The Smith

……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.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	8.5		10
Service	8.5		10
Ambiance	8.5		10
Bang for the Buck	8.5		10
Overall	8.5		10
	42.5		50

The Smith
55 Third Ave., nr. 11th St.; 212-420-9800

……perfect for the indecisive diner

We all have those nights where we get home from work; starving, want a quick bite, but can never decide what to get. If you suffer from indecisiveness when it comes to food, like many do, than MetroCafe is for you. Their menu offers a little bit of everything; which might not help the indecisiveness but certainly lets a diner have their pick from an array of appealing menu items. The appetizers range from vegetable chili to dim sum BBQ ribs to crab cakes. The entrees range from pizza, to Kobe beef burgers, to fish and chips. There really is something for everyone here, especially if you aren’t quite sure what kind of mood you are in. Go in with an open mind and walk out fully satisfied.

Before we even looked at the food, we were presented with Metro’s extensive wine list (most of which were reasonably priced). They offer wine by “flights” or groupings, so you can taste four of their suggested wines within each flight (flights are grouped by types of wine and by region). For example, Flight #1 includes four 2oz. glasses of the selected wines in that flight. I strongly recommend Flight #16, which is a compilation of four Spanish wines; two Malbecs and two red blends.

APPETIZERS

We started with the Chinese BBQ Spare Ribs and due to a mistake made by the waiter two orders of dumplings; shrimp and pork shu mai and an additional shrimp dumpling. All dishes were prefect for sharing. The meat on the spare rib was a little tough and didn’t come off the bone easily, but I was confident that every little morsel of meat would be in my mouth by the end of the night. The sauce was a bit sticky and we were not given any type of wet cloth to clean our hands before our main dishes. I don’t think I would order this next time; however, I would recommend the Shrimp and Pork shui mai which they mistakenly brought out to us. Before they realized their mishap we had already devoured them, digested and already moved onto the next dish.

ENTREES

Chicken Francaise

This chicken was served in its traditional fashion; in a lemon butter sauce with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Nothing about this dish was spectacular, but neither was the price ($14), so my expectations weren’t very high. It was two huge pieces of chicken alongside a plentiful portion of garlic mashed potatoes. I enjoyed it and cleaned my plate.

Steamed Filet of Salmon with soy-ginger and scallion broth, Chinese baby greens

This dish came just as it was described; a large piece of steamed salmon a top Chinese baby bok choy in a delicious Chinese broth; tasting almost like miso soup. The broth was light and not overpowering and the salmon appeared to have been steamed in the broth itself adding extra flavor to the dish. The fish was cooked perfectly to my liking and was not overdone. The bok choy were soft and tasted as good bok choy should although perhaps a bit on the salty side. I’m not sure what I was looking for that night but I was pleased by my choice. I didn’t expect anything fanciful or overtop which is a good thing because I did not receive anything fanciful or over the top. What I ordered was the perfect Monday night meal – easy and good flavors…. oh and good company.

Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Metrocafe. The service was prompt, the atmosphere was relaxed and the food was dependable and reasonably priced. With the selection and swank of a trendy lounge, but the mellow attitude and low prices of a neighborhood bar, this spot is ideal for winding down after work with friends or for a not-too-pricey date.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	7		10
Service	7.5		10
Ambiance	9.5		10
Bang for the Buck	8.5		10
Overall	8.5		10
	41		50

MetroCafe & Wine Bar

32 East 21st Street
New York, NY 10010-7201
Phone: (212) 353-0800

Waterfront Ale House

…not your average ale house

Most people don’t notice this seemingly hole in the wall pub style building and those that do notice, might not be inclined to go there for a meal based on it’s décor; However, I couldn’t be happier that we fell into this neighborhood joint. Everything on the menu was home style cooking – which is exactly what you want the morning after new years. Especially if you attended Josh Bronstein and his SUPER cool girlfriend and awesome roommate’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

Pulled Pig Sandwich…

The pork came on a hamburger bun, stuffed to the brim with juicy meat that melted in your mouth. The meat was bursting with a smoky-southern flavor and the sauces and spices were perfectly on point. It was a succulent sandwich and the sauce was not too sticky or too tangy. The side of plain waffle fries bored me and did nothing for the plate. If you are a fan of pulled pork or even if you’re not, try this sandwich; you might surprise yourself.

Hickory Smoked Turkey…

Served open face with thick slices of farm house cheddar cheese and a jalapeno jelly (slaw) this dish had no flaws when I ordered it. I was so excited for this dish, because I knew the potential it had and the flavor combinations sounded incredible (to me at least). Unfortunately, it had been sitting back in the kitchen a little while and got cold when the waitress finally brought it out. It tasted great and the flavors went very well together, but it just wasn’t as hot as I would have liked. Later in the day, I heated up my leftovers (standing next to the microwave watching the cheese re-melt) and gave it another shot. The cheddar contrasted nicely with the kick from the jalapeño jelly. It was even better the second time around.

Waterfront offers a price fix lunch/brunch special for $10.95 which includes their soup of the day. The soup of day on New Years Day happened to be Carrot Ginger, which, surprisingly, was actually really good. Other menu items on my radar for next time are the Nachos with Venison Chili and the Santa Fe Chicken Wrap (Recommendation of Liz Jordan- J Spot Official Shout out). The food is reasonably priced, the portions are plentiful and the list of options is like no other pub I have been to. I definitely recommend Waterfront for your next hangover cure.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	8		10
Service	7		10
Ambiance	7.5		10
Bang for the Buck	9		10
Overall	8.5		10
	40		50

540 2nd Avenue (Corner of 30th St.)
(212) 696-4104

http://www.waterfrontalehouse.com/html/MenuManhattan.htm

Trattoria L'Incontro

……the king of Queens

Believe it or not, you can leave the Manhattan city limits and find incredible places to eat. One such gem is Tratottia L’Incontro, which is conveniently located in Astoria, Queens one block away from the N, W Ditmar’s Boulevard stop. L’Incontro has all the warmth of a traditional, family-style Italian restaurant as well as all the bells and whistles that go along with fine dining. The atmosphere was loud and vibrant and the paintings on the walls reminded me of my travels along the northern coasts of Italy. Even more impressive, was that the servers were extremely well trained and even wear ear pieces in order to hear last minute changes to the menu directly from the executive chef (Rocco).

A well known tradition of L’Incontro is the number of specials the waiter lists each and every night (which apparently rarely ever changes but they still continue to do it). First, the waiter listed over 20 appetizer specials in addition to regular menu; my head was starting to spin. Then, he got to the entrees. I lost count, but I think he topped 30, not including the regular dinner menu. This place had everything under the sun (I was in food heaven), and if they didn’t have it our waiter assured us they would do their best to make us whatever we wanted. To me, that is a sign of a great restaurant that will be staying put for a long, long time.

APPETIZERS

Before we even ordered appetizers the waiter brought out Rocco’s famous sun-dried tomato tapenade, consisting of pureed sun dried tomatoes, anchovies and olive oil. Thank god I was with some returning customers of L’Incontro or else I would have filled up even more. This stuff was addicting and they kept bringing more and more each time we downed another bowl of it. We actually had to tell them to stop. Just beware of this and TRY your best not to go overboard.

Ravioli stuffed with veal, filet mignon and sprinkled with crumbled sausage

Welcome meatlovers! This dish is your destiny. Every single bite had a multitude of flavors. First, I tasted the veal and filet mixture, which was so elegantly stuffed inside homemade ravioli. Then, I immediately got the taste of the ground sausage on the outer layer along with the mushroom based sauce.

Homemade Chestnut Pasta with leeks, crumbled sausage and truffle oil

This was a house specialty and came highly recommended by our waiter. We ordered an appetizer portion for each person at the table to have a taste. The pasta was long and flat and had an earthy taste to it which was well complimented by the leeks, cabbage and crumbled sausage that it was accompanied by. This was not a creamy dish but none-the less very rich and delicious. Although I was partial to the Ravioli, I am not sure you could go wrong with any pasta you ordered.

ENTREES

Grouper stuffed with spinach and mascarpone cheese

Rich flavors were present in every bite of this dish. The fish was prepared beautifully; perfectly butterflied, and then stuffed with the spinach and mascarpone mixture. On top, it was sprinkled with bread crumbs which encrusted the fish giving the soft and creamy flavors and a crusty and hard texture. Also, as all of my readers are well aware of my love for spinach, it was one of the deciding factors when ordering this entrée. If you love rich, creamy flavors then I would highly recommend this dish. (This was one of the specials recommended by the waiter)

Black cod encrusted with pistachios

My beautiful date ordered the black cod encrusted with pistachios and served with string beans and potatoes. The fish was soft and flaky and melted in your mouth. In addition, the crust was a delicious combination of nuts and spices and not too overpowering.

Overall, this is one of the best Italian restaurants that I have been to in the NYC area and it rivals any of the top places in Manhattan. It is definitely worth the trip to Astoria. Just remember to pay full attention to the list of specials from the waiter. My ADD kicked in when he got to the entrees so I may have missed out on a few great dishes. Either way, I plan on going back very soon.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	9		10
Service	8		10
Ambiance	9.5		10
Bang for the Buck	8.5		10
Overall	9		10
	44		50

Neighborhood: Queens/Steinway
2176 31st St
Astoria, NY 11105

(718) 721-3532

www.trattorialincontro.com