Peachy Picks B. Smith's New York City Restaurant
B. Smith and P. Deegan!
It's not who you know, it's Whom You Know and we are pleased to say we know B. Smith!
We met her ages ago at this event:
and loved talking to her then! Peachy is thrilled that B. remembered her from that cocktail party - great memory B!
B. Smith was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
B. Smith has graduated to Peachy's Picks because of the originality of the menu, the quality of the food, the superb service of the people we met, and the sparkling personality and style that is unique to B. Smith herself. The atmosphere is warm and engaging and from the moment she stepped in the door, Peachy Deegan felt welcome as they took her coat and boots promptly (remember a monsoon was practically predicted and it has been one rainy year!). Manager John Laubenthal, Server Cathie Camacho and the hostess were perfectly pleasant and professional all night. But the peachiest of them all was of course B. Smith herself and it is nice to know she frequents her restaurant; she sat a few tables away from Peachy eating her dinner and was so cordial. There are also locations in Sag Harbor and Washington D.C. and maybe we will visit them someday.
It is always a good idea to start off with a salad because of the obvious myriad of health benefits that vegetables offer...and of course we wanted fun in our salad too and that took the form of Skirt Steak. Peachy Deegan began with the Grilled Skirt Steak salad that is an inviting symphony of goodness: marinated in lime and honey, served over arugula and watercress, with grilled Crimini mushrooms roasted peppers and a soy ginger dressing, this salad could become a meal in itself, except for one THANG we will have to mention later. Every bite was simply delicious and in an oversaturated salad market of adding chicken or shrimp, we found this combination fantastic and original. Of course, the steak had us at hello.
The slang "thang" was definitely not part of Peachy Deegan's vocabulary polished at Miss Porter's prior to yesterday, but one look at the above photo will tell you that is certainly is now. That is Swamp Thang! It is FABULOUS! Swamp Thang is sauteed shrimp, scallops and crawfish in a Dijon cream sauce over southern style greens. The taste of this combination was so outstanding we think they could almost make up an accompanying dance because that is what you'll want to do once you start eating it! Also, before last night Peachy had never met southern style greens that she was excited about-you don't find them much growing up in Connecticut. B. grew up outside of Pittsburgh and although she does not share Peachy's hockey enthusiasm (Go Penguins!) she does love the Steelers! B. is a very fun person we can tell...and she has not only a smashing cocktail list (that we hope will be enhanced by one more cocktail!) but also a stellar wine list. Many times we go to restaurants with great cuisine that do not exhibit wine lists that measure up. Peachy sipped on Merlot, Cycles Gladiator, California 2008 and it was perfect. By the way, B stands for Barbara but don't call her that. Only B! The grand finale was the chocolate torte with raspberry coulis and creme anglais:
We love it when people support Peachy's ongoing battle with chocoholism which she has no plans to put an end to. Don't listen to only Peachy though! Our esteemed panelist adds:
B. Smith (the woman) always says, " Whatever you do, do it with style!", and her restaurant is true to her word. At first glance, the menu seems a bit odd with Asian fusion intermixed with classic Southern dishes but it becomes more clear when you consider chef John Poon is a native of Hong Kong.
I started my meal with the Roasted Rainbow Beet Salad, sprinkled with candied walnuts and accompanied by a neat chunk of goat cheese; always a winning combination. When I asked for a pinot noir, they had my favorite go-to label, Mark West. For my entree, I ordered the Short Rib Special. The meat was tender and slightly sweet, placed on top of a mound of risotto.
While one would probably not be wowed by any of the selections at B. Smith, everything came out as it should have and that comfort made the dining experience even better. We finished the night off with a Mocha Mousse and like everything else at B. Smith, I couldn't find anything wrong with it. The combination of an upbeat interior design, a wonderful hostess (Ms. B. Smith herself) and solid, honest, food explains why B. Smith (the restaurant) remains a favorite with theater goers.
Peachy Picks B. Smith's!
It was so fabulous she might have to start going by P. Deegan...
