B. Smith

Janine and I took mom to Union Station today to celebrate her 85th birthday (a couple days late). It was great to hear mom, and watch her face, as she recounted her trip from Wolsey, SD to Washington, DC oh, about 67 or 68 years ago. She arrived at Union Station, alone, straight from the farm, and marveled at the height of the ceilings and the number of people. Her sister wasn't there to meet her, so she shared a taxi with five other people (!) and paid the outrageous sum of $1.25 to get to her destination.

We shopped a bit and then had lunch at B. Smith. I've wanted to go there for quite some time. I'm a fan of fried green tomatoes and I'd heard theirs were very good. Unfortunately, they put goat cheese and a red pepper puree on top which overwhelmed the pure, tangy snap of the tomato. I've decided that fried green tomatoes are to be enjoyed without fru-fru (is that how it's spelled?).

Janine had a spinach salad - I had a bite and it was good but I wasn't impressed. I had the jambalaya because the server said it was spicier than the gumbo - though I still had to ask for hot sauce to perk it up. Having to add the sauce was disappointing but the hot sauce itself was GREAT! Must see if I can recall the name ...

Mom had a crab cake that she enjoyed but didn't seem ecstatic about. We all shared a side of mac and cheese that was out of this world delicious! Just the right combination of creamy and tangy.

Even though the overall experience wasn't wonderful, I want to go again. I think a leisurely evening meal of several courses is what is required to get the most out of B. Smith's.

And as important as the quality of the food, they passed my "Where is the restroom?" test. The server did not point dramatically across the restaurant and yell that I should go to the far wall, past the pillar, and it would be on my left. Instead, she said in a soft but clear voice, "Please follow me," and then led me to within about 8 feet of the door and nodded. That experience alone tells me that this is a restaurant I want to go back to!

http://www.bsmith.com/restaurant_dc_home.php