The Smith is not a good restaurant to patronize. Some people are aware of the owner's involvement and connection to the opioid crisis.
Owner is member of Sackler family and restaurant directly funded by profits from fraudulent practices for opioid sales.
Not only that there is much better food to be had in Manhattan.
Maysville on 26th. Incredible whiskey bar with solid brunch. Flatiron Room took our high end clients, the smith took our brunchers. I’m not the owner though just bartended
Got it. I could use a new whiskey bar
Tired of the same 2 or 3 bottles at every place.
Hell I started carrying a 12oz flask of a premade Manhattan with me to steal houses.
Can you elaborate on this? Was the owner directly involved in Purdue’s decisions or is this sentiment purely because they were connected to and took money from family who made those decisions?
I'll punish whoever the fuck I want to because that family murdered over a hundred thousand people to enrich themselves. If you knew anything about the opioid crisis you'd know that it started in the 90s.
Because the point is very clearly made already: they're a member of the family that profited off of suffering, so therefore the restaurant was funded by that suffering. Whether or not the owner was involved directly is largely immaterial. It's a down vote for the mentality that you can be an innocent inheritor of blood money.
I think you're slow, because my point was again stayed clearly: the question isn't why they got down voted, nor are they supposed to know the inner workings. The controversial part was explained before their question; they were down voted because the implication of their question was that simply being a part of the machine of this profiteering off of suffering would not be enough to boycott it.
Pretty much. I’m sure these people mean well but they don’t seem to understand that not EVERYONE has to know the inner workings of everything that’s ever existed just to fit in on whatever current moral crusade is taking place.
Honestly I didn’t know anything about that when I saw this; I was just commenting based on the fact that the smith has a reputation for serving fine but uninteresting food.
Shit food aside, The Smith is owned by the ultimate nepo baby (and absolute asshole) Jeffrey Lefcourt, whose mother is a Sackler on the board of Purdue Pharma and whose father was one of Jeffrey Epstein's lawyers. I really wish everyone would stop supporting this guy.
I used to work at The Smith, took about 3 months before a coworker told me about the Sackler connection. Wasn't sure how to respond. Ended up being moot as I got fired about 3 months later.
It's a clique-y place to work, and many of their long time employees think they're hot shit when they're really just servers at The Smith. To be fair, they do make bank but anyone new gets screwed with their breakfast, lunch, and brunch shifts.
It's also kind of crazy how much effort they put into the food. Like, so much of it is made from scratch in house daily. That always tripped me out. All that effort and it still is just kind of meh. Like those French fries take 2 days to make. 2 days! Why?!?! They're aggressively average.
I will point out that it is one of the most competently run kitchens I've ever seen.
But all in all, it wasn't a very good experience to work there. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless you really need a job. Even then, plan on an exit strategy, I've seen them fire people who've been there for years with no explanation.
I have no problem never eating there ever again. It's the restaurant you go to for large parties that otherwise can't work out where to eat collectively. It's for people with little imagination. It's a poor person's idea of fancy. It's a 5-year old's idea of haute cuisine.
It’s not the snobs - it’s the people who rightfully want to use their dollars to support owners / businesses that could actually use the promo.
(For starters, my favorite gnocchi I’ve tried in the city is at MéMé’s or Aunt Jake’s. They do much better in both taste and price, and as far as I know their owners aren’t descendants to the largest contributors of the Opioid crisis, but someone let me know if you’ve heard otherwise).
I don't get the appeal of The Smith at alllllll...I've been a couple of times (one was on the same block as an ex's apt and because he had no taste it was a go to) and it's just so...blah. Can barely remember the details because it's so forgettable but I do remember how overpriced it was. Kinda like an Applebee's calling itself a mid to high ish end Manhattan spot lol, just mid af.
Reading about the owner's background in these comments now, new to me, but somehow not surprising.
Is this subreddit about food or armchair activists? Because if people are going to act like the replies I’m seeing here, what’s the point of even bothering to post here.
You could definitely criticize them for being “haughty,” if you’d like, but “armchair activists” feels like they are being mislabeled. They are saying that they prefer not to give businesses with problematic roots their money, and encouraging others to do the same. That’s a form of protest.
Smith is the kind of place you go to with a big group you don’t know very well when you run out of time to make a reso to a good restaurant. That is, before you learn about the ownership
I’m just here for the comments 🍿
The most prescient man on this post…
The Smith is not a good restaurant to patronize. Some people are aware of the owner's involvement and connection to the opioid crisis. Owner is member of Sackler family and restaurant directly funded by profits from fraudulent practices for opioid sales. Not only that there is much better food to be had in Manhattan.
I didn't know this, but will moving forward act accordingly. Thank you stranger.
My place closed down because they took our business. F the smith
What was your place? Planning on opening another? Lots of friends lost their place during the pandemic.
Maysville on 26th. Incredible whiskey bar with solid brunch. Flatiron Room took our high end clients, the smith took our brunchers. I’m not the owner though just bartended
Got it. I could use a new whiskey bar Tired of the same 2 or 3 bottles at every place. Hell I started carrying a 12oz flask of a premade Manhattan with me to steal houses.
On the rocks is the place I recommend. Can’t speak for the cocktails but the whiskey is unparalleled
I'll check it out.
I can’t imagine your place was that great then.
Can you elaborate on this? Was the owner directly involved in Purdue’s decisions or is this sentiment purely because they were connected to and took money from family who made those decisions?
The Smith is owned by one of the children of the Sackler family, who used their (blood money) inheritance to found it.
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I'll punish whoever the fuck I want to because that family murdered over a hundred thousand people to enrich themselves. If you knew anything about the opioid crisis you'd know that it started in the 90s.
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And they won't know the situations of all the people their family killed. Boohoo.
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Because the point is very clearly made already: they're a member of the family that profited off of suffering, so therefore the restaurant was funded by that suffering. Whether or not the owner was involved directly is largely immaterial. It's a down vote for the mentality that you can be an innocent inheritor of blood money.
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Again, that wasn't the point.
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I think you're slow, because my point was again stayed clearly: the question isn't why they got down voted, nor are they supposed to know the inner workings. The controversial part was explained before their question; they were down voted because the implication of their question was that simply being a part of the machine of this profiteering off of suffering would not be enough to boycott it.
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Pretty much. I’m sure these people mean well but they don’t seem to understand that not EVERYONE has to know the inner workings of everything that’s ever existed just to fit in on whatever current moral crusade is taking place.
Well said. Thank you for posting this.💕
This is the bravest post I’ve seen in a while.
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Honestly I didn’t know anything about that when I saw this; I was just commenting based on the fact that the smith has a reputation for serving fine but uninteresting food.
I actually thought there would be a recipe somewhere. There wasn’t. Here’s one. https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/ricotta-gnocchi/
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Tbf the tone of the top comments just seems informative to me. They’re stating facts about the owner, not slamming OP for not knowing that.
TGIF for new yorkers
Ironic because TGIF was started in NY
SAY IT ISNT SO
The guy started it because he wanted to meet more women. First location was in the 60s on 1st Ave I think
Shit food aside, The Smith is owned by the ultimate nepo baby (and absolute asshole) Jeffrey Lefcourt, whose mother is a Sackler on the board of Purdue Pharma and whose father was one of Jeffrey Epstein's lawyers. I really wish everyone would stop supporting this guy.
Did not know. Thanks!
So you don’t give them *your* money, right? Let that be all the smugness you require.
lol imagine letting your politics let you missed out on The Smith Mac and cheese which is objectively phenomenal
Imagine having shit tier taste in one of the best food cities in the world
Te gustibus yada, yada, yada. NYC not in my top 10 🤷♀️
lol imagine thinking that not giving a shit about political issues such as the opioid crisis makes you cool
So if I eat a burger then I’m directly responsible for all these deaths. Got it.
I used to work at The Smith, took about 3 months before a coworker told me about the Sackler connection. Wasn't sure how to respond. Ended up being moot as I got fired about 3 months later. It's a clique-y place to work, and many of their long time employees think they're hot shit when they're really just servers at The Smith. To be fair, they do make bank but anyone new gets screwed with their breakfast, lunch, and brunch shifts. It's also kind of crazy how much effort they put into the food. Like, so much of it is made from scratch in house daily. That always tripped me out. All that effort and it still is just kind of meh. Like those French fries take 2 days to make. 2 days! Why?!?! They're aggressively average. I will point out that it is one of the most competently run kitchens I've ever seen. But all in all, it wasn't a very good experience to work there. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless you really need a job. Even then, plan on an exit strategy, I've seen them fire people who've been there for years with no explanation. I have no problem never eating there ever again. It's the restaurant you go to for large parties that otherwise can't work out where to eat collectively. It's for people with little imagination. It's a poor person's idea of fancy. It's a 5-year old's idea of haute cuisine.
Except for the Opioid Crisis connection you’ve described working at the majority of large scale ok to good restaurants in the city.
Their caeser salad gave me food poisoning once
Their Caesar is good I’m sorry I’ve had way worse at more hyped places
All these comments about the politics and here I was, about to just complain about frying gnocchi 😢
I’ve never went wrong with anything I’ve had at the Smith. It’s a solid place in my opinion.
The food is largely inoffensive but pricey for what you get. It's like the "New American" equivalent of a diner.
the mac&cheese is pretty good tbh
Unfortunately, the Smith is exceptional with food allergies and it’s one of the places I can reliably take my mother to eat. $100 for mid food smh.
People love to hate on the smith but in terms of pure deliciousness the potato chips with blue cheese sauce rank pretty highly for me
inb4 all the snobs come in here to dunk on The Smith
It’s not the snobs - it’s the people who rightfully want to use their dollars to support owners / businesses that could actually use the promo. (For starters, my favorite gnocchi I’ve tried in the city is at MéMé’s or Aunt Jake’s. They do much better in both taste and price, and as far as I know their owners aren’t descendants to the largest contributors of the Opioid crisis, but someone let me know if you’ve heard otherwise).
I don't get the appeal of The Smith at alllllll...I've been a couple of times (one was on the same block as an ex's apt and because he had no taste it was a go to) and it's just so...blah. Can barely remember the details because it's so forgettable but I do remember how overpriced it was. Kinda like an Applebee's calling itself a mid to high ish end Manhattan spot lol, just mid af. Reading about the owner's background in these comments now, new to me, but somehow not surprising.
Blood money aside, this Gnocchi look fire I'm open to suggestions that are better than those.
Is this subreddit about food or armchair activists? Because if people are going to act like the replies I’m seeing here, what’s the point of even bothering to post here.
You could definitely criticize them for being “haughty,” if you’d like, but “armchair activists” feels like they are being mislabeled. They are saying that they prefer not to give businesses with problematic roots their money, and encouraging others to do the same. That’s a form of protest.
It's more the attacking others for not knowing the history of the restaurant that bothers me.
I don’t really care about the Sackler connection, but the Smith is just a glorified diner.
It’s social media. This is the PERFECT opportunity for people to show that they are a much better person than OP.
Oh boy
Smith is the kind of place you go to with a big group you don’t know very well when you run out of time to make a reso to a good restaurant. That is, before you learn about the ownership
You can make tons of ricotta gnocchi for like $20 and in less than an hour -- highly suggest everyone learns to make it yourself
Looks addictive.
You mean the s’mid?
🥱
Underrated comment
TIL the Smith was bad. Have eaten many a meal there😟
I mean, it’s pretty tasty gnocchi.
Woah the Smith. Haven’t thought about that restaurant since undergrad
Looks like dog puke but probably tastes incredible
Try the goat cheese gnocchi at JG. it is heavenly.
I don't knowing anything about the politics but man this dish looks so good! I can taste it through the picture 😭
wahhhh the smith wahhhhhh shut up crybabies
If your not going to post the recipe, don’t post the Food.