The Smith

53 3rd Ave., East Village, NY

7.6

map & more

Neighborhood
East Village

Cuisine
American

Nearby
Irving Plaza
Webster Hall

212-420-9800

Official Website

By Andrew Steinthal
May 6, 2009

I live in a world of go-to’s: go-to shirt, go-to playlist, go-to bar, go-to frozen-fruit flavor (banana and cream), go-to cereal (Honey Bunches of Oats). As far as restaurants are concerned, The Smith qualifies as just that. Its versatility is invaluable. It’s the kind of place you can go with your girlfriend, first date, parents, buddies, or boss and have an enjoyable meal. The food is consistent. There’s always a scene. It’s priced relatively well (I wish everything was five dollars cheaper, but that happens a lot). There’s a spacious and lively bar to hang at while you wait for your table and they don’t try and get too cute with the music. Phoenix into Bloc Party into The Bravery is fine by me at a more mainstream East Village eatery. Plus, any spot with a photo booth (downstairs near the bathrooms) knows what’s up. Note to all single guys: this place is always packed with wide-eyed chicks. It’s like they’re giving away Chanel bags with every glass of wine or something.

Food Rundown:

Ricotta Gnocchi with Truffle Cream
If you are going to The Smith, you are ordering the gnocchi. It’s that simple. This dish is what keeps me coming back for more. Get it as an appetizer to split. This may be the best gnocchi dish I’ve ever had.

Alsatian Pizza Bacon, Onions, Creme Fraiche
Crispy, spicy, and tasty – this is a perfect little app to balance out the Gnocchi.

Steak Salad
This entree sized steak salad is as good as a steak salad gets. The steak is cooked perfectly medium rare and is complimented with arugula, endive, and tomatoes, and a thick balsamic dressing.

Salmon with Falafel, Roasted Cucumber Tzatziki
The salmon is fresh, well cooked and the combo of roasted peppers and cucumber mix make for a really refreshing dish.

Braised Beef Short Ribs
I’m a huge short ribs fan and The Smith’s braised bad boys hit the spot. I’ve eaten this dish probably about ten times and think about it daily. There should be an East Village short rib throw down between The Smith and Tree.

Birthday Cake
Yellow cake, vanilla ice cream, fudge frosting, and a candle. In theory this should be a slam dunk right? It sucked. I’d rather eat Entenmann’s any day of the week.