I love when a mimosa is automatically handed to me when I sit down. Every brunch should start like this. It’s perhaps why the line wraps around the block at The Smith, even on the dreariest of New York City days. Inside, the air is warm and dry, and the energy is bustling. Not only does brunch come with your choice of a free Bloody Mary, bellini, blood orange mimosa, passion punch or fresh squeezed juice, the menu aims to please with down-to-earth, American brasserie fare. Expect country breakfast ($16) with grilled ham, biscuits and gravy; buttermilk waffles ($15) with strawberries and whipped cream; and a generous shrimp salad with fennel, orange and basil vinaigrette.
Classic potato latkes get a makeover when pressed into a waffle iron. The potato waffle Benedict ($16, pictured) is crisp and potatoey, topped with a velvety spinach sauce and caramelized onions. The eggs are only slightly over-poached but easily forgiven with another sip of passion punch.
Mary was born and raised in New York City where her family owned restaurants. Instead of eating dirt on the playground, she ate duck blood, beef tripe and pork belly. She cut her teeth at The Mandarin Oriental and The Ritz-Carlton hotels, working with Barbra Streisand, Vanessa Williams, Michael Stipe, LeVar Burton, Jane Krakowski and others. Mary founded Girl Meets Food in 2009 as a cover for her debilitating addiction to fried chicken and was named Washington Post’s “Favorite Local Foodie.” After 13 years in hospitality, she started freelance writing for USA Today, The Washington Post, Eater, Washington City Paper, and more. Today, she provides digital marketing for hospitality clients as a content creator who’s contently creating content.