The Smile

The Smile has an artfully rustic atmosphere that must have been painstakingly cultivated but, to its credit, doesn’t come off that way. The place serves breakfast, lunch, and coffee to a young, stylish, arty crowd — the sort of self-selecting clientele drawn to similarly conceived places like Freemans (which it resembles, minus the taxidermy), or Vinegar Hill House in Brooklyn. Things get more ambitious at dinner, when the dimly lit, wood-ceilinged space feels even more charming and tavernesque. There are little snacks to begin — goat cheese in olive oil and herbs, a terrific pickle plate, a trio of Greek-inspired dips. Entrées number only five, without a burger or mac ‘n’ cheese among them. Tender lamb meatballs float in a ras-el-hanout-scented tomato sauce while roast chicken is coated in balsamic vinegar.