Our evening at The Smith was one to remember, and thank goodness they have a photobooth in their basement so we could preserve our post-meal glee. My partner and I came to the Smith Restaurant & Bar without a clear picture of the cuisine or the vibes, and we were met with an old-school steakhouse turned modern after-work dinner spot for River North corporate folks. Modern, trendy light fixtures, clean lines, bright decor, playing Arctic Monkeys, but also giant plastic menus. We had a delightful server, and she greeted us with small glasses of Cava to enjoy alongside our initial cocktails, which definitely progressed me quickly on my alcohol journey for the night.
We loved that the cocktail menu was separated into flavor profiles, making it easier to select the right essence of drink for you. We also marveled at just how many cocktails were listed ("How many bartenders do they have back there?" my partner asked). Her first drink was the Oaxacan Sunshine from the Boozy + Classic section of the menu: Mezcal, Reposado tequila, grapefruit liqueur, tamarind, amaro, and angostura bitters. She was a fan, and though I tend to shy away from a smokier cockatil, I enjoyed my sips of the bitter yet citrusy drink. It's a take on a Oaxacan Old Fashioned, but lighter thanks to the grapefruit, and we enjoyed it most after some time being diluted.
I went with the Bubbly + Bright section, choosing The Gatsby: gin with pomegranate, hibiscus, lemon, and sparkling wine. This drink is so up my alley they could rename it The Row—I love a flavor palate reminiscent of a summertime tea, convincing myself that my cocktail is healing me with herbs and fruits and now I'm going to live forever. Plus, my drink, and my side of Cava, paired perfectly with our first course, The Deluxe.
And Deluxe is right—this dish came with eight oysters, two from each region, and four super-fresh jumbo shrimp. I am always partial to a Cape Cod oyster (namely, ones from Wellfleet) so I was very happy with the Cotuit Bay oyster (about 45 miles from Wellfleet). It was larger than the other oysters on the plate with more meat to it and just a hint of brine, which you could blend with any of the four sauces for a delicious combination. My partner, who isn't big on oysters, was pleasantly surprised with how well they were shucked (no shell bits or sand to be found) and enjoyed the less briney options on our plate, like the Fishers Island (Block Island, NY) oyster. She described this one as having a light, cucumber flavoring. We also loved the mignonette and the creamier sauce options.
The next dish was a delectable surprise: Our server sent over one of her favorite appetizers, the spicy salmon tartare. And boy did it live up to the hype. My partner found the tuna just spicy enough to not overpower other flavors, and the rice was crisped so perfectly that even as the dish sits, it doesn't get soggy in the sauce. We called this a high contrast dish: with the soft elements on top, creamy avocado and buttery tuna spread, and the crispy rice on the bottom with a tender inside. This was so good, my partner could have ended the evening here! (Thank goodness, we didn't.)
Our next pick was the black truffle arancini, which was a dish we'd recently gotten super excited about wherever we found it on the menu. The umami from the black truffle gave the dish extra starpower, assisted by the perfect ratio of cheesiness, risotto filling, and fried batter. Truffle isn't necessary in all dishes, and sometimes gets overused in fine dining. But we agreed that here, it elevated the flavor of the dish, bringing it from good to great.
The next few moments of our meal were a whirlwind. We had put in an order for the Brussels sprouts and mashed potato sides, the pasta and the skirt steak, but we were once again surprised with some of our server's can't-miss dishes: the mushroom side, the salmon, and the Mac + Cheese. Delivered all at once, our eyes cartoonishly popped out of our heads, as we wondered where to launch our attack. The mushrooms were creamy, had that same umami flavor we'd loved in the arancini, and they had the effect of a hearty well-made cream of mushroom soup. The Brussels sprouts were precisely cooked to be soft inside and crispy on the outside, with the tiniest hint of spice to keep things interesting. Mac and cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods (basic as that may be!), so I was in heaven staring down this skillet roasted beauty. Our food runner shared that this dish "re-heats well," taking the pressure off my stomach to absorb every bite in front of me while it was fresh.
I turned my attention to the salmon, which was a revelation (and my partner's favorite dish of the night). The fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned, a light, flaky, citrusy salmon, plated on a fascinating array of veggies and roots. The shredded, apple-cider-braised cabbage was divine when paired with the Dijon caraway beurre blanc, and the dish was perfectly suited for fall with butternut squash, celery root, and fennel to finish up the base. No bite tasted alike, and the complicated range of flavors surprised us to the last.
My second cocktail was a Yuzu gimlet from the Smashes + Sours section: it included Brooklyn-made dry gin, yuzu, shochu, and lime. I'm seeing yuzu everywhere right now, and it seems to be the culinary world's new grapefruit. It is less acidic but remains fresh and fruity, like a lemon and an orange had a much milder offspring. My partner's second cocktail came from the Martinis list, meaning we had run the full gamut of the taste profiles listed on the menu. The Tuxedo No. 2 included gin, dry vermouth, maraschino, orange bitters, and absinthe. I barely managed a sip of her drink, with the absinthe overpowering my sensitive (weak) palate. She was unphased and enjoyed the drink heartily, describing it as "crisp and smooth in texture, and just slighlty citrusy in flavor".
The only dish that was a miss for us was shockingly the Smith Bar steak. We were confident when we ordered it, especially since it came with fries and cooked spinach—a great deal! But the peppercorn sauce paired with the pepper-crusted steak was completely overpowering, and we only managed a few bites, with or without the sauce. This was especially sad because the steak was cooked so beautifully to medium rare. We packed it up and incorporated it into a breakfast burrito the next day.
Finally, we've made it to my favorite dish of the evening: the braised short rib mafaldine, a super fun pasta that our server described as a kind of deconstructed lasagna noodle. The short rib was cooked to perfection, completely buttery melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I also enjoyed the fresh basil and parmesan, which added extra texture to the sauce that had absorbed all the flavors of the meat and tomatoes. 10 out of 10 would order again. Plus, the garlic-whipped potatoes were the ideal take on the staple side dish, and made for terrific leftovers.
Then, the unthinkable happened—the bartender acccidentally made two extra Walnut Old Fashioned cocktails, which found themselves at our table. Would we rise to the challenge? Well, the walnut provided both an oaky and sweet flavor, and the drink overall was more syrupy than your typical old fashioned, while the amaro emboldened its more bitter side. We didn't love the texture at first, but the drink improved overall as it sat over ice.
Last, but certainly not least, we had dessert. We ordered the sticky toffee pudding, and our server surprised us yet again, this time with the hot fudge sundae. Oh my, the pudding was a toffee dream, with the perfect bread pudding texture, a bite of spice, completely smooth incorporation of the dates, and a more complex flavor than it would appear on the page. This is the perfect portion to split on a date (no pun intended) and we were absolutely enamored.
The grand finale: the photogenic and over-the-top extravaganza that was the hot fudge sundae, complete with brown butter chocolate cake chunks and caramelized bananas within the ice cream. Oh my, this was a whopper of a dish, and we didn't work our way entirely through it (our stomachs were not superhuman after this gigantic meal, after all). But for a birthday or anniversary, this dish provides the perfect amount of fan-fare, and just wait for the server to pour the hot fudge. The perfect way to cap off an evening of celebration!
The Smith is located in River North at 400 N Clark St., while it also has locations in Washington D.C., and New York City. You can make a reservation on the website, where you can also place orders for pickup and delivery.
All photos by Row Light (unless otherwise credited).
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