The Citizen Smith location was once a newspaper. It can be found in old, dusty, Hollywood, less than a block south of Hollywood Boulevard. What is cool about Citizen Smith is that it is rustic. It is a step back into time with the look of a hip saloon. The smoked mirrors are wall to wall and a sunken lounge peeks from the back. The decorations are a mixture of outdoor dining antiques that meet rock wood and stone dark wood tables. Citizen Smith is a restaurant that rests on the idea of tradition. It is a rather nostalgic idea that just kept going. Oval and square tables are just the right type of music for different times of day. Citizen Smith is a comfortable and rich feeling. The mood is, “We made our money and we are just here to have fun and serve.” Citizen Smith has a reduction feeling of itself. In that, the invitation is genuine.
A full bar has all beers by the bottle and they are served in Mason jars. Along with those cold ones, there is a petite wine list that is basic to the cuisine desert. The Americana menu is exactly what is portrayed, although, I would love to see the use of organic ingredients. It is just like your American ancestors imagined food to be. I wonder how they felt eating their first strawberry short cake or apple pie after a long stagecoach ride in the dusty plains. Citizen Smith is a celebration of this simple American fare.
Lunch can be low key, long, and spacious. This is the perfect place to write or meet a special friend. You can hang out here from lunch to closing. If you have time to kill, find yourself at Citizen Smith. But, it would be difficult to kill time being that Citizen Smith is timeless and it changes according to the day.
Ole Suzanna, don’t you cry for me. I’ll come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee.
Rating—Cool
