The Stanton Social (99 Stanton Street)

So, the gang (11 of us in all methinks), descended onto the Lower East Side yesterday for some excellent brunch at the super-cool Stanton Social. Given the number of diners, we were offered a 6 course tasting menu & boy was it good!

We all arrived & were seated on the mezzanine level which overlooks the hip, industrial main dining area. Brunch started off a bit shaky as the waiter forgot a few of our drink orders, but as soon as the food came out, it was pure bliss.

- Wolf & Sons' Bagel & Lox Platter.

Aye Curumba! I'm a huge fan of smoked salmon, so I was really excited to 'wolf' (pun intended) these down.

I thought that the presentation was excellent, particularly the cream cheese which was served like an scoop of ice cream. The fish was delicious, but my only real gripe was that it took a bit of effort to get at the capers. No biggie though.

- Vanilla Bean Pancakes w/Caramelized Bananas & Spiced Pecans.

Again, beautifully presented & topped with the bananas, pecans & a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar. I'll admit that I'm not much of a pancake eater, but these were small & went down very easily. The maple syrup was some of the very best that I've ever had (move over Aunt Jemima!) I did, however, wish that there were more bananas on the stack.

- Classic Eggs Benedict w/Canadian Bacon & Hollandaise.
- Potato Latkes.

These two courses came out together & actually complemented each other very well. Nothing much of interest to report about the Benedict, standard fare (not trying to say they weren't good). I really liked the Latkes which were topped with sour cream & apple sauce. An excellent mix of sweet & savory.

- BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich.
- Lobster Rolls.

Whoa! Sandwich overload! It was like a mini surf & turf! I was already filling up by now, but I did enjoy both of these courses. Particularly the Pork which was cooked to perfection.

All in all, an excellent experience. I'd like to go back to The Stanton Social for dinner one day & sample the a la carte delicacies. Definitely check the joint out!