The Smith
55 Third Avenue (Bet. 10th and 11th Streets)
(212) 420-9800
From the name and the few photos of the restaurant available on its website, I assumed the smith referred to a blacksmith, as the decor of the restaurant, with its black wrought-iron and dark woods, seemed to suggest. I now retract that assertion. I'm not sure what the name is all about. In fact, I don't even know what the smith is all about and I'm okay with that.
Aside from all the wrought-iron, the floor is tiled in the bistro style of small, octagonal tiles, the walls are covered in off white subway tiles and black and white posters. Downstairs, before you reach the unisex bathroom, you encounter a photo booth and a private room tucked away down a separate hallway. One part whimsy, one part functionality, one part 1920's Paris.
The confusion from the photos doesn't end with theme. The size of the bar/restaurant seems small and crowded, whereas in reality, the smith replaced a mega-mart sized Pizzeria Uno, as out of place and inexplicable in the East Village as the 7-11 on the Upper East Side. Lucky for all of us, the vast space was replaced with the smith and not another Duane Reade.
The macaroni and cheese at the smith is what I've heard the most about (here and from friends of friends). But I was wary as I always am with homemade mac and cheese. I don't enjoy the often bland flavor of the typically lumpy, curdled cheese sauce. The only mac and cheese I relish is Blue Smoke's. I wish I could say that I was proven wrong at the smith. I wasn't, but I wasn't entirely disappointed either. The noodles, fat elbows, were very al dente and the cheese sauce, while not as creamy or tasty as I normally would like (I had to add salt), was fairly spare, which I appreciated because that meant less curdled mouth feel. All in all, a solid dish, just not my favorite, but I may have been the only real critic of it at the table.
Served bubbling hot in a charming miniature cast-iron pan
Thankfully, the fried string beans, another touted dish at the smith, did live up to the praise it has received. The beans, contrary to the greasy, limp mess I had imagined, were crunchy yet tender. The cool, onion-y Ranch dressing it came with paired excellently with the batter dipped green beans.
The potato chips with blue cheese fondue was hot, crisp, gooey, mildly salty, and fatty; in short, delicious, but nothing mind blowing. Great to have sitting in the middle of the table for picking and if I had been there just for drinks and nibbles (which the smith would be great for), these would have been perfect. Unfortunately, I was there for a real meal and this never ending bowl just filled me up unnecessarily.
The most impressive appetizer of the evening, in my opinion, was the crab hush puppies, a pleasant surprise on the menu considering it didn't appear on any of the smith's menus online. The crab hush puppy was like a doughier, chewier crab cake, which may not sound like a good thing, but trust me, it can be. The crab undoubtedly made its presence known, but the hush puppy batter brought a substantialness to the crab's delicacy without masking its flavor. The hush puppies sat in a sharply lemony aioli, garnished with pieces of watercress. I could see the aioli being a little too overwhelmingly tart for some, but seeing as I have an unnatural obsession with all things sour, I enjoyed liberally slathering it on the hush puppies. Others should try just a dab to start. The sauce mirrored the hush puppy itself with its balance of heft from the fatty mayo and delicateness of the citrus.
As for entrees, the braised short ribs were disappointing. Until that night I don't think I had ever been let down by a big bowl of comforting, earthy, melt in your mouth short ribs, but the flavor just wasn't there for these. The meat was tender, but it tasted like a typical beef stew with potatoes and onions.
Looks like one crazy blob, not quite sure why or how
Another dish that fell short of very, very high expectations was the lamb schnitzel served over mashed potatoes. Sounds ridiculously delicious, right? Well, it was good…but just good. I mean, it tasted like fried meat. How bad could that really be? And, yet, we all wished it had been more. Not that there had been more, but that it had been more.
The best dishes of the evening were the ones I thought would be the most run of the mill: steamed mussels, a gargantuan pork chop, and the burger. The burger with its tangy, Big Mac-like special sauce was delightfully crusted with char. Even though the kitchen forgot the bacon that was supposed to come with it and even though they didn't offer American cheese (much to Danielle's chagrin), it was deeply satisfying and a good size. The fries that came alongside it and alongside my mussels were slim and crisp with the skins on. Lovely.
The sweet mussels were in a predictable white wine sauce with an unpredictably heavy (but delectable) amount of Dijon mustard. The pork chop was, as I said, mammoth and ridiculously juicy. It was served with a side of “smashed” potatoes, which I did not enjoy, but then again I've always disliked the texture of the cheekily named “smashed” variety of potato.
What a beast, what a legend
By the time the dessert menus hit the table we were all ready to unbutton our pants and roll over for a nap, but my friend Nay insisted on ordering at least one dessert to share. She and Danielle couldn't resist the novelty of the birthday cake (candles and everything, no real birthday girl/boy required).
Cute, huh?
Yes, cute concept. Yes, very cute presentation (in a silver bowl over vanilla ice cream). Unfortunately, non-existent taste. Unfortunately, five-day-old-cake-that-had-been-left-in-the-fridge-uncovered texture. Avoid it at all costs. To be fair, when we complained to our waiter about it, he apologized and brought us a new slice. To be honest, it was just as bad as the first one.
Like with any restaurant, especially any new restaurant, the smith has its strengths and its weaknesses, but the important thing is that its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. And I can't (and won't) ask for anything more.
PS - Be on the look out for their burger and beer special on Sundays for $12.
PPS - Also be on the look out for all the exposed nipples in the artwork in the restaurant. Inexplicable.
Like this pair paper clipped to our bill
Dinner for Five:
- Macaroni and Cheese - $10
- Crab Hush Puppies - $9
- Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Fondue - $6
- Beer Battered String Beans - $5
- Burger Deluxe - $12
- Pork Chop - $17
- Braised Short Ribs - $19
- Lamb Schnitzel - $17
- Steamed Mussels - $15
- 5 Cocktails ($9 each) - $45
- 2 Draft Beers ($5 each) - $10
- Birthday Cake - $7
- Total (excluding tax and tip) = $172
