Stanton Social

Sleek and sexy, oozing with ambiance, The Stanton Social is a port for all trendy people on the Lower East Side. I have wanted to eat at Stanton Social ever since I moved to New York, but for whatever reason have never been able to make an appearance...so when a group of friends from college came in town, my good friend Cole suggested that we all go here and I was ECSTATIC. It was truly what I like to call a "dining night," lots of different items stretched out over three hours, with great people.

As we walked into the restaurant we were quickly ushered upstairs to the bar where the rest of our party was waiting. Lined with mirrors all over the walls, in a dimly lite room, I felt

like I was somewhere I shouldn't have been -- and I liked it. Crowed on a Thursday, I hung back and sipped on some water while I waited for those glorious words "your table is ready." Sure enough 15 minutes later we ventured back down the steep staircase and were sat at the first table in the front by the windows; this would later prove to be a mistake on their part.

We were fortunate enough to have such a large group that we were able to select items from the menu and create our own pre-fixed menu. Let me tell you, this was one of the best calls I have seen in all my dining experience. I later learned that Cole and Leah hand-picked the items on the menu, I will say that 9 out of 11 were homeruns. With only two being lackluster, Stanton Social is ranking high in my Frugal Foodie book.

For our first course we had:

• Nori Spice Tuna Tartare Roll
• Chipotle Grilled Shrimp - tomatillo and feta relish
• Dry Rubbed & Charred Chicken Wings - chipotle, molasses & bourbon glaze, bleu cheese fondue

I will just spare everyone the guessing game - the tuna was out of this world. Had this been at the end of the meal and I was a little tipsy, I gladly would have eaten the entire plate. I mean, it was that good. The shrimp however, was a TOTAL

miss for me. I am not a huge crustaceans fan, but still even people at the table who love shrimp, thought that the shrimp were tough. Maybe it was an off night, but I would not order that again from anywhere. Wings, totally different story. Smoky, crispy, charred, heat. All things that make for an incredible wing were there, I didn't really care for the bleu cheese fondue, it kind of settled by

the time it got to me and was cold so I didn't see or care for the fondue part, but either way it wasn't really necessary, the wings were perfect on their own.

Quickly after I devoured all that came the next round:

• Beef Carpaccio - pickled shallot, fried capers, wholegrain mustard-creme fraiche

I am happy to say that some people would not touch the raw meat. This was great for me. I could easily eat that everyday and must learn how to fry capers. In my opinion, that is what made this dish go from delicious to extraordinary. The salty, sweetness that is capers, combined with a deep crunch, just changed the game. I mean it was really, really nicely done. I dare say it rivals Craft.

After having seconds on that course, the kind wait staff at Stanton Social realized it might be a

good idea to wait a second before bringing the third course and I thank them for that. I might have died if they kept the food coming so quickly. Eventually, the third course came and I was back in action:

• Kobe Beef Burgers with bbq sauce
• Rhode Island Lobster Roll
• Braised Short Rib Soft Tacos - tomato, red onion, cilantro & smoked paprika relish, 'refried' cranberry beans
• Frites with red chile mayo
• Grilled Asparagus - lemon oil & smoked sea salt

Um. Seriously. My mouth is watering as I write this. Let's just get this out the way - no one liked

the lobster roll. It was a traditionally Northeastern lobster roll and being that our entire table was Southern, it just did nothing for us, at least not on my end. The lobster was fine and tender, but really the celery was just way too overpowering. Not good. However, the Kobe sliders and short rib tacos more than made up for that. The burgers were cooked medium and so juicy I probably went through about 5 napkins just from having one. Soft, sweet onions on top with a tangy bbq sauce made these stand out from any other sliders that I have had. And then the short ribs. I have been on a real short kick lately as you might have read in my STK post. These were just as tender, and packed with flavor. I think everyone agreed that the sliders and tacos were their favorites of the night.

The frites were great, the asparagus forgettable, but the night was not over yet. We still had dessert...

• Warm Doughnuts - caramel, chocolate and raspberry dipping sauce
• Cookies

The doughnuts were light and fluffy, more like a little beignet that you dip in the respective sauces. I thought it was a fun interactive treat and a nice way to end the night. The cookies were great too, the provided a wide variety and were good for a group - the key lime cookie in particular.

This was a great, great, night filled with lots of laughs and great food. I think this was the perfect atmosphere for groups and I would highly recommend going there with any big party.

Stanton Social

99 Stanton St.

New York, NY 10002