SMITH (Seattle, Capitol Hill)
Gastro pubs are all the rage in Seattle these days. I’m somewhat guarded in my enthusiasm. I love the casual atmosphere, as I am often dressed in running shoes, leggings, and one of my vast collection of wacky Hawaiian shirts. Not restaurant worthy, in other words. But hungry nonetheless.
I’m guarded, because although I love the general vibe of these latter day taverns with their rustic slap dash look, open beam ceilings, picnic tables, and second-hand lighting, the food can be ill conceived or even an afterthought. Good idea. Poor execution.
However, I assure you that this is not the case with Smith on Capitol Hill in Seattle. As I walked by a street-side diner at the restaurant this evening, I did a double take on a plate of something rich, brown, gooey and highly aromatic. It turned out to be Poutine Fries with Cheese Curds and Gravy. I must have been drooling, because the lovely woman eating the dish actually offered me a bite. You have to LOVE Seattle, folks!
It was torture not ordering those fries, but I was on a mission to try the Macaroni with Gouda and Ham for LunaCafe’s upcoming yearly roundup, Quintessential
Mac & Cheese. It was not a letdown. Imagine a generous portion of toothsome elbow macaroni enrobed with a creamy, cheesy, smoky flavored sauce and finished with just the lightest sprinkling of breadcrumbs and a few minutes under the broiler. The itsy bitsy price was a bonus.
MauiJim quickly scanned the menu and ordered Brick Chicken with Polenta, Cream Corn, and Piquillos. Bet you haven’t seen that dish on a menu recently. I love it when the kitchen shows some imagination. I especially love it when they possess the necessary culinary skill to successfully execute their vision. The chicken was perfectly grilled, moist, tender, and flavorful with a hint of smoke. The creamy corn sauce was rich, piquant, and interesting over the creamy fried polenta. Let’s just say there was not a speck of anything left on the plate when my man was done with his dinner.
BTW, Smith is a 2-years-young sibling of Odd Fellows CafĂ© (Capitol Hill), King’s Hardware (Ballard), and Linda’s Tavern (Capitol Hill).
Drink
15 beers on tap
40+ bottled beers
Stumptown coffee
Eat
Poutine Fries with Cheese Curds and Gravy
Brick Chicken with Polenta, Cream Corn, and Piquillos
Macaroni with Gouda and Ham
Grilled Gruyere and Onion Jam Sandwich
Brownie with Salted Caramel Ice Cream
I’ve enjoyed reading your blog. Most are full of garbage, but this is really interesting – and useful too! I particularly enjoyed the Eat. Seattle. Smith. | LunaCafe post. I’ll be back often, starting next Tuesday. Kind regards, Lily.
Thank you, Lily. 🙂