What is so appealing to me about the Village, and why I enjoy living here so much, is that it is a neighborhood of nested neighborhoods that can change over the course of a block. Easily one of the best examples of this is my street - that is - MacDougal Street. Noted as much for its notoriously shady pipe shops, raucous bars, and late-night eats, as it is celebrated for its 60's Beatnik heritage, this modern-day hotbed of collegiate debauchery is what I consider to be downtown Manhattan's very own Bourbon Street. The vibe is young, gritty, and often times, rather dirty.
Yet just beyond its southerly intersection with equally as storied Bleecker Street, there exists a a very different MacDougal - a MacDougal Street that, void of the all-too-near infectious scourge of vespertine violence and indiscriminant immaturity, has managed to thrive in an environment of pure civility. And there, lives a wonderful American restaurant by the name of Smith's.
Prompted by an article I read online about the newest recession-themed dinner deals in the city, I learned that Smith's has recently begun serving a Chicken Dinner special Monday and Tuesday nights for a fixed price of $35. Hungry, eager to try something new, and glad to have found another restaurant that will satisfy Meghan's eternally insatiable need for Roasted Chicken, we set out on our 50 yard journey down MacDougal Street.
Sitting at the end of a semi-European-themed row of eateries that line the western side of the street on the south side of Bleecker, Smith's is a quiet confident bookend to a street that is, if anything, outrageously bipolar.
The space is unequivocally long and narrow, with a tight cluster of tables and chairs in the front that gives way to a slightly wider dining area in the back that has been neatly outfitted with handsome wooden booths. Votive candle-lit tables add a traditionally romantic feel that complements quite well the sleek dark floors and intriguing mirrored ceiling. This place is as classy as it is comfortable, and refreshingly unpretentious. We all know how I feel about pretentious.
Still, I must wonder whether its mastery in geometry will overshadow its gastronomy.
Having come with a goal in mind, we went ahead and ordered the Chicken Dinner for 2, which, for a mind-blowingly fair $35, affords you a large salad, a whole roasted chicken accompanied by a side of sauteed mushrooms and cheesy polenta, and a bowl of Chocolate Mousse to cap the meal. Given the fact that most deals of this nature in New York are valueless pranks that force well-intentioned customers to accept laughably meager portions for a marginally lower price, we were justifiably wary yet hopeful as always.
After noshing on a helping or two of some tasty olive bread and hummus (above), the salad arrived as a colorful, multi-textural mix of various lettuces, grape tomatoes, zucchini, radish, and shaved carrots, dressed modestly in a house vinaigrette. Though not groundbreaking in terms of concept, its fresh, cold, crisp respect for seasonal veggies makes this a great way to start things off.
The timing here is undoubtedly noteworthy, as evident in the arrival of the Bird and his almighty sides just moments after finishing the salad. Piping hot and liberally seasoned, this even-keeled hodge-podge of tender and moist Oyster, Crimini, and Chanterelle 'shrooms (below left) is pleasingly al dente and thankfully unscathed by any kind of overpowering broth. If you truly love the earthy, terrestrial umph of the 'Shroom, this side will more than certainly satisfy your palate. Similarly satiating, yet far more decadent, is the creamy polenta (below right), wearing a sturdy oven-borne crust that proudly, albeit temporarily, guards its cheesy, silky sweet insides. As far as polenta goes, this is one of the better I've had in a long time. Suffice it to say I was already impressed with the meal and I hadn't tasted the Bird yet.
And how about that Bird!? The star of the show here of course was the Bird, or more specifically, a our chicken, which arrives as a sizzling, crackling, pile of poultry, seconds-out-of-the-oven and seemingly sprouting giant sprigs of rosemary from every orifice imaginable. The white and dark meat was extremely moist thanks to a divinely seasoned skin uber-infused with the woodsy aroma and coniferous zing of fresh rosemary in tandem with a heavy-handed (and much welcome) dose of salt and pepper. Plump and buxom, tender and more than willing to come off the bone, never mind the recession dinner special, by itself this is one of the best roasted birds you'll find anywhere in the city.
In awe of not only the quantity, but even more so the quality of the food here, we barely had a chance to fully digest the unprecedented value before the gargantuan bowl of Chocolate Mousse gently touched down between us on the table.
It can't be.
Though not usually keen on dessert, as a part of the $35 dinner, I couldn't help but see whether they'd go through the motions on the last leg here, or wrap things up with a bang. Not surprisingly, the latter was true, as we went on to enjoy a jaw-droppingly deep dish of frigid, yet smooth and creamy chocolate mousse.
It probably goes without saying that that $35 Chicken Dinner at Smith's is one of the best deals in the city, period. In fact, the term "Chicken Dinner" doesn't even come close to capturing the acuity and rustic elegance that defines the food involved here. From beginning to end, this meal encompasses incredibly well executed, astoundingly delicious food that does not miss a beat. What's most encouraging is that, unlike so many other places, especially in this economy, Smith's has gone out of its way to acknowledge its customers in the most genuine of ways, offering value without foolishly ignoring the most important element of quality. This is a selfless, not to mention undeniably wise approach to not only getting people in the door, but more important, making sure they stay there, and ultimately, come back.
Not long after our initial couple of visits, we were eager to try the regular dinner menu, and we did just that on a recent Friday night. It was time we try the rest of Smith's on for size. The Kansas City Rib platter, a special for the night (below) is a heaping stack of sinisterly salted, falling-off-the-bone pork ribs sprinkled with deep fried jalapenos and accompanied by bread-crumb-crusted mac and cheese. As a devout disciple of cooking things low and slow, I must say Smith's ribs were right on point, making them the only ribs at this stage in the game that I'd order outside the sacred confines of Hill Country, Blue Smoke and the like - and that's the truth.
Sticking with the protein theme, Meghan's Bohemian Steak, a 1960's precursor to the Hangar Steak (according to our server), was as tasty as one, boasting a remarkably crispy char, yet remaining tender at the obligatory medium rare level of doneness. A dab of house-made steak sauce (which I adore), and onion-crusted potatoes gave this dish a decidedly retro feel with modern flavor. Another winner.
And for those of you out there like me, who feel absolutely nothing for the painfully ubiquitous, over-produced french fry, I encourage you to opt for the Garlic Fried Potatoes, which is Smith's' take on the classic Steak Fry. Large, skin-on fingers of light golden-fried potatoes, proudly sport a crispy, super-seasoned exterior that fervently contrasts a fleshy, moist, starchy inside that is exactly the texture it should be. Served with a tangy, pickle-flecked remoulade reminiscent of the hallowed Shack Sauce, only thicker, this is the only side of fries I'll be ordering from now on. Impeccably delicious as far as I'm concerned.
If ever I've felt so compelled to recommend a restaurant for its ability to couple culinary honesty and economic courtesy, it would be now - and the restaurant would be Smith's. It's as simple as that.
Smith's
79 MacDougal Street (map it)
phone: 212.260.0100
Food: A (generous portions that offer elevated flavors)
Service: A (attentive, constant, helpful)
Ambiance: A- (the minus because it can get a little hot in there)
In a thought: "One of my top 5 new favorite places of 2009. The kind of spot you can get to once a week."
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