The Stanton Social
Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Tapas Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Lower East Side99 Stanton St
(between Ludlow St & Orchard St)
New York, NY 10002 (212) 995-0099
- Nearest Transit:
Delancey-Essex Sts (F, J, M, Z)
2nd Ave-Houston St (F, V)
Grand St (B, D)
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
222 Reviews for The Stanton Social
One star for the vanilla cucumber martini. One star for crabcake corn doggs. Minus one star for giving my company food poisoning due to uncooked lamb.
Sat upstairs at the bar around 8 on a tuesday (my M.O), ate some little nibbles of food drank three martinis, left with a 140 dollar bill. Way to packed to be enjoyable, felt like I was in the middle of some wierdo disco dance club with a bunch of people who just jumped off the real housewives of new york ship.
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I came here twice, once on a date and the second time with girlfriends. Fun for a date, you get to order many things and share. We went on a weekday and sat downstairs, so it was not as loud as it was the second time, when I went on Saturday night. The second time we sat upstairs (location of the bar) and the music was verrry loud.
I guess I don't really care that it's that loud because I think the food is great and I have lots of fun (and drinks) each time.
yum yum yum
i've been here twice and haven't been disappointed. you would think by it's appearance, website, and clientele, that it's just one of those "we are trying really hard to be hip and cool, but we also want to be cold and sophisticated" kind of places. while it does have that vibe, they have some stand up food. the first time i came here was a couple of years ago and i didn't really consider myself a "foodie" which i do now. i'm not sure if i'd go back unless i lived in nyc, but i do have rather fond memories of the food.
french onion soup dumplings... this was the dish that came with a lot of recommendations. it's a nifty idea. a french spin on a classic chinese comfort food. it was pretty damn good. you got the feeling of dumplings, but the usual burning gush of pork and broth was replaced by the dark onion goodness associated with french onion soup.
red snapper tacos... pretty damn good as well. if you aren't a fan of masa, you might prefer these over your neighborhood fish tacos.
maine crabcake corn dogs... i remember eating these. they were tasty, but nothing all too memorable.
kobe beef burger... two wonderfully crafted sliders packaged with tasty homemade chips. the burgers are topped with a pickle and i'm guessing homemade ketchup which actually tastes more like bbq sauce. at least that's what i tell myself because i detest ketchup.
stanton social beef wellington... this one is their heavy hitter. i'm guessing this the entree sized portion inclusion into the menu. it was alright. the components make it sound lovely, but maybe i'm just not a fan of puff pastry.
ceviche... don't see this on the menu anymore, but they had a really good ceviche the first time i went. my friend became a ceviche convert after having it here. it must have been that good.
donuts... i was too lazy to check the recent menu, but i do remember getting these scrumptious little morsels.
as far your money, stanton social is pretty standard to me for an upscale, small plates place. the wait staff CAN be nice and attentive, but i wouldn't have any problem believing that they can be cold and forgetful as well. stanton social is what you'd expect for a place like this, except the food is much better than expected.
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This place is great for a small group - or for a first date when you are afraid you'll have nothing to talk about since you can always make conversation about the food your sharing or about the crazy drunk people almost falling down the stairs coming down from the bar. Must haves are the pierogies and the sliders, and the donuts (even if gimmiky). Good food, good atmosphere, just try it already.
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I'm reviewing for brunch- I haven't been here for dinner or the bar scene. I thought it was delicious: I love the idea of brunch "tapas" because I always wish I could order multiple things and try a bite of each! My companion and I ordered the strawberry-orange pop tarts, the warm donuts with caramel sauce (O.M.G.), the Kobe beef sliders, the sausage biscuit w/ gravy sliders, the goat cheese & potato pierogies, and the homestyle meatballs with ricotta. Everything was delicious, although I was slightly disappointed with the Kobe sliders--they tasted heavily of salt, and the vinegary pickle really drowned out the buttery beef taste. (Basically they could have used regular chuck and I wouldn't have known the difference.) The biscuit on the sausage sliders was soft and sopped up the gravy nicely, and it was a nice surprise to have a smoked sausage link instead of the usual patty. The drinks were a highlight: the cucumber-vanilla martini and the basil-lime gimlet were perfect. I love the warm, wood-accented atmosphere, and I wanted to transplant the fabulous red bathroom into my apartment!
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If I am lucky, I will die choking on a Kobe beef slider while having sex.
Yes, they are that good.
In an effort to find a suitable place for my BFF's bachelorette dinner, I bribed the boy into trying out the Stanton Social with me. Here's everything we tried:
The drinks were tasty and inventive, via:
Blood-Orange Jalepeno Margarita
Basil-Gin Mojito
Watermelon-Ginger Margarita
Something else that was really good and gin based...I forget, however Pegu Club and PDT do cocktails better.
1/2 dozen Oysters - Though we'd like to consider ourselves adventurous, this was the first time either one of us had raw oysters. And they were...f*cking amazing! It was a total Anthony Bourdain from (the book) Kitchen Confidential moment; sea-salty flavorful, fresh, and oddly sexual.
Kobe Beef sliders - See comment above.
Chicken-n-Waffles - Good but not great. Maybe I'm just a displaced GRITS (girl raised in the south) but when I think of chicken-n-waffles, I'm thinking FRIED CHICKEN with crispy coating and etc. This chicken, though flavorful, was grilled! WTF?!
This dish would be better orchestrated as a salad; grilled chicken, waffle-like bread bits, mixed mesclun greens, with that yummy maple syrup/balsamic vinaigrette reduction as the salad dressing...I could support that.
French Onion Soup Dumpling - Uber-stinky cheese (expect a weird look or two from tables in your vicinity) but damned tasty.
Pickles - Meh. Maybe this is more a reflection of the actual pickle company (Gus's) but most of our spears were too 'new' ie; still cucumbers
1/2 a star off for the chicken in the chicken-n-waffles, and the too new pickles.
1/2 a star off for being just a *bit* too loud. I understand it's a trendy and scene-y place (lots of rich bitches and the sugar daddies that love them,) but there's a weird paradigm that Stanton Social gets you caught in: When you enter the resto and notice the loud music, you adjust your volume to be heard across your table...then they turn up the music, forcing you to raise your volume...and so it goes.
1/2 a star off for not knowing (or being told by the hostess or the waiter) that there was a lounge upstairs; though we were stuffed from our meal, we definitely would have continued drinking at the bar had we known of its existence!
Total: 3.5 stars, but I really liked this place, so I'll round it up to 4. I'd go again, in a heartbeat (or as soon as our just-outta-undergrad-broke-asses can afford it again.)
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This place is a fun and whimsical dining experience. I went with two friends and we loved everything we tasted. The drinks are tasty and the French onion soup dumplings and the duck confit empanadas are a must. Our only complaint was that our servers were a little over-bearing. They cleared our dishes as our last spoonfulls reached our mouths or (even worse) before we were done! Also the second we took the last sip of our drinks someone was over to ask if we wanted another. It felt like they were watching our every breath. Otherwise, it started our nights off on a real high note and I will definitely be back.
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I had my 25th birthday here in January. It was me and 6 girlfriends... we had 10pm reservations on a Friday night. We used opentable.com to make the reservation, and made sure to confirm our table a night or two before.
We walked in at 10pm, and were seated immediately. We got a large round table on the first floor. We each ordered a dish, and they prepared it so that each one of us got to try one of each... really nice of them since it was an odd number of us.
We got the sliders (ok), quesadillas (a little too smokey/bacon), red snapper tacos (um... i dunno), risotto cakes (yuck), soup dumplings (great), crab corndogs (interesting)... and i forget the last thing we got?
We also got cocktails for the table. (can't comment on specialty cocktails, I had jack on the rocks...) And donut things for dessert. (great)
The service was fine... very attentive and accomodating.
Patrons were hip and downtown chic... lots of young twentysomethings with too much money. They were fun, and a table of gay boys invited us to a party that same night... so cute.
Eh, not so impressed.
We were a large party of 18 who made a reservation a long time in advance. We were seated on the mezzanine level in a space that should have been for 12. We were on top of each other. Good thing we're all friends! And holy loudness! It was so loud you couldn't talk to anyone except the individuals to your left, right and directly in front of you and you still had to yell to them.
The slew of tapas we had were good, but not amazing. What I remember are the chicken and cashew spring rolls, red snapper tacos, kobe sliders, chicken and waffles, and the grilled pizzeta. The fresh made donuts with dipping sauces for dessert were awesome!
I probably would not go back here to eat for one reason, and that's how loud it is. To grab a drink would be fine, but if you want to actually talk to someone, go somewhere else.
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I have to complain about the bathroom facilities.
On the first floor, there is only 1 bathroom stall. ONE STALL.
On the second floor, there are 2 stalls. TWO.
No one told me about the two upstairs, so I was waiting for someone in that 1 stall for quite awhile. I'm shocked my bladder did not explode.
Now about the food: I can't really remember much of it. I really wasn't super impressed by the food. I had the red snapper tacos, which were decent. The lobster rolls were actually quite good - the roll is a bit sweet, and makes it a good combination. Plus it came with these potato chips, and those were probably the best chips I ever had. Also probably the greasiest. Goat tacos were okay, and it turns out I'm not a huge fan of goat.
What I really enjoyed were the sugared donuts that came with the caramel, raspberry, and chocolate dipping sauce. It's so simple, but so delicious, and fun, too! We also had a platter of Jamie's cookies, but small little mini versions of the picture posted on Yelp. Those are greaaaat cookies.
Other foods that were unremarkable: fries, french onion soup dumpling, mooshu shrimp wraps.
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Has been great every time I've been there. The only negative is that one time we sat upstairs in the bar area and we sat at this weird sideways facing table. Other than that, the food was good - especially the dessert. The perogies are great, though probably not as popular as some of their more famous options.
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In attendance for a birthday party. Expected an over-hyped, played out restaurant. The atmosphere was a bit seen-be-seen, but the food was amazing. I mean, every bite delicious goodness. Every bite, yum. Not one bad plate. Those spare ribs - I could live in the sauce. The miso glazed sea bass had a butter like texture. The steak frites perfectly proportioned. I was in love with the pork tacos. I'm making a return trip very soon.
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Stanton Social is one of my favorite restaurants in the whole city -- it's sleek and has a menu full of small plates, which are perfect for sharing. The ambiance is young but refined, and the circular booths lend themselves to conversation. It's an enjoyable experience on all fronts, and it helps that the food is absolutely delicious (and there are several iterations of goat cheese on the menu, which never hurts!) Try the sliders (with pickles from the LES pickle man!), the French onion soup dumplings, and the potato and goat cheese pierogies -- and don't miss the chocolate tasting plate for dessert! You won't be disappointed.
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I really want to love this place, because its take on tapas is really great. French onion soup dumplings covered in crusty Gruyere? Amazing. Beef Wellington? Awesome. Ribs? Terrible. Tacos? Eh. The scene? Crowded and loud, but hip and fun. Great place for a table of 8 friends. Pricey? You bet. They must water their drinks down here in a big way because I don't think any of us have ever left this place with a good buzz.
This is Stanton Social. A hodgepodge of experiences ranging from amazingly good to amazing lame. We pretty much tried the entire menu the last time we went there, costing us a hefty 4-digit check. We had a great time all in all, and if we stick to what we know is good, I think we'd come back.
My suggestion - read the reviews so you know what to order and what to avoid. And be sure to get your buzz on earlier in the evening.
Recommended:
- Potato and goat cheese pierogies
- French onion soup dumplings
- East & west coast oysters
- Maine crabcake corn dogs
- Lobster roll sliders
- Kobe beef burger sliders
- Hanger steak and tater tots
- Beef Wellington
- Mac and cheese
- Godiva hot chocolate shots
And be sure to tell them not to rush it all out at once!
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This place is great to take a date! Just be prepared to drop a good amount of money if you come hungry... the tapas aren't expensive individually, but at the tiny portions they give out, it adds up fast! The food was good, my boyfriend loved the kobe beef sliders. One thing I wasn't a big fan of was the french onion soup dumplings... they tasted okay but they smelled like dirty socks. And you cannot leave this restaurant without trying the warm doughnut dessert... they're huge munchkins that come out piping hot, rolled in sugar, with 3 sauces on the side... heavenly! Quite possibly the best dessert I've ever had at a restaurant.
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Alright have to give it a 4,
-1 star because of how SCENE it is...
+4 stars because the food really is good, the drinks are very interesting and well made
only been here once but i was craving to go back, properly dressed and to eat more...
crowd is hip, 20's and 30's very much a scene place but also has the ability to let you bring a date here.
trust me, dress nicely or else you'll feel out of place.
kinda pricey....
great food choices - however i was with a bunch of wanna be models and couldnt really touch anything....i want to try more now!
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Crowded and loud but hip and fun as described below is correct! Some of the food is delish...some is a stomach ache waiting to happen! Expensive obvi. I would go back though although 'm not sure why...service was great and I love the decor of the lounge area upstairs...
[Gentleman enters wearing crisp linen shirt, casual trousers and a suspicious smile. His demeanor is pleasant but there is sweat rolling down the sides of his forehead.]
Gentleman: Hi. I am here for my 9:30 reservation. Party of seven. Last name is Odom.
Hostess: I'm so sorry. It is 9:37. We gave away your table. We should have another opening around 10pm if you'd like to wait. In the meantime you can have drinks upstairs if you like.
Gentleman: You gave away our table for being seven minutes late? Are you kidding me?
Hostess: No sir. I'm not kidding. We are a busy restaurant and some guests from the NY Giants came in tonight and were waiting patiently so we gave them your table.
Gentleman: If I had a big ring and a platinum AMEX would you give me a table even if it was reserved for another party?
Hostess: To be honest? Yes sir. I probably would.
[Gentleman reaches for his accomplices ring finger, slides off gaudy, oversized ring, slips it on his right ring finger and in one fluid motion whips out a platinum AMEX card]
Gentleman: Excellent because I am starving!
NOTE: The food was quite good as well. The service was attentive and professional. The drinks, although a bit overpriced, were well made. Overall, I think the gentleman was quite pleased.
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WOW!!!
A "trendy" place that is consistently excellent!
The food here is amazing.
The staff, on the whole, very nice.
The crowd varies, but ain't so bad.
I recommend EVERYONE should eat here atleast once.
It's just so good!!!!!
I ate here last night and have been twice in the past.
Definitely love the food. We shared the edamame which while good is super messy....but I guess that's part of the fun. I had the chillean sea bass skewers - LOVED them. One of my friends had the chicken and waffles and the other had the beef wellington. Both loved their dishes.
Oh, we also had a half dozen oysters which were great. I have only been eating oysters for a few months and I so far these were the best.
The service is good although our waiter was kind of blah....although it is not his job to be the circus clown but I like a server with a personality not blah mcblahenstein......
It definitely is a scene and very noisey in there but that is the story and I think Stanton is sticking to it!
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Killer drinks. Literally. Felt like I was going to fall over when I stood up from my blood orange jalapeno margarita. But, the zuchinni tempura, the amaaaazing miso glazed edamame, the fish snapper tacos, the shrimp, the mascarpone risotto cakes (omg) and the desert shots were fantastic. I can't wait to go back and have EVERYTHING else on the menu. Make a res!
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I really like this place... and not just because it's trendy! The food is actually good here! It's a great place to go to if you have a lot of people or want to meet for drinks. Aside from that, two dishes that I absolutely recommend and have been craving for lately are the red snapper tacos and the chicken and waffles.
Ever since I got back from Los Angeles, I've been searching for a place in the city that has anything close to it and Stanton Social's is quite good although on the small side. (They are sharing plates, after all.) Everything here is shared. Anyway, the other dishes I've had were alright for me and not extremely memorable but if I can't remember them, they must not have been that bad. I had a good experience there and I will definitely be back for more chicken and waffles and fish tacos. *drool*
Stanton social is very scene-y but in a fun way. We had a reservation and had to wait a half hour for our table, which was annoying, but I 'm glad we waited. We were seated at a booth in the middle of the restaurant. It is loud in there. It's a great place to share appetizers and martinis with your girlfriends. Either my 7 friends didn't eat or drink as much as I did because I found our bill to be very reasonable.
I went there on a Sunday afternoon with my close friend and we really enjoyed ourselves. Brunch was over so we shared a few appetizers and a bottle Riesling. Everything was great! The Rhode Island Lobster roll was delicious. The waiter was nice and allowed us to take our time. We both loved it and will go back to try their brunch.
Oh and I signed the comment card and received an e-mail a week later from the chef inviting us to go again. That was very nice and thoughtful and added to the experience.
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Our party of eight ran the gamut of New Yorkers from creative, non-profit to finance. We all enjoyed ourselves but good luck talking to someone not beside you.
My faves were the red snapper tacos, potato & goat cheese pierogies and wok charred endamame. As for the meat eaters, the meatballs were a dud. Haricot verts rounded out the meal.
Smores cake was just a marketing ploy to sell a bad molten chocolate tart. My suggestion is to do dessert and coffee elsewhere.
Tip: If you are vegan or lactose- intolerant, they dust everything with cheese. Request that they hold the sprinkle.
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For some reason I ended up here twice in the same week. First I had a Sunday Brunch date which went so so. The Brunch Food was good but we confused the busboy since we wanted our pancakes after our savory dishes. So we ended waiting a long time before anything arrived. I was starving. I then ended there for dinner for a group event. They placed us at the table near the waiting area which was a little weird. I really have to say I am no fan of the drinks. They really need to take some lessons from Little Branch, Milk & Honey, etc. The bill got out of hand especially when the vegan in our group ordered stuff to share that no one else wanted. On the hand the decor is really nice and the waitstaff is very friendly.
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(Jan/ 2007)
Creative and innovative tapas-- great for dinner for two! (The place is big-- great for large groups as well)
Virtually everything we chose-- all 6 dishes-- were fantastic! The french onion soup balls were the most unusual and original dish I have seen and downright delicious. We had everything from ceviche to tacos to empanadas and even powdered donuts for dessert. You can't go wrong here. And the drinks were equally good.
I'd request for the hostess to call a cab back to your hotel if you're planning to dine here late night. It''s not necessarily subway friendly.
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French onion soup dumplings! Yes, this place is overrated and overpriced, but these alone make it worth it. Had a really good time, despite the fact that I've had to wait almost 45 minutes for a table when I had reservations.
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Just aright ... I think it was a hell of a lot better a few years back. The slides and lobster roll where good and they where generous with the drinks.
My only peeve was that they brought out regular milk with the coffee instead of cream! Come on at least ask.
Overall it a nice place to impress a first date or meet up with all your friends. The food could be better for the price.
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Stumbled up the stairs to the bar after "Bachlorette Dinner #1" of the weekend. Bachlorette Dinner #1 included copious amounts of wine, which leaves me with a somewhat blurry recollection of the evening and a hangover that made "Bachlorette Dinner #2" of the weekend something of a chore.
That being said, the following is what I know about The Stanton Social:
1. Everything about the place is sexy. Maybe even sexy enough to inspire me to make out with a super hot lawyer. Uh, AND his girlfriend.
2. Hmmmm. Apparently there is no #2. All I know is that The Stanton Social is super sexy and capable of inspiring straight girls like me to make out with straight girls like me.
So....yeah. That's what I know about The Stanton Social.
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I love tapas style restaurants because you get to try a little bit of EVERYTHING. We came for my friend's birthday and ordered assorted dishes and desserts. I liked everything we ordered (and we practically ordered everytong on the menu since we were a party of 7). I also liked all of the desserts. Pretty much you can't go wrong with anything on the menu (unless you are with someone who is a picky eater).
You have to go in anticipating that all the dishes are super small (which means it will be an expensive meal). Also, you must make reservations in advance and they will only hold the table for 15 min - they threatened to give our table away even though it wasn't busy.
Service is good and the seating is comfortable. Good cocktail menu.
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Like a certain CW teen drama that may or may not rhyme with "Boss sip Pearl", the Stanton Social is one of my most enjoyable guilty pleasures. Yes, it's overrun with B &Ters on the weekends, and yes it's over-priced for small plates, but damn if I don't love it every time I go here.
First off, I'm a complete sucker for good design, and it's totally beautiful inside, especially the upstairs lounge. Perfectly dim lighting, pretty antique hand mirrors on the wall, and another wall of wine bottles arranged in a herringbone pattern, apparently an homage to the neighborhood's past life as a garment district. Love it.
And now, the food--as with any small plates restaurant, there are going to be hits and misses, but at SS I feel I've had mostly hits. Most notably, the French Onion Soup Dumplings (I'm quite confident I could eat about 5 orders of these on my own), tuna tartare spring rolls, warm donuts with 3 dipping sauces, the raw bar platter...and finally, the Kobe slider.
The Stanton Social slider singlehandedly (alliteration, yes!) moved me from the category of People Who Don't Eat Red Meat into the category of People Who Eat EVERYTHING, and I thank it for making me the person I am today. Seriously, that was it--one bite and vegetarianism was out the window. Am I really that impressionable? It would appear to be the case.
I think what it really comes down to is this: finger food is fun, and high-concept finger food (um hello crab cake corn dogs?) is really fun when it's done well in a beautiful space and with tasty drinks (a little on the fruity side, but hey--guilty pleasure, remember?). Stanton Social, I don't care if you're too post-trendy or expensive. You are delicious and beautiful and I'll eat your donuts any day!
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Came here for really late night food after happy hour at Verlaine. We sat upstairs since the downstairs area was full. It's a lot of couches and low tables. I saw a jalapeno infused tequila drink on the menu and had to snatch it up even though I probably needed to be cut off, damn you Verlaine! It was very good, not quite as good as the one I had at Death & Co though.
For dinner we had the Kobe Burger ($7) (you only get one, not worth $7, but good), one of the grilled pizzettas with sausage and grilled peaches ($14) (SO good), and the yellowfin tuna sashimi $15 (I hate raw fish, but I ate it anyway and it was good). Overall everything was delicious, but definitely on the pricey side. They had very inventive twists on originals. I wanted to order one of everything. I would make this a date night where I'm not paying.
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Go to the bar upstairs in a group of three or more, because otherwise they'll force you to share the padded sectional sofas with another group of two, which is a tad too close for comfort. My friends and I tried to make do by turning our backs, but still, we heard every word of the couple's conversation. The waitress tried to spin as "everyone shares here" but really, sometimes, you want some space! I had the white wine spritzer, which was light and refreshing - though I tossed the straw aside immediately. Who wants to drink from a straw from a wine glass? We tried the chicken and waffles, which featured cheddar waffles. More intriguing in name than in taste.
Very tasty, very innovative, very hip and very, very, very loud.
Seriously, I'm only 20 years old and this place had me feeling like a middle aged person wishing for an aspirin from the loudness of the music. The food was really good, all were very creative interpretations of the original dishes and were good for sharing. I love tapas style eating because you can sample as many dishes as you want. I would recommend the French onion soup dumplings, the duck empanadas, the passionfruit cheesecake with basil sorbet (so refreshing), and the 90 proof milkshake shots.
But the music was way too loud. I understand that it's trying to be hip and stylish, but really. When I'm eating I want to be able to talk to my dining companions. I would return here for brunch, but not for dinner. The wait was also awful even though I'd made reservations before hand. The hostess was also terrible, possibly the most vapid, dull-eyed creature I have ever met in my life. If she wasn't a size zero, there is no way that she would ever be in the working world. I went up no less than 5 times to inquire after my table and each time she would ask for every single piece of information all over again, then sort of wander around lifelessly without seeming to be actively looking for a table before telling me it would be a while longer. She even had the nerve to cut me off midway through me telling her my name, to 'HOLD ON A SECOND!' Seriously? I have been holding on for thirty minutes!! Ugh, I hate incompetent people.
Anyway, good food, not too ridiculous prices, would return for lunch/brunch.
July 28, 2008
So I did return for brunch, and this time I was somewhat underwhelmed. Thankfully, the music was softer, providing a nicer atmosphere and I was seated almost immediately. I guess the incompetent hostess only works the night shift. The brunch offerings are pretty much the same with the addition of a few breakfast foods (pancakes, eggs benny, etc). This time however, I found the food a little unsatisfying. It's as though once you get over the novelty factor of everything being tiny and cute and creative, it actually isn't that great. The food's still good, but there's no wow-factor on the repeat visit. So, three stars.
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Jesus, this place has a lot of reviews.
We were about 10 minutes late for our reservation (I called ahead and told them we were running late) but had to wait about another 20 minutes. Luckily, it was probably some of the best tapas I've ever had. One of the best cocktails, too (basil lime gimlet).
We had goat cheese dumplings, some french fries, risotto cakes, duck sausage... I don't know, something else. Everything was great. I would definitely go back and try the raw bar and go with a bigger group so I can get one of those cool leather couches.
The only reason I subtracted a star is because the restaurant is a carbon copy of so many other LES places. It follows the same red-and-black-dimly-lit-downtempo-music-in-backgro und formula and attracts that same sort of crowd. Perhaps I'm one of those sheep, too, though....
I love brunch so much. Especially here. Went this past weekend as part of a great Spring day in the city!
I would avoid taking the waitress' suggestion and ordering everything on the menu unless you don't plan on eating again for a week. We got the warm doughnuts with caramel (!), the breakfast bruschetta (a fav around the table), chocolate pancakes AND banana pancakes, sausage biscuits and gravy (my fav-I'm a Southerner), Kobe beef sliders, and on and on and on. So...much...food. But so good. And washed down with a tasty bellini!
Making this list has made me hungry. The Stanton Social again this weekend?
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I came here for dinner with a few friends visiting from out of town. We sat upstairs in the lounge, which had couches and tiny low tables. Cool atmosphere, but it was kind of hard to eat because the tables were so small that once a plate of food arrived, there wasn't much space for our own individual small plates. We ended up eating with the plates on our laps.
I love restaurants with small plates because you get to try a little bit of everything. The french onion soup dumplings were an interesting take on a popular soup. The dumplings were filled with onions and a little beef broth, so the "soup" was inside, then smothered with a stinky melted cheese. It was pretty good, but I'd have preferred a little more liquid, which is what I imagine when I see the word soup on the title of the dish.
The next few dishes we had were all pretty good too, and combined sweet and salty flavors that complemented each other well. There were the quesedillas with apples, brie, bacon bits and a sweet mustard sauce, the grilled pizzete with apple-chicken sausage and grilled peaches, and the chicken and waffles with balsamic maple syrup, which all had interesting flavors. They definitely get high points for the creativity of their dishes!
For dessert we shared the molten smores cake and the chocolate tasting. The smores cake was ok, basically like a molten chocolate cake with melted marshmallow in the middle instead of hot chocolate sauce. But it wasn't the best. The cake itself was very dense and it just wasn't very special or memorable. The presentation was cute, it came with a graham cracker stuck in it and was served with a tiny glass of milk.
The chocolate tasting was exceptionally decadent. We had a chocolate mouse, chocolate panna cotta, truffles with a deliciously crunchy outer shell, lemon curd brownie, peppermint patties, and chocolate ice cream with crunchy cookie crumbs on the bottom. For the most part they were pretty good and weren't too sweet, which I liked. I wasn't a huge fan of the mousse but I loved the ice cream and everything else was pretty good, but there was just so much food on the plate. I recommend splitting this one between at least 4 people.
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I was really looking forward to trying this place out. I went with a group of friends for a birthday dinner. The food wasn't bad but also not particularly worth the price. Our group sat under the stairs in the back and right after we had paid the check a waiter dropped 10 wine glasses onto our table from the stairs above. Luckily they were empty. They all shattered and there was glass everywhere. I was at least expecting a drink at the bar since we had already paid but no one apologized or offered. All the waiter said was he needed the table. Rude. You should never come home from dinner and find glass in your purse. I will not be returning.
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