Comments on Smith's Opening Night

They are opening a new red lobster in Tukwila this weekend too!

Arr! You beat me to the Slog! Zwickel and I also went to Smith's. It was packed and they're obviously working out some opening week jitters but I'll definitely be back. I got a plate of Poutine and sat at the long-tables. Normally, I hate being forced to sit next to obnoxious bar patrons (like the couple to my left that looked like they'd just warped in from Miami Beach) but we ended up sitting next to a friendly woman who grew up in Montreal, and she dropped some knowledge about sweet, sweet poutine on me and JZ.
For those not in the know, Poutine is a bed of french fries, covered in cheese curds and doused in gravy. Mmmm.
Smith's poutine was pretty good. I might even order it again, although I'm still not convinced it was worth the 8 or 9 dollars.

The rest of the menu looks great: fried duck leg, deviled eggs(???!!!) and the tasty yet deceptively named "devils on horseback," which, it turns out, are figs stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon. Thankfully, the "trout with ham" is everything it promises to be: a slab of trout, slathered with ribbons of crisped ham.

When did trout become bar food?

Looks like that woman is interacting with the photographer.

Sounds annoyingly upscale/trendy/uncool. DS: you frequent Havana so sorry if I can't take your review seriously.

Deviled eggs and duck? I'm there.

What's the point in having trout if you are not having a whole trout. The point of wrapping half the menu in pork (or so it would seem) is obvious though: if anyone seems taken aback you report them to the Inquisition.

i went to smith specifically for a second dinner around 11, but sadly the kitchen--even on opening night--closes at 10 pm. poutine, trout w/ ham, venison meatloaf, fried duck leg...fuck yeah.

Ahh long tables... A staple of several pubs and bars I cam e across in Glasgow. You do meet a lot of people that way.

I will have to try this "poutine" of yours when I visit in August. Surely it cannot compare to the stuff we get here in Ottawa and points east into Quebec.

"people are going to have to crowd in with each other and interact—which is perfect for a bar in Seattle" ?? What? We love to intereact, and we welcome all transplants. When you are leaving by the way? Oh and please don't be "forward" or ask us what we do, why we do it, or what makes us mad or makes us luagh or cry as such displays of emotion are not polite. And please do not venture into any of those childish displays of ego like telling stories, laughing loudly, or talking about yourself. Better ot discuss the 27 varieties of snow and the details of various tent sites, you know. Also please keep ten feet away, and sure, yes, come out to our family cabin sometime, like next century. And whatever you do, don't tell us about Chicago or NY or Austin or wherever the fuck you came from, as we have noccuriousity about anywhere else since only Seattle is interesting and everywhere else is like, you know that industrial part of New Jersey? Would you like some poutine? Nice to meet you, Namaste!

Ug sounds horrible. Why do all bars have to be crowded. Maybe I'm getting old, but I like personal space, reasonable volume, and oh yah, personal space.

It also pisses me off that people somehow think that Seattle should accommodate some different notion of how people should interact. I actually appreciate the fact that strangers do not seek to become my friends or share nonsense with me. The "Seattle chill" is one of the reasons I love this city. We are polite which is great, but not nosy or annoyingly friendly.

Don't like it, well then maybe moving here is not for you. I would not move to your city and try to change how you live.

I think we have heard the comment before of how each new business is going to break the curse of that location. Give it 8 months and see what is left there........

yeah, that's not gonna survive. duck leg? they're gonna tank hard. HARD.

Was there any coverage of Aurafice Cafe going out of business?

It was a great place to experience the "Seattle Chill", which I like as well. Computers were nice, but they had couches! Couches in book stores and coffeehouses are slowly going away. Victrola has one in the back, which thankfully most people by-pass in favor of recreating their laptop cubicle at the many tables. But I still feel a new conspicuousness when my kid and I begin lounging comfortably with our books, and pondering every so often the piano nearby.

The Goth scene is undeniably going on in Capitol Hill. It's just a bummer Aurafice's foray into the mainstream Pike/Pine scene wasn't supported more. Heck, I don't know, maybe the owners and staff made out well, and are on a well-deserved vacation, away from the consumer mess that Seattle continues to become.

Is that the back of Mark Mitchell's head?

She looks fucking pissed.

Giffy, I imagine you to be a curmudgeon, forever pissed about those damn kids and their hippity-hop music...

Do I really need to remind you that Seattle is a CITY? That usually entails a large volumes of people? Yes, it can get annoying at times, but never give up a chance to meet some of them. You may actually find some you like.

Of course, there's also the alternative- move out to Tukwila and get your own booth at Red Lobster.

That is the back of my head.

Smith is gonna be awesome.

What Lar Nativson @10 said. I would added that it is alright to discuss the 69 varieties of rain which can be expected to fall in Seattle over the course of the up coming year. Also, don't expect to get any good camping spots out of me... I don't want you crowding me out of in my spot.

Ugh, sitting at the same table with strangers. Viva La Seattle Chill!!

I'm glad they snagged those Garfield parts. It's cool to see them reused, and in a public space no less.

I went to 1st through 4th grades in an old 6 room schoolhouse from the 1890's. (No, I'm not as old as that.) The men's room at Smith is exactly like the ones we had there. In a good way.

(full disclosure: I'm bartending there)

Taxidermiphobia?

I am glad Mark Mitchell is back out in the nightlife of Seattle again! I look forward to coming to SMITH, oh and it's a block from my Apt. Nice.

Went with two friends last night. The trout was good, and the fried ham sprinkled on top played almost like bacon bits. The venison meatloaf tasted surprisingly rich, almost like a pâté, and came with a nice dollup of greens. The flank steak was good but didn't grab me like the others, but came with some pretty good fries. We didn't try the burgers yet because, well, that seemed too obvious. As for the space, I'm glad they tore out those miniwalls that used to separate the bar from the restaurant area. The big room works, the big tables are nice, and though it gets loud in there I think the sound bounced around worse in the previous incarnations. I'm glad this bar moved into my neighborhood.

Oh, and the deviled eggs were good but the pickled vegetables didn't seem like they were pickled long enough.

Very nice ladies bathroom. I liked the pretty toile wallpaper and repurposed stall doors.

I will only eat the trout if they were line caught from Green Lake.

the burger i had last night was unremarkable at best.

i cant figure it out: lindas joint over in ballard, kings, does great burgers at the same price. the one i ate at smith was overcooked and looked like it was stamped out of a press, not hand-pattied. for $9 i want grass-fed and free-range.

also: slow servers, and our waiter put his hand into my beer while he was wiping down the table (and then brought me a new one). opening night jitters. ill definitely give the place a second try, if only for $2 tall boys of ranier.

King's is a fucking atrocity. I never met a Ballard bar I didn't like until I walked into that frat-tastic, faux-authentic craphole.

Griff, I have been described as a 60 year old man inhabiting the body of a 25 year old. But I do actually like some of the hippity-hop as they are calling it these days.

I don't however really feel the need to meet people when I go out. I am usually already with people I like and honestly my friend quotient is pretty full these days...

King's has the best bloody marys ever.

Must go to Smith soon!

Checked out Smith last night. Very friendly (and noisy) crowd with perfect ambience. And although it was crowded, we were able to scoot into a long table, and although we easily could have ignored the others,
we chatted them up. All of the sudden they we sharing thier deviled eggs. I'll go back for the communal spirit, the grub, the deer heads... and if I feel the need to be alone at my laptop, I'll go back to anywhere else in Seattle.

Checked out Smith last night. Very friendly (and noisy) crowd with perfect ambience. And although it was crowded, we were able to scoot into a long table, and although we easily could have ignored the others,
we chatted them up. All of the sudden they we sharing thier deviled eggs. I'll go back for the communal spirit, the grub, the deer heads... and if I feel the need to be alone at my laptop, I'll go back to anywhere else in Seattle.

Somebody review the Deviled Eggs. Are they worth taking a bus from Wallingford for?

The deviled eggs were tasty. To me, they seemed like they had smoked salmon in them. I would recommend, but they are definetly not old school eggs if that is what you expect. You get 3 for $3.00.

The deviled eggs were tasty. To me, they seemed like they had smoked salmon in them. I would recommend, but they are definetly not old school eggs if that is what you expect. You get 3 for $3.00.

Those DEviled Eggs are great but I would like to try some of the blonde brown eyed bar back. Ummmm yummy... DId anyone see the hot guy back there, I took pictures of his hiney. ;)

Las Vegas
[url=http://condosforrent-las-newyears-vegas.gebook.org/] condosforrent las newyears vegas [/url]