Well Fed Network
6/15/07
(read online)
B. Smith's is the brainchild of former model cum lifestyle guru and businesswoman Barbara Smith, who formed The B. Smith Restaurant Group in May 1998. The restaurant has outposts in Sag Harbor and Times Square as well, and has garnered acclaim for Chef James Paige's skillful mix of Cajun, Creole and Southern cooking. In the face of the recent trans fat ban in New York City, Harper (also known as “Chef Rock”) switched to canola oil and the menu, which includes grits, fried chicken and other Southern comfort foods, is now largely trans fat free. Located in DC's historic Union Station, B. Smith's dining room (a favored haunt of local “movers and shakers” according to her website) is large, airy and full of light- the website describes it as “grand Beaux Arts” but what simply comes to mind is the Palace at Versailles without the mirrors.There are subdued celebrations going on around us- birthdays, graduations, etc. We sit with our backs to the front of the station, where cabs and Duck Tour buses go by soundlessly, and feel like we're in another world.
If you're visiting, B. Smith's is a great place to have a meal before hopping on Amtrak or a Duck Boat. Weekends at B. Smith's are a good indicator of what you can find on the menu the rest of the week- a melange of the aforementioned Southern fusion and typical Sunday fare- Saturday is a la cart and Sunday is a buffet ($30).
A word of advice- Just because the menu offers “typical” brunch fare, don't waste your time, or tastebuds, on “typical” at B. Smith's. Skip the “Belgium” waffle and the steak and eggs, and indulge in something a little spicier. And if prices for entrees seem intimidating at $17 to $28, be assured you can make a good meal out of one or two appetizers- three if you're feeling generous enough to share. We weren't. Also, while there is a preponderance of meat (specifically anything on a pig) and seafood, there are some vegetarian dishes that are worth trying.
The gumbo ($10), lumped in with soups and salads, is an easy meal. I won't pretend that every Louisiana native will love the taste, but the generous mix of scallops, crawfish and scallops swim in a spicy roux that embodies the zing most of us expect from Cajun cooking. The menu says the dish is based around “an Asian broth” but I didn't taste “Asian”, so maybe that ambition to be all things falls through here. All in all it's a successful dish- on its own it's tasty and enough for a meal, especially when paired with the bread basket of mini corn muffins that come to the table as soon as you sit down. If you can restrain yourself they are a perfect addition to all dishes.
The appetizer section of the menu also boasts decent portions and reasonable prices. We passed on the Catfish Fingers ($9) because they made us think of the kiddie menu at Long John Silver's, and went right for the Fried Green Tomatoes ($9) - ignoring the mental image of Kathy Bates wrapped in Saran wrap. The tomatoes were baked with creamy ricotta and garnished with red pepper coulis and served right from the pan. They were firm and tasty with a crunchy breaded coating that clung to each bite rather than sliding off in a soggy mess.
The Jambalaya ($11) came next- the combo of tasso, “country ham”, Andouille sausage, bacon, chicken and shrimp served over rice is rich and meaty. The salty tasso serves as a complement to the mild flavor of the chicken and shrimp and the roux had enough spice to make us reach for our water glass before it evaporated off the tongue. The Cajun Red Beans and Rice ($9) with ham hocks, tasso, pulled pork, sausage and bacon, was a little too much pig for even our heartiest taster (funny, but the menu description says nothing about beans, or rice). The Shrimp, Sausage and Cheese Grits ($15) served with a tasso ham gravy is a dish worthy of a repeat visit.
The entrees are a bit of a snooze aside from Chef Rock's specialty. Dubbed “Swamp Thang” ($25), the dish includes shrimp, scallops and crawfish cooked in Dijon cream and served with “southern style greens.” Personally I can't get my head around the idea of “a mustard-based seafood sauce,” but it was quite tasty all the same. The scallops were fork tender (a surprising number of establishments like to cook them until they are rubbery) and the greens were slightly crisp and very flavorful. The other entrees are ribs, vegetarian ribs (unfortunately we didn't have a vegetarian among us to render a verdict), catfish, and a Maryland surf ‘n turf- fried chicken and a crab cake.
The desserts are nondescript aside from the Bourbon Street Bread Pudding ($6?) served with bourbon cream and ice cream on request. The person who ordered it warned us he would not be sharing, however he was betrayed by our server, who plunked down extra spoons for sharing.
Saturday is a la carte, while Sunday's buffet brunch includes a grit and oatmeal bar and a plethora of Southern treats as well as made to order waffles and omelets and unlimited orange juice, champagne or mimosas for $30 for adults and $15 for kids. B. Smith's is a great way to start a morning of site seeing or wrap up a business trip.
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Southern Taste, Pace Grace Union Station
Washington Times
2/13/97
The Ladies who lunch at B. Smith's tend to be hat-wearing types, elegant in their attire and gracious in their manner. The sartorial bent of the clientele may have something to do with the setting at B. Smith's, which has made a home in what is one of the District's most impressive spaces, the former President's Suite at Union Station. The Space, with its vaulted ceiling, elaborate molding and presidential eagles, may seem imposing, but it mixes with the restaurant's Southern fare to create an atmosphere that evokes an older, more genteel Washington.
The menu alone tells the story. The food is a mix of home cooking and sophisticated and contemporary interpretations of Southern cuisine. Chef Robert L. Holmes spent five years at Paul Prudhomme's K-Paul's Louisiana kitchen in New Orleans.
The room and the fare are an electric mix, creating an interesting dynamic on the menu. Only in such an elegant setting would a Southern style restaurant pair fried green tomatoes with aged ricotta and roasted peppers, or put a delicate trout with seafood stuffing and buerre-blanc sauce on a menu with such homemade finger food as hearty grilled chicken and corn-bread pudding. But don't let the sometimes casual fare fool you into thinking B. Smith's isn't suitable for business clients: The food is impressively presented and keenly prepared with a delicate touch, and it seems as though on every dish. The chicken-and-strawberry salad is a hit thanks in large part to the poppy-seed-chili dressing.
This is an ideal place to impress out of town guest. The restaurant's proximity to Capital Hill also makes it a favorite among lobbyists and policy works. "We have a pretty upscale clientele, but we try to keep things relaxed," said Thomas Townsend the restaurant general manager. "There's no dress code, but it's a pretty, elegant room."
The architecture is enough to impress anyone with Washington's history. The room was built onto Union Station's east wing to provide presidents with a refuge while they waited for trains. The precaution was deemed necessary after President's Garfield and McKinley were assassinated in the railroad stations. The room later was used to greet dignitaries visiting the capital. The tables are large and a reservation for two usually will get you a for top with room to spread out. On a bright sunny day, request seating in the Colonnade, a sunny, glassed-in addition entered through an arched wall.
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