The Standard Grill

Now that the High Line has opened to the public, the Meatpacking District feels newly revitalized. Can it also be an exciting dining destination again, as it once was before all the restaurants here turned to lowest-common-denominator cuisine: steak, potent cocktails, and faux exotic Asian food? The just-opened Standard Grill may be guilty of trying to be all things to all people – bankers, tourists, 20-something hipsters, and clannish food bloggers – but it could also put the MePa back on the map as a place to eat, not just see and be seen.

It’s clear from the menu, still in preview mode from chef Dan Silverman, formerly of Lever House, that the Standard Grill is doing what Monkey Bar was trying to do. It’s classic American fare, but unlike at Monkey Bar, it’s been lifted above the mundane, with little cues like “almond soup with pickled grapes” to please the food snobs, steak to please the expense account types, and plain grilled fish and champagne to please all Sex and the City wannabes. New York’s younger set will no doubt be lured in by the prices, since there are many entrees under $20 here. And the buzzy, clubby atmosphere should be a crowd-pleaser for all.

We started with one of the few good Pimm’s cups I’ve ever had in New York, complete with cucumber and strawberries ($10), and hard-to-find Fanny Bay oysters from British Columbia ($10 for 1/2 dozen). The quality of the fish and raw bar here is stellar, extraordinarily fresh. It did seem a little lazy to offer only one kind of sauce with the oysters (unlike at DBGB), a classic mignonette, but the oysters didn’t even need that. They were sweet, plump and just the slightest bit briny. Next up was one of our favorite dishes, the charred Spanish octopus with sweet potato and chilies ($13), described by my friend the Dead Head as “maybe the best grilled octopus I’ve ever had in my life.” The key was that they hadn’t overcooked it. It must take a very, very hot grill and deft grill master to get that char on the outside while keeping the interior so tender and flavorful.

The mixture of seared squid, merguez sausage, fennel and grapefruit ($11) was an interesting one, with the citrus providing a nice contrast to the peppery squid. They should have stopped at the pepper part of the sauce, however, and not added so much salt – someone in the kitchen has a heavy hand with it.

The focus in the menu is on the grilled items, but on that night the entrees listed under “main course” were a better bet. The seared halibut Hollandaise ($20) struck just the right balance between buttery and light, with a Hollandaise served alongside that complemented the fish, though even eaten plain, the halibut was great.

Flash-seared lamb chops ($25) were tender, young and not too gamey, and tasted as if they had been marinated in rosemary and other herbs – plus they came with an amazing basil spread. But the crisp polenta and basil that came alongside was again a disappointment for a fried polenta fan. There was just too much going on – herbs, cheese, salt, and a limp texture. Meanwhile, the Sunburst Farm rainbow trout ($16) was expertly grilled and beautifully presented with head and skin on, but it needed something more than the raisin and pine nut relish served alongside to tie the whole dish together. A little spartan.

The DeBragga & Spitler New York Strip ($23) (who are DeBragga & Spitler?) was just fine – though this may be because it was cooked very rare though D. ordered it medium-rare. I wanted more grill flavor.

Everyone’s been buzzing about the much-hyped duck fat smashed potatoes ($7), but we actually liked the crispy potatoes with smoked paprika aioli – free! – much better. Basically beautifully executed patatas bravas, crispy as promised.

I nearly teared up over the green market sugar snap peas with brown butter and sage ($7), since I have not had any as good since Grange Hall closed.

This being the first week of its official opening, it’s hard to say for sure whether the Standard Grill will live up to the anticipation surrounding its opening. But as far as invigorating the culinary scene on the MePa waterfront, it could definitely be a contender.

The Standard Grill
846 Washington Street at West 13th Street
Meatpacking District
New York, NY
212-645-4100