Citizen Smith Restaurant Review - All in One Dining Experience

With the recent growth of comfort food restaurants in Los Angeles it's hard to tell which one is the real deal. Some serve $40 grilled cheese, where's other restaurants serve an array of unimaginative dishes which you might as well prepare yourself at home. However, recently I discovered Citizen Smith, where delectable comfort food is served in style with a choice of great cocktails and a fantastic wine list.

Citizen Smith is not an inexpensive venue, but worth every penny. The portions are the perfect size not the usual giant creations, which makes the whole comfort food experience easy on your diet. Anything from macaroni and cheese, burgers, and fried chicken is prepared to the taste of the most sophisticated palette. It's no wonder celebrities like Mandy Moore, Sophia Bush, Drew Barrymore, Jessica Simpson, Elisha Cuthbert, Britney Spears, and John Mayer are frequent visitors.

Finding parking is unlikely in that trendy part of Cahuenga therefore you are conveniently provided with valet by the restaurant. This is also the only LA restaurant I've been to which has a bouncer. Whether it's to protect the privacy of their celebrity customers, for the hype, or sift through the visitors we will never know. 

The decor of Citizen Smith is very eclectic. Each table is different, candlelight seems like the only source of light besides the large chandeliers decoratively covered with abstract photographs. It could be a great location for a romantic dinner, but also a stress free night out with your friends. The leather booths have cow skins covering the walls and there are dark mirrors behind the bar area which give you a sense of dining in an ancient castle. The restaurant also has an outside patio convenient for summer nights.

My editor orders the Surf and Turf, which our charming waitress Wendy suggested was very good. I order the short ribs. Our appetizers, also suggested by Wendy are fried chicken skewers and bacon wrapped shrimp. Although reluctant to order the skewers I soon discovered I was thankful to Wendy for suggesting them. The tender meat and light golden coating of fried chicken sans grease was so delicious I could barely tear myself away from this dish in order to leave enough room for the short ribs. 

Surf and Turf, although at first looking rather small turned out to be the perfect size, and once again our waitress was right it was very very good. Especially the grilled lobster, which usually I prefer steamed. My short ribs were also beyond a dream. I am craving them right now as I'm writing this story. Served on a bed of baby bok choy and soft polenta, finished with a braising reduction sauce it's the perfect creation of chef Jose Luis Nolasco.

Even though I am a huge sweet tooth when ordering dessert I felt that the best part was over. I have never been so wrong in my life. Once again kudos to Wendy who said 'Creme Brule is the same in most places but ours is amazing'. She was right. She was also right about the brownie covered in vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, it was unbearably delicious. I cannot wait to go back and have some creme brule. I mean brownie. I mean short ribs. I am going to need some Smith therapy.

Location: 1600 N Cahuenga Blvd Hollywood, CA 90028
Hours: Monday - Friday, 11am-2am Saturday - Sunday, 6pm-2am
Reservations: Highly recommended, and may be made by calling 323.461.5001 or by visiting www.opentable.com or www.citizensmith.com