Lord Stanley

[TrelayneNYC]

I don't think I ever reported on our dinner there...

Onion petals, sherry vinegar.

B and I had dinner at Lord Stanley back in May 2016. This is supposedly a one-star Michelin restaurant. And now that we've been there, we don't have to go back again. Very refined, well-made dishes with a dash of preciousness...it has that San Francisco vibe.

These were okay but hardly worth $5.

English peas, curds, mint and pistachio.

Vegetal, fresh and clean, like a garden in a bowl.

Confit salmon, Yukon Gold potatoes, sorrel, beurre blanc ($17).

Expertly cooked, well-made. And served like it was the Catholic sacrament of holy matrimony. I joked to B that it reminded me of a Disney cartoon -- Scrooge McDuck is serving his nephews: a giant plate with a single pea.

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Lamb loin and belly, mint, fava beans.

Again, well-made and prepared, seasoned perfectly. Except easily half of one piece was a marble slab of fat. This entree cost $34, for maybe 6 tablespoons of food.

 

Braised short rib, charred sweet onion.

Sorry to sound like a broken record...I suppose the Michelin inspectors are easily impressed. This was just "all right".

 

[TrelayneNYC]

The desserts were not much better. I would have posted this from home but I'm doing it at another location. The pictures are quite large and while I've reduced them, I can only upload 2 MB worth so perhaps a kind moderator will merge them both...hint hint.

Anyway, thinking on this meal, I've had great food at Kin Khao many times, and there was also my birthday dinner at Californios last year. They're outstanding. I don't know if other folks have had the experiences I had. I'm taking B to Acquerello in a few weeks and we'll be booking a rez at Benu later in the year. It's a good bet that the latter two are wonderful. I'd like to think that Michelin-starred restaurants are deserving of their ratings. This was not it.

Goat cheese, with honey, black garlic and granola cracker. For $11.

Easily the weirdest dessert I've ever encountered and a great example of why cheese served this way doesn't grab me.

Chocolate tart, Maldon sea salt, milk ice cream.

Was nothing special; somewhat average as desserts go.

As someone with experience at fine dining, I can appreciate Lord Stanley for what they're trying to do. But I don't think this is on the level of an Eleven Madison Park or a Jean-Louis.

 

Lord Stanley
2065 Polk Street (Broadway)
Russian Hill

[TrelayneNYC]

And after this dinner, we went out for a slice of pizza.