99 Stanton St. btwn Orchard & Ludlow
(212) 995-0099
http://www.thestantonsocial.com
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
The evening began with a bit of a rocky start. Because I am not the only fan of Stanton Social in New York City, this reservation was not an easy one to score. However, shame on me for thinking anyone gets anywhere by 7 o'clock these days. Thank god for the 15 minute grace period, but we still weren't looking good when only 1 of the 4 in our party had arrived at 7:30 (and I was not that one...early start to my New Years Resolution of making friends with the subway/weaning myself off of my hardcore cab addiction. Again, shame on me).
We finally arrive and while I totally get it, I thought it was rude when they gave us a mandatory departure time (8:45). Fortunately, they didn't end up enforcing the deadline, and I didn't feel like the service was rushed at all either.
The premise of Stanton Social is sharing a bunch of different dishes. Worked out well, because I seriously wanted everything on the menu and NEVER would have been able to dwindle my choices down to one. I love that about great menus---when you would be perfectly happy with anything!
So first up...the signature French onion soup dumplings. Almost everyone who has been to Stanton Social brings up the French onion soup dumplings, and I would guess 99% of the tables ordered them that evening. So even despite the extremely high expectations, the hype still understated the magnificence of these little dumplings.
Just when I didn't think Round 1 could be topped, I was pleasantly wrong. The Butternut squash and sweet potato ravioli with vanilla brown butter & candied pecans were pure heaven. Salivating as I think about them and upload the photo.
The other 2 dishes were solid although not as life-altering as the first 2. Red snapper tacos would probably be enjoyed by most people, but I have zero tolerance for anything spicy. Moo shu shrimp was a cute option to see on the menu. For a clever twist, the pancakes were more crepesque than your typical Chinese takeout places. The presentation was gorgeous, but the flavors themselves were not as memorable.
Overall, perhaps my favorite spot I've encountered so far in the city. A sure-not-to-disappoint selection and not outrageously expensive. Overhyped but I don't care. It gets a lot of hype for good reason.
Go or No Go? Go
3 comments:
ahh Staton Social, still have vivid memories of our first time with the dumplings! Counting down the days until my dinner reservation in 2 weeks!!
It seems too early to break my dieting new year's resolution, but it does sound yummy! So when are you taking us there?
can't wait to try this place!
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