Press
Washington Post
May 24th, 2017
The Smith aims to please — and it does
Let me throw you a strife-saver: The Smith. The massive restaurant, which follows McCormick and Schmick’s in Penn Quarter, is a branch of the same-named collection of American brasseries in New York, and you’ll like it for more than its utility. If not every dish pleases, enough of them do, and the Smith, awash in subway tiles and smoked antique mirrors, is the uncommon restaurant where hearing “no” from an employee is as rare as encountering a pay phone.
Read moreNew York Post
July 20th, 2011
Give Retro Photo Booths a Shot - Calla Salinger and Miriam Furst
"Tucked away in dive bars and family restaurants across the city, you'll find pals piling into photo booths for a moment in the spotlight – one New York couple evenused a booth to document an unforgettable event. "We had a guy propose to his girlfriend in the booth," says Adam Burke, director of operations for The Smith, which houses a vintage black-and-white snapper in the basement."
Read moreVillage Voice
April 6th, 2011
Booze News: The Smith Gets Its Own Beer - Chantal Martineau
"The Smith has enlisted Six Points Brewery to create a house beer that will be available on tap exclusively at the restaurant and at Jane. A spokesperson says the East Village Ale, or E.V.A., is a wheat bear [sic]-meets-pilsner-meets-pale ale. It's unfiltered, light to medium bodied, with notes of fruit, honey, and spice. Sounds like this serious gastropub just got a little more serious."
Read moreNew York Post
September 8th, 2010
Meet the Regulars - Dana Schuster
"The thing about being a New Yorker, it's always important to have a place that you can call your own. But also a great place," says [Dandy]. "I can do anything at The Smith. I can go there during the day and do work and eat really great food. I can bring friends for dinner or have business meetings there."
Read moreCosmopolitan
May 1st, 2009
cosmo life: at your place
"The Pink Pussycat, Colored sugar; ½ oz. Bombay Sapphire gin; ¾ oz. fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice; ½ oz. pineapple juice, splash of grenadine; Wet the edge of a tall glass with a damp paper towel, and dip the glass in colored sugar. Then pour all ingredients over ice, and stir well. Source: The Smith, New York City"
Read moreFood & Wine Blog: Mouthing Off
December 16th, 2008
Drinking Through the Recession - Kate Krader
"Over at The Smith in the East Village, owner Jeff Lefcourt has seen a steady increase in sales of bourbon and scotch, with a particular spike since September. They've also gotten increased requests for after-dinner drinks – enough to be launching a dedicated scotch menu next week."
New York Post, Page Six Magazine
September 28th, 2008
The New Classics: The Big Apple's hottest chefs are serving up old-school comfort food this fall – with a modern twist - Rachel Syme
"The Smith has been open less than a year, but it is already the go-to eatery for no-nonsense fare in a cozy setting…"The goal is to appeal to my son and to a 48-year old," says Glenn [Harris] whose dishes have drawn the likes of Barbara Bush, Matt Lauer, Chloë Sevigny and Bryant Gumbel."
Time Out New York
April 24th, 2008
Dating, $50 Date
"Watch yourself at brassy brasserie [The] Smith; the servers aren't afraid to add a side of sass to your starter."
Read moreThe Architect's Newspaper
April 16th, 2008
The Architect's Newspaper - Restaurant Row
"Putting a slicker face on the urban rustic trend that has ruled the city's hipster dining scene, this East Village bistro summons the vibe of a New York social club: Behold a 40-foot zinc bar, custom ceiling lights fitted with antique glass lampshades, old subway tile walls, and classic Thonet-style dining chairs."
Read morePaper
March 1st, 2008
Julie Besonen
"The egalitarian customers seem more bent on eating than being seen. Chef and co-owner Glenn Harris's menu is crowd-pleasing and the prices aren't bad at all, starting off with free sparkling or still filtered water…From friendly hosts to bartenders to servers to busboys, service was first-rate. So was the $5 hot-fudge sundae."
Read moreNew York Magazine
January 8th, 2008
Where to Eat 2008 - Adam Platt
"My daughters can't decide which of the tasty brunch items they would like me to recommend at the popular new restaurant in the East Village called The Smith, although without a doubt the dish with the best name is an imnewsive assemblage of smoked ham, scrambled eggs, Gruyère, and home fries called the "Croaker."
Read moreThe New York Times
August 13th, 2010
A Bit of Everything, Including a Peephole - Diane Cardwell
"In a city clogged with nostalgic paint-by-the-numbers brasseries where the check can easily creep toward $100 a person, this black-and-white-tiled spot on Third Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets pulls in buzzing crowds with a lightly louche retro décor and a reasonably priced, globally inspired New American menu."
Eater
November 24th, 2009
The East Village Hordes at The Smith; Sunday, 1 PM - Amanda
"Visit The Smith on any Saturday or Sunday afternoon and prepare to witness the above scene: lines, pairs and groups of hungover young things, birthday hats in the private dining room, giant egg dishes, and mimosas galore."
The New York Times
April 8th, 2008
When 'Useful' Is High Praise Indeed - Frank Bruni
"It's a good scruffiness, making you feel that you can slouch to your heart's content, lodge your elbows on the table without offense, get sloppy, be messy – whatever…The American-bistro menu is utilitarian…Orecchiette with chicken sausage, broccoli rabe and hot chili ($15) was the kind of thing that, if you'd whipped it up late at night at home, would leave you very imnewsed with yourself. After that we had the charbroiled organic chicken with smashed potatoes ($18), yet another bountiful plate. And it was more tender than much of the chicken I've had in restaurants that flaunt more ambition."
Read moreEater
December 28th, 2008
One Year In: The Smith - Amanda
"The whole idea [of The Smith] is to kind of have it be a restaurant version of an old pair of jeans, that kind of lived in comfortable feel…When we opened up, every dish we were in love with, but it was easy for us to drop one thing that wasn't working and put something else on. And that was the fun part, tweaking the dishes that people were buying and adding more…We do a Sunday night burger and a beer which is hugely popular. It's almost like a free beer."
Read moreMen's Health
October 1st, 2008
One-bowl wonders
"To kick off national chili month, two of the nation's best chili chefs share their secrets. Mean & Lean Turkey Chili (The Chef: Glenn Harris of The Smith, in New York City)"
Food Arts
August 1st, 2008
Morning Jolts - Jeffery Lindenmuth
"At The Smith, in Manhattan, Sunday brunchers are treated to a complimentary Mimosa, Bloody Mary, or the house Passion Punch, which lures with tropical juice while pushing the boundaries of brunch drinks with its rum base, according to co-owner Jeffrey Lefcourt."
Read moreMetro
February 18th, 2008
Offbeat on Third Avenue: Bread pudding and vintage porn at The Smith - Nadia Cross
"The waitstaff is more than friendly, if not downright fun, and always ready with an enthusiastic drink or food recommendation…After your meal, you may want to head downstairs to the basement level to pop into the classic photo booth for a session with friends or perhaps peek through the peephole in the wall between said booth and the restrooms for a quick look at a cleverly hidden reel of vintage porn. It's just part of the fun at The Smith."
Read moreDaily News
April 4th, 2008
Sandwich of the Week - Gina Salamone
"For a tangy twist on a traditional roast pork sandwich, you can rely on the Smith. The four-month-old East Village American brasserie crafts creative comfort food that will leave you satisfied and stumped as to what's in it."
Read moreThe New Yorker
February 25th, 2008
Tables for Two - Mike Peed
"Generality appears to be a Harris/Lefcourt trademark – they named their Greenwich Village spot Jane, as in plain – and the new place is nuance-free, all blacks and whites. (White subway tiles and black-and-white photos of Victorian nudes line the walls.) Smith, the owners seem to be reminding us, is Everyman's surname. So does Everyman eat here? "Oh, we get all kinds," the waitress replied. "All ages, all ethnicities, all genders."
Read moreNew York Magazine
December 17th, 2007
Insatiable Critic - Gael Greene
"We scarfed up a ton of comfort in the super-crisp Alsatian pizza, wonderful baked penne (spaghetti now) with meatballs, and "almost burnt" mac 'n' cheese. I obsessed all week about scraping that macaroni crust from the bottom of the pan…No one can resist the chips that morph too quickly into a Gorgonzola slog."
Read more