Smyth seems to get a lot of hate for some reason
Personally I love the place and its dishes always feel boundlessly creative compared to other restaurants in the U.S. The menu also seems to change a lot but they retain some classics for long periods of time such as the avocado dish or the only dish I failed to picture which is the “Caviar and Almond” course
If I had to say any issues it’s maybe the meal was kind of fast at far under 2 hours around 1:30, which for me was fine actually but I could understand people might feel differently.
Another major “complaint” is that the Lamb and Juniper was confusingly presented and had no puree. I found a picture later of almost the same dish except with a puree and felt cheated because I knew it was missing when I had the course. Also not sure if it was because I was high, but I started slicing into the juniper branch on the plate and trying to get it together with the sauce and lamb in one bite. Which was a major mistake, because it was not supposed to be edible which brings the question why it’s so prominently placed on the plate.
The Enoki Mushroom Custard was one of the better bites, with the two bites at the start the, the quail egg and Guanciale Donut being also nothing short of amazing. I also enjoyed the Avocado dish which is a mainstay of the menu.
Two other notable mentions are the trout which was cooked perfect and the truffle dessert. The last notable mention is the malted bread which was so hot and sticky it almost burned my fingers when I first tried to pull a piece off, it was like the whole thing was candied in a way.
Many people rate Oriole higher than Smyth or Alinea, but to me Smyth is the pinnacle of fine dining in Chicago. Oriole steals the show when it comes to ambience and service but I just prefer the creativity and the flavors and how much more filling the food at Smyth is.
by Background_Cost_5768
5 Comments
The textures on these dishes all look very… soft?
our whole group left smyth hungry and had to go downstairs for burgers.
btw, your camera looks like it could use a wipe down. photos look smudged.
I loved Smyth when it had an identity. Now it’s just dishes that aren’t seasonal and often make little sense being together on a menu. Pre pandemic it was banging, post pandemic I’m not sure I’ll be back.
I’m sorry, but I’m pissing myself knowing I, too, would be stoned as fuck trying to cut into the juniper branch to get the perfect bite. Hahahahah 10/10
I didn’t realize people were hating on Smyth. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in October.
Yes, placing inedible components on a dish is always a potential opportunity for confusion!