I went with my grilfriend a month or so ago and really liked it. As a disclaimer I should note that Jonathan and Camile are friends of ours, but we were glad we made the trip up there because we had a wonderful meal. The space is beautiful, with a lot of interesting detail, natural light and a good view of the open kitchen. They kept the bar and stools from the original soda fountain and I thought that was a nice touch. At one point in the evening a couple from Smithville lifted up a barstool seat and checked to see if the grafitti they had scrawled there as teenagers was still there. (It was). The food is pretty straightforward, with a real emphasis on the ingredients. Jonathan and sous chef Jeff Scott (formerly chef of Zin) are committed to using as many local products as possible. They use Shatto butter with bread baked in house by Camile. They list many local farmers whose produce they feature, and the meats were free-range or heritage breed or hormone and antibiotic free. Basically, everything was as local and sustainable as possible. And it showed. We had a foie gras terrine and another app to begin (I can't remember it but I know we enjoyed it-something with an egg on it?). The terrine was great and the plate was brought to our table by the guy who baked the brioche. Next we had salads - a smoked trout one and a warm goat cheese one. Both were nicely done. I had a Kobe beef entree that was well executed and delicious, but I can't remember the other one - quite a bit of wine by this point. Everything was solid. The food made sense, and things were as they should be. We will be back. Finally, I was also impressed with how busy they were. I thought we might be the only table on a Tuesday night in Smithville, but it was nearly full. A nice mix of people obviously up from KC, and people obviously from Smithville. Some big families and some young couples on dates. Overall a very good vibe. Definately worth the trip.
