"Shade has hit its stride. There are lots of cultures represented, but the flavors are distinct. Sure, there's some fusion going on, like when Smith uses duck confit to stuff an Asian spring roll served with a Vietnamese dipping sauce. But you don't find three or four languages employed to describe a single dish. There are Southern dishes, Tex-Mex dishes and Asian dishes on the menu, each served with a Claire Smith twist."

"There's a freshness and joy to her menu that's a very welcome development." "Smith 's latest ideas emerged from the kitchen tasting vivid, simple and effective. A gorgeous hunk of pan-seared tuna won me over with a riveting, brothy tomato sauce in which a briny olive note sang right through. It tasted as clean and modern as it looked, stacked high on a ring of crisp-edged polenta with arrows of yellow pepper."