The Standard Grill
I have given the Standard Hotel a few tries over the last few weeks. Tried the Biergarden, had drinks at the Standard Grill, and also dined at the Standard Grill. My recommendation for the best experience at the Standard Hotel is to stick with drinks at the Standard Grill and enjoy the free apples on the way to the unisex bathroom.
Drinks were all well executed, they are creatively presented and always nice and cold. I have enjoyed the PENNY DROP on two occasions. It was served in a copper cup and included Vodka, House made ginger cordial, lime juice, ginger beer, fresh ginger. You can really taste the fresh ingredients.
The margarita is quite good and they also have an extensive wine list. Don’t forget about their $45 punches that “serve multitudes.” Haven’t tried the punches but looked to be popular in the restaurant.
Don’t get me wrong, the food wasn’t bad, but the lackluster, inattentive service took away from the experience. We waited far too long to be greeted, far too long for water and it took forever to get our drinks. The waiter fumbled through the specials (which were already printed on the menu). The food also took an extended period of time to arrive. To top it off, the bill had a “convenient” 20% service charge added in ( we were a party of 6). Not sure when 20% became a “standard” tip.
There were also some weird elements to the meal. These two items were placed on our table in the beginning of the meal … not sure why? Just seemed random…
We had to ask for bread, which was good. I liked the salty rolls but a few at my table thought they were hard and tough to eat.
I particularly enjoyed my Sunburst Farm Trout, currant & pine nut relish ($19). The trout was cooked perfectly, the charring of the fish added to the taste and the aesthetics. The fish was simply prepared. The sweet currant & pine nut relish was a perfect complement. All in all, the price wasn’t bad either.
The “Million Dollar” Whole Roast Chicken for Two ($34) seemed like a nice gimmick, but, while it was enjoyed, for the price you may find yourself wondering why this “Million Dollar” Chicken isn’t that different from one of those Rotisserie specials at your neighborhood grocery stores (or even Costco for only $4.99). Check out this chicken special I saw while walking through Harlem…
The Standard Grill Ranch Burger with bacon and cheese, fries ($16) looked like a good choice and the people at the table that ordered it seemed to enjoy despite one being slightly overcooked.
Crispy Potatoes With Smoked Paprika Aioli ($7) were excellent.
Rating:
Food – 7/10
Ambiance – 9/10 (Trendy, thoughtful design, cool scene)
Service – 5/10
Category:
Food Type – New American
Style – Casual
Price – Moderate
Wanna go?
Address: 848 Washington Street, 212-645-4500
website – thestandardgrill.com OpenTable – opentable.com/the-standard-grill Menu: http://thestandardgrill.com/menu/
Park Avenue Spring
It’s Springtime, and you know what that means? Time to go to Park Avenue Spring, the restaurant that changes with the seasons. According to Park Avenue Spring’s website, this Spring’s decor was “inspired by a classic English garden with wild, raw vegetation and materials.” This is a perfect special occasion restaurant, though I got the feeling that some of the people dining at the restaurant didn’t need a special occasion to go.
In my past Park Avenue reviews I focused on the use of fresh seasonal ingredients, for this review, the theme is taking traditional recipes and making them better. If you’ve always wanted to try the “twists on traditional recipe” challenges on Top Chef come to Park Avenue Spring.
I started with Thai Minestrone with spring vegetables, lemongrass, and tapioca. The broth had all the flavors of a Thai Tom Yum soup, but the heat wasn’t as overpowering as this is not your neighborhood Thai restaurant. Also, it was clear that the “young” spring vegetables were much fresher. The tapioca, was the perfect end to the bowl of soup, which was designed to be scooped up in the last couple spoonfuls. The use of tapioca was a clever play on the noodles.
Another special dish was the shrimp scampi. Normal “Italian” presentation takes a bunch of shrimp mixed with garlic, butter and white wine, over pasta. Park Avenue Spring shrimp scampi was served on a plate with large fresh shrimp, head on (if you don’t want the heads on, ask and they will take them off) topped with a crunchy pan fried noodle crust instead of your typical bowl of noodles. The pleasure of the dish was the power and flavor of the shrimp without all the typical distracting ingredients. The 3 shrimp included in the appetizer portion was the perfect sampling for us.
In addition to making traditional recipes more modern and desirable, they also do a great job at delivering on the traditional favorites like rack of lamb, filet mignon, burgers, chicken, halibut etc. The Colorado Lamb Chops with rhubarb panzanella were delicious. Cooked exactly as ordered.
Halibut with Black Truffles brioche-crusted poached egg, though cooked perfectly, was a little too salty for my taste.
I hate to say it, but I enjoyed my friend’s halibut preparation with lemon and breadcrumbs more. She also gave a more generous portion, sides, and seconds!
The meal always starts out with one of the best bread baskets in Manhattan. It included flatbreads, corn bread, and a salted herb roll.
The service, as always, it friendly and efficient. We enjoyed sitting in the more intimate section all the way in the back (to the left) of the restaurant as opposed to the larger room to the right.
In addition to the high quality food and presentation, the ambiance and the people watching really kick it up a notch. Prices are inflated, but this is Park Avenue and you have to pay a premium for a chance to bump into Gossip Girl. XOXO (my wife makes me watch).
Hell’s Kitchen
Simple and straight forward American lunch fare. Well executed. Perfect for a “client lunch” with R/GA yet I can see how the sleek and modern restaurant can become a “hot spot” for the dinner crowd in this up-and-coming neighborhood.
I had the grilled portobello sandwich with red peppers, cheddar cheese and red onion marmalade. It was a well executed sandwich –everything served a purpose. The unlikely sharp cheddar (rather than the typical mozzarella) and tasty peppers and marmalade was a nice contrast to the simple and really juicy, generous portobello portion. Loved the fact that while the mushroom was juicy, everything was contained in a large foccocia roll that didn’t get soggy. I ate every bite.
The table ordered salads, sandwiches, and salmon. All seemed to enjoy.
Service was fine at first and food came quickly but waitress went MIA after we ordered. Could have used an iced tea refill.
Rating:
Food – 7/10
Ambiance – 7/10
Service – 7/10
Category:
Food Type – American
Style – Casual, Trendy
Price – Moderate
Wanna go?
Address/phone – 523 9th Ave, New York, NY 10018, (212) 947-4208