NYC’s The Smith restaurant in talks to open at CityCenterDC

American brasserie The Smith is aiming to open its first location outside of New York at CityCenterDC.

The restaurant’s parent company, Corner Table Restaurants, is in talks with CityCenterDC developer Hines Interests LP, confirms co-founder Jeff Lefcourt.

The group is eyeing a space in the area formerly intended for Apple on Eye Street NW facing the CityCenter’s Northwest Park, adjacent to where Momofuku’s David Chang is also said to be looking at space. Hines declined to comment for this story.


For more on CityCenterDC, check back Friday for our exclusive look at what’s coming to the development.


Known for its mussel pots, decadent mac ’n’ cheese and its raw bar, The Smith serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a “high-energy, classic American brasserie” setting, Lefcourt said.

Although a deal for the CityCenterDC space isn’t inked yet, The Smith will make it to D.C. one way or another, he added.

“About a year ago, we started thinking about D.C. as a great first spot to go to after New York,” Lefcourt said.

It would be the fifth location of The Smith, which has locations in the East Village, Lincoln Center and Midtown and a fourth planned for Manhattan’s Nomad neighborhood. The goal would be to open in D.C. in 2015, Lefcourt said.

The size of the D.C. restaurant is yet to be determined, but all locations of The Smith are relatively large restaurants with large bars and more than 200 seats. For food and dining options in CityCenter, The Smith would join Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, celebrity chef Daniel Boulud’s DBGB Kitchen and Bar, Mango Tree, an upscale Thai restaurant from Richard Sandoval and RareSweets, a bake shop from local pastry chef Meredith Tomason.

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