……well worth the wait
Finally, I can honestly say I have eaten at The Smith. It took me quite a while to make it to this East Village hotspot, but the critics (my friends) were all right. Initially, I had my doubts, not about the restaurant in particular, but more so because I was going with a group of 10 people during a crowded Saturday morning brunch time. With that many people, during such a busy time can, at times alter the true potential of a restaurants success. To my surprise, the food and service was spectacular considering the amount of people I was with (mostly Jewish girls..no offense to the ladies) and the amount of requests we made while dining. Our waitress, bless her soul, was successfully carrying out each and every one of our countless orders.
The dining room was enormous and the decorations reminiscent of an old French bistro with illustrations of Victorian nudes scattered throughout. For some reason, this reminded me of a place that would be in Sex and the city (not that I have watched the show and/or the movie, and if so…I ADMIT TO NOTHING AND NEVER WILL!!!).
My end of the table ordered a bunch of different things and shared so I will be critiquing a bunch of dishes.
Homemade potatoes chips with melted blue cheese
Fresh cut potatoes.. sliced thin- and fried till perfectly crisp- served in a large bowl and topped with melted blue cheese… what could be better?—not much! The wait staff brought these out complimentary since we had such a large party. Although some were at first weary of trying that initial bite- the bowl was empty by the end of the meal and I almost bit off my right index finger in search for more melted blue cheese. These chips were irresistible and the mild, but tangy blue cheese was entirely melted over tons of thinly sliced homemade potato chips. Even if you are not a blue cheese lover- as long as your not a hater- try this delicious blend of crisp fried potatoes covered with the perfect amount of cheesy goodness.
Mac + Cheese
Maroooooooooon! This dish came out hot and cheesy, served in a small croc; small macaronis with tons of melted cheese filled to the brim. A golden brown crust topped the macaroni from the melted cheese sitting in the oven before arriving at our table. This dish was easily the first to be eaten and the first to be finished. The mixture of cheeses (Swiss, sharp cheddar & parmesan) blended harmoniously together to create one extra cheesy dish. This is a perfect side for sharing and a MUST ORDER DISH.
Potato Waffle
I know what you’re thinking, a little weird, right?? I opted to go with the oddball dish over my usual egg white omelet with spinach and goat cheese and/or feta. Whoever came up with this dish is quite creative as it combined so many different flavors. Basically, its three waffle-shaped lightly fried potato latkes covered with 3 poached eggs (not runny at all) and then drenched with a caramelized onion and creamed spinach puree. The concept of this dish was there, but the execution was definitely way off (as Tom Colicchio would say). The richness from the creamed spinach puree was too overpowering and took away from the potato waffle and the poached egg. Honestly, I would have preferred sautéed spinach and actual caramelized onions (a small portion) as a side to complement the dish.
Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict
It’s hard to be fair because after the Mac n’ Cheese and the Blue Cheese Chips I was starting to get full. A little indecisive as I sometimes can be, I chose an old friend- a go to item- Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon. The eggs were runny- just as I like it and the English muffin was crisp. The smoked salmon wasn’t anything exceptional but decent enough. Home fried potatoes were served with the dish- but my fork tended to go towards the Mac n’ Cheese in the middle of the table rather than the potatoes on my plate. In my personal opinion, the saltiness of the salmon went extremely well with the runniness of the eggs and all components were complemented well by the crispness of the English muffin. This traditional dish was done well however next time I might be a bit more adventuresome and order one of the Smith’s more unique signature items.
All in all, I really enjoyed The Smith and will be back to try a bunch of other items on their extensive menu. I highly recommend checking it out, but if you can, call ahead for a reservation first.
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| Restaurant Review Rating Scale |
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| Total Points Available |
| Food | 8.5
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| 10 |
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| Service | 8.5
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| 10 |
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| Ambiance | 8.5
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| 10 |
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| Bang for the Buck | 8.5 |
| 10 |
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| Overall | 8.5
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| 10 |
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| 42.5 |
| 50 |
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The Smith
55 Third Ave., nr. 11th St.; 212-420-9800
