Since the doors swung (okay, rotated) open at André Balazs's brand new Standard Hotel astride the High Line in the Meatpacking District last week, we've been poking around trying to learn a little more about the place from a cuisine and victuals perspective. Quick recap: Back in February, the community board approved a ground-level bar and restaurant totaling 375 table seats, and an 18th-floor bar restaurant with a more restrained floorplan. And back in April, word broke that chef Dan Silverman was departing Lever House to helm the new restaurant here.
This week, we swore to poke around the site until we got some answers. Which we did.
The Restaurant: Dan Silverman is aiming for a Meatpacking District-honoring, chophouse type of vibe, hotel sources told us. It won't be one big free-for-all, but rather a few smaller spaces on a sliding scale of casualness. Expect the steaks to sizzle in Spring '09.
Hotel entryway and firepits: The streetlevel design encourages pedestrians to step up to and interact with the hotel and its amenities. By the main entryway, there's a series of yellow tables and chairs, and three firepits that looked icebound today but will soon be cranking year-round. Our sources whisper that bar and food service will be available in this space.
Biergarten: Meantime, back under the High Line, Team André plans a biergarten, complete with full outdoor bar.
Rooftop Bar: Here, we're not talking about the rooftop of the hotel, but rather the roof of the restaurant space. Stairs leading both up from the street and down from the hotel above will feed this outdoor space.
All of which is to say nothing of what they've got planned for the 18th floor, about which we hope to have more to say soon. But there's no question that the serious dining at The Standard will be done on the ground floor—and that there's going to be no shortage of places to drink once this place is really up and running in the spring.
· Inside André Balazs's Standard: Holy High Line! [Curbed]
· The Standard: Full Coverage [~E~]
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