Last week was fashion week here in NYC and I decided to go to one of the city's newest and hottest spots for dinner: The Standard Grill. This is the restaurant that is beneath the Highline and part of Andre Balazs' Standard Hotel. It is a large restaurant with outdoor seating, many seats in the bar area, and more seats in the formal dining room. I chose my seat at one of seven chairs that overlook the kitchen. It was a Monday night, and the place was packed.

I started with the charred Spanish octopus with sweet potato and chilis ($13). This was a great dish. The octopus was perfectly cooked, and the textures and flavors all complemented each other perfectly.

For my entree I had the Berkshire pork chop with spiced salt ($21). This was a big, juicy, hunk of meat, and was really tasty. The spiced salt came on the side so I could salt it according to my liking, which I thought was interesting. I'm used to having the chef choose the amount of seasoning for me; I'm not sure if I like this or not, but it still was a nice chop. There was a side of apricot and pineapple chutney too which I thought was too sweet for my taste, and I would have preferred either a different side to complement the meat, or nothing at all. The chef, Dan Silverman, also sends out with every entree a bowl of patatas bravas, which were good, and a nice touch.

The Standard Grill is a place to see and be seen. It is definitely a hot spot, and the food here delivers. So if you are craving good food with a great scene, The Standard Grill is the place to be. (Also, this restaurant could have the coolest bathrooms in NYC; unisex in a cavern-like setting!)

The Standard Grill
848 Washington Street (at 13th Street-under the Highline, part of The Standard Hotel)
New York, NY 10014
212-645-4100
www.thestandardgrill.com