By In my quest to find different kinds of items I could eat for brunch in the D.C. area, I’m beginning to think I’m running out of options. Chicken and Waffles, Benedicts (Which will NEVER go out of style), Shrimp and Grits, and Pancakes are beginning to look and taste the same no matter where I go. I believe that’s the joy in being a restaurant critic. You have to continuously find something new, or something worth while.
The Smith, which has two locations in D.C. and some in other states such as New York, is labeled as upscale American eats with a hip brunch scene. I decided to give this restaurant a shot in hopes of finding something new to eat on their extensive menu. The interior is designed like a french restaurant, but the tiles look like they were made specifically for a restroom. Yuck. When did I become an interior designer? Well, never, but still, the interior is ugly, lol.
During my visit I was able to indulge in two types of Benedicts. I did mention they never get old. The Benedict Johnny and the Crab Cake Benedict were the two choices of the day. The Benedict Johnny consisted of cheddar cornbread, maple chicken sausage,
poached eggs, roasted tomato hollandaise, and home fries. Sometimes I like to substitute, so I decided to get a side of Jalapeno Grits instead of home fries. This Benedict was interesting to say the least. The Cheddar Cornbread and Maple Chicken Sausage worked hand in hand in providing a certain spiciness that went well with the sweetness of the tomato hollandaise. The Poached Egg was only the icing to the dish. Although it was over-cooked (why do restaurants not know how to properly cook a poached egg?) the dish was good to say the least. It isn’t something that I would continuously order because the Maple Chicken Sausage taste too similar to pork sausage. The Jalapeno Grits were good, but I think they would’ve been much better if Cheese were added or if they were made with cream instead of water. (You can taste the difference)
The next dish that was ordered was the Crab Cake Benedict. It consisted of lump crab, baby spinach, poached eggs, old bay hollandaise, and mixed greens. This sounds like an amazing breakfast, but what they don’t tell you is that the Crab Cake is made with filler, and is fried to death. The Baby Spinach was wilted too much, and had the taste of a boiled water with green coloring. (Yikes) Once again, the Poached Egg wasn’t cooked properly, and the mixed greens were thrown on the plate because they were too lazy to think of something else that goes with this kind of Benedict. The highlight of this dish was when the Waiter came to remove it from my table.
Overall, this restaurant is a pass. I do the hard work so you won’t have to.
SavoryTravels 