Stanton Social is one of those restaurants that I have heard about frequently, and has been on my list to try for a while, yet I never get around to it! Then, when my friends chose this restaurant for a happy hour, it was the perfect opportunity and I came here early for dinner first! It was a lot more scene-y than I expected for the area, very darkly lit and quite loud.
When our waiter first told us that the portions were "small plates" and meant for sharing, he suggested 6-7 dishes for the two of us. However, my friend and I figured we would just order a few dishes since we weren't that hungry. She had no idea what she wanted, so she just let me order. (I warned her that if she just let me order, all I would order is fish haha.) We ordered 3 dishes first - the red snapper tacos, tuna tartare roll, and the wasabi crusted salmon (since the waiter noted that this was a more substantial dish, worth the higher price of $17).
Red Snapper Tacos creamy avocado & spicy mango
First off, when the red snapper tacos got to the table, my friend and I both remarked about how adorable they were. The taste did not disappoint either. I've never really been a fan of hard shell tacos, but I did not mind them in this case. I love restaurants that give you a slice of lemon/lime with seafood, I think dishes can always use that refreshing note.
Nori Spiced Tuna Tartare Roll
When I asked the waiter for recommendations, he highly recommended the tuna tartare roll, saying it was his favorite dish of the menu - and after eating a piece, I could definitely see why. I have had tuna tartare many times, but this will probably go down as a favorite. After we got these first two dishes, my friend and I realized that yes - the waiter was correct, the dishes were tiny! We added two more dishes at this point - the octopus and the lobster roll.
Wasabi Pea Crusted Salmon asian pesto & soba
The wasabi crusted salmon was excellent! I loved the crispy crust that the wasabi formed - and the wasabi flavor was very subtle (a good thing since I actually don't really like wasabi). The salmon was also tender, which was a nice contrast to the texture of the crust - I love dishes with different textural notes like that! The soba noodles were okay, tasted mostly like soy sauce? After eating this dish, my friend and I were stuffed and regretted ordering the two additional dishes.
Skillet Roasted Octopus chorizo, garlic & sherry vinegar
However, the octopus was very good, reminded me of dishes I've had at Spanish tapas restaurants. They definitely used a heavy hand with the garlic butter though.
Rhode Island Style Lobster Roll
NYC has so many lobster rolls nowadays and I've still never tried one, so I decided to order a lobster roll to try. I think this might be the only dish I was disappointed in at Stanton Social. All I could taste was mayo, rather than any true seafood flavor. Maybe I should try Ed's Lobster Roll or Luke's Lobster next time. If my friend and I had stopped at the first 3 dishes, it would have been a relatively affordable dinner. However, these small dishes seriously add up!
After my dinner in the main dining room, I was actually confused for a while - I did not know this restaurant had a bar area, and randomly wandered upstairs to the tiny second floor - still confused - went up another set of stairs to the third floor, and finally found the bar area! There is also a really nice lounge area next to the bar. I prefer light and refreshing cocktails, and do not like anything overly sweet. I also looove drinks with green tea or Asian cocktails in general - I was a big fan of "The Social Tea" drink - ketel one citron, gunpowder green tea, and orange-honey marmalade.marmalade
No comments:
Post a Comment