Meatpacking District: The much anticipated The Standard Grill, the new restaurant inside Andre Balazs' Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District, opened June 22 after a week of friends and family. The layout includes a front bar room, an expansive main dining room, and a biergarten out back that has yet to open. The kitchen, headed by ex-Lever House and Union Square Cafe chef Dan Silverman, features a menu that will change daily. Reviews have listed the famous patrons, like Anna Wintour and Salman Rushdie, and have praised the restaurant's design. Some have also mentioned the food. On to the mostly good:
The Great News: Gourmet finds that not only is the scene charming, but the food has wit: "From the outside, the Standard Grill looks a bit like a movie set. Inside, it's a scene: L.A. on the Hudson. The beautiful people are three deep at the bar, long-legged around the fire pits on the terrace, and white-toothed over their Malpeques and Dom Perignon. " As for the food, "the kitchen...knows what it's doing. On the menu there are crowd-pleasers like iceberg lettuce with Kentucky bacon and blue cheese dressing and an organic pork chop. There's also a very tasty, accurately cooked (and amusingly named) 'Demi-Vache' rib-eye, a nicely grilled halibut, roasted local beets, duck fat smashed potatoes, and a sense of humor". [Gourmet]
The So So News: Gotham Gal gives a rave review of the ambiance, but her opinion of the food is less glowing. However, she is hopeful it will improve: "Total assessment, is I really did like the vibe. The place just opened, and the menu is pretty big. I would like to go back and check out the 'million dollar' chicken and the steaks. I heard the pork chop was fantastic. There are probably a few highs and a few lows on the menu and will continue to be. But, it is around the corner from me, and I believe the kinks can be worked out. I thought the food was okay, not great, but that was just round one. " [GothamGal]
The Mediocre News: A yelper makes the same joke twice: "I think the best part of the Standard Grill were their cozy booths. The food was Standard, we had the haricots verts salad w/ yogurt, cinnamon, and shallots. Their charred spanish octopus w/ sweet potato and chiles was interesting. My girl ordered the farm rainbow trout, and I had to try their "million dollar" whole rosted chicken, plenty of fries for two. Service still needed some help, but overall,the food and service was Standard." [Yelp]
The Bad News: Per DeirdreMcGuigan: "standard grill = trying way too hard" [Twitter]
The "I Guarantee It Will Be One Of The Hottest Reservations In Town" News: After stopping in at the restaurant during her hotel stay, Ondine Cohane of CNTraveler urges readers to "book a table." She and her dining companions "particularly enjoyed the roast chicken for two, the organic Berkshire pork chop, Atlantic swordfish with ginger, soy, and lime, and duck-fat smashed potatoes and sugar snap peas." Cohane also suggests diners seek out a table in the wine room, which is a little more conversation-friendly than the main room when it's in "full loud swing."
—Leah Herman
