New York City is filled with tons of fun things to do. One of my favorite activities to do when I’m in the city is to eat at new restaurants with unique food options. About two weeks ago, I attended a show at Lincoln Center and was looking online for a restaurant to grab a bite to eat at following the performance. I came across The Smith and remembered that I had seen a photograph of their heavenly looking “mac + cheese” on Instagram. I instantly ended my restaurant search to make a reservation. Here is my experience at the restaurant.
The Smith restaurant has several NYC locations: NoMad, Lincoln Square, Midtown, and the East Village. There is also another location in Penn Quarter in Washington D.C. The Lincoln Square location that I dined at is located directly across the street from Lincoln Center. As soon as I walked into the restaurant and gave the hostess the name that I had requested for my reservation, I was instantly escorted to a table. I did not have to wait at all (even though I arrived about a half an hour before my reservation time). I was surprised by how large the restaurant was. We were seated in a room in which customers had to walk through the waiter and worker area to get to. I never had an experience like that before at a New York City restaurant. We were seated at a circular table in a room filled with about 20 more tables. Shortly after, our waiter approached our table, introduced himself, and took our order. There were two vases on the table with both carbonated and regular water. This is a unique feature as not many restaurants offer more than tap or filtered water. We ordered the mac + cheese as an appetizer which, on the menu, had been described as “skilled roasted.” For our entrees, all three of us ordered “The Smith Burger.” This is not your typical cheeseburger. The meal is described as “bacon shallot marmalade, white cheddar, house pickles, TSB Sauce, potato bun, fries.”
About 10 minutes later, our waiter brought us the mac + cheese. It was served in a large skillet with a serving spoon. This mac + cheese was the best mac + cheese that I ever had. It was served warm and gooey, and I could actually taste the flavor of the cheese. The top layer of cheese appeared to be lightly heated with a blow torch as it had been a darker orange color. It did not taste artificial like most other kinds, but tasted as if it had been made with care using the freshest ingredients. It is large enough for one person to have as their entree.
About 15 minutes after we had finished the mac + cheese, our waiter brought out our burgers. Upon first glance, the first thing I noticed was how many fries came on the side. I have never seen a portion so enormous. However, the fries were relatively small in comparison to others, so that may have been the reason for the large quantity. Who could deny extra fries, right? I decided not to cut the burger in half as I was afraid that all of the toppings would spill out, so I grabbed it with my hands and took a bite. I was blown away. The meat had been cooked perfectly and all of the toppings blended perfectly together to create a unique explosion of flavor with each bite. The only negative thing I would say about this burger is that it was more difficult to taste the cheese as the flavors of the bacon shallot marmalade and the sauce had been overpowering. That did not stop me as I ate the entire burger. The fries were fantastic and proportionately salted, but there were just too many that I couldn’t finish them all (that, and I wanted to save room for dessert).
Although we were so full from our meal, we did not want to leave without having dessert. I ordered the “S’mores in a Jar,” my sister ordered the “Birthday Cake,” and my mother ordered the “Local Honeycrisp Apple Pie.” The dessert was my favorite part of the meal. My dessert is described as having “chocolate pudding, graham cracker crumble, toasted marshmallow, dark chocolate crunch bar.” That is exactly what was presented to me. If you are a chocolate lover like me, this is the perfect dessert for you! There was a sufficient amount of chocolate broken up by the marshmallow and graham crackers. Even though it was so good, it was so rich and sweet that I could only take a few bites.
My only negative comment about the restaurant is that it is extremely crowded and expensive. However, our waiter had been excellent at refilling our water frequently throughout the duration of our meal. He also made sure to keep asking us if there was anything else he could do for us to make our meal more enjoyable. Although the restaurant is huge and was crowded at the time, our food was brought out to us relatively quickly and was still delicious. I absolutely loved The Smith and would definitely eat at the same or another location again in the future. If you are ever in NYC and want a restaurant that serves quality food fast, The Smith is the place for you!