The Smith

My fab friend (and NY Native) CPZ lives in the East Village. Thanks to her, I've become more familiar with an area of town I would rarely visit otherwise. One cool day, she invited me to join her at a (then just-opening) restaurant called The Smith.

They bring tap water (sparkling? please) to your table in colorful tall glass bottles, which means no hunting for a server when you've downed your first glass of H20 (it also must save the staff lots of time since they don't have to run all over, refilling individual glasses!) I also ordered a café au lait, as I desperately needed a caffeine boost that morning.

Brunch, God bless 'em, comes with a complimentary drink. I can't remember what CPZ ordered, but I ordered the blood orange Mimosa, which was bursting with fruit flavor, but not sicky-sweet. If I remember correctly, CPZ got the passion punch.

My entrée was a variation on a favorite of mine: huevos rancheros. The Smith's version is called "Ranchero Scrambled," and featured chipotle (fave!) salsa, black beans, cheddar cheese, tortillas & avocado with scrambled eggs on top. This dish was great--not the knock-out that Norma's offers, but hey, still pretty good. The presentation was nice, and the dish was bright and flavorful. Our dishes were around 14 each (including the free drink), so while not rock-bottom cheap, it was hardly a splurge. I would definitely go back there, though it seems to have gotten a lot of press lately, making me wonder if there's more of a line!

The Smith
55 3rd Ave (between 10th St & 11th St)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 420-9800