Right across from Lincoln Center, The Smith is a trendy and aesthetic restaurant that would make for a great brunch or dinner with a friend, date, family, etc. The interior is classy and beautiful, but not overwhelming or stuffy. It has a very old school French restaurant feel, but the restaurant is actually considered American. I am a huge fan of the lighting, which is dim enough to make for a pleasant dinner, but also light enough to clearly see everything and everyone. The interior is very large and there is a lot of seating, but the place packs up rather effortlessly. There is also outdoor seating in the front, with a bunch of heat lamps that are more comforting in colder Fall days.

There are a lot of attractive things to order on the menu. One of their most “famous” dishes is their Mac and Cheese, which we ended up ordering as an appetizer. There are also many different pastas, steaks, a couple of burgers, salads, and a raw bar. Many of the selections were quite appealing. The most questionably comical entree choice was Vegetable Bibimbap, which is a Korean dish, and it was very strange to see that selection thrown into the pool of Americanized dishes. They also had a Lobster Roll and Shrimp Scampi that was I debating.

We ended up splitting the Mac and Cheese as an appetizer. This dish is classified as a starter, but it can easily be an entree for one or two people. It is heavy and filling. I am usually not a terribly big fan of Mac and Cheese for its simplicity and lack of depth. However, the Mac and Cheese at The Smith was exceptionally tasty. It had a sharp creamy flavor with a lot of depth and character. I found myself eagerly going back for more. After only a couple scoops of Mac though, I was quite full, so beware. Nonetheless, I do recommend it as something to try.

As an entree, I went for the Mussels. It was a phenomenal choice and I was very satisfied. The mussels came in a nice big pot full of broth with fries on the side. Their fries are very tasty, and cut just the way I like it — thin and crispy. The mussels were well made and flavorful. I’m surprised that they gave me French fries instead of some sort of dipping bread, since there was essentially a huge soup of broth leftover in my dish after I ate all of the mussels. Nonetheless, I was very happy with the selection. Their burgers also look quite good. The restaurant is extremely generous with fries. Just in case you weren’t already full, you could easily fill up on their addictive fries.

Finally, they have a selection of attractive desserts, but the most aesthetic one is likely the S’mores in a Jar. It makes for a great picture. However, the actual dessert itself is hyped and not anything exceptional. The only part of it that I truly enjoyed was their dark chocolate bark they stuck in there, but the rest of it was nothing special — a marshmallow, a graham cracker, and regular chocolate pudding. There wasn’t much depth or character, so this dessert is strictly for aesthetics.

Overall, The Smith is a wonderful restaurant. I enjoyed the atmosphere — people in suits and dresses, people on dates, big families gathering, etc. It has a great scene, and the ambiance is spot-on. The food was also overall very good quality. I would definitely return again or recommend a visit.