Stepping into Smith's NYC is a bit like stepping into the horse race scene from My Fair Lady. Everything is black and white and feels oh so chic. We walked past the few sidewalk tables, past the main dining room, and into our dining corridor. It was about as wide as a train car, with booths on one side, and tiny two tops on the other. The mirrored ceiling curved overhead, reflecting the soft yellow light of the chandelier sconces. The place felt delicate and modern, though it was a bit loud. But that may be inevitable when you're in a small space with so many people.
My cousin and I had come for the Spring Chicken Dinner. On Monday and Tuesday nights, Smith's NYC offers a three course meal for two people for $35 total. Given that this is New York, where everything is almost always more expensive than it is in LA, $17.50 a person sounded pretty amazing.
After placing our order we were given a canister filled with two kinds of bread and a little ramekin of hummus. The Italian bread was feather light with a nice chewy crust and tasted so fresh it could have been baked an hour ago. The Olive bread had that same airy freshness, and the bite of the olive went beautifully with the hummus, which had a strong chickpea flavor.
First came the green salad, which did indeed taste of spring. The peppery, almost bitter greens were tossed with shaved fresh veggies like carrots, radishes, and fennel, as well as some tomatoes and snap peas. It was all dressed in a salty almost warm dressing that served to accentuate the bright, crisp flavors.
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Then came the main event, an entire chicken with two side dishes. The chicken was served in a cast iron skillet and came covered in herbs. The skin was crispy and positively packed with flavor, while the meat was delicate and tender. Although it was done perfectly, I wouldn't say this was anything to write home about. It felt like the kind of thing you should be able to make for yourself, full of chicken-y flavor, but nothing to elevate it to the realm of extraordinary. (Although, to be honest, I myself have never attempted an entire chicken and therefore have no idea how hard it is to make something this simple so tasty).
The roasted veggies were served in what looked like a mini dutch oven. (I wanted to steal all the serving dishes to do my own cooking for two!). The potatoes, onions, asparagus, and mushrooms tasted as though they'd been frolicking through fields of butter and herbs and were thoroughly enjoyable. The mushrooms in particular were delicious, thanks to their spongy texture soaking up all the delectable flavor.
Our favorite dish of the evening by far was the polenta. They must use about a pound of cheese for each ounce of polenta, as the flavor absolutely explodes in your mouth! The creamy richness was offset by a pleasing tang, probably owing to buttermilk somewhere in the mixture. The tiny dish was so indulgent that we could only finish half of it, but were left wishing we had more room in our stomachs.
We ended the evening with the Chocolate Mousse, probably our least favorite part of the meal (and it takes a lot for me to say that about dessert). Although the texture was rich and creamy, the chocolate flavor was a mere suggestion, not the powerful statement I look for it to be. The best part was the toffee bits on top, the only sparkle of sweet flavor in the whole dish.
Overall, Smith's provides a lovely atmosphere and a terrific value for a night out in NYC. I give this three and a half belt notches.
Smith's NYC has $35 Spring Chicken Dinners every Monday and Tuesday night.
79 MacDougal Street
New York, NY 10012
phone: 212.260.0100
www.smithsnyc.com
Then came the house specialty: The $9 Umami Burger. Umami is that fifth elusive taste. When it's not sweet, spicy, sour, or bitter, it's: Umami. And this burger has it in spades. Juicy, perfectly cooked beef, earthy complex mushrooms, a crispy parmesan cracker, a sharp, melted cheese that I'm guessing is gruyere, and an oven roasted tomato, all encased in a meltingly soft bun. They warn you that you will crave this one, and they are indeed correct. Be prepared to get hooked into a lifetime of deliciousness. 
We began with what was listed on the menu as $7 Pork Tacos. However, our server informed us that they were out of pork, so instead they brought us Braised Beef Tacos. The meat was tender, moist, and full of flavor. The natural sweetness of braised beef was accented by the bits of pineapple, cut with a fiery chipotle sauce. Add to this the crisp bite of the iceberg lettuce and you get one textured and complex mouthful! This was by far the best thing we had all night, it's a shame it's not on their regular menu. 
Next I dived into their $3.60 Fried Chicken Skewers. For that price, how could you go wrong? Well, I wouldn't say they went wrong - but they certainly didn't go right. The chicken itself was moist and tasty, but the coating was bland and lacked the crunch I expect from "fried" chicken. And forget about the sauces. We might as well have gone to McDonalds for the BBQ sauce and grabbed some little packets from our Chinese Takeout place for the Duck Sauce. Nothing exciting there. 
My least favorite of the night was the $9 Filet Mignon Sliders with Blue Cheese and Grilled Onions. I expect Filet Mignon to be melt in your mouth tender, but these little nubbins were filled with sinew and fat (and not the marbled, tasty kind, more the clumpy, hard to chew kind). The dusting of blue cheese and three or four strands of onion were barely present enough to give much flavor. The "buns" were little circles cut out of English Muffins that were not toasted. They pretty much just served to remind you how small and sad the whole dish was.
