Stanton Social

A 8pm reservation on a Tuesday night became an extra forty minute wait. A very full house for a early week. Maybe I am getting older and have no patience for waiting in lines nor fond of crowds; nevertheless I was anticipating good food. Was it good food? I'd say, food for 'show' but not for the 'soul'. Hey, that rhymes.

Yes I know what I was in for. Tapas, aka small plates. I know. 2 out of the 8 tapas are actually worth commending.

Warm Piquillo Pepper 'Bruschetta' stuffed with roasted garlic-goat cheese $7. Two pieces of sad bread. Sad? The foundation of Bruschetta (to me) comes from quality bread with great texture and density. Plus, a crunchy bite. It was dabbled with garlic-goat cheese and whole roasted red pepper. My taste buds weren't dazzled from the combination.

Potato & Goat Cheese Pierogies with caramelized onions & truffle creme fraiche $9. This dish consist of three pierogies that was recommended by our server. A fried outer shelf filled with creamy cheese. I enjoyed this and was content. And I'm not big on pierogies.

Beef Carpaccio- pickled shallot, fried capers, wholegrain mustard-crème fraiche $13. Thinly sliced beef and overly salted. Pickled shallot, capers and sea salt; all in one dish is asking for your blood pressure to please go up higher. Nevertheless it was nicely presently, and the plate was cleaned up in minutes.


Sweet & Sour Chicken & Cashew Spring Rolls $9. Four rolls for 9 bucks, REALLY? Not the most memorable and least tastiest. Served piping hot, wrappers weren't as crunchy as I would liked and filling was not bold as I hoped. Sprinkled with lots of bits of cashews.

Nori Spiced Tuna Tartare Roll $13. Can you go wrong with Tartare? Nicely executed dish. Seasoned tuna wrapped in a light crispy nori. Enjoyable.

Social Mac & Cheese – chorizo, ovendried tomato $12. Literally a serving cup of mac and cheese. Nicely plated. Well done crusty cheese and creamy cheese center. But not for $12. That's just robbery.

Grilled Ovendried Tomato Pizzetta fresh mozzarella, grana, roasted garlic, chile oil $14. The most expensive tapas and biggest dish turned out to be the most ridiculously disappointing. Mama Celeste will be so proud, she might jump out of the box and kill this dish. The Pizzetta has an ultra thin crust without the consistency of a pizza dough but very similar to a large stale cracker. The toppings didn't shine, with mediocre ingredients. For me, pizza is about the dough and fresh ingredients. Neither were executed properly. Thumbs down. Super down.

Rhode Island Style Lobster Roll $9. One lobster roll, and the server makes it very clear. Miniature bun in refreshing blend of celery and spices. (If you're willing to dish a little more money out for a lobster roll, I recommend Pearl Oyster Bar, yes its pricey but if you got yourself a couple more of these minis, it'd cost you more and be a big mistake. Trust me.

Out of respect for food blogging, I mentioned all 8. There are many more dishes on the menu. I'm sure there are great ones but in conclusion I'd opt out on this place if I was famished and impatient. I am most of the time. These are tapas, so definitely don't hope to be stuffed if you're willing to pay a big premium. Very Appropriate to go with friends to catch up and have drinks and people watch. If you don't mind the crowd and noise, give this a try. Decor is invitingly trendy and busy.

After dinner, we had to stop at a Thai restaurant for some more grub... (I am not recommending my readers to go on a second dinner, but didn't I say I was famished.)


99 Stanton St (between Orchard St & Ludlow St) New York, NY 10002 (212) 995-0099
www.thestantonsocial.com