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Some consider The Smith as their local cantina, a restaurant bar, a typical American diner in the East Village. The vibes around here capture your attention the minute you lay foot inside this large square space.
The Smith’s first outpost in the East Village has served as a casual and lively meeting spot since its opening in the fall of 2007.
Black and white are the colors, dimmed lights, a low ceiling covered with wood, typical white and black New York tiles and lamps hang from the ceiling and others light up the tables.
Utilizing local products and purveyors, the breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner menus feature a selection of familiar bistro dishes. Signature dishes include crispy fried calamari “Brooklyn Style,” a pot of mussels with a chardonnay-dijon broth and perfectly cooked hand cut fries and four different cuts of steak prepared char broiled, served with a choice of homemade sauces including béarnaise, green peppercorn and chimichurri. Most of the desserts are fun twists on classics, including sticky toffee pudding, s’mores in a jar, a hot fudge sundae with almond bark and flourless chocolate cake.
Arrive at the bar that fills the right side while the left is fully loaded with people enjoying their time in an accustomed fashion. The place is full of round wooden tables, dark wooden Chabros with their leather seats, and a series of candles adding warmth to the place. Every table is decorated with a pepper mill and salt shaker.
As you sit down two bottles of fresh water come your way, one sparkling and the other still.
The menu is printed on a big sheet of paper with leather borders. One side is the menu and the other lists the drinks. A large selection of drinks which includes muddlers, fancy cocktails, long pours, bottled or draft beers and wines.
On the menu:
- Oysters
- Bar snacks
- Starters
- Pasta
- Main courses
- Steaks
- Big salads
- Sides
- Play du jour
My drink of choice was one of their draft beers called "Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold".
Let's eat:
- The fried calamari is a mountain of calamari chunks covered with a spicy tomato sauce. A crunchy envelope and a very tender chewy heart, but unfortunately tasteless; needs salt, needs pepper, needs something. Add to that the tomatoes to feel the boom. An amazing flavorful sauce with all its richness.
- The chips are great. A generously filed bowl of thinly sliced potato chips with blue cheese sauce on top. Crispy, crunchy oil-free chips with that subtle blue cheese sauce. That one is really good.
- The burger is extravagant: A gigantic piece of meat cooked to perfection, a red, juicy heart showcasing the quality of this unique meat. Pure beef filling a tender bun with a sweet sauce, all is good, enjoyable and fun until you feel those sesame seeds playing hide and seek between your teeth. With that some fries, thin and crispy and to die for.
- The filet mignon: A must try with its grilled envelope and tender heart, a premium meat... Maybe the tastiest order tonight.
- The pork chops: When you say pork, you might think of a fatty dish, but this meat had a kind of dry effect without the fat, well cooked to a white color, juicy and tender. Yummy, really yummy.
Nothing else can be added, it's recommended and even more. A must try, so add it to your to do list now!
Dessert:
- Just imagine a layer of flourless chocolate cake topped with a load of ice cream and decorated with whipped cream with chocolate sauce. An balanced mix of ingredients which are not sweet, a bar of hazelnut chocolate on the side, light whipped cream and your ice cream of choice. Keep some space for that.
- S'Mores in a jar: A jar with a layer of chocolate mousse, a graham cracker crumble and toasted marshmallows on top. Dig in, dig deep in to grab everything together onto one spoon and enjoy the different textures combining. Mouthwatering to say the least.
You want to consider visiting.
