Add the 12 egg yolks and simmer until thickened. Strain, season with more salt and pepper, and chill.
Sweet Corn Fritter
Ingredients
4 ears of corn
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
3 Tbsp. minced chives
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tsp jalapeno, finely minced
1 egg
¼ cup flour
1 tbsp corn starch
½ cup vegetable oil
Shuck the corn and cut the kernels off cobs. Divide in half.
Puree half of the kernels, then cook over medium heat until moisture evaporates. Add remaining half to a second pan and heat until moisture evaporates.
Place all corn in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
Add ½ cup vegetable oil to a non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, carefully place 2 2-oz. scoops of the fritter mixture in the pan and cook for 2 minutes per side. Reserve in warm oven.
Ham Tuile
Note: You will need a cannoli mold or heavy-duty foil wrapped around a wooden dowel.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wrap thinly sliced country ham, like Benton’s, around a cannoli mold.
Place the wrapped mold on a Silpat-lined baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Set it aside to cool.
Once chilled, the ham tuile can be covered and kept for up to 1 day in advance.
Popped Sorghum
Add 2 tablespoons of corn oil and ½ cup of sorghum to a thick-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. Shake the pan constantly over medium-high heat until the popping slows. Remove from heat and set aside.
BBQ Sweet Corn and Shrimp
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
20 shrimp peeled and deveined, local if possible.
2 ears of corn, shucked and cut off cob
¼ cup diced scallion
½ cup julienned country ham
½ cup diced tomato
½ cup diced asparagus
1/3 cup white wine
½ cup barbecue sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp butter
Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil.
Carefully add shrimp and corn. Saute for 2 minutes.
Add scallion, country ham, tomato and asparagus. Sauté for 1 minute.
Add wine and cook until shrimp are done. Add barbecue sauce. Remove from heat and swirl in butter. Season to taste.
To Assemble the Dish
Place hot corn fritter on a warm plate.
Pipe corn pudding into ham tuile and cover each end with popped sorghum to look like chocolate chips on a cannoli. Place on top of corn fritter.
Surround with barbecue corn and shrimp saute. Top with pea tendril.
