After walking through the Standard Grill (848 Washington St. @13th St.) several times to use the restroom in my various nights out at the Biergarten that is affixed to the side of the restaurant, I craved the chance I could try this place out. The inside is beautiful with the floor being made of pennies, and the aromas that I could smell while walking through made me want to eat here so badly!
Finally, a work dinner made this dream a reality! We arrived here after work as a group, and the restaurant was still pretty empty. They tried seating us at this tiny tiny table where we were going to be overlapping our butt cheeks to squeeze in. We requested to be moved to another table, which was actually still on the tight side, but doable for the meal. From this experience alone, I realized, you cannot go to the Standard with more than 6 people in your party. They don't really accommodate large groups, or at least that night their tables weren't set up for it.
Warm Apple Spiced Cider (Alcoholic)
Once settled into our table, we were approached by the waiter for our drink orders. Our waiter was very nice and enthusiastic about the menu, so that was a plus! I ordered a hot apple cider drink that was a special. It was extremely delicious and very comforting, but the restaurant's heat was up so high that drinking my drink was extremely hard to do without sweating. :( By the end of the drink, I had removed my sweater and rolled up my sleeves, but was still practically dying of heat!
Dry Aged Cheese (Complimentary on the table)
The restaurant provided complimentary dry aged cheese on the table. It was a very small portion for the whole group, but it was very rich and sharp in flavor that maybe that's why the portion was bite sized. Meanwhile, I felt as though I was the only one eating the cheese. Perhaps everyone was afraid to dig in because of the portion, or maybe I was the only pig at the table :( Either way, it was good, so I couldn't resist.
Drink Toast!
The bread basket was super cute! It was served in a paper bag, like the type you take to school for lunch when you are a kid. It was lightly salted also, which added a great flavor to the bread. I am one to dive into a bread basket because I only really eat bread when I am out for a meal. I don't actually keep bread in the house, so I always appreciate good bread and butter :)
Bread Basket
Cute Presentation with the Paper Bag
1/2 Dozen Oysters
To start, my coworker and I shared a 1/2 dozen oysters and a 1/2 dozen little neck clams. They were extremely fresh and a good size. I also liked the extra sauce that they added to the plate that wasn't just a typical cocktail sauce. This sauce was fancier in looks and lighter in taste so you could actually taste the fish that you were eating. Definitely a perfect light start to a heavy meal.
1/2 Dozen Little Neck Clams
Side of Brussels Sprouts
My boss ordered a few sides for the table to share. My favorite of all was the brussels sprouts. Luckily, none of my coworkers were so into brussels sprouts, so the side basically became mine. I kind of have an obsession for this vegetable. As a child I hated them, but now I could eat them every night. They had a very light garlic and oil flavor to them with onions and peppers mixed in. They were absolutely scrumptious. Another favorite way of eating them for me is when they are crispy. Lightly burnt by a frying pan is how I make them.
Spiced Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs with Pearl Onions, Creminis (mushrooms), and Polenta
For my meal, I ordered the Spiced Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs with Pearl Onions, Creminis, and Polenta. I definitely ordered the best dish at the table. It was served in a piping hot skillet in an amazing broth. The ribs fell easily off the bones, while the mushrooms were so juicy and plump that each one was not going to go to waste. The polenta was a perfect pairing to the meal because it was drowning in the succulent sauce. I ended up only eating half of my meal and taking the rest home for lunch the next day. Interestingly enough, the meal tasted even better at lunch reheated than it did the night before, which I didn't know was possible! Great job Standard, you made a meal that is actually good as a leftover too. I am a huge fan of leftovers!
For dessert, my boss ordered a million desserts for the table. Family style is the best way to have dessert, that way you can have your cake and eat it too :)
"The Deal Closer"
A Bowl of Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Topped with Whipped Cream
(Meant for two or more)
The first dessert was called the "Deal Closer," and it was a colossal mountain of mousse. It was very rich. Mousse is one of those things you can only have a few tastes of, and then it becomes too much. But the few tastes I had were very good. The way it was served was also very ingenious. They provided a spreading spatula to serve it with that one would use for frosting a cake or baking. I just thought this was cuter than having a regular spoon to serve with.
Ayabel
Warm Chocolate Brownie with Salted Almonds Served with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Next up, was the Ayabel, which was a warm chocolate brownie served with salted almonds and vanilla bean ice cream. This was the dessert that won the medal for me. It was so rich and soft, and definitely came straight from the oven to our table. The inside of the brownie was oozing with fudge. It was just so good, that I could have had the dessert as my meal and been happy. The almonds and ice cream also added a nice contrast in flavors, temperatures, and textures to cleanse the palette with each bite.
Wake & Bake
Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies Served with Chilled Battenkill Valley Cream-Top Milk
The Wake & Bake, which is warm chocolate chip cookies served with milk, had a cute presentation. It was served as though you were having a snack of cookies and milk. Thick, very soft, warm cookies paired with a cup of milk. This dessert was a little harder to share as a group because of the size of it, and the dipping aspect of the milk. But no one had cooties at our table, so we all dipped our cookies into the milk. I will be honest, this wasn't the best cookie I have ever had, but it was pretty good. It could have had more chocolate chips added into it to give it more of that melted fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookie effect. I may be bias though, I still think that the best cookie I have ever had was in Erie, PA. from this place I went every week after school, right before my ballet class for my after school snack with my Mom.
Warm Apple Pie
Served with Aged White Cheddar Ice Cream
Lastly, we finished with something less rich and more refreshing. The Warm Apple pie wasn't the typical apple pie that one would expect. It was served in the shape of a molten cake and was smaller than a usual slice of apple pie. There weren't many chunks of apples either. It was more of a mixture that had cinnamon and apple spices. The ice cream paired nicely with it. But I definitely would not order this dessert as my first choice. I'd rather have a real slice of apple pie if I was going to have apple pie.
I highly suggest trying this place out. It is in a great part of the city with the High Line above it, and right near all the meatpacking shops. Also, if you are feeling active after dinner, you can go ice skating on the mini ice skating rink they have set up outside the restaurant during the winter. Definitely a great date spot.
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