Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Review: Smith Commons

Photo by Emily Clack
Initial Thoughts
  • Design:  Charming exposed brick.  The restaurant is huge.  3 floors of space.
  • Food:  Comforting American Dishes
  • Drinks: The wine list offers 60 carefully selected choices, which the wine director can pair with any of Chef Frederik’s dishes. We got to taste a pairing with all of or dishes.  Handcrafted cocktails are also quite tasty.  Beer guru, Miles Gray has assembled a diverse selection to make Smith Commons the District’s newest destination for craft beers from all over the world.  Nearly 40 permanent and seasonal selections are served on tap and in bottles from breweries across the United States, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Scotland and Italy.  I especially liked the Ommegang Witte paired with my Sea Bass.
  • Price:  Moderate.  Average dinner check about $30-40 per person
  • Would I go back?  Yes.  I'd love to stop by in the summer.
Bailey Holdings LLC owns and developed the restaurant, led by Jerome Bailey, Miles Gray, and General Manager Sheldon Robinson, oversee Smith Commons day-to-day, and all three have worked together at restaurants and lounges around the city.  

We were excited to check out Smith Commons.  Overall, everything was good.  The space is really cool and made me want to come back for more.  We started with some cocktail time and I tried the margarita.  The margarita was good, but nothing unique.  We all gathered downstairs for dinner and started with a trio of beef carpaccio, Belgian Endive salad, and mushroom cappuccino.  I paired mine with the Fizz Brut NV from Monticello, Virginia.


Next we had a choice of three main course options: sea bass with grilled baby greens in a balsamic basil dressing; lamb chops with grilled eggplant and fingerling potatoes; and a vegetarian medley. I went for the sea bass.  The fish was cooked to perfection.  For dessert we could try Belgian Chocolate Lava Cake, Crepe Mikado, or Sorbet/Ice cream.  I tried the lava cake which was good, but petite.  It left us wanting a little more.  All in all, we had a great time and are looking to come back again soon.

Smith Commons would be a fun spot for happy hour or event to host an event.

These photos are copyrighted by Emily Clack 2011 and licensed directly to Capital Cooking.  For permission and pricing please contact Emily at Emily.clack@mac.com. You do not have permission to use, alter, crop, or remove the watermark.  Copyright will be enforced.
 
(202) 396-0033
1245 H St NE
Washington, DC 20002
Smith Commons on Urbanspoon

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