I’ve been anxiously anticipating the arrival of The Smith’s Upper West Side location for months. Not because I heard amazing things about their mac-n-cheese (although that certainly helped), but because it’s conveniently located next to my NYC movie theater of choice. And with slim dinner pickings right in that general area, The Smith couldn’t be a more perfect restaurant to complete the dinner and a movie combo.
What started out as a love affair of convinience, however, quickly morphed into what is sure to be one of my tried and true go-to comfort food spots. The restaurant is large, featuring a sizable bar and plenty of seats…always a plus if you have a movie to dart off to. The service is impeccable…our waiter came to check on us so many times I lost count, always with caring questions of: “How’s the wine? Would you like more bread? Can I offer you a to-go bag?” Anyone with experience dining in NYC knows this kind of service is few and far between restaurants.
And the food. To start with, we were offered complimentary bottles of still and sparkling water for the table (free sparkly water? I knew right there this place was something special!) We started with the burrata,
the mac-n-cheese,
french fries,
and my dining partner finished up with the lobster roll.
All washed down with adorable cups of Sauviagn Blanc. And sparkle water, of course.
Whether or not the UWS is your hood for dinner and a movie, I’d encourage you to go out on a limb this year. Leave the comfort of your neighborhood and go to the comfort-food of The Smith. You’ll be glad you did.
WHERE: The Smith 1900 Broadway New York, New York 212.496.5700
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.
